Just Who Were All Those Masked Men (and Women)?

In costumes ranging from a stylish gown worn the night the Titanic sank to a girlish pinafore worn by Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz,” Orange County society got into the masquerade act on Saturday at three Halloween galas staged on behalf of local charities.

Wending her way through the 200-strong crush at the Four Seasons hotel in Newport Beach, where the Designing Women of the Art Institute of Southern California staged “Spooks, Spirits, and Voodoo,” Joe Steinbach said she hoped that her 1912 silk-fringed crepe gown would “make it through the night.”

“A friend of mine married the son of a couple who were on the Titanic when it sank,” Steinbach said, explaining how she came to own the gown. “His father drowned. And his mother was saved wearing this. My friend kept the dress for years and finally gave it to me because I collect costumes.”

Also partying at the Four Seasons was Joan Thagard, a mature and willowy woman who cracked up her pals in a little-girl wig and ultra-short “Dorothy” pinafore from “The Wizard of Oz.”

“My hair used to be this color,” Thagard said, stroking her faux brunette tresses. “But you can bet it ain’t this color anymore!”

A spear-wielding Bob Foresman intimidated fellow party-goers in his authentic tribal costume from New Guinea. His face was painted for war. His head was crowned with dark feathers. And clumps of snow-white seashells dangled from a leather thong around his waist.

“When I was through with the guy who sold me this stuff, he was naked,” Foresman said. “I bought everything.”

Proceeds from the gala, which included dinner and dancing to the sounds of “Rio Thing,” were estimated at about $45,000. Christine Rhoades and Susan Beechner were co-chairwomen. Guests included John Lottos, president of Art Institute of Southern California.

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Across town at the Anaheim Hilton and Towers hotel, 700 supporters of the St. Joseph Hospital Foundation gathered for a gourmet dinner--beef medallions and boneless duck--and $50,000 show that featured singer John Davidson and ventriloquist Jay Johnson. Net proceeds from the $300-per-person event were a whopping $210,000.

“Every year for 20 years we have gotten a Las Vegas headliner to entertain,” said gala chairman Dr. Melvyn Lieberman, who attended with his wife, Sandy.

“Bob Hope was our first, and we haven’t had any repeats. So, you know we’ve had some great shows.” Other entertainers have included Ben Vereen, Anthony Newley, Tony Bennett and the Pointer Sisters. The “Masked Ball” marked the first time the gala was held on Halloween. “It just happened to fall on this night,” said Lieberman, a radiologist. “I would never have intentionally set it up on Halloween. And I will make sure it never falls on Halloween again. There are just too many parents of young children who wanted to be here but couldn’t.”

Plus, talking through a bejeweled and feathered mask was no easy task. “It feels weird,” Lieberman said of his arty camouflage. “It’s reasonably comfortable. But it’s not going to last all night.”

Since the gala was billed as a masquerade, Lieberman didn’t expect to see party-goers in costume. “If someone comes looking like Humpty Dumpty, they’re going to feel pretty foolish,” he said.

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At the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Dana Point, about 300 supporters of Interval House, a shelter for battered women and their children, bid on auction items and enjoyed a sit-down supper at the $200-per-person “Le Bal des Papillons, un Bal Masque.”

Guests clad in tuxedos and gala gowns were invited to tote their own masks, wear a complimentary creation, or purchase one for $6.

When they weren’t bidding on hundreds of silent auction items, party-goers were rubbing elbows with special guests such as actress Beverly Garland. (Last week, the gala’s honorary chairpersons--Carol Burnett and her daughter, Carrie Hamilton--sent regrets because of business commitments in New York.)

Said Garland: “This is my favorite charity. I have great empathy for abused women. When you are abused and have no place to go, you really need someone to help.”

Garland said she was spending the weekend at the Ritz-Carlton. “Interval House helps take care of that,” she said.

Also among guests was Interval House graduate, Gabriela, 32, of Westminster. It has been six years since she graduated from Interval House, she said.

“Interval House changed my life. I was in a violent marriage. He kicked me . . . did all kinds of bad things. And I couldn’t leave. I tried. But he would follow me.”

Gabriela and her infant son stayed at an Interval House shelter for 45 days. “Then they gave me help for six months. That gave me security and taught me to believe in myself.”

Now, Gabriela is happily remarried. “I am one of the lucky ones,” she said.