C of C Salutes Bankers at Awards Fete

Bankers got the ovations last weekend at the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce’s 97th Inaugural Ball.

With gold-plated piggy banks as favors on the tables, special “minted silver” coins designed with their bank’s logos, the chambers’ directors gave their Golden 44 Awards to Carrol R. Pruett of the California Bankers Assn.; Samuel H. Armacost of Bank of America; Frank V. Cahouet (who was en route from Europe) of Crocker; Joseph J. Pinola of First Interstate; Richard J. Flamson III (he had the flu, and George Moody accepted for him) of Security Pacific, and Paul Hazen of Wells Fargo. The evening saluted the banking industry.

Robert M. McIntyre presided over the inauguration of the chamber’s new chairman, David E. Anderson, president of General Telephone. The two men have something in common: Their wives are named Marilyn.

Dorie Pinola was stately in her multicolored Lexi d’Angelo gown. Ann-Eve Hazen (she cuts her own hair) accompanied her husband from Belvedere, and Mary Jane Armacost flew down for the evening from Hillsborough, explaining, with charm, that to be a banker’s wife, “one should be flexible--we’ve moved 11 times.”

Political humorist Mark Russell kept everyone in stitches. Even those offended by his remarks at the beginning were later seen nearly falling out of their chairs when he proved that no topic was sacrosanct.

Some of his milder quotes: “Now is the time for you graduates to go out in the world and be like us--get into the wrong field and stay there”; “yuppies, who have known misery . . . before their condos got cabled”; “to us, the Gipper’s age is old; to him it’s puberty,” and “there are three tax brackets--small, medium and Bert Lance.”

Dickinson C. Ross, dinner chairman, and his wife, Gabriele, did a lot of laughing during the evening, and at the night’s end, when Julie Budd sang and guests danced, Ross did a duet with her (his line was “Yes”) because of his motion picture training--as a USC college student he had a part in one movie, “Good Sam,” with Gary Cooper and Ann Sheridan.

Most of the chamber’s officers and new executive committee were there: Ray Remy, president, and Roy A. Anderson, Thomas P. Kemp, John C. Argue, Waldo H. Burnside, H. Frederick Christie, Albert A. Dorman, Gerald D. Foster, George Gibbs Jr., Charles D. Miller, Bruce M. Schwaegler and Phillip L. Williams. Pinola also is a director.

It’s round-up time again at Rancho Mission Viejo. Alice O’Neill Avery, Tony and Melinda Moiso, Dick and Donna O’Neill, Jerome and Mary Moiso, Doug Avery and all the youngsters will perpetuate the California tradition of “neighbors and good friends getting together to help with the work and share a meal at branding time.”

In dress “early California, casual or cowboy,” they’re congregating at the Cristianitos Corrals for the branding and rodeo, then moving to Cow Camp for the great barbecue and mariachis.

And at Silver Sands Racquet Club in Palm Desert, Jo and Bob McLain are shouting “Ole.” They’ve sent invitations for margaritas and tostadas Feb. 16. The festivity calls for “South of the Border” dress.

Nearby, in Palm Springs, on canary-yellow Happy New Year cards (with their three grandchildren--Ruth, Emily and John Eric--on the the cover), Clara and Bill Burgess are planning “Tea Time” Sunday afternoon from 1 to 6 p.m.

The Viennese Opera Ball on Saturday at the Grand Ballroom of the Beverly Wilshire will be under the auspices of Ambassador of Austria (in Washington) Dr. Thomas Klestil; the consul general of Austria, Dr. Peter Moser, and Trade Commissioner Herwig Renner.

Because the occasion commemorates its silver anniversary, the Viennese Culture Club and its president, Robert Propst, are pulling out the stops: The Vienna Boys Choir will make music. The Avaz international folk ensemble will dance and sing music of the Hapsburg era. Melanie Holiday of the Vienna Volksoper will sing, and Murray Korda and his Monsignor String Orchestra will play for dancing.

Add a gourmet dinner with Austrian wine, midnight Schrammelmusic and Vienna sausages and Carl Princi for master of ceremonies.

Taizo Watanabe is off and running. Assuming his new post as consul general of Japan in Los Angeles, he heralded the new year with a cocktail reception at the residence in Hancock Park.

Holly Mitchell is signed on, and nearly 1,000 are expected for the Children’s Memorial Hospital Auxiliary in Long Beach annual Designer Show, Margaret Peterson says.

She’s chairman of the affair Feb. 23 at the new Anaheim Hilton hotel and towers.

Since 1946 the group has donated nearly $3 million for the care of underprivileged children at Miller Children’s Medical Center in Long Beach. Recently members, who also volunteer their services in the gift shop and with patient TV rentals, reached their goal of $500,000 for an endowment trust fund for hospital care.

Both Carl M. Franklin, USC vice president of legal affairs, and his Carolyn have devoted years to raising money for the university in the form of scholarships and building funds.

So, it was a happy surprise Tuesday when the fountain at the patio entry to Town and Gown’s foyer was named “The Franklin Fountain” at the Town and Gown meeting.

