Frolicsome Bachelors Roll Down to Rio--if Only at Their Dance

There’s a recession, so The Bachelors were “Rolling Down to Rio” only in their imaginations. The event was The Bachelors Ball at the Beverly Hilton Friday. Nearly 700 rollicked and frolicked as only twenty- and thirtysomethings can.

Under a canopy of brilliant Mardi Gras masks, between shimmering king palms, around tables with clusters of tropical fruits, flowers and mini neon tubes, they samba’d, conga’d, mambo’d, rocked and slow-danced to Ron Rubin’s Orchestra till the wee hours, as if on a South American beach.

The Bachelors (with a capital T ) never disclose the theme in advance, so the fancy-dress ball ( never called a “costume ball”) attracted scores of medieval knights and swains, several Sherlock Holmeses and Dick Tracys, damsels in decolletage, a King and Queen of Hearts and at least half a dozen would-be Bill Clintons with toy saxophones that squeaked.

Alette Stache, dressed as Clinton cat Socks, spoke for one Clinton group (which included a Gennifer Flowers--Maiya Borchard--who sauntered all evening in a flowered dress). “We don’t have a Chelsea,” Stache said. “She’s upstairs with a baby-sitter. Socks is a wild cat, so we let her out.”

Bachelors president Art Rasmussen (a mobster) with Marijana Kral-Campbell (a Spanish dancer) on his arm, was official host at the pre-party honoring the five in the time-honored role of patronesses this year: Virginia Carpenter (the Queen of Hearts) with husband, Bud (the Ace of Spades); Alyce Williamson (a fairy princess with gossamer wings) with husband, Spud (laughing at himself as a courtier in a flat velvet hat); Louise Reich with husband, Peter, (recalling that 30 years ago Peter had come to the ball as Mr. Clean); Edith Frere (in a sari), and Priscilla Tamkin (in Renaissance dress).

King Neptune--Scott Brittingham--walked into the ballroom with mermaid Ella McCormick and remarked, “I’ve learned over the years to come to this affair with fewer and fewer clothes.” He was referring to the heat caused by heavy costumes.

However, ball chairman Charles Fitger (Chip) Donnelly ignored that concept. As Aslan, the lion king from C. S. Lewis’s “The Narnia Chronicle,” he alternately carried and wore a huge lion’s head and a crown. His date, Chris Conrad, was the White Witch from the Lewis stories. Donnelly lifted the furry masses of his paws to show underneath a pair of grubby Air Jordans.

The Bachelors was organized in 1905 by a group of gentlemen wishing to reciprocate hospitality extended by friends. The first party was hosted by 22 men at the former Van Nuys Hotel. Today membership consists of 75. Some, like Rasmussen, among whose forbears are the Dominguez family, are descended from California’s earliest land-grant families.

Among board of governors members at the party were Bill Bessolo (Zorro) with Kisa Kautz; Steven Leland (Robin Hood) with Madalyn Seyer, Bob Forward (in Brazilian glitter) with Lisa Strutman, George Hotaling II (Batman) with Bernadette Hartfield, Mark Kelsey (a Polynesian) with Kim Pease, Christian Markey III (on safari) with Beth Bradley and Tony Manos (a medieval knight) with Kim Middleton.

Jantar (dinner) was corn and crab bisque, hefty tenderloin of beef, corn bread, Amazon rice cakes and lemon tortes. For those who stayed until 2 a.m.--beyond the midnight stage show of three samba dancers--further cuisine options were French onion soup, chocolate chip cookies and milk.

Costume originality ran amok: Member Drew Planting and his date, Deborah Finch of Orinda, were a together-again Charles and Princess Di; Carrie and Peter Tilton as Sioux Indians; Phil and Melina Montoya, striped jailbirds; Anthony Eichler and Karen Dohr, pirate and wench; Lisa and John Alphson, tattooed bikers; Jack Mickle, Buzzy White, Corey Waite, Geoff Ulrich and Robin Bently, among the many Mouseketeers; Bill Moses and Michelle Hayes, witch doctors; Derek Bell and Laura McCracken, Henry Higgins and Eliza Doolittle; Kathleen Kaun and John Stallings, Holsteins with udders. “We’re udderly ridiculous, I know,” she said, giggling and looking down.

Dawn Baudistel’s hair was a mass of rope spaghetti with meatballs, and her husband, David, came as a chef. As clowns, Jim and Madeline Swindon, in heavy white makeup, were a threat to all they kissed.

KUDOS: To Cardinal Roger Mahony’s annual Awards and Recognition Dinner Friday, with awards going to Al Antczak (former editor of the Tidings), Charles Bannan, the Rev. Newman Eberhardt, Perry Ferry and Anne Kenney.

At the Friends of the USC Libraries Scripter Dinner held in the campus library amid thunder and lightning, awards went to the late Norman Maclean, author of the novella “A River Runs Through It,” and Richard Friedenberg, who wrote the screenplay for the film made from the book. Jean Maclean Snyder accepted the Tiffany crystal prize for her father.

NEW: The board of overseers of the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens has elected nine to the prestigious posts of overseers: Mary Lou Boone, Edward Carson, Judith Danner, Enrique Hernandez Jr., Mary Hunt, Maurice Katz, Russel Kully, William Steele Jr. and Louise Taper.

ESCALATION: Louise Marsh-Shea and Earl Shea headed Long Beach Youth Home’s “Romantic Interlude” fund-raiser, naming Don and Betty Brown “Sweethearts of the Year.” . . .

Descanso Gardens enthralled 200 with afternoon tea and Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill (daughter of the 11th Duke of Marlborough) and David Stevens. She’s author of “Classic Interior Design.” He’s a BBC commentator, author of 13 garden books and a nine-time Best of Show medalist in the London Chelsea Flower Show.

FIRSTS: The Decorative Arts Study Center in San Juan Capisrano dedicates its no-grownups-allowed Children’s Garden Sunday.