Crary Will Receive Luminaires’ Award

It seems most fitting that Luminaires will honor Mary Crary with their Vision Award on April 28 at a Celebration Luncheon in the Grand Hall of the Music Center. She founded the support group for the Estelle Doheny Eye Foundation in 1976, and the clan is jubilant that it’s reached the $1-million mark in fund-raising. Pam King is benefit chairman, named by Jean Schuur, Luminaires president, who’s returning with a Caribbean tan for the affair. Last year’s award went to New York philanthropist Mary Lasker.

BIRTHDAY CAKE: Never before has Polytechnic School in Pasadena staged a major gala. The 80th birthday was the exception, and 492 were reveling the other night. Co-chairmen Spike Booth and Barbara Poer expect to write a check for $150,000 in the kickoff of Poly’s $5-million endowment fund drive about to be announced.

It hardly mattered that the silent auction was almost conducted in a blackout due to overloaded circuitry and burned-up fuses which darkened the entire auction setting except, miraculously, for the center area where the bar was set up in the shape of a birthday cake. Undaunted, silent auction chairman Nancy De Nero commandeered friends to walk about with high-powered flashlights, keeping up the bidding.

Decor chairman Cheryll Wegge brought in a kissing elephant for the affair, each pair of guests getting a nuzzle for photographic posterity. Poly trustee chairman Doug Kranwinkle got his fraternity brother, New Yorker Mike Carney, and vocalist Colleen Casey to make music non-stop until 1 a.m. Marcia Cannell planned Roccoco’s chicken picata cuisine. John Cushman’s Zaca Mesa wine was a courtesy. The party also had the stamp of industriousness from Tina Diver, Debbe Booth, Deborah Hollingsworth, Tink Cheney, Nancy Esbenshade, Judy Morse, Ann Giesler.

In the elimination raffle, the Robert H. McNeills Jr., won a free tuition for a child, and Holly Smith Jones $5,000. Bruce and Laura Graney (she who won $5 million in the California lottery) were successful bidders on the Washington, D. C. trip. Bill Garnett picked up river rafting for 10; David and Jennifer Murphy bought dinner with Mike Babcock and Kranwinkle; the Richard Scharlachs won the Sun Valley ski week.

A happy crowd partied the night away: Beau and Wendy Bianchi, Adam and Penny Bianchi, super Poly fund-raiser Stender Sweeney, Norman and RoseMary Mitchell (he down from San Francisco), Alyce McCarroll, Walter and Monica Pitts, Susan and Stephen Chandler, the Stephen J. Cannells, Kate and Joe Regan, John and Gabriella Santaniello, Mary Beth and Greg Brundage, Jenny and Loring Rutt.

GOLDEN GALA: Mary Louise Crowe knew exactly what to wear for the Dinosaur Ball--a gold jacket. She was perfectly color-hued, like a galaxy of other gala-goers, to walk through the “Gold: The Quest for New World Riches” (the little nugget that started the California Gold Rush is so tiny, and the Mojave Nugget is so large) exhibit at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County en route to dinner.

Trumpets announced guests, one of the details party chairman Shelton Ellis of Gump’s in Beverly Hills, dictated. Another was the inclusion of rare museum stuffed birds--Antrodemus and Camptosaurus--amid the orchids around the dance hall. And a third was the decision to have guests walk through the original museum entrance, the one facing the Rose Garden and used in 1913 when the museum opened.

Man of the evening was George Page, who underwrote $50,000, enabling the affair to net probably $200,000. Museum director Dr. Craig Black and his wife, Elizabeth (they’ll soon move into a home in Hancock Park which the museum has purchased), helped gather an impressive crowd: the Patrick Dohenys; the Z. Wayne Griffiths; the Peter McCoys; Gen. William and Willa Dean Lyon; new Los Angeles County Chief Administrative Officer Richard Dixon and his wife, Sue Widman; Ford Motor chairman Don Petersen and his wife, Jody; California Blue Shield president Tom Paton and his wife, Marty, of San Francisco; Peter and Alice Keller; the William Durneys; the Don Beales; Dym and Annette Smith; Bob Hansen; Tom and Betty Reddin (she’s museum Alliance president); Arco’s Camron Cooper (a new trustee), and the Olin Barretts.

THE RIBBON: In his white shirt with the red stripes and his tennis shoes, Andre Previn worked up quite a little perspiration at rehearsal with the Los Angeles Philharmonic this week. The Blue Ribbon members were quiet as mice as listeners, and then Maestro Previn couldn’t even “eat and run” before he had to be back to prep with composer William Kraft for the world premiere of “Contextures II: The Final Beast.”

In the morning there was a lot of intense concentration on parts of Ravel’s “Ma Mere l’Oye” and “La Valse” before Previn ordered, “OK, that’s going to be wonderful--let’s take a break.”

Said Blue Ribbon president Keith Kieschnick, “A lot of our members love this rehearsal.” Ruth Shannon (just back from the Middle East with husband, Ed, a member of the Philharmonic board) was one. She was among those who scurried up to hear second violinist Guido Lamell chat about painting his house earlier in the morning. His nails seemed as shiny as his violin. More listening were Helen Bing, Terri Childs and her guest Robin Parsky, Virginia Elder and Nancy Dowey (both have sons planning summer weddings), Bobbie Galpin, Carol Henry and her mother Anne Fagan, Terry Herst, Carrie Ketchum, Ruth March.

