Reagan Birthday Party

Ronald and Nancy Reagan celebrated the former President’s 78th birthday on Monday at a private dinner dance for 90 at the Bistro Garden hosted by the couple’s friends--William and Betty Wilson, Walter and Lee Annenberg, Armand and Harriet Deutsch, Norman and Erlenne Sprague and Earle and Marion Jorgensen.

“It was a happy party,” one guest reported, and still going strong after 11:30 as a crowd stayed to dance. On the dinner menu--at tables decorated with white roses, tulips and lilacs--were baby chickens, pommes noisette, asparagus, baby carrots and young peas, a lemon birthday cake and Reagan’s favorite dessert, tartufo (chocolate) ice cream.

Sammy Cahn and Marvin Hamlisch performed songs they wrote for the occasion, Mary Martin sang and Bob and Dolores Hope sang a duet. Among other guests feting Reagan were former Secretary of State George and Helena Shultz, James and Gloria Stewart, Lew and Edie Wasserman, Tony Martin, Cyd Charisse, Betsy Bloomingdale and Ed Cox, Eva Gabor, Merv Griffin, William French Smith and Jean Smith, Charles and Mary Jane Wick and Tom and Chardee Trainer.