More items found in the Samson De Brier archives are listed in this chapter.
I am in the process of ongoing research with several of these names, locations and years.
TV schedule made up by a utility company and sent out to customers. The date is likely when Samson and Paige Young were friends or at least acquaintances. She only had a little over a year left in her life.
Tiny address and phone book hardly used.
6026 1/2 Barton Ave. is Samson’s address. Is Layne Nielson one of his renters?
Layne Nielsonworked with LA fashion legend RudiGernreich in the 1960s. LAT Jan. 15, 1968
Looks like Layne owned Selective Eye Gallery in the early 1970s.
There is a Selective EyeGallery in Laguna Nigel by late 1977. Unknown if it was connected to Layne Nielson.
I don’t see much more in the newspaper archives about Nielson from the 1980s and beyond.
If online records are correct, he is alive at 86 and living in Salt Lake City.
Nielson donated his papers and design examples to UCLA; Charles E.Young Research Library. The Rudi Gernreich archives reside at this location as well.
Online Archive of California description of the Layne Nielsen Archives at UCLA:
Layne Nielson is a fashion and graphic designer who designed fashion accessories and stationery for Rudi Gernreich and for his own label. The collection includes fashion samples and accessories, as well as sketches, publicity, stationery, examples of Nielson’s design work in advertising, photographs, publications, and documentation of exhibitions.
Designer Layne Nielson is known for his work designing fashion accessories and stationery for Rudi Gernreich. Nielson’s work reflects a wide range of design, including: graphics, product design, textiles, exhibition design, and interior design.
LAT July 15, 1973.
LAT Oct. 14, 1977
LAT
LAT June 24, 1967
Below we see Samson saved his ticket to the Hullabaloo show.
Originally the Earl CarrollTheatre, “in 1965 (6230 Sunset Blvd. (listed on the card) becameHullabaloo rock-n-roll club welcoming minors and capitalizing on the popularity of the television variety show Hullabaloo. In 1968 it was renamed the Kaleidoscope…..with an emphasis on local bands like the Doors.
From Mike Hume’s Historic Theatre Photography.
The 3 images below are a store guide of antique and thrift stores on Magnolia Blvd. in Burbank. Samson was known for collecting antiques, art, and all kinds of home decor, which he displayed in his home on Barton Way.
Magnolia Blvd. in Burbank is still known as a place for for thrift, vintage clothing and antique stores.
Sidney Skolsky column. A current item on Marilyn Monroe along with his mention of Samson and Kenneth Anger and the famous underground film, The Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome.
Gossip item from Fabulous magazine. Mentions many friends/salon goers from Samson chapter #1: Vicki Dougan, Curtis Harrington and Renata Druck.
Detailed description of Renate Druks, from a published article. A Samson friend and fellow salon host, Druks sent several Christmas cards to Samson.
More on Druks in Samson chapter #1.
Writer Bill Thorpe, describing Samson’s refrigerator, which doesn’t seem bare!
This image and the next 2 are credits for Kenneth Anger’s Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome.
Publication and date of Samson’s letter to the editor seen at left.
Samson found this interesting enough to clip and save. Talk about a forgotten pop culture moment! This incident made it into several newspapers and probably some newscasts!
Saved by me from newspapers.com. Arizona Daily Star May 4, 1968. Many newspapers across the nation carried this story. I wonder if Harvey Pepper ever made it to a talk show or evening newscast. He certainly would in 2025.
In Samson Part #1 you learned that half of the De Brier archive is a box of Christmas cards. Primarily from the 1950s to 1970s.
Front of a card by? Roberta Haynes.
Christmas card, I can’t remember from who.
I stayed very near the Bullock’s Wilshire when in LA for my research appointment at USC ONE Archives. What I needed was more time, and a good night’s sleep!
Who is Donna Burris?
I have found very little so far. The best clue I have is the article below. It contains a one sentence mention of a Donna Burris for a “witchy” type “casting call.”
July 2, 1966 LAT. I have much more information on Animal Huxley and Pamela Woolman. Can’t find anything more on Marti Cone.
