Barbara Billingsley

This is a 1955 Lydia Lane article where actress Barbara Bilingsley talks about a bunch of beauty stuff. Enjoy!

Barbara Billingsley of TV’s “Professional Father” series came to TV straight from MGM. When I called on her at CBS studios where the series originates, Barbara seemed quite happy with her TV assignment. “I learned a lot at MGM,” she admitted, “but I didn’t advance my career very much. Seeing myself on the screen was a tremendous help in determining the kind of clothes I should wear. It made me realize that following fashion was secondary to finding what was becoming to me. I’m the tall, thin figure type so naturally I think Dior’s new trend is a great idea.”

“Not everyone can get a screen test to help them solve this problem,” 1 commented. “What do you think about photographs as a substitute?” “That would be a great help,” Barbara agreed. ”Mirrors are not always very reliable. You get a more realistic evaluation when you can study yourself as others’ see you.” . I wanted to know specifically what glamour tricks Barbara had picked up at the studio. “The most important thicg they did for me was to teach me to make-up my mouth much fuller- both my upper and lower lip. It gives much better balance to my face. “It’s so easy to fall into a rut and take your face for granted. We forget to look into our mirrors with a critical eye: It’s a good idea to experiment with your eyebrows, mouth and different shades of make-up. You can always tell by the reaction you receive whether it’s good or bad.

“Another trick I learned at the studio,” Barbara continued, “is an old-fashioned beauty – aid. After your face has been scrubbed clean, dab it with a piece of cotton soaked in table cream. Make sure you cover every part – of your face, then let it dry for 10 minutes. Rinse it off with warm water, then take ac ice-cube wrapped in a soil cloth and rub it over your face. This is wonderful fir keeping your skin soft and clear. My complexion has looked and felt a lot better since I’ve discovered this. “But,” Barbara added, “making a good impression is not entirely a matter of appearance. I think whatever attitude you give out comes back to you. Being interested in others makes them interested in you. “Being considered attractive isn’t such a great trick,” she concluded, “but being considered attractive and charming is a real achievement.”

My mini beauty hint – Diana Sinclair

This is a 1933 beauty hint by actress Diana Sinclair. Enjoy!

Cocoanut milk Is my favorite beauty aid. I drink it and I bathe my face, neck and hands with it. I learned this in South America where I was born. It is rich and nourishing and many South American women, famed for their smooth complexions, use It as I do. After bathing my face in the morning with the milk, I follow with a soothing massage with a hot towel and then pat my face gently with a very’ cold one. And I never let my skin become sunburned.

Pier Angeli and Marisa Pavan

This is a 1955 Lydia Lane article where actresses/twin sisters Pier Angeli and Marisa Pavan talk about a bunch of beauty stuff. Enjoy!

Although Pier Angeli and her sister Marisa Pavan are twins, they don’t look alike, talk alike or have similar tastes or even seem to be the same age. Yet both of these Italian beauties have made their mark on the Hollywood scent. For the fist time they were working on the same lot so I managed to get them together in Warner Bros.’ Green Room for lunch. Pier who is very thin ordered a chocolate malt with her flinch. It was obvious she was not calorie conscious. Not so with Marisa, however. ‘I must be so careful what I eat,” Marisa said, eyeing Pier’s healthy lunch, but choosing a cottage cheese salad for herself. ‘I don’t like the right things end it is very difficult. I’m fondest of ice cream and candy,” she confessed.

“I hate candy,” said Pier. Marisa seemed not to hear. “I’m very strict about keeping myself on a high-protein diet,” she continued. “For breakfast I have a glass of hot water with lemon juice, and one poached egg. I don’t drink coffee. For lunch it’s cottage cheese or yogurt with fruit. I have a cup of tea in the afternoon and for dinner all the steak I want with one green and one yellow vegetable and fruit for desert.” Pier laughed. “Marisa is so serious about everything. She is the intellectual one of the family. She studies and reads for hours and hours.” “My education was interrupted by the war and I’m trying to make up for it,” Marisa explained. “I think you have to have confidence to get what you want out of life and learning gives me confidence.”

