Philanthropists Rally to Benefit Children

When there’s too much to do, most philanthropists simply take on more. Thus, the creation of the new League for Children for the Children’s Bureau of Los Angeles. Mrs. Fred O’Green and Mrs. Art Linkletter are the founders; Mrs. W. Clark Smith is president of the new auxiliary and chairman of the first premiere event Jan. 10. It’s to be at the Sports Arena featuring Walt Disney’s Magic Kingdom on Ice with a supper gala in the Clipper Club. All proceeds will go for the needs of the Children’s Bureau to aid children up to age 12 who live or have lived in abusive settings.

Wallace W. Booth, former head of the United Way, is president of the bureau’s board of directors, and Peter K. Barker is vice president. Betty Williams heads the advisory committee. A 24-hour crisis shelter and four therapeutic group homes help the bureau “mend families--build families.”

Margaret Ponty Spillane is lending her talents. More jumping on the new league ice wagon are Mrs. Donald Tronstein, Mrs. Charles Thornton II, Lucille Taylor, Mrs. Charles P. Skouras, Mrs. Kenneth Morgan, Mrs. Finn Moller, Mrs. Glen McDaniel, Mrs. Donald Hicks, Mrs. Kennedy Galpin, Mrs. Henry K. Elder Jr., Mrs. Corwin Denney, Mrs. Stuart Davis, Mrs. Jim Bonorris and Mrs. Lawrence Adams.

PARTY CIRCUIT: Popular Pat and Thornton Bradshaw (former president of Arco, retired chairman of RCA and now head of the MacArthur Foundation) are among those flying in from New York this weekend for the Lew Wassermans celebration. They’ll be house guests of Jean and former U.S. Atty. Gen. William French Smith in San Marino. The traveling Smiths were in New York earlier this week for the Metropolitan Museum of Art black-tie gala highlighting the work of fashion dynamo Diana Vreeland in assembling costumes for the museum and for the preview of the new Costume Institute exhibition. They were the guests of Nicole and Anna Bulgari, and so were Betsy Bloomingdale, with Ed Cox from Texas, Norman and Erlenne Sprague and Marion and George Scharffenberger. “Absolutely superb--such dresses!” Jean Smith said, speaking of the gala-goers. “I felt as if I had wandered into a more sophisticated world--as if I had come from the country.”

POST-PARTY: “Having a good time is not a problem for our family,” Pam Mullin said. She and Peter and their four children had moved back from their Malibu beach house to their newly renovated and decorated Brentwood house that afternoon. The same evening 350 guests came black-tie for their sit-down Olde Fashioned Christmas Celebration, and the chestnuts were roasting on an open fire. Said Katie Osterloh, “I dropped by yesterday, and you couldn’t believe the mess. I’m amazed.”

Pam Mullin was dancing so outrageously free-style that daughter Courtney turned away with a giggle. Courtney went after brother Timothy, 2, brought him back to the dance floor, where he enraptured onlookers, including octogenarian Maynard Toll and Ethel, Maud and Dick Ferry, with his perfect-rhythm twist. Of course, daughter Darcy was dancing with her Marlborough Headmaster Bob Chumbrook; handsome son Brian was with Colleen McCarthy (her parents Tom and Kathleen also attended the party), and pop Peter, the tallest in the family, was playing friendly host.

Rumor was that had it rained (sprinkles were few), the elaborate white tent erected by Regal Rents and amassed with twinkling white lights would have turned into a sieve. Fortunately, the only quirk in the evening was that the electricity lapsed while James catering was cooking chicken Kiev, and candlelight was required backstage until Bill Mayer (who’s done all the remodeling for four months), pulled a string. Hot fudge sundaes weren’t served until midnight, but not to worry. Bob Levine’s Orchestra was magic with “Power of Love.” People like Morgan and Lee Harris, Dru and Howard Alphson, Simon and Pat Loren, Phil (he rejects retail takeovers) and Mary Hawley, Barbara and Frank McNamara, Mike and Tory Harahan, Steve and Sally Keller, Larry and Mary Tollenaere, Jon and Cindy Hall, Dottie and Freeman Gosden didn’t miss a beat.

Carol Dudman, there with Bud, was taking compliments for the festive decor and remodeling. The Walter Gerkens and their son Andy (a UC Irvine medical student) caught up with daughter Beth and her husband Peter Logan of Marin County. More in the crowd: Linda Evans, Hubie and Shirley Laugharn, the John Argues, the Dave Reeds, the Hugh Evanses, the David Ludwicks, Leon and Judy Bartholomew, Claudette and Don Shaw and Eric and Cynthia Wittenberg (who shared a limo from the Newport Beach area), Marilyn and Bill Schulte, Birdie and Dave Ghormley, Terry and Terri Childs, Fred and Sue Christie, Bill Keller (he sentenced Dominic Frontiere this week), Bob Paulson (whose Porsche was stolen during the party) and Dan and Cori Martin (whose Porsche wouldn’t start until Bob Lowe, with Beth laughing, gave it a big shove in Mullin man-made snow). Bruce and Raylene Meyer were taking pride in the four nearly-life-size carolers on the balcony, which Pam had ordered at their Geary’s store in Beverly Hills.

