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Lauren Bacall Delivered “The Look” and the Goods at the Nasher Salon Series

When Hollywood was legendary and the studio system was turning out the likes of Bette Davis, Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable, and Cary Grant, a teenage Lauren Bacall was catapulted to film royalty thanks to her captivating looks, one-of-a-kind voice, sultry acting, and marriage to Humphrey Bogart, the leader of the infamous Holmby Hills Rat Pack (predecessor to Frank Sinatra‘s Rat Pack).

Last Thursday she held court at the Nasher Sculpture Center as part of the Nasher Salon Series. Arriving for a lunch with a full room of guests, she surprisingly was upstaged by her companion — Sophie, (pictured with, from the left, Lauren Bacall, Jeremy Strick, and Michael Cain) an adorable and extremely well-manned Papillion. But, no fear of female jealousies. Bacall actually enjoyed the attention that Sophie received. Once seated at Table #1 with Nasher Director Jeremy Strick and old friends Karla and Liener Temerlin (pictured with Nancy Nasher Haemisegger in center),  Sophie sat in her owner’s lap and never raised her nose above the table. Obviously, this wasn’t Dakota-living Sophie’s first rodeo. However, later as Bacall talked to the room of guests, Sophie (pictured) decided that Jeremy was her lap of choice and sat patiently. That Jeremy just has a way about him.

Leave it to the Nasher folks to set the luncheon up perfectly. With B&W movies from Bacall’s past on two of the walls and framed pictures of the lady on each table, it almost made you wish you had brought your autograph book. One table of enthusiastic fans insisted on having their group photographed around the picture centerpiece.

But once she arrived and sat down, everyone controlled their enthusiasm and made it through lunch waiting for her discussion with Dallas Film Society Chairman of the Board Michael Cain.

Poor Michael was just a tad bit apprehensive about the chat. Seems that he had gone a couple of rounds with the sharp as a tack lady when she was in town a couple of years ago for the AFI Dallas International Film Fest. Like Harriet Hubbard, the lady suffers no fools. (more…)

Jack Benny: There’s More To The Story Of His Last Appearance in Dallas

Absolutely love Alan Peppard and his darling  dimples. Have loved former Neiman’s marketing director Tom Alexander since the 70′s when he created NM magic. But, boys, you only told part of the Jack Benny episode in Dallas.

Tom’s written Stanley Marcus: The Relentless Reign of a Merchant Prince, a book about working with Mr. Stanley. Great book which will be discussed January 31 at the Dallas Historical Society. One brief tale is about  the legendary comedian Benny’s almost-public appearance at the 1974 Japanese Fortnight ball. Alan covered it yesterday, but there’s more to what happened behind the scenes when Jack showed the first signs of pancreatic cancer that would kill him just two months later. I was there. (more…)