This coming week, more than any other, it will be most fashionable to have a heart. There’s an epidemic of Valentine’s throbfests. Here’s the rundown:

Fashionettes, Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center’s oldest support group, will host its 40th annual Sweethearts Valentine Luncheon at the Century Plaza on Sunday. President Mrs. Owen Crompton and benefit chairman Mrs. Joel Freeman will be there to introduce actress Joanne Dru Wood and her entrepreneur husband, C. V. Wood. They’ll be named 1985 Sweethearts. Couturier Leon Paule will present the fashion show, and Frankie Avalon, Tom Dreeson and Les Brown and his Band of Renown will help earn $40,000 for the medical center’s oncology unit. . . .

The Valentine Fashion Show and Luncheon at Beverly Hills Hotel next Wednesday is special to the Paulist Women’s Club (the mother’s club of St. Paul the Apostle School in Westwood). It celebrates the 50th anniversary of the school. Chairmen Mrs. A. F. Osterloh III and Mrs. Thomas McCarthy have enlisted Ruben Panis and the Mannequins for the fashions. Mrs. Gary Cooper (Mary Pat), president of the club, will be there. . . .

William Travilla is all heart for the Friends of Cedar House on Friday at the Hyatt Regency in Long Beach. He’ll present gowns and dresses designed for “Dallas” and “Knots Landing.” And Lockwood furs and Elisabeth Stewart swim wear are on the program. For a romantic ambiance, Llewellyn Bixby, Whit Collins, Bruce Cummings, Stephen Garrett, Bill Hansen, Russ Hill, Darryl Klose and George Koppel are among the gallant Chevaliers who will be acting as hosts at luncheon tables, according to Mrs. Jerry Livoni, president, and Mrs. Darryl Klose, chairman. Cedar House serves 300 families in which child abuse is a potential or existing problem. . . .

It’s “Hearts to Harts,” Feb. 14 when Long Beach Youth Home Boosters honor Bea and George Hart at a St. Valentine’s Day dinner-dance on the Queen Mary. Tickets are $100, and chances will be sold for a 1985 Chrysler Le Baron convertible (red, of course), says chairman Joanne Carey. Les Brown’s band will play for dancing. The Harts have been dedicated to the youth residence, which assists boys ages 13 to 17, sometimes abandoned and abused, in moving into a wholesome life. . . .

MORE HEART: Phoebe Brockway, who founded the League for Crippled Children, will be remembered fondly Saturday at a “Love In” luncheon at Orthopaedic Hospital. . . .

Joseph Campanella will be named UNICO College’s Man of the Year on Sunday at the Biltmore Hotel at the group’s second annual Sweetheart Ball. The goal is to add to the $250,000 already raised to build a fine arts facility on a college level to train musically gifted retarded citizens. . . .

Friends of the Columban Father’s Guild will take over the Hollywood Palladium on Friday evening for the 27th annual black-tie Candlelight Ball. The goal, Mrs. Eugene A. Encinas says, will be to raise funds to aid the Columban Fathers in their missionary work in Korea, Japan, Fiji, the Philippines, Burma, Peru and Chile. Chairmen include Mr. and Mrs. Liam Fetherston and Terrance Anderson. . . .

The Women’s Committee of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Assn. will host a Valentine Salon on Tuesday morning at the Beverly Hills home of Dawna Cole. . . .

“A Heart Awareness Update” comes from Dr. Jan Tillisch, chairman of the research committee and board member of the American Heart Assn., Los Angeles affiliate, at the National Charity League Los Angeles chapter meeting today. Mrs. Robert Randolph Hill is program chairman. . . .

SPRINT’s goal is to improve the lives of those 80,000 children born each year with abnormalities. Since Valentine’s Day is all about love, they’ll co-sponsor a Valentine gift exchange between handicapped and non-handicapped children Tuesday at the McBride School for the Handicapped. Giving from the heart, the children will hand-make their gifts, Judi Kaufman says. . . .

Lyricist Carol Connors, Jackie Bowen and Susan Stafford will welcome Valentines for their annual St. Valentine’s Day party Sunday at Chasen’s. Promising to be their Valentines are Lloyd Bridges, Beverly Sassoon, Barbi Benton, Connie Stevens, Ken Norton, the Vince Van Pattens, Shirley Jones and Marty Ingels, and more. . . .

The lobby of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills will be transformed into a New York street scene with vendors of pizza, hot dogs, cheesecake and Manhattan clam chowder after the screening of the new 20th Century Fox release “Turk 182” Monday.

The Juvenile Diabetes and Starlight foundations are co-hosting the “Taste of New York” party.

Guests will include “Turk” stars Timothy Hutton, Robert Urich, Kim Cattrall and Robert Culp and director Bob Clark.

It all started when a sixth-grader in Alhambra said: “I’m really into sports. If I get good enough someday to play with the pros, will I have to learn to drink light beer?” The result, according to Daniel F. Coughlin and Veva McKee, chairman and vice chairman of the Pasadena Council on Alcoholism, has been the distribution of 17-by-23-inch posters featuring Dallas Cowboys Coach Tom Landry, Dodger pitcher Bob Welch, Philadelphia 76er Bobby Jones and miler Jim Ryun--helping to demythologize alcohol.

Kudos to the three awardees of the National Society of Fund Raising Executives. Named at their annual luncheon (at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium) were Anna Bing Arnold, philanthropist of the year; Francis L. Dale, volunteer of the year, and Irving R. Warner, professional fund-raiser of the year (he’s credited with originating the idea of the fund-raising golf tournament and the celebrity auction).