Call Family Documentary Is Special Christmas Gift

Hark, the Calls. Not every family comes up with a family documentary for Christmas Eve. But “The Family of Call” did. In a beautiful home nestled in the hillside above the Rose Bowl, the traditional Christmas meal was served. Then a couple of native Angelenos--Edward Call and Michael Burby--presented their aunts and uncles and cousins with a special gift--an epic video production, “The Family of Call.”

It all began in 1985 when the cousins were fishing through a sealed barrel of family memorabilia--letters, pictures, slides, soundless film, newspaper articles. Excited about what they found, they approached fellow cousins, urged them to unite as executive producers.

The result is 40 minutes covering five generations of Calls. There’s an inspiring opening statement by Nancy Banning Call, some 16mm film of a hilarious wedding rehearsal in 1917 starring Margaret and Asa Call (both now deceased, he was a major community leader in Los Angeles for many years). In that particular footage, a male wedding attendant pretends that the cup he is holding contains wine, then he folds up the cup and puts it in his pocket--with appropriate merriment.

More footage reveals two Call sons--Dr. Richard Call and the late Thomas Call--as youths in the 1920s in Bel-Air, Hancock Park and Catalina Island.

Producer Ed is the son of Nancy Dowey and the late Ted Call, and Michael is the son of Bill Burby and the late Janet Call Burby. Of course, you know what will be in a sealed barrel--or the equivalent--in another 50 years.

CHRISTMAS MOMENTS: It was a cozy crowd of 160 at Madge and Bob Burford’s home in San Marino for cocktails and buffet. They were cheering themselves up because their daughter Dorothy is in Paris for Christmas and son Rob Jr. is somewhere in the South Pacific with the U.S. Navy. But son Tom was there, and mingling among the family portraits and plump sofas were Sis and Lou Jones, Ginny and Dick Stever, Ed and Bev Fitzgerald, Dorothy and John Shea, Joan and David Traitel, Kelsey and Brad Hall, Harriet and Bill Plunkett, and a batch of neighbors including Ben and Linda Massey, Bill Banks and Joanne and Don Albrecht, and also Judy and Harry McLaughlin, Veva and Kingston McKee, and Bobbie and Ken Galpin.

CELEBRATIONS: Irene Dunne, who has been at Saint John’s Medical Center in Santa Monica for almost two months, has been planning Christmas Day at her Holmby Hills home for family including her grandchildren Mark and Ann Marie Shinnick; her daughter Mary Frances and husband Bob Gage, her nephew and his family, Allen and Lois Dunne and St. John’s Hospital public relations head Virginia Zamboni. Father Maurice Chase will be offering holy Mass at her home before dinner . . .

Sally and Bob Brant invited neighbors (near and far) to their home to welcome Greta and Jack Simpson. Joining in the fun were at least 80, including Margie and Dick Alden, Jean and Dick Archer, Jane and George Barrett, Merrill and Jack Bessolo, Anita and Tim Doheny, Jessie and Jack Eversoll, Jo and Monty Fisher, Ruth and Tom Jones, Jo and Bob Kroger, Sven and Bette Lokrantz, Pat and Gene Prindle, Vivi Reynolds, Marcia and Fred Soloman, Margaret and Ed Spillane, Patty and Bill Walker and Jim Zidell . . . Chou Devin and Joni Smith hosted the delightful baby shower at the Bistro Garden for Callie Irvin . . .

Cordella and James Owens took over Jimmy’s Palm Court in Beverly Hills for holiday dinner and dancing--Fred and June MacMurray, Ponti and Alana Lambros, Charles and Dale Snodgrass, Edward and Madeleine Landry, Phil and Bernice Gershon, John and Carolyn Eikenmeyer and Cam and Shirley Galieti . . .

