Obituaries - July 24, 1999

* Paul Flato; Jewelry Designer

Paul Flato, 98, a jeweler whose creations adorned Marlene Dietrich, Merle Oberon, Joan Crawford and other film stars of the 1930s and ‘40s. The son of a Texas cattleman, Flato moved to New York in the 1920s and got a job selling watches. By the 1930s he had his own jewelry shops--on Manhattan’s East 57th Street and on Los Angeles’ Sunset Strip, across the street from the Trocadero nightclub. He was beloved for his witty and flamboyant designs, such as a pair of gold and diamond feather brooches with movable parts that was once owned by Ginger Rogers. His Art Deco jewelry is sought by collectors; a Flato diamond bracelet went for $233,500 at a Sotheby’s sale two years ago. His brilliant career was clouded in 1943, when he was arrested on charges that he had pawned $100,000 worth of diamonds, emeralds and other gems that had been entrusted to him on consignment. He was convicted and served 16 months in prison. Starting in 1970, he ran a store in Mexico City’s exclusive Zona Rosa shopping district for two decades. He moved back to Texas in 1990. On July 17 in Fort Worth.

* Sandra Morse Gould; TV Actress

Sandra Morse Gould, in her mid-70s, a prolific character actress best known for her role as the second Gladys Kravitz on the TV series “Bewitched.” Gould, whose distinctive nasal whine and pronounced New York accent became her trademark, made her acting debut on radio at the age of 9. She made her Broadway debut two years later in “Fly Away Home,” which also featured 15-year-old Montgomery Clift. She also appeared in the Broadway shows “New Faces,” “Having a Wonderful Time,” “Strip for Action,” “Thumbs Up” and “Rocket to the Moon.” On radio, she played the role of Mrs. Duffy on “Duffy’s Tavern” for six years, and performed on “My Friend Irma,” “Let’s Pretend” and “My Favorite Husband.” Before her six-season stint on “Bewitched,” on which she replaced character actress Alice Pearce as the nosy neighbor in 1966, Gould appeared on “The Jack Benny Show,” “The Red Skelton Show,” “I Married Joan,” “December Bride” and numerous Bob Hope shows. She was also in nearly 30 feature films, her most recent being “Deep Cover” in 1992. Also an artist and author, Gould wrote two books, “Always Say Maybe” and “Sexpots and Pans.” She was married to Larry Berns and upon his death married John Hollinsworth, who also predeceased her. She is survived by a son, Michael Berns. On Tuesday in Burbank of a stroke after heart surgery.