Doubleday Party for the Irving Stones

Jean and Irving Stone had every reason to celebrate. His “Depths of Glory,” a biographical novel about the life of Pissarro and the Impressionist movement, was finally out. And the book that took them five years to produce (he researches and writes; she’s his first editor) was being roundly applauded last week at a cocktail party hosted by the Beverly Wilshire’s George and Ronnie White and later at a buffet dinner in the hotel’s Champagne Room where the host was Doubleday, Stone’s publisher for more than 50 years.

Copies of “Depths of Glory” were nestled amid the flowers in the centerpieces, and after dinner Irving autographed copies for his chums. They included Dr. and Mrs. Armand Hammer (“The World of Armand Hammer” with text and photos by John Bryson has just been published by Harry Abrams); Harriet and Charles Luckman (he’s finishing his autobiography); Caroline Ahmanson; Guilford and Diane Glazer; French Consul General Francois Mouton; L.A.’s chief of protocol Bee Lavery who was also representing Mayor Tom Bradley; former Police Chief Tom Reddin and his wife Betty; the Jack Skirballs; Marje and Michael Fasman; Dr. and Mrs. Milton Heifetz; director George Sidney and his wife Jane; Doubleday’s Seymour Levine and Richard Gardner and their wives, Hunter’s Books Larry Todd, Glenn Goldman of Book Soup, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Chevalier, and Mr. and Mrs. Dan Adams of Books & Co. in Malibu.

After dinner there was the usual round of toasts and a showing of the filmed interview MacNeil-Lehrer had done with Stone on “Lust for Life” and its subject, Vincent Van Gogh. Stone was planning to be in New York this week and MacNeil-Lehrer have scheduled another interview, this one on the life and times of Camille Pissarro.

Last year Joanne Carson was planning a birthday party for her “best friend,” Truman Capote. Capote’s death a few weeks before his 60th birthday put an end to that plan.

A year later Carson restaged the party, this time for a lot of people who loved and admired the witty, talented writer. In her house, now filled with Capote memorabilia--his hats on the wall of the room he used as a sitting-writing room when he was in Los Angeles, the Victorian sofa and stuffed snake from his New York apartment in a newly redesigned sitting room, his china and glassware, his favorite needlepoint pillow (a bulldog’s head) on his favorite gray flannel covered couch--the biggest treat was just wandering around. But there was also good conversation in the garden and a buffet lunch in the dining room.

Lester Persky, the producer, talked about “Hand Hammered Coffins,” the Truman Capote novella he’ll produce as a movie as soon as the new script is finished. “We’ve had a series of scripts,” Persky said, “but Truman never liked any of them.” Persky also confided that Michael Cimino will direct the movie.

Andreas Brown, owner of New York’s Gotham Book Mart (a hangout for writers like the late Capote, Norman Mailer, etc.), showed a few pages of the catalogue he’s preparing on Capote’s library. It will be about 60 pages long and will be ready in November. Next fall when Random House publishes “Answered Prayers” (Capote’s last, unfinished work) there will be a major celebration for the exhibition of Capote’s manuscripts at the New York Public Library.

Michele Browerman played songs from Capote’s musical, “House of Flowers,” ending with the author’s personal favorite, “Hate to Say Goodby.” And later Persky reported that there is interest in a revival of “House of Flowers.”

Christopher Isherwood, the author, and Don Bachardy, the artist, remembered choice moments with Truman and brought a climbing vine for the Capote “memory garden.” Over the years Bachardy did six portraits of Capote. Roddy McDowall, who couldn’t stay for lunch, brought an azalea plant. And much later Peter Eliades, Julius Bengtsson, Jack and Kim Jones, Steve Silas, Tom Dean who is a vice president of Persky Bright Productions and Dave and Caroline Arnold (he’s a partner in David Bell Associates, which produced “Do You Remember Love,” the television movie that won three Emmys, one of them for its star Joanne Woodward) all moved into a bedroom to watch Joanne Carson’s cassettes of her interviews with Capote on “Alive and Well,” the cable television show. In those interviews Capote roamed over some of his favorite topics--beautiful women (he listed Greta Garbo and the late Babe Paley at the top), manners, style, class and friendship.