YULETIDE SPIRIT: Mrs. William Oldknow entertained at a Christmas Mother, Daughter and Granddaughter Tea, and added in finer print at the bottom, “Grandsons are welcome.” “I just couldn’t leave them out,” she explained . . . Christmas carols traditionally unite Bob, Adri, Connie and Bob Butler and all their friends--young and old. Lots of good chums gathered for song and the beautiful groaning buffet . . . The pizza and sausage stations drew young and old for Molly and Richard Siefert’s “Night Before . . . the Night Before Christmas” party in San Marino. Son Richard was home from Brown. Julienne catered under the Sieferts’ new white patio canopy . . . Barbara and Chuck Schneider’s home in Beverly Hills was crowded with well-wishers for holiday cheer . . . Tam and Don Dickerson included the younger set, friends of their daughters Darcie (interning in Washington at the American Enterprise Institute think tank) and Shelley (a Denison College junior) for their yule celebration . . . Today, Carole and Norman Terry and their daughters Brenda and Emilie host open house . . .

PLAUDITS: A record $1,350,050 was presented in checks ranging from $500 to $945,000 by the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic to 40 desert charities during a special presentation at Eldorado Country Club in Indian Wells. Eisenhower Medical Center chairman Dolores Hope happily accepted on behalf of EMC. Allan Sedgwick, Classic president and tournament chairman, made the presentation. The money is collected through amateur entry contestant fees, concession sales, television rights and the Classic Ball.

HURRAY FOR THE HOLIDAYS: City of Hope chief executive officer Dr. Sanford and Evelyn Shapero brought the community together the other day in the garden at the Beverly Hills home of Jerry Axelrod. They heralded the holidays with the greeting, “Hurray, Let’s Hear It for Friendship.” In on the fun, June Lockhart, back from Indianapolis where she attended a City of Hope benefit; artist Jill Ochmanek, industrial designer Ray Smith and his designer wife Jocelyn, Bank of New Zealand’s Alan and Sara Mathews and Beverly Hills councilman Bob and Patti Tanenbaum. More, Mike and Millie Hersch, and Claudette Griffin from Los Altos.

FROSTY NIGHT: It looked as though Jack Frost had buzzed through for the San Marino Area Chapter of National Charity League Debutante Ball at the Beverly Wilshire. Bare branches, small white lights, artificial snow were accented with bursts of red poinsettias. It was the atmosphere for 27 debutantes to be introduced by John Kristoffer Popovich, husband of ball chairman Jane Popovich. It was the culmination of six years community involvement for the debs and their mothers.

Debutantes presented were Jennifer Amestoy, daughter of the Louis Frank Amestoys Jr.; Jennifer Angeloff, the Dann Angeloffs; Megan Boswell, the James D. Boswells; Ingrid Causey, the Paul Causeys; Karen Cooper, the Dale Coopers; Susan Crosby, Mrs. Glenda Swiatek Crosby; Marianne Dick, Richard Nelson Dick; Julie Doyle, the Robert Doyles; Alison Foto, the Stephen Fotos; Donna Hodgman, the Donald Hodgmans; Tamara Hugasian, the Harry Hugasians; Kristen King (the third girl in her family to make a Charity League debut), the John F. Kings; Jalee Lind, the Wesley Linds; Kimberly Marsh, the Gary Marshes.

More were Jennifer McBride, the Donald McBrides; Katherine Milias, the Mitchell Miliases; Megan Montgomery, the Michael Montgomerys; Cheryl Morgan, Dr. and Mrs. Stanley Morgan; Stacey Morrison, Dr. and Mrs. Robert Morrison; Michelle Mortimer, the Wendell Mortimers; Jill Olsen, the Merlin Olsens; Julene Penner, Dr. and Mrs. Clifford Penner; Caroline Reynolds, the John Reynolds; Rosalind Roberts, Dr. and Mrs. William Roberts; Tiffany Seden, the Theodore Sedens; Elisabeth Sheh, the Robert Shehs; Jennifer Wilcott, the Scott Wilcotts.