“The war left me with a problem, too,” Pier confided. “It was a feeling of being robbed of my childhood. I found myself not wanting to grow up. But every problem has to be faced at some tune or other.” “Just realizing that is a big step toward growing up,” I remarked. “And growing up isn’t so painful if you go along at the normal pace.” Pier was called to the telephone and as she crossed the room I noticed what a tiny waist she had. Becoming Clothes “Full skirts are so becoming to her,” Marisa remarked, “but I can’t wear them at all.” Later when I complimented Pier on her slim waist she said, “Marisa and I have such different figures we can’t even wear each other’s clothes like some sisters do. Marisa looks best in sophisticated things. When I try to wear things like that I look foolish -like a little girl trying to wear her mother’s dresses.”

“I don’t think anyone can be at her beat, or even feel confident, when vibe feds the is dressed wrong,” Marisa agreed, and added “But sometimes it take a few painful mistakes before you find what suits you best.” “One thing both of you can be proud of,” I declared, “are your beautiful hands and fingernails. How do you keep them looking like this?” “It’s an old Italian trick,” Pier said with enthusiasm. ”It’s no trouble to keep your nails long if you soak them in a mixture of olive oil, heated slightly, and a little bit of vinegar. I do this a couple of times a week, usually when I change my nail polish.”

We turned to the subject of skin care and Pier told me she never used creams. “I just wash my face over and over with soap and water until it feels clean.” “My skin is different from Pier’s,” Marisa said. “Soap is too drying for me and I have to use cream, but the important thing is to get all the make-up off. Often I have to go over my face several times with cream before I feel that it is really clean.” I mentioned that when I was In Italy last year so many of the younger let were not wearing lipstick. “But they wear lots of eye makeup,” Marisa said. “That is most important. I think when you put a lot of color on your lips and nothing on your eyes you are drawing attention away from the most important point hi your face.” “But you must learn to use eye make-up to that it doesn’t show,” Pier chimed to. “Doing the wrong things with an eyebrow pencil can make a.girl look years older.” “What do you call the wrong things?” I wanted to know. “Choosing the wrong shade,” said Pier. “Making a straight, hard line instead of soft ones,” said Marisa. I left with the feeling that in spite of their differences, both girls were wise in the ways of beauty.

Lola Albright

This is a 1955 Lydia Lane article where actress Lola Albright talks about skin and teeth care. Enjoy!

Lola Albright Mrs. Jack Carson in private life, originally came to Hollywood because photographer Paul Hesse used her as a model and told the studios they were missing a bet in not bringing tier out here. “And I’ve enjoyed every minute of this California way of life,” Lola told me as we chatted on the set of ‘-Treasure of Ruby Hills.” “But,” she added. ”I find that the dry air and sunshine make my skin feel dehydrated. It’s a constant struggle to keep my skin fresh looking and moist, especially since I am allergic to so many cosmetics. Until I discovered this, I used to wonder why I had so much trouble with my complexion. When someone you know uses a preparation and likes it,’ you are naturally inclined to try it.

Now I limit my cosmetics to line which eliminates all the ingredients that aggravate allergies and I have no trouble with my complexion,” Lola said with a big smile. When I complimented her on her sparkling while teeth she told me, “I am a tooth-scrubber from way back. I always carry a ‘tote’ brush in my bag — one that folds and fits into my purse. “Teeth are a tremendous asset when they are clean and white and I think it’s worth a little trouble to keep them gleaming. I’m sure I have at least a dozen tooth brushes at home. My dentist recommends one with six tufts on the end for getting at your back teeth.”

‘ I wanted to know what other kind she used. “The others are just plain natural bristle brushes,” she said. “I keep a number on hand because I don’t like’ lo use a brush unless it’s thoroughly dry. I also believe in switching around on tooth powders and using plenty of dental floss.” I asked Lola if she liked to use a mouth wash. “Oh, yes.” she replied, nodding her head for emphasis. “Especially a violet scented one. It’s a safe and pleasant little touch because we never know when our breath is not as fresh as it should be. “Physical beauty is not something we can control,’ Lola said as she was called back to the camera, “but charm is. And I can’t think of a better way to cultivate perfect teeth.”

Lillian Gish

This is a 1954 Lydia Lane article where actress Lillian Gish talks about a bunch of beauty stuff. Enjoy!