Ken Kragen, president of USA (United Support of Artists) for Africa and the force behind the giant “We Are the World” project must know that he has the sometimes spoken, but more often silent, thanks of the world for his charitable work. A more concrete thank-you comes on Oct. 16 when the Boys’ Clubs present him with their Greater Los Angeles Citizen of the Year Award. The awards dinner, chaired by Tom Johnson, publisher and CEO of The Times, will raise money for the ongoing athletic, educational and cultural programs of the Long Beach, Los Angeles, Pasadena and Santa Monica Boys Clubs (membership includes both boys and girls), the four largest clubs in the L.A. area.

That night the Beverly Hilton’s International Ballroom will be filled with the famous in the worlds of entertainment, business, sports. Start off with Kenny Rogers and Marlon Jackson, who’ll present the award to Kragen. Move on to the enchanting Dionne Warwick who is the evening’s entertainer. And to UCLA and former Los Angeles Lakers basketball star Gail Goodrich, a frequent Boys Club volunteer, who will be the keynote speaker. Joe Smith, who’s been in the entertainment industry for years and is now president of Unison Productions, will be the master of ceremonies. Still more greats are co-chairing the evening--Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Lewis H. Erlicht, Dr. Armand Hammer, Quincy Jones, Norman Lear, Gregory Peck, Police Chief Daryl F. Gates, Milton A. Rudin, Mrs. William French Smith (the wife of the former attorney general is a past recipient), David L. Wolper, Lionel Richie, Laker Coach Pat Riley and a lot more.

Social Scramble: Las Hadas, the Mexican resort created by the late tin king Antenor Patino at Manzanilla, is a favorite getaway place for such locals as fashion kingpin Paul Scott and his wife Carol, hotel man Robert and Joan Woodley and Lyle and Sharon Waggoner, all of whom have homes at Las Hadas. The other day Las Hadas’ director of public relations for the past 10 years Hans Rothlisberger was here hosting a party at the Waggoners for Las Hadas’ aficionados. The party was Mexican-- ole --with a South-of-the-Border menu prepared by Las Hadas’ executive chef, plenty of margaritas and donkeys to carry the guests from their cars to the house. And then Rothlisberger showed a film of the three-day party that opened Las Hadas in 1972 (Doris and Jules Stein, Mary Lasker, Betsy Bloomingdale, the Vicomtess de Ribes, Denise and Prentis Hale, Nan and Tom Kempner, Nancy Holmes were among the guests). And among those partying this time around were Pilar Wayne with daughter Marisa, Richard and Joan Stevens, Claudia Mirkin with Richard Gully, the Andy Granatellis.

What a wallop. Lunching in the Beverly Wilshire’s El Padrino--Kirk Douglas, just back from New York, with Hernando (El Padrino) Courtright, Paul Newman and Noel Blanc, Mel’s son.

Red Letter Days: Sunday, for the second annual Folklife Festival and a champagne brunch at Plaza de la Raza. Maria Albert Zucht, Atlantic Richfield’s Lodwrick M. Cook and the Southern California Gas Co.’s Robert M. McIntyre co-chair the festive event with the Plaza’s board of directors. Highlighting the affair will be the grand opening of the Margo Albert Theatre and a private showing of the works of Mexican artist David Alfaro Siqueiros. And among the madrinas y padrinos and on the brunch committee are Eddie Albert, Virginia Rafelson, Gilbert Roland, Jennifer and Norton Simon, Daniel Villanueva Jr., Helen Hernandez, Dinah Shore, Bob Apodaca, Al Mejia, Ralph Ochoa, Mr. and Mrs. Carroll O’Connor, Coral and Vincent Price, Georgiana and Ricardo Montalban, the Lew Wassermans, the Paul Ziffrens.