A Guide to the Best of Southern California : PLACES : A Gallery of Stars

“RUMOR HAS IT we bought this gallery from Mamie Van Doren,” laughs Bob Lennon, co-owner, along with Jonathan Woods, of Pagliacci. “Actually, we bought it from a Vegas showgirl--I guess she looked a little liked Mamie. In any event, we’ve maintained the gallery’s theatrical ambience.”

Indeed, in the two Pagliacci galleries, in Newport Beach and Laguna Beach, bestsellers include limited editions of flamboyant jester and clown dolls ($25 to $80), jack-in-the-box music boxes depicting characters from “Phantom of the Opera,” “Wizard of Oz” and “Gone with the Wind” ($135 to $200), and dramatic wall masks of Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Charlie Chaplin and more ($40 to $159). The popular “Cats” music-box dolls ($129) each have one-of-a-kind painted faces and come in a black, white or champagne bodysuit of satin and fur.

Finally, for a walk down memory lane, check out Pagliacci’s selection of artwork by Buddy Ebsen and Red Skelton. Ebsen’s framed, cartoon-like portraits of his fellow characters from “The Beverly Hillbillies” run about $375, his serigraphs, $875; Skelton’s sentimental-clown paintings cost between $425 (limited-edition lithographs) and $65,000 (originals).

Pagliacci, 3432 Via Oporto, Newport Beach, (714) 673-6292; 1452 S. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, (714) 494-5534.