Later they assembled for lunch in the Grand Hall and excerpts from Ernest Fleischmann, Philharmonic executive director, who urged them to travel with the Philharmonic (it leaves soon for a major trip including the celebration of Berlin’s 750th anniversary and 19 European concerts). On hand were Olive Behrendt, Carolbeth Korn, Nancy Livingston, Ruth March, Esther Wachtell, Mrs. Jack Whitehead. Next on the agenda, the Blue Ribbon members luncheon April 27 at the Huntington Library.

PAST PERFECT: Nearly 1,700 attended the black-tie NFL Players Assn. Awards Dinner at the Century Plaza to benefit Childhelp USC--among them Whoopi Goldberg, Jimmy Stewart, Robert Wagner, Barry Bostwick, Cheryl Ladd, Fred and June Haver MacMurray.

Operation: Children (formerly WAIF) gave the gracious Fay Kanin its engraved silver tray for her loyalty, then leaders Ingeborg Zerne, Elise and Marty Pasetta, Elizabeth and Edward F. Warde sat back “The Day After” (the Academy Awards) at the Beverly Hilton to watch C. Notti present her popular spring fashions (order up a cassette of the show to see the fashions).

DANCE, DANCE: A la Rogers and Astaire, Las Floristas has a whirling couple etched on mauve mylar invitations for their April 24th Las Floristas Floral Headdress Ball at the Beverly Hilton. They also have Juliet Prowse to emcee their 49th annual ball, “Dance, Dance, Dance.”

President Judi Becket and ball chairman Mary Richardson feel it all will enhance Las Floristas’ support of its handicapped children’s clinics at Rancho Los Amigos and Los Angeles County/USC Medical Centers.

Currently producer Anthony Daniels and Mannequin coordinator, Pamela Markovitz, are coaching Linda Nies, Pat House, Mandy Artukovich, Maggie Simms, Cindy Somer, Jade Higgins, Barbara Robinson and Sue Villicana in balancing 25 pounds of headdress flowers and frame.

Julie Lee and Beth Lane are coordinating floral designers Wayne Gray, Mark Massad, Robert Johns, Clark Jellison, Don Honold, Robert Jones, Modesto Busto and the Al Ezra-Randy Duncan team. Carolyn Stockwell, coordinating the decor with Los Angeles Party Designs, hopes that guests will participate by wearing miniature headdresses for competition during the cocktail hour.

GLAMOUR NIGHTS: Betty and Art Aston, Yvonne and Don Fedderson, Ann and Dick McGeary and Marian and Tim Viole will be honored at the San Fernando Valley Associates of the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation fourth annual Premiere Parents Award Dinner on Wednesday at the Sheraton Premiere.

Shirley MacLaine and Charlton Heston will be saluted for their lifetime achievements in the cinematic arts Wednesday at the Century Plaza when the Thalians Presidents Club hosts its black-tie Serata Di Gala and the Rudolph Valentino Awards.

Women’s Council of Verdugo Hills Hospital dances to Ernie Hernandez’s Band at their Ole! dinner dance Saturday evening at Lawry’s California Center.

Coalition for Clean Air’s fund-raising dinner and auction is slated Saturday at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood.

Actress Emma Samms becomes the first recipient of the Toychest of Hope “Dedication to Children Award” on Saturday at the Riviera Country Club. It’s for her commitment to the Starlight Foundation, which grants the wishes of chronically and terminally-ill children.

Trustees of the Pacific Asia Museum and Arco host a preview of “Beyond the Open Door: Contemporary Paintings From the People’s Republic of China” on Tuesday evening at the Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena. Last week trustees and the Thai Arts Council honored his Royal Highness Prince Subhadriadis Diskul of Thailand and Princess Oraphin at dinner. The prince is dean of the University of Fine Arts in Thailand and former curator of the National Museum in Bangkok. They were welcomed by the George Brumders, the Edward Tuttles, the Donald Rochlens, Mrs. Joseph Hazen, Howard Steenson and museum director David Kamansky.

GLAMOUR LUNCHEONS: Pasadena Alumnae of Kappa Kappa Gamma support Sycamores Children’s Center in Altadena with proceeds from their benefit at the Shakespeare Club on Wednesday.

David L. Wolper and Jean Firstenberg co-chair the League of Women Voters luncheon Wednesday at the Beverly Wilshire ballroom, naming Julie Harris and Patty Duke “Women of Honor.”

Sue Schaar chairs the Trojan League of Orange County’s 25th annual benefit Wednesday when it honors the USC School of Law. Law School Dean Scott Bice will speak before luncheon.

Arrangements for the Screen Smart Set (an auxiliary of the Motion Picture and Television Fund) luncheon at Jimmy’s on Thursday are being made by Lillian McEdwards (mother of Blake Edwards) from her hospital bed. Mary Blakeley is assisting. As usual, it’s a sell-out, with fashions from the Elizabeth Arden Salon on Rodeo Drive.