These three women had their picture in the LAT to go with this article. They, and every other woman there, are mentioned with only a sentence or two at most.
Donna Burris
is also mentioned with only one sentence, but no photograph.
2nd column, 2nd paragraph.
Casting call for witches? It’s not clear for what exactly. A passing mention of Marshall McLuhan. Donna Burris passed away in 2008 in Clovis, Ca. according to online information.
2 newspaper items found by me in newspaper archives. Los Angeles Mirror Feb. 7, 1961. >>>>>>>>>>>
LAT. Mar. 11, 1966.
Samson De Brier LAT Obituary April 8, 1995
The Guardian, London, England May 12, 1995
From the archives. An evening to honorSamson after his death.
Samson’s close friend Cameron also died in 1995.
More info. to come!
Below is a paragraph from a first- hand account article, by Tosh Berman, the son of artist Wallace.
It’s significant for my research, because I firmly believe that Paige Young would have fit into this category of Samson De Brier’s pretty women friends.
I only went into Samson’s Barton Avenue home once, and that was through an invite from one of his female friends. When I saw Samson at art openings or film events, he was usually with a pretty woman. All of his women were protective of him, and in my view, they were at odds with each other. I was sworn to secrecy not to reveal who took me to the house after Samson passed away. I think it was a day or two after he died. At the time I was the director at Beyond Baroque, the literary/arts center in Venice, California.
by Tosh Berman, Please Kill Me: This is What is Cool.
As a Playboy Playmate, Paige Young experienced a minor type of celebrity status as opposed to what we think of as a Major Hollywood star. The Playmates special type of fame was at its’ highest when the issue was current. Within the same year I would say.
This type of fame Paige experienced lasted for a brief part of her short life.
She was, of course, an actual human being with a life and history besides her association with Playboy.
At times, Paigedid associate with people who were more famous than she. They were major celebrities known to the mass public.
This includes (that we know of) Hugh Hefner, John Huston, Andy Warhol,Bill Cosby; Jonathan Winters, men who lived for decades with massive fame that continues outlives them. They are still talked about in 2025.
Bill Cosby is still alive as of this writing.
Hugh Hefner’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Taken by me in 2019. It needs some maintenance on that crack.
Others were and are famous to a smaller audience.
On this website, I have written about all these men and Paige’s connection to them.
More characters can be found in the chapter: Names Found in Paige’s Phone Book.
The men famous to a more niche audience includes
Peter Gowland, who you see at left.
Peter is the son of English film actor Gibson Gowland. And an LA native like Paige. Peter and his wife Alice ran a successful pinup and commercial photography business from the late 1940s through the 1990s.
They published dozens of books for the amateur photographer. Alice Gowland was the writer of the books and the business manager.
Paige Young was the team’s last contribution to Playboy magazine in 1968. Alice said she did not care for the more explicit direction of the magazine photographs.
Paige had modeled for Gowland years before Playboy I have learned through Richard Sample.
The only photos one can normally find on the internet of Paige Young, were taken by Peter or Alice.
For a few years, Marvin M. Mitchelson represented Paige Young in her divorce against husband Mark F. Segal in 1964. Mitchelson, a Beverly Hills lawyer was a prominent media personality in the 1970s and 80s and 90s.
Mitchelson is credited for introducing the term “Palimony” into divorce court and to the general public. He represented Michelle Triola Marvin in a financial claim against actor Lee Marvin.
Lee Marvin dumped live-in lover Michelle without a penny, or tried to. Marvin Mitchelson became famous representing her. Michelle wanted compensation for the loss of her career as a singer.
M.M.M. is all but forgotten in 2022.
The Hon.Desmond Guinness, is frequently how his name is written, is from the famous Irish beer brand family but also a highly titled, wealthy, socially elite and sometimes controversial family. Legendary photographer Slim Aarons produced some iconic photos of Desmond Guinness, one in particular with his very young children. The photo has probably been seen by more people than know the identity of Desmond Guinness.
He died in August of 2020.
