Maybelline's Debbie Reynolds and her daughter Carrie Fisher will be loved forever

Debbie Reynold's with Maybelline founder, Tom Lyle Williams, (on the right,) Arnold Anderson (on the left,) and Sparky the dog.  Photo taken at TL's home in Bel Air California, 1950.

Married in 1955, Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher, known as the perfect couple.  Both equally famous, they were the couple..... to wanna be.

 Hollywood's Prince and Princess, expecting their first child....This was the stuff fairy tales were made of. 

 A 1956,  Maybelline ad, appeared in movie magazines, the same time Debbie and Eddie were expecting their first child, Carrie Fisher.

Goodbye Debbie and Carrie you will be greatly missed RIP.
Read more about Debbie Reynolds the day she visited Tom Lyle and Arnold in Bel Air for a photo shoot, in..... The Maybelline Story and the Spirited Family Dynasty Behind It.

Erte' - Ziegfield Follies, Maybelline in the 1920's.

 "Through these portals pass the most beautiful girls in the world."

 The Ziegfeld Follies were famous for many beautiful chorus girls commonly known as Ziegfeld girls.  Florenz Ziegfeld's theatrical spectaculars known as the Ziegfeld Follies, were based on the Folies Bergère of Paris....

Erte costumes and sets were featured in the

Ziegfeld Follies of 1923,

 Erté's theatrical innovations were countless, including "living curtains" (showgirls with plumes and pearls, festooned by embroidered trains.

The Ziegfeld girls paraded up and down flights of stairs semi-nude, as anything from birds to battleships. 

These beauties, of similar size, decked out in Erté designs, gained many young male admirers and they became objects of popular adoration.

 Ziegfeld Girls,  including Paulette Goddard,  Barbara Stanwyck and Louise Brooks became Maybelline models and were featured in future ads throughout the 1930's and 1940's. 

Though beautiful Phyllis Haver was rejected by Ziegfeld after auditioning in 1915, Tom Lyle immediately saw her appeal and featured her in several Maybelline ads during the 1920s.

 Tom Lyle Williams, Entrepreneur, King of Advertising, President of the Maybelline Co.



Flo Ziegfield, The Ziegfeld Follies,

 "Glorifying the American Girl."

             Erté - elegant fashion designs - art deco -


Erte, Flo Ziegfeld and TL Williams, were synonomous with fashion, style and glamour during the 1920's and  were instrumental in spotlighting  beauty, throughout the 1930's - But only Maybelline has remained a Global brand, into the  21st Century.

                                    Ziegfeld Follies Girls, 1907 -1931.

Maybelline - Are things getting better?

Here is a video from Maybelline New York,  saying "Things are getting better." 

                 What do you think of it. 

I will posting a recording made in 1947, of Tom Lyle and the family, pretending to do a Maybelline Radio commercial.

Behind the scenes with Maybelline New York.

Stay tuned, you can compare, what a long way Maybelline commercials have come from 1915 to today - almost 100 years.

              Maybe She's Born With It! 

Goodbye Norma Jean, scenes from Casa De Guillermo's.

Misty Rowe stars in Goodbye Norma Jean, filmed at my father's estate in Palm Springs, in 1975.

Here are some views of Casa Guillermo, inside and out. 
Read all about the filming of the movie at the Casa with all my family and friends as extras, in The Maybelline Story and be sure to get a signed copy of my book...

Vintage Maybelline Glamour Alive and Well in Beverly Hills

Glamor, Style and Panache at The Beverly Hills Women's Club, kicked of a season, sure to match the sensational Maybelline Story event.

The Man of the hour, Rags Ragland, (contributor to the Maybelline Story,and son of Harold W. Ragland, marketing genius at Maybelline from 1933 to 1968.)  Author, Sharrie Williams, President of the Beverly Hills Women's Club, Jill Tavelman Collins, Columnist at the Huffington Post, Patricia Rust.                                                   .

Donna Williams, (Sharrie's sister,)  Rags Ragland, Sharrie Williams, Jill Tavelman Collins.

Ann Williams-Corbett, (Sharrie's cousin,) Donna Williams, Rags Ragland,

Sharrie Williams.

Rags Ragland, Sharrie, Jill Tavelman Collins,

 Lauri Tepper.

Ladies Lunching.

