Roddy McDowall's Dinner Party's

[romantico]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 6:54pm

I was curious if there were any books out there that describe in detail Roddy McDoawall's famous dinner partys. Roddy was too much of a gentleman to tell all but I figure someone who was a regular guest at Roddy's may have some dirt or gossip on what went on. I always heard Roddy liked to have various/selective seating arrangements (for example: Charleton Heston would be seated next to Gore Vidal) Other than Tony Perkins and Liz Taylor, not sure who all attended. Anyone have any stories they know of they would like to share???

[Unknown User]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 7:40pm

I've never heard of any such book. And why wouldn't Gore Vidal sit next to Charlton? After all, Gore wrote "Ben Hur" one of Charlton's biggest hits. There is a lovely anecdote floating around about some of the Subtext Gore gave some of the other actors on that film.

[C is for Company]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 7:42pm

What an interesting topic to read about. No secret that Roddy and Liz were close as anyone in Hollywood back in the day, surprised not much gossip is out there in print when dealing with Taylor's reputations.

[romantico]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 7:45pm

Perhaps the reason no one knows much about this is because back then other people had respect for other's privacy. Man, the dirt Roddy could have dished on people. I know someone who was more of an acquaintance to Roddy and said the man never said anything bad about anyone. It makes you wonder. Back then people had class.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 7:53pm

I googled it and found some tidbits, but yes Roddy was a soul with descretion.

One website told a tale that at one dinner party, Liz suggested all the men drop trou and see who was the "biggest" star. Roddy apparently won. Having seen it, all I can say is obviously Milton Berle wasn't there that night.
Updated On: 5/7/07 at 07:53 PM

[romantico]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 8:04pm

Yeah, I did the same thing.Google didn't come up with much. I tried everything from "Roddy McDowall dinner party" to "Roddy McDowall party host." Came up with very little. I found an article that Dominick Dunne had wrote for Vanity Fair. I guess he was a regular and spoke of the New York Society that would attend. Man, I bet there are some wild stories to be told. Didn't Roddy date Tab Hunter for awhile?

Updated On: 5/7/07 at 08:04 PM

[C is for Company]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 8:09pm

I've never read a single negative against Roddy's character, nothing other then giving him the utmost respect and painting a description of a truly classy man. Maybe that is why he stands out so much against other individuals.

[romantico]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 8:12pm

He does with me. I mean, EVERYONE in Hollywood LOVED the man! I have all his photography books and he really captures something with all of them.

[best12bars]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 8:30pm

Everyone loved Roddy. My mom was in acting class with him in NY in the '50s, and she adored him.

JoeKv99--As for those Gore Vidal tidbits, he actually discusses his homoerotic screenplay approach on-camera for the special edition DVD release of Ben-Hur.

[JohnBoy2]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 11:41pm

Here's Roddy with Julie Andrews and Greer Garson, both of whom I'd imagine would have been at a few of his dinner parties.

[romantico]

Posted: 5/8/07 at 9:46am

CLive Barker got an idea for one of his books based on one of Roddy's partys.

Ironically, it was a series of delightful parties that got his imagination going. "I was lucky enough, seven years ago, to be drawn into Roddy McDowall's circle," Barker says. "Roddy had Friday night dinner parties regularly throughout the year"--in the company of such luminaries as Elizabeth Taylor, Gore Vidal, and Maureen O'Sullivan.

"What do you say when you have that degree of history and intelligence and storytelling?" Barker asks rhetorically. "You shut the **** up, and you listen. The only time I raised my voice at one of those dinner parties was when Gore Vidal opined that there was no such thing as homosexual literature, which I think is nonsense."

As the stream of dinner party anecdotes took root in his imagination, Barker realized that there was a story growing. "Talk about six degrees of separation," he says wryly. "In Hollywood it's three degrees. Everyone has known--or slept with--everyone else."

At the time, he had a friend who worked at a face-lift clinic catering to a privileged Hollywood clientele for whom discretion was essential. The author wanted details. "I said, `Fill me in!' and he said, `I can't! I can't!'" But eventually the friend caved in. "He smuggled out these big books which had these horrendous photographs of what happens when really simple things go wrong," Barker says delightedly. He realized that he had the beginning of his story.

(more here) http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1589/is_2001_Dec_4/ai_80500135http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1589/is_2001_Dec_4/ai_80500135





Roddy on the Carol Burnett Show

[lildogs]

Posted: 5/9/07 at 2:51pm

Gore also talks about Ben-Hur in THE CELLULOID CLOSET...

Gotta love Roddy in those Daisy Dukes he wears in EVIL UNDER THE SUN....

[Magdalene]

Posted: 5/9/07 at 2:57pm

Gotta love Roddy...period!

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 5/9/07 at 2:58pm

You mean "parties"?

[Chevstriss]

Posted: 5/9/07 at 4:08pm

mmmm yes do tell

Updated On: 5/30/09 at 04:08 PM

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 5/9/07 at 4:39pm

I adore Roddy McDowall and was so sad when he died. He just seemed like the loveliest, nicest man. I loved him in Lord Love a Duck and Cleopatra.

[erikaamato]

Posted: 5/9/07 at 4:43pm

Me, too! I loved him ever since I was a little girl. He radiated such a sweet quality.

And he did so many great B-horror movies (the kind filmed at Pinewood Studios), which I just adore!

[lildogs]

Posted: 5/9/07 at 4:54pm

Lord Chev, Margo wasn't EVERYWHERE!

[Chevstriss]

Posted: 5/9/07 at 5:23pm

BWAAAAHHHHHH HAAAAA HAAAAAAA

Updated On: 5/30/09 at 05:23 PM

[lildogs]

Posted: 5/9/07 at 5:36pm

Thank god--i thought you might have meant something like that...

[Chevstriss]

Posted: 5/9/07 at 9:02pm

well both Roddy and Marjoe are on this exclusive guest list:

http://groups.google.com/group/alt.gossip.celebrities/browse_thread/thread/9348b8ab742302ae/5f134aeb73401d11?&hl=en#5f134aeb73401d11

[Chevstriss]

Posted: 5/9/07 at 11:18pm

hmmmm are those names in descending order? kinda looks that way.

John Schneider? damn I turned down a bit part in a movie w/ him in the 80s.

[romantico]

Posted: 5/21/07 at 11:46am

Found these on a message board last night and thought I would post for those interested.


"Chapter 21 of Doris Roberts' memoir, Are You Hungry, Dear?: Life, Laughs, and Lasagna, is called "Dinner at Roddy's". Rupert Everett also devoted a few pages in his autobiography, Red Carpets and Other Banana Skins (pages 177-179). "

Before the internet, I used to go through the biography section of every bookstore I could find, pick up bios of actors and go to the index to see if Roddy was listed. He almost always was if the actor/actress had been around for more than five minute. Roddy knew absolutely everybody. There's a book about Monty Clift that mentions him a lot and has some rather juicy stuff in it. Can't remember the name of it. May have just been called Monty, actually. And of course I've read every book ever written about Elizabeth Taylor

[Magdalene]

Posted: 5/21/07 at 12:51pm

I'm surprised that no one has written a biography of Roddy yet....

[Cruel_Sandwich]

Posted: 5/21/07 at 12:52pm

Roddy and I went to the same elementary school together but I am quite saddened that he never invited me to one of these.