Lillian Gish is to the silent era what Garbo is to the talkies; each is in a class by herself. U When I met Miss Gish at a Hollywood party she invited me to lunch With her at the BKO Pathe studio in Culver City where she is working in “The Night of the Hunter, or Paul Gregory. “I play a good woman, Miss Gish said over a salad of cottage cheese and fresh fruit, “and it’s not easy to make a good woman interesting.” I told Miss Gish how many compliments her friends were making about her youthful appearance. Started as Child Her Madonna-like face broke into a smile. “People say that because they probably think I’m much older than I really am. But this always happens to actresses who start working as a child. ‘ “I have always tried to be kind to the body I live in,” she confided, “because I won’t get a second one. I am more concerned with what I put in my body than what I put on it.”

In Lillian Gish’s pursuit of the “grail of eternal health” she has worked with many body culture groups, including yoga. “I’ve been to many schools ” she said, “but I now have a ballet bar at home and work alone.” “How long do you work?” I asked, “and what do you do?” “There are so many exercises!” said Miss Gish as she speared a slice of apple with her fork, “but I find it interesting to imitate a cat. Try doing everything she does, Stretch as far as you can, pulling your legs, arms and neck well away from your body. Curl up to keep your spine , limber and slump cat fashion onto a sofa.” We chatted about early days in Hollywood and Miss Gish told me, “When I was younger they admired me as a beauty but this can be a liability. Unless it is accompanied by beauty from with- in you are lost when it fades. It is not so much the features which makes a face lovely but the expression. “True beauty can’t be bought. You have to work for it. Glamour make-up never really fools anyone. What one should strive for are the three T’s: taste, talent and temerity,” Miss Gish explained. One can’t chat along with Miss Gish without respecting her wisdom.

“You can get along with any two of this trio but real success comes when you have all three. Taste is a rare and personal thing. It prevents you from ever offending anyone. Know yourself and have the temerity to change what should be” improved. It’s what you are when you are alone that counts.” One can’t chat long with Miss Gish without respecting her wisdom. “What one rule that you’ve lived by has proved outstandingly helpful?” I asked. “Concentration,” she said picking a salt cellar from the table and placing it on the window sill. “It’s as aim pie as that. Look at this for half a minute and then close your eyes for another thirty seconds and think of nothing else. When you succeed in controlling your stream of thought for that length of time, try to concentrate longer. But don’t think this is easy. It’s one of the most difficult things in the world but it’s well worth the time and effort you spend mastering it. When I was working in Hollywood I was painfully shy to the point where It was harmful to my career. I used to suffer wondering what other people were thinking or saying about me. Concentration helped me to forget myself and when I learned that, I was no longer shy.” Miss Gish has high praise for Charles Laughton who is directing a film for the first time.

“He is great. He’ has a magnetic quality In his voice that brings the most out of his actors. He reminds me of D. W. Griffith.” “The human voice,” Lillian remarked, “is a great Instrument for charm when it is well used. I studied voice with a great teacher, Margaret Carrington, who told me: ‘Let your speech come out from your diaphragm to your lips.’ She put my finger in front of my mouth saying: ‘Speak out here to your finger, not in your throat or your nose.” MISS GISH was wearing make-up now but I could still see the fine texture of her complexion and I remarked about this. “I’ve worn make-up on my face since 1 was five and my skin is not bad. I’ve taken good care to see that it was always clean. I go over it four or five times to be sure nothing is left behind after cleansing. I don’t believe in going to bed with my face smothered in creams,” she concluded. “Night is the time to let your skin breathe.” “Do you use soap?” I- asked. “Yes, a super-fatted one as my skin is inclined to be dry.” As a car came to drive Miss Gish back to the set I admired her scent. “It’s an American one,” she said. “I wear American clothes and American perfumes; they are the best in the world.”

WE CHATTED about the early days in Hollywood and Miss Gish told me, “When I was younger they’ admired me as a beauty but this can be a liability for unless It Is accompanied by beauty from within.

Gaby Bruyere

This is a 1954 Lydia Lane article where actress Gaby Bruyere talks about skin care. Enjoy!

Gaby Bruyere Is well known in Europe but she has to win a new audience in North America because of/the 18 pictures she made in her native France, only one has been released here. “I love your California salads,” she told me the other day as she scanned the Brown Derby menu trying to make up her mind. “The French cooking is so different,” she explained. “I believe we shorten our lives by eating all those rich sauces and involved recipes. In Paris it is considered very impolite to refuse to eat what your hostess serves, but here in America’ one accepts the fact that most women have a dieting problem.”

