Summoning Great Olympic Memories

Exactly a year and a day after the opening of the Olympic Games here the flood of wonderful memories came rushing back. The occasion was the world premiere Monday at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of Bud Greenspan’s “16 Days of Glory,” a film record of the XXIII Olympiad and its heroes. As the film wound down with a long list of credits, Greenspan, glasses on the top of his head, introduced the evening’s superstars--athletes who had won gold medals during the 1984 Games, a few who had contributed greatly to the Games’ success and impact, and a few athletes who hadn’t quite made it but had won everyone’s heart with their spunk.

In the lineup were Carl Lewis, who amassed four gold medals and showed up for the screening in a gray suit with rhinestones sparkling on his epaulets; gymnasts Peter Vidmar and Mitch Gaylord; Valerie Brisco-Hooks (three gold medals in track); Edwin Moses (400-meter hurdles); Paul Gonzales (boxing); Rowdy Gaines (100-meter freestyle swimming); Greg Louganis (springboard and platform diving), and Gina Hemphill, Jesse Owens’ granddaughter who carried the Olympic torch into the Coliseum on opening day.

Getting just as much applause as the gold medalists were a pair of champions who ran into bad luck at the Games: swimmer John Moffet, who sprained a leg tendon before the final race; and runner Dave Moorcroft, who flew in from England for the event. Another Olympic superstar present was Dave Wolper (there with his wife), who produced the Opening and Closing Ceremonies (and will be producing the Statue of Liberty’s 100th birthday party).

As the sellout crowd packed into the Academy Theatre’s lobby for Rococo’s ample array of nibbles, Huell Howser, who observes the Los Angeles life style for CBS, commented, “This is certainly not your usual Hollywood crowd.” The crowd included Mayor Tom Bradley, the man most instrumental in bringing the Games to Los Angeles, who spoke later about “the spirit of pride and patriotism the Games had brought”; attorney John Argue, a member of the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee; Thrifty Drug’s Leonard Straus; Arco’s Rod Rood; Harriet and Armand Deutsch; developer Guilford Glazer and his wife Diane; F. Daniel Frost; Jacmar’s William Tilley and his wife.

The evening was sponsored by The Times and Times Mirror Co. and hosted by Times Mirror Chairman of the Board and Editor-in-Chief Otis Chandler, President and Chief Executive Officer Robert Erburu and Times Publisher and Chief Executive Officer Tom Johnson. It was a benefit, Johnson explained, for the Times Fund. And a fitting one, he said, because “of all the legacies (of the Olympic Games), the most significant was the inspiration it provided for the youth of America and the world.” Since its founding in 1944 the fund has been “helping the youth of Southern California.”

There was an intermission (and refreshments) between segments of the film, which was edited down to two hours for its premiere, but will run for six hours when it is shown on television. During the pause, Mark C. Bloome, the auto man, and his date Lea Romonek sang a little duet; Ellen Graham, the photographer, marveled at “how great” the film was and Occidental Petroleum’s Rick Jacobs told us his boss, Dr. Armand Hammer, had met with People’s Republic of China President Li Xiannian that morning; and Cary Grant and his wife Barbara did a lot of hand shaking. Still more doing the social rounds were restaurateur Phil Scully, decathlon gold medalist in 1948 in London and 1952 in Helsinki Bob Mathias, Douglas Campbell, Charles Block, Ticor’s Rocco Siciliano, Roz and Henry Rogers, Bullocks Wilshire President Jerome Nemiro and his new bride Dolores, and a lot of Bud Greenspan’s colleagues, among them Nancy Beffa and Lee Holdridge.

Social Scramble: Ambassador to the Vatican and Mrs. William A. Wilson are back in Los Angeles on home leave. Just the other day they were spotted shopping for wicker ware at Kreiss Imports. And did you know that Elizabeth Taylor, who made her first big splash in “National Velvet,” has revived her great interest in horses and racing? We hear she has bought a horse. And that’s always just the start.

Patricia Jean Kennedy, founder-president of Kennedy Investment & Development Co., has joined the board of the Joffrey Ballet, according to executive director Dr. Robert R. Hesse. Ms. Kennedy is a longtime member of the Music Center’s Amazing Blue Ribbon and of the County Museum of Art’s Costume Council.

On a recent day the lunch bunch at the Bistro included Frances Bergen with pregnant daughter Candy Bergen Malle (Frances can’t wait to be called Granny Franny); Caroline Ahmanson with Margaret Pereira, tap-dancing queen Ann Miller and Bonita Granville Wrather; Della Koenig with Fiorenza Courtright; Bob Six and Irving Link; Cliff and Lee Witte; Lee Minnelli with Rosemarie Stack and Nancy Vreeland; Pamela Mason with Sandi Bennett and Maureen Dean.

Sculptor Sacha Brastoff and costume designer Howard Shoup are off to Seattle to visit with Sacha’s good pal Jeanette Rockefeller (the former Mrs. Winthrop). And Sacha, who has a new hobby, “sculpting” cakes, is taking along his tools so he can teach Jeanette and her friends how to make their own frosted creations.

Newlyweds Connie Francis and Ed Parkinson were toasting each other over lunch at Scandia. And at dinner time Barbara Carrera and husband Nicholas Mavrolean were celebrating her new role in “Dallas” with Cristal champagne.

Dining at the Westwood Marquis’ Dynasty Room--general manager Jacques Camus with Giorgio’s Fred Hayman and Betty Endo who are off soon on the QE2 for a leisurely holiday. And strolling through the hotel’s lobby--Dustin Hoffman. Entertainment attorney Irwin Russell and his wife Sue who have a weekend home in Santa Barbara were at Morton’s earlier in the week with actress Tracey Jackson.

Red Letter Days: Aug. 27 for the California Wine Patrons’ Rose Garden Party at Exposition Park. Jackie and Jerry Miles are co-chairing this one.

Sept. 23 when Loyola Marymount’s James N. Loughran SJ and the university’s board celebrate Father Charles S. Casassa’s 75th birthday at the Beverly Wilshire.

Wallis Annenberg and ABC’s Anthony D. Thomopoulos co-chair the third annual Helena T. Devereux Award Dinner, “La Noche de Carino . . . A Night of Caring” Oct. 10 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. Last year the Devereux Foundation honored Wallis Annenberg. This year Devereux presents its special awards to the American Broadcasting Co. for its “outstanding community service” and ABC Vice President Gary Pudney for “his dedication and endeavors to all charities.” Wallis and Tony Thomopoulos hosted the kick-off party for the fund-raiser (all moneys go to the Santa Barbara branch of Devereux, which treats emotionally, physically and mentally impaired children) at her home (that’s where Thomopoulos and Cristina Ferrare where married). As for Pudney, he’s currently with Barbara Walters in Monte Carlo where she’s filming a television interview with Princess Caroline and her brother Prince Albert.

The Monte Carlo Action: Having just finished writing her 404th book, the glamorous British author Barbara Cartland arrived in Monte Carlo for the day, accompanied by her son (and business affairs manager) Ian McCorkindale.

And Prince Youka Troubetzkoy and his Princess Susan did the honors, hosting a luncheon for the blue chiffon clad and well-rouged Barbara at their Villa Mayou, overlooking the Mediterranean at Eze sur Mer. Barbara’s next book, she told the small group the Troubetzkoys had invited (Frances Moody Newman from Palm Beach, Los Angeles’ Jayne and Henry Berger, Tony Vincent) will be a collection of Lord Louis Mountbatten’s letters to her (hers to him, too) and to other friends. They’ll show, she says, “the real Dickie (Mountbatten.”)