Artist DeWain Valentine
DeWain Valentine,Colorado born, Venice Beach based sculptor-artist, is one of the founding members of the “Light and Space movement” or “Finish Fetish” school which was born in Venice Beach, California in the 1960s. He dated Paige for a while according to his 1st wife Darlene Valentine, who also knew Paige.
Valentine died in February of 2022.
Michael Butler was listed in Paige’s phone book, of which I have seen a portion.
The names and numbers were written down by someone else. Butler was the producer of Hair the Broadway musical. He was also part of the Santa Barbara crowd that Desmond Guinness hung around when he was in town. (One time we know, Paige Young was along as his date.)
Michael Butler owned property above the Sunset Strip. He stayed there when he was in town for the LA performances of HAIR. He also was responsible for bringing the musical to Broadway due to his vast inherited wealth. Please see chapter on Names Found in Paige’s phone book.
Paige Young and her family’s journey encompass both the industry and town of Hollywood. Their experience includes WW2 and post-warLos Angeles. Their/Her journey includes places like Franklin Hills and Gardena, San Fernando Valley in the 1950s, representing the prototypical suburban middle class existence for the nation. Malibu and Topanga Canyon, Venice Beach and Westwood, in the 1960s and 70s, and the scope of the Entertainment industry throughout the 3 decades she lived.
It’s the old story of time and place and people.
Research Methods
My (ongoing) research consisted of obtaining various LA County public records like birth and death certificates, viewing City of LA building permit documents, (online), perusing telephone directories in the DTLA public library, voting records, marriage, divorce, and military records on ancestry.com.
I have spoken with a few firsthand sources. Several others refused to speak with me. I couldn’t locate some sources. At this point, many are dead. And the living people who know, aren’t talking, with the exception of the few I have written about on this blog.
This entry will make more sense if you have read at least the 2nd half of this website.
Iwas in Los Angeles in April of 2023. I visited with Melanie Myers from the 2014 Daily Mail story. She also appeared in the 2022 Secrets of Playboy documentary on the A&E channel.
During our interview, Melanie showed me an old piece of paper with phone numbers and names written on it. She had copied these from Paige’s personal phone directory after her suicide.
Melanie and B.J. Royale were preparing to share the task of calling Paige’s friends to tell them the news of her suicide.
And to tell them that Paige wanted them to have a certain of her paintings or other personal art objects.
Basically, a will.
B.J.Royale and Melanie lived in a duplex in front of Paige’s garage apartment in 1974.
The 3 shared a yard where Paige walked around nude or topless and Melanie “did not like it. ”
She added, “Paige and B.J. were pretty good friends,” but that she herself was not close with Paige.
Even so, Melanie said she ended up hearing an earful from Paige about a “sex tape” involving “Cici Huston‘s brother.” (David Shane)
B.J. Royale was a niece of actress Loretta Young, star of Hollywood films and TV in its’ Golden Age.
Royale, aka Betty J. Hermann, has a film credit for The Trouble with Angels, 1966. IMDB
This film was a box office hit. It stars Hayley Mills, a Disney actress. She was a bonafide box office star in the 1960s. I remember it shown on TV in the early 1970s.
Melanie made me a copy of her original notes and I took photos.
The names I saw on Paige’s phone list gave me clues and provide some insight into the last years of her life.
Upper right Paige’s only full sibling , Connie Smashey.Michael Butler, producer of Hair and new resident of Santa Barbara 1973.Bill Cosby’s name and Brentwood home address and Fran.Hugh OBrian, the actor, was a frequent guest at the Hefner mansion during the early years, when Paige was alive. She attended the mansion at least occasionally Per Melanie.Note where it says:Leixlip, as in Leixlip Castle, Desmond Guinness’ home in Ireland, County Kildare. Also as “Irish Consulate.” (I’m having no luck at all with the 4 lower names: Nancy Gouldsion?? Ann Katz, Donna Taurenson, Mariann Coleman?)Paige with Hon. Desmond Guinness1973 at Santa Barbara reception. Please see related chapter. Paige was with Desmond in Los Angeles within 2 weeks of her suicide. Both Desmond and his brother Jonathan were in Paige’s phone book upon her death. Jonathan is the older of the two and outlived his younger brother. Jonathan is a well-known author and alive as of November 2025. Top of list see Gretchen Foster. I learned that Foster is a niece of Loretta Young. Her mother was Loretta’s sister, actress Sally Blane.