“For my complexion I eat raw carrots with lemon juice and a little olive oil — this is an old French secret,” Gaby added. “And I have another French secret — not for health food but for beauty,” Gaby volunteered. “You clean your face with soap and warm water and when you are sure that it is clean, pat it with cotton soaked in orange juice. If you want to clear’your complexion, rub it gently with a slice of orange. Let this dry completely — it will take about ten minutes — and then wash it off with warm water. “If you do this before going to a party, you’ll get lots of compliments,” Gaby promised. We agreed on how important your good complexion is to your beauty. “But the real skin treatment begins inside,” Gaby declared.

She touched her forehead and her mouth. “With what you think and what you eat. You can injure your whole body with worry or anger and you can ruin your health by not eating properly. “Fresh air is wonderful for the skin,” Miss Bruyere said as she took a deep breath. “You have to have plenty of oxygen if you want to have a good color. “And I believe in drinking plenty of water during each day. Our bodies lose water at a rate which makes it necessary to be replenished with at least five or six glasses a day. Try drinking more water and watch your skin pick up a new glow. “And if you want to have a nice skin,” Gaby added, “get plenty of sleep. If you are fatigued your skin will look fatigued.”

Maureen O’Hara – Take Three

This is a 1954 Lydia Lane article where actress Maureen O’Hara talks about a bunch of beauty stuff. Enjoy!

When I visited Maureen O’Hara in her dressing room at Columbia she had just come off the “The Long Gray set and was aged by makeup so skillfully applied I hardly recognized her. As we chatted about Spain, a make-up man pulled long strips of rubber from under her eyes, and the “bags” disappeared; another pull removed “fallen muscles” from along her jaw line. ”In Madrid, isn’t the soft water wonderful? But did you try washing your hair when you were in Malaga, Spain?” Maureen asked as she lay back in her make-up chair. “Lots of people who have grown up in hard water regions may not realize how much better their hair would be if they invested in a water softener. ”

“I travel with a portable hair drier,” Maureen continued. “I wash my hair every three days and like to take care of it myself. I prefer bending over the tap in the tub to washing it in a shower, because it’s easier for me to control the rinsing.” “Did you ever have short hair?” asked. “I cut It once,” Maureen said, r-siding up now and looking more like her true self. “I believe in trying something new, but I didn’t like it, When I walk into a room now there are all these women with their hair cut short as can be, and I have my chignon, and I feel very feminine and individual. “I contend that fashion is what suits you, and you must adjust what you see in the shops to your own personality. I always try to accent femininity not to the point of fluffiness because the clinging vine is not my idea of being attractive. A woman of that ‘ type becomes a millstone around a man’s neck.”

“It is so pointless to be a slave to fashion,” Maureen continued. I wonder about this every time I see a woman with ugly, flabby upper arms wearing a sleeveless dress. ; “The under part of the upper arm is not used very much in the activities of a normal day so that muscle Is one of the first to get soft. But you really can firm it with exercise.” Maureen hopped up from her i chair and stood in the room with her arms spread wide, shoulder height. “Do this night and morning,” she said holding her palms up and elbows straight. She rotated her hands in small circles. “Keep the arms as far hack as you can and when you feel tired, stop,” she explained. “Wait a moment and then repeat, first In one direction and then in the other. You’ll be surprised how much better your arms will look if you keep with it.” It was a hot day and as Maureen removed padding from around her hips and at the back of her neck she dusted herself with deodorant powder. “I even have my 9-year-old daughter use a mild deodorant.”

Maureen exploded about people who do not appreciate the Importance of freshness. “I keep my arm pits dry but I also wear shields in every dress I have. I don’t understand why more women don’t use shields,” she exclaimed. “You can’t always be sending your dresses to the cleaners,” she added. “I have a portable iron that goes everywhere with me, and I always press my own clothes. I’ve found most people do not know how to press as well as I do, especially circular skirts. Never press on the bias or across, but always go with the grain. Then you’ll never have any trouble with your hemlines sagging.”

Maureen had all the make-up off her face now and her skin was clear and radiant. “I love the shiny look,” she explained, “and I stay away from make-up bases because I feel they accentuate every line by gathering in the creases to make them stand Out. You can’t Improve a bad skin by hiding it, can you? But so many women accept a bad complexion and do nothing about improving It. Maybe it’s bad because they don’t get their faces really clean. I go over and over my makeup with a cream until I have a clean tissue. Then I wash my face with warm water, a soapy lather and scrub with a soft tooth brush.”

