Blueprint of a Party for Richard Meier

The architect as a superstar. It’s not a new phenomenon, but the list keeps growing and the latest addition is 50-year-old Richard Meier, winner of the 1984 Pritzker Prize (it’s considered architecture’s version of the Nobel), designer of Atlanta’s High Museum of Art and winner of the architectural plum of the decade--architect for the multimillion-dollar J. Paul Getty Trust arts complex that will rise over many acres in Brentwood.

Meier was in town this week to lecture at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art on “The High and Other Museums” under auspices of the USC School of Architecture’s Architectural Guild. The night before the lecture he was being lionized--as he should be--at a dinner party given for him by Paige Rense, editor in chief of Architectural Digest. The setting was the Regency Club and the guest list represented a wonderfully varied lot of talented individuals.

The hostess laughingly referred to her guests as a “mixed bag.” And in toasting her guest of honor she called him a “genius” and a “part-time bicoastal.” Dr. Franklin Murphy, who was there with his wife Judy, had next to the last words. “It’s a California bouillabaisse,” he said of the gathering and “a typical Paige mix.” Because Meier will be commuting between the East and West coasts for a long time, the scholarly Dr. Murphy decided he was an “in migrant.” And he added, “We have a lot of geniuses in our part of the world, but it is useful to have them enhanced.” Then Meier, evidently a man of few words, stood up and almost shyly and, certainly, modestly simply said, “Thanks.”

That mixed bag included David Murdock, the financier-developer who has just added Castle & Cooke to his holdings; the internationally renowned team of decorators Valerian Rybar and Jean-Francois Daigre; antiquarians Ariane Dandois-Faye of Paris, Rose Tarlow who commutes between Los Angeles and London, and Leo Dennis and Jerry Leen; interior designers Ted Graber, Sally Sirkin Lewis, Kalef Alaton, Jack Lowrance, Leonard Stanley, Mimi London, and Val Arnold. And to add to the spicy mixture, artist Jack Baker, part of a Santa Barbara-Montecito contingent that also included actor Mel Ferrer and his wife Lisa (who’d just returned from Russia where he’d been filming “Peter the Great”) and Ralph Saltus, who teaches languages; former Atty. Gen. and Mrs. William French Smith, who are still settling down to life in Los Angeles; Ardie and Harriet Deutsch (her all-over beaded dress was made for big entrances); Frances Bergen; Connie Wald; Alan and Nancy Livingston; Alan Shayne; Hollywood agent Sue Mengers and her writer husband Jean-Claude Tramont; art collectors Laura Lee and Bob Woods; Tom Allardyce; producer Tamara Asseyev; Bradley and Mary Jones; artist Norman Sunshine; Russell McMasters and Nancy and John Bryson. (He’s the former Life photographer who is circling the world, camera in hand, with Dr. Armand Hammer. The result will be a coffee-table book on the irrepressible octogenarian’s life style.)

Dinner began with a delicate fish served with corn in a cornhusk. And the last touch was the Regency Club’s own chocolate truffles.

A few of the same people had been in Kalef Alaton’s impressive living quarters cum office complex the night before for the dinner Kalef gave for his house guest and friend, Ariane Dandois-Faye. Eighteen came to dine in the spacious salon and a few more arrived later for dessert and chitchat.

St. Germain to Go cleverly set up two round buffet tables (for the roast beef and veggies and salad), one at each end of the room. Later the tables became groaning boards for an array of desserts and fruits. The cheese course was passed.

The early group included Shirley and Simon Beriro; Mrs. Joseph Pollock with her daughter Margo and Margo’s husband Danny Sinclair, the sculptor (Dr. Joe was home baby-sitting with his granddaughter Ariel who had the chicken pox); Henry and Jayne Berger; Howard Ruby; the Gilbert Schnitzers; Rose Tarlow; architect Olivier Vidal and his wife; Mr. and Mrs. Fred Jenks. Spaniards call after-dinner guests “palillos” (toothpicks). This evening they included Lois and Jerry Magnin and Linda May with Harold Applebaum.

Actress Dyan Cannon and real-estate developer (and former show-biz lawyer) Stanley Fimberg are keeping their wedding date and the place a secret. But they will celebrate the event handsomely with a black-tie wedding reception and dinner later this month at Rex Il Ristorante. Among those who will join the celebration is Stanford student Jennifer Grant, the daughter of Dyan Cannon and Cary Grant. And among others who’ve been invited are Cary Grant and his wife Barbara, Shirley MacLaine, Barbra Streisand and Dudley Moore.

The Los Angeles Auxiliary of ARCS (Achievement Rewards for College Scientists) is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a Red Baron Ball on April 20 in the most appropriate place possible--an airplane hangar. The hangar is one of Gunnell Aviation’s spaces and it’s been generously donated for the party by Robert and Gil Gunnell.

Co-chairs Joan Mackey and Sylvia Hiestand have plenty of surprises up their sleeves. But a few ideas are not off the record. The raffle prizes are in that group and they include a round trip to Sydney, Australia, via Qantas Airlines and a week in Aspen’s The Gant. Julie and Michael Loshin’s Parties Plus is providing the fare--beaucoup hors d’oeuvres and a scrumptious sounding sit-down late supper (grilled breast of duck with sauteed apples and port wine sauce, white chocolate charlotte with raspberry puree and bittersweet chocolate sauce).

Everyone’s being asked to dress in the styles the Red Baron would recognize (the era is 1903-1918) and among those who are looking forward to the challenge are Dr. Kenneth and Betty Morgan, UCLA’s Dr. Paul Coleman who was recently appointed to the National Commission on Space, the Rod Devins and Mr. and Mrs. Donald Dickerson and ARCS Auxiliary President Arlene Brownson.

The Social Scramble: The Southern California Cosmetic Assn. will hand out some impressive awards at its Second Annual Awards Dinner on April 26 at Le Bel Age Hotel. Receiving the kudos are Philip J. Greibe, vice president and field sales manager for Estee Lauder, who gets the Industry Award; the Retail Award will be presented to Hank G. Shubert, divisional merchandise manager, Robinson’s; Van Venneri, former I. Magnin vice president will accept the Presidents award.

The Lifelighters salute actress Ann Blythe at their Ruby Ball Saturday in the Beverly Wilshire’s Grand Ballroom. The black-tie benefit for the Infant Development Program of the Exceptional Children’s Foundation will also feature a fashion show produced by the Elizabeth Arden Salon.

In the celebrity-studded crowd attending the screening of “George Stevens: A Filmmaker’s Journey” at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences: George Stevens, Jr., who created the tribute to his father; Warren Beatty, Angie Dickinson (wearing tight jeans and a rhinestone studded leather jacket) in company with Glenn Ford, Fred and Robyn Astaire, Vincente Minnelli with his wife Lee and former son-in-law Jack Haley Jr., Rouben and Zadia Mamoulian, Lupita and Paul Kohner and Pat and Michael York, who are moving back to Los Angeles.

Miriam Parkes (she’s also known as fashion designer Maruscha) is from Vienna and she feels right at home in the carved wood, wrought iron kitsch of the Lowenbrau restaurant. The other night Miriam and her husband, Dr. Morey Parkes, the plastic surgeon, hosted a little dinner party at one of Lowenbrau’s long tables for such friends as Carlo Celoni, Barry Taper and his fiancee Louise Siegal, Gretta Kinstler, John and Bridget Martens, Bob Gibson.