R.S.V.P : Social Security : That Fit Fellow in the Tux? He Just May Be a Bodyguard

They possess major league jewelry. It practically glows in the dark. Some play host to famous faces and some have famous faces. And the possibility of being a robbery victim looms overhead like a haze above Malibu.

To reduce the odds, many of the famous, the wealthy and the bejeweled on the social circuit turn to private security when they entertain or go out.

At a benefit or even at a party in a private home, that fellow in the tuxedo who is discreetly attentive to the lady in diamonds may be a hired bodyguard. And most guests in these circles would not raise an eyebrow upon arriving at a friend’s home for dinner and finding a private security guard on the lawn.

Indeed, in Beverly Hills, party hosts often hire off-duty, uniformed police officers to keep an eye on things. Beverly Hills Police Lt. Robert Curtis says it’s a practice that has been going on as long as he’s been with the department--12 years. But, he adds, “now it is my impression that more and more people are having some kind of private security with them” when they go out.

Extraordinary Protection

Few women are in the category of Elizabeth Taylor or Candy Spelling or Barbara Davis, whose magnificent jewels require extraordinary protection. As Taylor, Spelling and Davis travel with personal security guards, they can wear diamonds and sapphires and sashay through Ralph’s and not have to worry. (Both Spelling’s and Davis’ public relations agents say the guards look after their general security and not their jewelry per se.)

A man who is everywhere on the local social scene says he knows of two other women--one the wife of a wealthy film executive, the other of a Beverly Hills businessman--who have private sentries at their well-shod heels, and that doesn’t include the numerous Angelenos whose chauffeurs double as protectors.

When appearing at public events such as cocktail parties, Elizabeth Taylor travels with from one to five private security guards. In public, she may wear hundreds or thousands of dollars’ worth of jewelry, says a Taylor spokesperson. While Taylor is practically barricaded by protection in “unfamiliar” cities, in Los Angeles, her party security is “less obvious,” her representative adds.

No Personal Guards

Zsa Zsa Gabor--who was once held up in New York by gunmen who appropriated her 41-karat diamond ring valued at $3 million as well as a pair of diamond earrings and another diamond and turquoise ring--does not hire personal guards. “My car is locked, I never go out alone, and I always have a dashing prince by my side,” she says. “Sweetheart, you only have one life.”

For those who aren’t wealthy enough to hire personal bodyguards or those who don’t like the idea, security alternatives include simply leaving one’s most expensive jewelry at home or in a safe deposit box.

“I don’t know one person (who hires a bodyguard) and I think I know the big jewelry people,” says Ellen Byrens, chairwoman of the Fine Art Commission of Beverly Hills. “I think everyone does the same thing I do. Nobody wears jewelry like they used to. During the daytime, I wear my wedding ring and studs. There’s no point in flaunting it.”

Others also say people are less inclined to wear important jewelry to public places, even to chic restaurants. “Ooh, that’s a real touchy subject,” says the executive of a local security company, who asked for anonymity. “I don’t know too many people who get all decked out in their expensive jewelry to eat at Chasen’s or to go to a show. Most people wear good jewelry only in controlled situations--private parties, private functions, galas.”

At big galas, event organizers often provide “crowd control,” a euphemism for security. Security was significant at last weekend’s gala “Phantom of the Opera” opening, says Nancy Vreeland, co-chair of the event, because 1,000 splendidly dressed people would be crossing the street from the Ahmanson Theater to a party tent erected at Grand and Temple. Even though the Los Angles Police Department sent four police cars over at 10:30 p.m. to help divert traffic, Vreeland says nine additional armed security guards were hired from a private security company, as well as four armed, off-duty Los Angeles Police Department officers.

Two of the police officers were dressed in plainclothes--a woman in an evening gown, and a man in a tuxedo--and worked inside the tent. The other two off-duty police officers were mounted on horses outside. “If you have a party where your guests are wearing their finery you have an obligation to hire security,” Vreeland says.

Many private hosts also are furnishing security when they entertain at home, even on a small scale.

Added Security

“Dynasty” designer Nolan Miller and his wife, Sandra, entertain frequently and whether in a restaurant or at home they always provide guards. When the party’s at their Beverly Hills home, Miller hires two, one for the front of the house, one for the back. At a large party he gave last fall at the Four Seasons Hotel for 200 people, he beefed up the hotel security by bringing in six off-duty Beverly Hills police officers. He says it’s not only because of the high celebrity quotient, but so “we don’t get anyone unexpected”--meaning crashers. “It’s also because you don’t want a chance for someone to be robbed,” Miller said.

“It’s logical,” says Count Enrico Carimati, West Coast vice president of Harry Winston--where an important diamond necklace can cost $1 million. “It’s not because you’re scared, but because you want your guests to be comfortable. In Europe, it’s normal.”

A prominent Beverly Hills jeweler says: “I don’t know anyone who has a (personal) guard and no one has ever asked me about one. I don’t think it’s necessary in this city.” However, he adds, “I always have a security guard or two at my parties. I’ve always done that and everyone I know does that.”

But Roz Wyman, who has opened her Bel-Air home for both political and charitable fund-raisers, says that other than the security guests themselves provide she has never hired additional guards. “I’ve had studio heads and VIPs, but I just haven’t felt the need for it yet. Maybe my level of entertaining isn’t at the highest level of jewelry.”

Jewelry courtesy of Laykin et Cie at I. Magnin & Co.