My mini beauty hint – RUTH GORMLEY

This is a 1932 beauty hint by stage actress Ruth Gormley. Enjoy!

The chill winds of winter often roughen one’s hands and face to such an extent that applications of cold cream will not always repair the damage, I find. When this happens I usually run my skin with a small amount of pure olive oil. Then after rubbing the oil off carefully, I find the skin has gained a softness in texture which makes it much more susceptible to the healing and cleansing qualities of the cold cream.

Nancy Gates

This is a 1954 Lydia Lane article, where actress Nancy Gates talks about skin care and diet. Enjoy!

Nancy Gates started in pictures when she was in her early teens. “I came to Hollywood right from school in Texas,” she told me yesterday as we lunched in the beautiful Bel-Air Hotel, “and wearing heavy make-up all day proved not to be good for my skin. “I had an awful time until the studio make-up man suggested I use an astringent to dry up the excess oil on my face,” Nancy continued. He told me to open the pores with hot water and close them up with astringent, and for my particular type of skin to use no soap: This routine has worked very well. Every time I cream my face, I follow with an astringent. I think it prevents make-up from lodging in the pores and stale cosmetics can be the cause of a lot of trouble.”

Nancy showed me a picture of her little boy who is not quite two years old. “You know, everyone has told me I’ve changed so much since I’ve become a mother. It’s interesting how you can change your attitude. Suddenly I , didn’t feel right in sweaters and skirts but leaned toward suits , and more sophisticated clothes. ‘EVEN the parts I play In pictures are more grown-up,” Nancy smiled. “I like this new maturity and I feel sorry for anyone who falsely clings to youth. You know the type old enough to be a woman but still trying to cling to a little-girl manner, dress, etc.”

“I think such women miss a great deal.” Nancy was eating cottage cheese and strawberries. “It’s nourishing but low in calories and I’m watching my weight. I have to be very careful  away from home because my baby’s nurse is a wonderful cook and is always baking fresh bread, or something to tempt the appetite. I really have no trouble staying thin,” Nancy confided, “when I stay away from carbohydrates, but with the smell of baking in the house I sometimes weaken. That’s why I make up for it when I’m out.”

Lucy Marlow – Take two

This is a 1954 Lydia Lane article where actress Lucy Marlow talks about a bunch of beauty stuff. Enjoy!

Lucy Marlow, a third generation Californian, admits that as far back as she can remember she dreamed of becoming a movie star. Now she has a long-term contract with a major studio on the strength of her performance in “A Star Is Born.” “Even if you are not an actress.” Lucy said recently as we lunched in the Green Room at Warner Bros., “I think you should keep yourself looking your very best. People visually form their first impression of you from your appearance. You don’t need to be dressed expensively, but you do have . to look clean and neat.

“With me, hair takes top place when it comes to grooming. I wash my hair faithfully once a week, and in between shampoos I brush it a lot. I’ve tried all kinds of brushes but a brush which has a round rather than flat back seems to dig into the scalp better and bring up the circulation.” “Do you wash your hair in the shower?” I asked. “Not always.” Lucy confided. “I have a spray which attaches to the faucet in my wash bowl, and I find this a sure way of rinsing out all the soap. I love hair that is clean and shining. And 1 find I get more highlights with a home-made rinse than any other.” I wanted to know more about this. “It’s not difficult,” Lucy explained. “Just mix a couple of glubs from a bottle of vinegar and the juice of a half a lemon and pour this over your hair as a rinse for a really nice sheen.” Lucy was wearing’ hose so sheer I had to look twice to be sure they were stockings.

“They are not really as extravagant as they seem. They last rather well, but there is a trick to it. You have to keep ‘ your feet as well groomed as your hands. Every night when I’ve finished my warm shower, I massage my feet with hand cream.. And every morning I smooth my big toe nail with an emery board. “It’s a good idea,” Lucy continued, “to keep your heels soft, too. In order to get them and keep them in condition, soak your feet often in hot water and epsom salts and rub your heels while wet with a pumice stone. This can’t be synthetic but has to come from lava rock or you won’t be able to smooth off all the rough edges. “And when you wash your stockings,” Lucy , cor eluded, “or put them on, wear gloves. I have a pair of nylon ones which dry quickly and they really help prevent snags.”