A Three-Ring Circus in Two Parts

All the hoopla, hustle and excitement of the circus under a Big Top. That’s what Betty and Alan Levenson plan to re-create on the spacious grounds of their South Pasadena estate next month.

They’ll have a real midway with all its games of chance. There will be clowns, cutting up in classic clown tradition. Machines will pop corn and spin out cotton candy. But so as not to scare anyone, the 46-foot-long tigers will be made of flowers. Naturally, there’s going to be a carrousel.

The Levensons (he’s the young tycoon behind Small World Greetings and Global Gifts) are planning the kind of party that will appeal to their friends no matter what their ages. And because Alan has recently become involved with the Los Angeles branch of the Make-A-Wish Foundation (the group that tries to fulfill the wishes of terminally ill children), he’s turning his circus party into a two-part affair.

During the early part of the evening the party will be for some 75 children from local hospitals (Childrens, Cedars-Sinai and others), board members of Make-A-Wish and a score of television and movie stars. The Levensons’ older chums are expected to arrive around 7:30 p.m., suitably attired in circus clothes. For the faint of heart, semiformal attire is OK. And some judicial types have indicated they may show up in their somber working robes. So be it.

The Amazing Blue Ribbon, the Music Center support group, closed its season in a blaze of glory. Well, figuratively, anyway. At the board’s last meeting of the 1984-85 year at the home of Chardee Trainer, outgoing executive president Nancy Livingston (she now becomes BR chairman) announced that the group’s goal--$1.35 million for the Music Center’s Unified Fund--had been met. Huzzahs from everyone.

Then Nancy turned over the gavel (figuratively, too) to Keith Kieschnick, new BR president. And then the board presented Nancy with a gift in appreciation of her hard work as two-term president. The Cartier silver evening bag, said Maggie Wetzel, outgoing chairman, is “the only one of its kind left in the world.”

The rest of the news concerned new board members Mrs. John C. Cushman, Mrs. Paul Erskine, Mrs. Joseph Mitchell and Mrs. Richard Zanuck. And those who were returning to the board after absences of several years: Wallis Annenberg, Mrs. Richard Call, Mrs. Henry Mancini, Mrs. Peter O’Malley, Barbro Taper and Mrs. Thomas Wachtell.

After taking care of important business, officers and board members traipsed across the street to the Livingstons’ home to join spouses and escorts in an alfresco party.

They were chosen unanimously “for their achievements in film and philanthropy.” And at that point producer Leonard Goldberg and his wife Wendy gave in graciously and accepted.

Come Oct. 9 at a Gala Gala in the Beverly Hilton Hotel, the Goldbergs will receive the Maple Center of Beverly Hills’ Distinguished Community Service awards for 1985. (The Maple Center is a nonprofit community health center.) Ellen Byrens is chairing the Goldbergs’ big night and Stanley Glickman is the center’s president.

Beverley Jackson got back to Santa Barbara from New York where she visited with daughter Tracey Jackson, the actress, and immediately plunged into plans for a really big event. Beverley and Mrs. Douglas Dent are co-chairing the Hospice of Santa Barbara black-tie dinner at Birnam Wood Golf Club on Sept. 28. Lady Wright, wife of Sir Oliver Wright, the British ambassador to the United States, is honorary chairwoman. And the guests of honor are the Duke and Duchess of Norfolk (he’s England’s premier duke and earl), who will be in Santa Barbara ready and willing to join all the festivities.

Before the dinner Mr. and Mrs. Robert Straus, Dr. and Mrs. Jim Calvin and Mr. and Mrs. Harold Hicks are hosting three separate cocktail parties. Guests who’ve bought patron tickets get an additional invitation: a small luncheon for the Norfolks at the new Moorish-style castle of Muriel and John LaTourette. You’ll love the hospice benefit committee: Mrs. Palmer Beaudette, the former Cobina Wright Jr.; Mr. and Mrs. Fess Parker, who are picking up the tab for the flowers; Marcy Parker, who’s in charge of decor; Mr. and Mrs. Brooks Firestone (he’s the wine maker); Lulu and Alexander Saunderson; Sir Richard and Lady Latham; Mrs. William P. R. Smith, and Mr. and Mrs. Peter Jordano.

The duchess devotes much of her time to England’s St. Joseph Hospice and recently founded Hospice International. Both will share in the proceeds of the Santa Barbara fund-raiser.

The Social Scramble: Robert Floyd, chairman of the board of Fitz & Floyd China (the firm is credited with introducing mix-and-match china in the ‘60s), has his latest Palm Springs vacation home up for sale for a cool $6.5 million (for that you also get all the furniture). The spectacular house, which is set into a mountainside and has views of Las Palmas and the Coachella Valley, was decorated by L.A.-based interior designer Jack Lowrance, who also “did” Floyd’s New York apartment, his home in Dallas and another house in the desert. Sotheby’s International Realty is handling the sale.

Equally desirable and cheaper (the selling price is $2.2 million) is the late Aly Khan’s villa on France’s Cote d’Azur where he honeymooned with love goddess Rita Hayworth. Mike Silverman is handling the sale for the current owner, Christine Bataille, sister of Claude Terrail of Paris’ Tour d’Argent and aunt of Ma Maison’s Patrick Terrail.

Charles Luckman made the first gift--$2.5 million--to the L.A. Child Guidance Clinic for a building

to be named for him and his wife Harriet. Now it’s up to Coca-Cola’s Lucy Boswell, chairman of the clinic’s board, and her team (Ruth Sinay, Robin Moody, Mark Laucheim and Nancy Krasne) to raise matching funds. According to Luckman they’re doing “a great job . . . I would hate to be the one to get in their way.”

Revlon Inc., the cosmetic empire, made a grand donation to New York’s Metropolitan Opera House and the Opera Assn., and Revlon’s board hosted a party for the dedication of the newly renamed “Revlon Bar” at the opera house. That’s nice.

The birthday cake was a chocolate souffle and the birthday toasts were made with champagne. Of course. Matilda Barnett was the hostess, Grena Freeman was the birthday girl and the guests included Patricia and Joseph Cotten, in from their Palm Springs home, Lady and Dr. Bill Dodge, Dona Powell and Pete Summers.

Good people-watching at the Westwood Marquis these past days: Dustin Hoffman; Ursula Andress; Mel Brooks; Elaine May; Sylvester Stallone and Kelly McGillis, a new star in the making; UCLA Dean Robert Gray; designer Pauline Trigere and her sister-in-law Gunn Trigere.

There were a score of parties to say goodby to consul general of the Netherlands Johannes H. W. Fietelaars and his wife Elke who are returning to The Hague where he’s being reassigned to the Foreign Home Office. Fietelaars was instrumental in bringing Queen Beatrix to L.A. in 1982 where she presented the Order of Orange Nassau to Mayor Tom Bradley, Dr. Franklin Murphy, Edward Carter and Bee Canterbury Lavery, the mayor’s chief of protocol.

Looking in on the action at the Beverly Hills Hotel’s Polo Lounge, these men of action: attorney Ed Hookstratten, George Hamilton, Alan Ladd Jr., Morley Safer, Wayne Rogers, and Alan King.

Dining at Madame Wu’s Garden: Mr. and Mrs. Howard Allen celebrating his birthday; screenwriter A J Carothers and his wife Caryl, Jack Weston and the Carotherses’ son.