Fashion Parade at the Kelly House

Gene Kelly, sitting on a folding chair and applauding loudly, was the perfect picture of the doting father. His daughter, Bridget, was “in the back,” coordinating Pierre Le Prince’s men’s and women’s fashions. (She represents the men’s and women’s European couture collection in the U.S.) The models sashayed past Kelly, who was in his living room where two rows of chairs were set up (the house is almost reconstructed, but still unfurnished), and into the den where more guests were ready to applaud their entrances. At show’s end Bridget, hair short and slicked back, took her bow and thanked everyone for showing up. Dad beamed.

Those who signed in Tuesday afternoon included Sandi Bennett, who sat next to Kelly pere, Bridget’s brother, Tim, Nancy Bretzfield, Barbara Grant (husband Cary picked her up after the showing), Bob and Margie Petersen, Contessa Cohn who was with publisher March Schwartz, Apollonia (she sat with white-lace-covered legs primly crossed at the ankles), House & Garden’s Joyce MacRae, Gianni Versace’s Darren Ramirez, Beverly Petal, Mrs. Larry Irwin in a red print Chloe dress, Kathy Hilton and the Michael Blodgetts who are newlyweds.

There’s a new name to be added to the handsome granite tablets located on the Music Center Plaza. And it’s a famous one--Chanel Inc., the fashion house helping to stage the Blue Ribbon’s gala on Sept. 16, a benefit for the Music Center Unified Fund which supports all the resident companies. Chanel also has donated $150,000 to the Performing Arts Council which conducts the Unified Fund Campaign. Hurrahs for the couture house, now a Music Center “benefactor” and the first fashion house to rate the title.

The Chanel gala is not to be missed. Tout Los Angeles (the L.A. that counts) will be there mingling with Kitty d’Alessio, president of Chanel Inc., event chairman Nancy Vreeland, co-chairs Nancy Livingston and Keith Kieschnick and the Music Center hierarchy. Earle and Marion Jorgensen, Wendy and Leonard Goldberg, Armand and Harriet Deutsch, Kirk and Anne Douglas, Helen Bing, Barbro Taper with Gordon Freshman, Gary Collins and Mary Ann Mobley, Francie Brody with Rupert Allan, Dr. Jim Bonorris and his wife Lucy Zahran, Kathryn (Klinger) and Rudy Belton are just a few of the black-tie crowd expected.

Pavilion Catering will be handling dinner--Scotch smoked salmon, rack of lamb Provencale, chocolate coconut truffles--and among those who’ll be thanked for their contributions are Tucker Trainer who is coordinating the wine contributions; William Lawson Martin II of Zaca Mesa Vineyards, Kate and Brooks Firestone of Firestone Vineyard and Comte Charles de Poix of Piper Sonoma who are contributing their wines and champagne; Kristi Stevens, of The Flowers That Bloom in the Spring Tra La, who is doing the floral centerpieces and embellishments, and Mr. and Mrs. Howard B. Morrow, Jr., who are donating the fancy nutmeats to be served during the cocktail reception.

The new batch of officers are rarin’ to go on all sorts of fund-raising schemes for SHARE (Share Happily and Reap Endlessly) and its many charities. The group includes newly-elected president Judy Feder, first vice presidents for the annual Boomtown party Ruth Berle and Shirley Turteltaub, second vice presidents Pam Korman and Marilyn Katleman, treasurer Joan Kardashian, secretary Jane Greer Lasker, chairman of the board Sandra Moss and public relations chairman Vera Gordon.

SHARE is 32 years old and this year alone raised $1 million. It supports the Exceptional Children’s Foundation and most recently also contributed to the Santa Monica Hospital’s Rape Treatment Center (for counseling of sexually abused children and their families), the Center for the Partially Sighted and to UCLA’s School of Medicine for its research and clinical programs for the mentally retarded.

The Social Scramble: Stars is the new addition to San Francisco’s restaurant galaxy. And it’s where Denise and Prentis Cobb Hale were dining with John Siegel, son of Chris-Craft chairman Herbert Siegel, and Jane Israel. With them were also Jane’s parents, Marcia and Larry Israel, who were in the City by the Bay to begin planning the Siegel-Israel wedding which takes place on Oct. 12.

Ted Turner, Hollywood’s latest would-be movie mogul, dined at Ivy by the Shore the same night Joan and Jack Quinn, just back from Europe, were there with Interview editor Gael Love and artists Peter Alexander and Laddie Dill. (Love, who was catching the “Red Eye” back to New York, took her dessert, a brownie, with her.)

Those all-time, classic American dishes--fried chicken, ham, corn bread and blackened Cajun fish--were on the buffet Wednesday night at the Regency Club, a nice departure from the club’s more formal dinner menu. In for the treats were Ceil Moore who had Father Maurice Chase and Doris Fields Heller at her table; Dale and Chuck Snodgrass who were with Frank and Suzy Cross, the Larry Irwins, Alicia and Red Buttons and the Coca Cola Bottling Co.’s Lucy Boswell; Van Venneri with some friends from England; Ron and Carol Smith who were celebrating her birthday. And while the adults were playing at being casual, some tiny tots--dressed up in their Sunday best--were showing perfect manners at their Petite Protocol graduation dinner in one of the private rooms with their teacher Alyse Best, a former protocol volunteer at the White House.

Lunching on the calves’ liver at Manny Zwaaf’s Rangoon Racquet Club: First Daughter Maureen Reagan and her friend Debbie Smith.

Love Beat: Actress Stephanie Blackmore and real-estate developer Leon Vahn were married by Rabbi Jonathan Miller at Temple Stephen S. Wise last month. The newlyweds (she is the daughter of Contessa Cohn and the late Daniel Cohn) then took off for a honeymoon in the Virgin Islands.

Red Letter Days: Sunday when the Greenhouse Spa in Arlington, Texas, (mid-way between Dallas and Fort Worth) celebrates it’s 20th anniversary with a garden party.

Wednesday when Nan and producer Gene Corman celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary with “pasta, pesto and phun” at Prego Ristorante.

Sept. 10 in Washington where Attorney General Edwin Meese III presides over the presentation of the official portrait of his predecessor, William French Smith, 74th Attorney General of the United States, in the Department of Justice’s Great Hall.

Sept. 10 when Mary Park and Gloria Gilfenbain, partners in Elegant Rentals, dispense refreshments and party tips to a host of friends, among them Lionel Ritchie, Nancy Sinatra Sr., Susan Maneo (she’s Donna Summer’s manager), Tim and Charlene Conway, Joyce and Bob Wilson (he’s founder of “Radio and Records”), Lucy and Stu Billett (he’s executive producer of “People’s Court”) and other fancy people.

Sept. 11 when the Friends of French Art and the Friends of Vieilles Maisons Francaises host a champagne reception at Joseph, the shoe salon on North Bedford Drive, honoring French shoe designer Roger Vivier and shows a retrospective of “Vivier Shoes as an Art Form.” Vivier’s creations are in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the Louvre.

Sept. 15 when Keith and Bill Kieschnick host a kick-off reception at their home, Encanto, for the YWCA of Los Angeles Leader Luncheon XII.

Sept. 18 when Vittorio Sanguineti hosts a cocktail party at the home of Letizia Gelles Novarese for the new Consul General of Italy, Alberto Boniver and Signora Boniver.

Sept. 20 when St. Margaret’s School in San Juan Capistrano invites its friends to the First Annual Founder’s Day Dinner at the Ritz Carlton in Laguna Niguel.

Sept. 27 when Frances Klein hosts a cocktail party for the opening of the Judith Leiber boutique at her “estate and antiques jewelry” salon on North Rodeo.