Now the hostess with the Scottish accent and the host who’s tall and their four offspring are off to Vail for a week of skiing, family only.

HEAVEN, TOO: Lois Driggs Cannon and Dr. Buzz Aldrin (his legal name is Buzz, not Edwin) are launching a Galactic Adventure with a Rendezvous Sequence Initiation in the ballroom at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Laguna Niguel. That means they’re announcing their engagement. Just the sort of lingo you’d expect from a man who set a space walk record on Gemini XII in 1966 and became one of the first two humans to walk on the moon in July, 1969, on the first spacecraft ever to land on the Moon, Apollo XI.

The party’s Sunday. Invitations say “Terminal Phase Intercept is pending further event sequencing.” However, the wedding’s planned for early spring. Lois’s parents, the Douglas Driggs of Scottsdale, Ariz., announced the nuptials to family and close friends at Thanksgiving at the Wrigley Mansion (in Phoenix), now owned by Western Savings of Arizona (her family’s involvement).

Around Emerald Bay (Lois is deeply involved in philanthropic activities in both Los Angeles and Orange counties and in her family-owned real estate developments, including the 2,000-acre Rancho San Clemente), the bride-to-be, a Stanford graduate and a superb skier, is wearing a star sapphire and diamonds engagement ring. It’s to be replaced by a piece of the rock from the Moon when Dr. Aldrin receives it from the government.

OPEN HOUSE: Their French Regency villa--with all its boiserie, peach and blue chintzes and views of the San Gabriel Mountains--was intriguing Adam and Penny Bianchi’s friends the other eve. Everyone toured house and grounds with wine glasses in hand, marveling at Penny’s decorating and how artistically Adam rakes a garden path. Having a good time were Jane Gosden and Dody Booth, both driving over from the West Side; Tappy and Chafin Hunt, Patsy Ketchum, Beau and Wendy Bianchi, Debby and Schuyler Hollingsworth, Susan and Billy Coogan, Paulette and Bill Burkitt, Tad and CeCe Williamson, Mike and Betsy Morphy, Tom Johnson, Joan and Pierce Graves, Reese Milner and Mary Daly (later to become Mr. and Mrs.), Jamiel and Sonny Khoury, who drove up from La Jolla, the Loring Rutts, Debbie and Terrence Lanni. Later in the week the Bianchis flew to San Francisco for the 40th surprise birthday party Mike Wilsey hosted at the Pacific Union Club for his wife Bobbie. At the Wilseys, too, Julie and Art Pizzinat and Chris and Lois Madison.

PAST PERFECT: Jane Kramer hosted a champagne luncheon and concert at her Beverly Hills home to benefit Interplast, medical professionals who travel to perform life-saving reconstructive surgery on children, with guests including Maggy Louis, Connie Towers Gavin, Aida Grey, Doris Factor, Judy Tallarico and Toni Webb. . .Dean and Mrs. Robert H. Gray feted the UCLA College of Fine Arts with a holiday reception. . .Mildred Goldberger entertained at the Caltech President’s Residence with Dotty Hayman at a festive tea honoring the Women of The Associates. . .the Glen A. Holdens and Assistance League of Southern California Day Nursery Auxiliary members escorted 45 children from the day nursery to the Design Center of Los Angeles for Christmas carols in five languages. . .Lou Pitt and Ruth Bloom, on behalf of the Venice Family Clinic and Paramount Pictures, co-chaired a special morning for 750 underprivileged and homeless children to view Leonard Nimoy’s new film, “Star Trek IV,” at the Metropolitan Theater, Cine Latino in Santa Monica. . .Mrs. Tony Arkovich headed the “Glitter Luncheon” and fashion extravaganza Saturday at the Coconut Grove of the Ambassador for St. Anthony Women’s Guild. Croatian pastries were a touch. . . .

SUNDAY FARE: Los Angeles South Bay Alumnae of Delta Sigma Theta sorority sponsors its 10th annual Sepia Fashion Revue and Luncheon today at the Beverly Hilton. Featured will be the Vogue-Esquire Models of Chicago with 200 fashion creations by black designers. Zolee Lewis is chairman, assisted by Cynthia Jones-Hicks. . .Carole Wells Doheny will donate a percentage of proceeds to the Young Musicians Foundation when she hosts a Christmas champagne reception Sunday for Peruvian artist Angela Maria de Herrera. . .the Beverly Hills Symphony Assn. presents a holiday concert and reception at 2:30 p.m. today at Grayhall Mansion, the estate of Bernard Cornfeld, in Beverly Hills.