The Three Faces Of Hayley

The Parent Trap (Disney, 1961)

Pretty Polly (Rank, 1967)

Take a Girl Like You (Columbia, 1970)

One explanation for Hayley Mills' remarkable transformation from pre-Beatles pixie to eye-popping hair-hopper (before settling into a mellow Breck Girl groove) may be that, in the interim, she had had screen romances with Peter Brown and Peter McEnery in Summer Magic (1963) and The Moon-Spinners (1964), respectively.

Peter Brown

Peter McEnery

And that's a lot of Peter.

HAYLEY MILLS

April 18, 1946

Hollywood's Handsomest Men?

What sayeth thou, fair readers?

Ride 'Em, Cowboy

And, of course, "'Em" spelled backwards is "Me."

Une Una

Our latest Mystery Guest, the singularly fabulous Una Merkel, was correctly guessed by several clever readers. But the first was Pancakes Barbara, about whom we sadly know little -- except that our Adonis figures won't last forever without a little help from the kitchen.

Una, of course, enlivened countless films of the 1930's, ranging from the dreary (Murder in the Private Car, anyone?) to the sublime -- our favorites being Red Headed Woman (1932) and Bombshell (1933), two of her hilarious pairings with Jean Harlow, who was no slouch in the cracking wise department herself. La Merkel also duked it out with Dietrich in Destry Rides Again (1939), resulting in one of the most famous catfights in screen history.

Strangely, Merkel's career tapered off in the 1940's; she appeared in only 15 films in the entire decade (and in increasingly diminished productions), as compared to more than 50 in her 1930's heyday. Perhaps personal troubles contributed to this downward turn: in 1946, Merkel nearly died when her mother committed suicide by turning on the gas in their home. Still, this wry-yet-bubbly dynamo was still capable of eliciting guffaws, which she is seen doing below to Gary Cooper, no less, and starlet Phyllis (ex-Mrs. Cary Grant) Brooks in 1943.


Happily, Merkel enjoyed a comeback in the 1950's, transitioning from sidekick to mother/aunt roles for both stage and screen. She won a Tony in 1959 for The Ponder Heart, and in 1961 she finally earned an Oscar nomination for her against-type work in Summer and Smoke. That same year, she made a memorable appearance as Verbena, the chatty maid in The Parent Trap; La Merkel must have been a hit with the good folks at Disney, as they quickly cast her in two successive pictures, Summer Magic (1963), another Hayley Mills vehicle, and A Tiger Walks (1964). The latter is notable, incidentally, as being a thoroughly unremarkable family film with an absolutely spectacular cast: besides Merkel, it also features the glorious Vera Miles, the divinely dishy Peter Brown, and, in his final film, delightful Sabu Dastagir.

Una Merkel herself only had one more film left to make -- rather ingloriously, Spinout (1966) with Elvis. But it was a long and wonderful career, vividly etched with some of the best supporting turns ever preserved on celluloid. Miss Una Merkel passed away in 1986 at age 82.

More Merle

Shown above holding a hair hopper's conference with Anne Ford, Charlotte Ford, and Mrs. Henry Ford III. As noted by the everlovin' Peenee, Ms. Oberon's last husband was former actor Robert "Robby" Wolders, aptly described as "humpalicious."


Mr. Wolders, after being widowed by Ms. Oberon, went on to become Audrey Hepburn's longtime companion until her death. As as been mentioned, such was Robby's beauty, he more than held his own next to the formidable Oberon and Hepburn; and we think he would have made an even prettier pairing with his Laredo co-star Peter Brown.

Little Debbie

As young gaylings, one of our favorite afternoon pasttimes was watching old AIP beach party flicks on television. We loved Frankie and Annette, of course; and thrilled whenever Donna Loren belted out a tune; but our favorite was the uber-perky, slightly-tomboyish Deborah Walley (August 12, 1941 - May 10, 2001).

Although best-remembered today for her supporting roles in those beach party flicks, Deborah actually made her initial splash by starring in Gidget Goes Hawaiian (1961), taking the role over from Sandra Dee.


MICHAEL CALLAN & DEBORAH WALLEY IN GIDGET GOES HAWAIIAN (1961)


(CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) DEBORAH WALLEY, VICKI TRICKETT, MICHAEL CALLAN & JAMES DARREN IN GIDGET GOES HAWAIIAN (1961)

We are actually more enamored of Michael Callan in this film than Deborah, but that's just us. She followed up this picture with a few projects for the good folks at Disney, including a memorable turn as Hayley Mills' snooty cousin in the entertaining family film, Summer Magic (1963).


POSTER FOR SUMMER MAGIC (1963). DEBORAH'S LIKENESS IS ON THE FAR LEFT.

Of course, since it's her show, Hayley gets the guy in the final reel. And as much as love Deborah's spoiled-little-rich-girl act, we can't help having eyes only for dreamy Peter Brown.


17-YEAR-OLD HAYLEY MILLS & 28-YEAR-OLD PETER BROWN POSE THE CREEPY QUESTION: WHAT MAKES A GOOD DATE?

Lest you think us horrid hypocrites, we assure you that we really do love Deborah Walley, and don't always ogle her handsome co-stars rather than the lady herself. We will mention just one more good-looking leading man in her life; Walley's real-life husband from 1962-1966, John Ashley, who was a suave, handsome presence in otherwise tawdry affairs like Dragstrip Girl (1957) and Frankenstein's Daughter (1958).



Deborah and her hubby were paired together in the Citizen Kane of beach party epics, Beach Blanket Bingo (1965). They portrayed a couple of bickering skydivers. Don't ask.


DEBORAH WALLEY & JOHN ASHLEY ON THE SET OF BEACH BLANKET BINGO (1965)

Deborah also appeared in Ski Party (1965), Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine (1966), The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini (1966) and It's a Bikini World (1967). She also managed to squeeze in an appearance in Spinout (1966) with Elvis, and co-starred in the popular sitcom, The Mothers-in-Law (1967-1969) as Eve Arden's daughter.


TOMMY KIRK & GLAMOROUS DEBORAH WALLEY IN IT'S A BIKINI WORLD (1967)

Off the screen since the early 1970's, Deborah was a popular attraction at fan events and autograph conventions across the country. Sadly, she was diagnosed with cancer and passed away at the young age of 59. She would have been 64 today. Happy Birthday, Deborah Walley! Wherever you are, we're sure that you're providing a little summer magic to a bikini world.