Notes On A Napkin

I thought it was time for a bit of color here with this behind-the-scenes shot of Gene on the set of An American in Paris. In the movie, you see him in this sweater and these slacks, but he's wearing a red cashmere scarf around his neck and one of his standard caps. I speak in a lot of high schools and when the students see photos of Gene I often hear: "He looks so cool!" And one said, "Like he just stepped out of a J Crew Ad!" Not bad for 75 years ago, eh? Ahead of his time, perhaps?

June Allyson played Constance to Gene's D'Artagnan in The Three Musketeers (1948). She appeared in the was the Broadway show for which Gene was choreographer—Best Foot Forward that opened at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre in New York on Oct. 1, 1942. But he never spoke about her much. They traveled in different circles. Born Eleanor Geisman in the Bronx, New York in 1917, she died in Ojai, California in 2006. Allyson and her husband, dentist turned actor David Ashrow, were on our flight to Italy in 1988, where she and Gene (and Bette Davis, Glenn Ford, Ali MacGraw, Robert Mitchum, Samantha Eggar, Joseph Cotten, and Patricia Medina) then received the National Italian Merit of Achievement Award in Campione, Switzerland. (That's a trip I'll be writing about!)

I often emphasize the cerebral side of Gene—the dimension that paid attention to every detail, the mind that never stopped. But he had a playful side, as well. You see it here in a behind-the-scene shot of him with Gig Young, who played Porthos to his D'Artagnan in The Three Musketeers (1948). I saw it often in the cartoons Gene cut from the "funny papers" and placed on the refrigerator for me to find in the morning and in the funny phrases he used to make me laugh, often old vaudeville bits he learned as a young man in Pittsburgh. Gig Young, by the way, was born Byron Barr in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Young's role as the dance-marathon emcee in They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969) earned him a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. Originally cast as the Waco Kid in Blazing Saddles (1974), he was replaced by Gene Wilder because of his alcohol abuse. Similarly, he lost the role of Charles Townsend in the TV Series Charlie's Angels (1976) because he was too drunk to record his lines. He was replaced by John Forsythe. Young died by suicide in New York City in 1978, evidently after shooting his wife (his fifth), a young German actress named Kim Schmidt, after being married only three weeks. A sad end for someone who was once similarly playful.

Whenever I post things about The Pirate, people say this is one of their favorite scenes. It not only showcases the easy rapport between Gene and Judy Garland but, also, their comedic talents (not to mention the value of breakaway props!). One thing that I find missing from many accounts of Garland's life is her humor. Gene said she had a great sense of humor and that they loved to laugh and have fun together.

I have a lot of images from the photo shoot with Gene and Frank Sinatra for Anchors Aweigh. They were such imps and absolutely adored each other. In the film itself, you can see Frank looking over to "spot" Gene as he is doing here. My friend @salscognamillo is doing a special event at Patsy's Restaurant in NYC for Frank's birthday on December 12. He asked me to do a brief video for the event, since Gene and Frank were so close and Patsy's was their favorite restaurant (and now mine!). I talked about how these two were like comets flying through the air, the likes of which we shall not see again.

Though Gene is often known for his wide smile, this is also a familiar look for me. Either way, he definitely takes you in.

This photo of Gene at the Cannes Film Festival in May 1959 resonates even more with me now that I have been there myself. The caption on the back describes the "assault" of photographers taking flash pictures of the stars arriving at a screening of Mario Soldati's Policarpo. In this, you see Jacques Charrier at left and Pascale Petit in the middle. They both starred in Marcel Carné's film, Les tricheurs (1958), along with Jean-Paul Belmondo and Laurent Terzieff. Petit also appeared in Alexandre Astruc's One Life (1958). Charrier, who was born in Metz, France in 1936, married Brigitte Bardot just a little over a month after this photo was taken—a marriage that ended in divorce and his lawsuit for a violation of privacy when she published her memoir. After acting, he pursued a career as a painter and ceramicist. He died on September 3 in Saint-Briac-sur-Mer. Petit was born in Paris in 1938 and is still living. Gene was on the jury that year. Marcel Camus' Black Orpheus won the Palm d'Or. I don't know about you, but I love Gene in his classic black tie. I always thought it was one of his best looks. I don't think you can go wrong with it.

Gene told me that his most treasured time growing up was at Conneaut Lake, where he and his family spent summers. He said that his father was well-versed in the flora and fauna of the area and taught Gene the lore of the land. "I loved the woods," he said. "I liked often to go into the woods alone just for the enjoyment of being alone." Here is is, three going on four. Already, that smile is unmistakable.

Gene cut illustrations out of newspapers and magazines to show me designs that he thought would be good for me. He was fond of gowns inspired by Ancient Greek Dress—columns with a tie at the waist. So he appreciated this design by American-born designer Mary McFadden. Born in Manhattan, New York in 1938, McFadden was noted for her dresses that draped "like liquid gold" down a woman's body, similar to those on the caryatids at the Acropolis. Harold Koda, a curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute called McFadden a "design archaeologist." She died in 2024 at the age of 85. Gene considered a silk scarf the perfect "accoutrement" for an outfit. My necklace is a vintage costume piece that I felt complemented the Grecian design. I still have it, the scarf, the gown, and the shoes. I also have Gene's tuxedo, shirt, studs, cuff links, shoes, glasses. Fortunately, I still have his smile preserved in this photo of us before we departed for Irving and Mary Lazar's famous Oscar Party at Spago Restaurant in 1992.

Since I spoke about Gene's attention to detail in fashion, I thought I should share a photo of the two of us. It was taken as we arrived at the Carousel Ball held to raise funds for Children's Diabetes in 1990. Though I had been living with Gene for several years, we were fairly newly married in this shot. This is one of the Carolyne Roehm gowns that Gene loved. You cannot see it in this photo, but the copper skirt is a large ball skirt over a straight dove grey skirt. I'm carrying a Whiting bag that I still have. Gene is in his classic black tie that he swore by. You can see a hint of his small crimson ribbon on his lapel, signifying that he is a recipient of the French Legion d'honneur. I miss his firm gripping of my hand!