Ladies of The Beverly Hills Women's Club, excited to see,  The Maybelline Story.

Buzzing, as the Fall Season for the Club takes off in a whirl of fashion.

Bettie Youngs, of Bettie Youngs Books, Publisher of the Maybelline Story, introduces Sharrie Williams.

Sharrie Williams at the podium.

The Maybelline Story takes the stage, as 235 vintage Maybelline ads and family pictures, set to the music of the Philharmonic Orchestra, playing Beach Boy songs,  and a vintage recording of Tom Lyle Williams, doing a 1930's, Maybelline, Penthouse Serenade commercial, created a special atmosphere for Sharrie to make the Maybelline Story come alive. 


The Maybelline Story presentation, kicked of the Season for the Beverly Hills Women's Club, as well as establishing their new President, Jill Tavelman Collins, in her new position for the year.  The tables were decorated with vintage memorabilia and fresh cut flowers, setting the tone for a walk down memory lane during the 20th Century.  Over 90 ladies filled the grand hall of the beautiful home built in 1916, where the ambiance of the era, bloomed for all who attended.  A separate room, filled with tables of Campaign and wine,  salads and deserts, as well as loads of bright Sunflowers, made the event a special reception for The Maybelline Story to make it's debut in Beverly Hills.


The books were signed by the author after the presentation and many well wishers expressed a desire for a movie, or mini series, like Mildred Pierce ,or Boardwalk Empire.  Romance seemed to be the call of the day, for all the ladies who love nostalgia, history and of course Maybelline.


Sharrie Williams is available to repeat her show.  Information available under CONTACTS. 

Maybelline Heir, Bill Williams, says "I do," for the third time.

Bill  Williams, marries his third wife, Gloria Rosan, at his cousin Noel A. and Jean Williams home in Montecito California, on New Years Eve, 1977.

The Minister gives the vows to Bill and Gloria as Jean and Noel stand by.

Bill toasting his bride.

                       Mr. and Mrs. William Preston Williams Jr.

         The big 4, Jean, Bill, Gloria and Noel A. Williams   
                             "Let the 80's begin!"

If you've been following the Maybelline Blog, you have watched Bill and his cousin Noel A. since they were babies together.  Now they're in their 50's as life takes on yet a new beginning.

Maybelline sale, during the 11th hour.

    Maybelline Co and it's employee's, 1934


Excerpted from a letter from Alan A. Ragland.  Alan also wrote the preface for The Maybelline Story and the Spirited Family Dynasty Behind It. Copyrighted 2010, Bettie Youngs Books.


The Maybelline Company was acquired by Plough, Inc. effective 2/28/68.  Negotiations were currently going on with American Cyanamid, Revlon, and Kimberly Clark.  Rags Ragland, The Marketing genius Tom Lyle hired in in 1933, had owned Plough stock and was the unique influence in recommending Plough as a suitor to the Maybelline Co.  Ragland's reasoning was that he knew that Plough was in a solid enough position to buy the Maybelline and also due to the leverage factor, he knew that Plough would be a preferred candidate.  Plough was in a far superior leveraged condition in that the company had much fewer shares outstanding.


During the 11th hour of negotiations, Ragland suggested to Tom Lyle's son Tom Jr., that Maybelline include Plough in the bidding:  Tom's initial reaction was "Rags, they do not have the money"... Ragland's response was, "Yes, they do Tom. I know their circumstances, as I have been a stockholder for years and know they are cash heavy."  Tom called Abe Plough and the next day Abe Plough and Lanny Smith flew up with their executive staff in their private jet from Memphis to talk to Maybelline in Chicago ... post haste!


Plough was quickly and shrewdly chosen as the suitor:  They offered a minimum of  $100M  and there was a period of grace, whereupon the stock would float, then a specific day, which was 2/28/68 that the Plough stock price would be "pegged" for the official exchange.  On 2/28/68 the price of Plough had rallied so dramatically that the effectual buyout of the Maybelline company was now $132.3M!  Yes, it was leverage that caused this!  Demand plus fewer shares caused a stock breakout, which is a scenario seen on Wall Street each day.


In 1973 Schering, the 2nd largest pharmaceutical company in the world and Plough merged.  Each of the stockholder's received 1.32 shares of Schering for every share of of Plough that they had owned.