Paige’s neighbor B.J. Royale, Hermann and Gretchen Foster were cousins.
B.J. or Betty Jane Hermann, was the daughter of Loretta’s sister Polly Ann Young.
Golden Age of Hollywood actress Loretta Young. She was signed with different studios. Aunt to Paige’s friend and neighbor Betty Jane or BJ Royale. Later Hermann.
Melanie told me she met and knew Gretchen Foster due to knowing B.J.
Melanie had no idea that Paige had also known Gretchen.
Paige and BJ were fairly good friends, according to Melanie, so this must be the connection.
BJ Royale died a few years ago. She did not speak with the directors of Secrets of Playboy. I know they reached out to her.
Melanie said she got the impression that B.J. had zero interest in talking about Paige, and one reason may be that she “married and moved to Bakersfield where she was in high society.”
According to Melanie, Paige “willed a beautiful large pastel-colored painting, of horses,” to B.J. . But that Mrs. Hermann never wanted to talk about Paige.
Betty June was contacted by Secrets ofPlayboy. B.J. told them “I wasn’t there the weekend of the suicide.” And begged out of speaking on camera.
(I was told this by a researcher on the series. Too bad, because there was so much to ask Betty June besides the suicide weekend.)
This lady took whatever she knew, or remembered to her grave. Melanie and B. J. and Paige attended were at a Playboy mansion party together where they although Paige went separately.
Betty Jane Royale doing the starlet routine, Van Nuys News March 7,1968
Her name was in a few gossip columns of the day, one of them as being a member of an exclusive club: TheDaisy
Joni-(Hefner)
4th name from bottom Joni (Hefner). This shows that Paige was in touch with the Playboy world. And that she had to go through Joni to contact Hef.
She is Hugh Hefner’s longtime assistant and personal secretary from the Chicago mansion days.
In my opinion, Joni Mattis took actions to “cover up” Paige’s suicide and scene and notes and letters left at her home, only a 10-minute car drive from the Playboy Mansion.
Perhaps Joni initiated the cover up by anticipating what Hef would want.
Another scenario is Joni contacted Hef and he told her what to do.
Joni and Hef at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles. People magazine Dec. 1974. Remember this is early on in Hugh Hefner’s permanent residency in California. This move from Chicago was solidified the very next month after this publication date of Dec. 1974. Bobbie Arnstein committed suicide in Chicago, January of 1975. Joni Mattis was from Chicago and a Playmate in 1960 and Hef’s lover for a short while. I’m not sure of the relationship between Joni and Bobbie. Apparently Hef broke Joni’s heart. I will paraphrase an often quoted sentence of Hugh Hefner’s “I was involved I with 10 out of the 12 Playmates in the early days”. Joni worked for Hugh Hefner most of her life. I know he hired her when she was a struggling single young mother who left an abusive relationship. She passed away of cancer at the age of 60 in Los Angeles.
I can’t find out if Hefner was in the LA mansion on the dates of Paige’s suicide or in the Chicago mansion or somewhere else. Articles and Hollywood columns and Melanie’s story suggest he was present in the months leading up to Paige Young’s suicide and gave several parties. This was clear from items published in newspapers.
Joni and Hef/Playboy took actions. Their goal was to prevent the sensational news of Paige Young’s suicide from going anywhere near the press.
This action would have required cooperation from LAPD. Please see chapter of LAPD report and death certificate.
Melanie in Daily Mail-“police read some of the note to me… most vitriol for Hugh Hefner and John Huston.”
Paige’s painting given to Melanie, by Donna, Paige’s mother, and Connie, her sister. BJ Royale was gifted with a large painting of horses in pastel colors said Melanie. BJ’s married name was Betty Hermann. She died in 2023.
Melanie told me that that Paige’s mother (Donna) and sister (Constance) came the next day to pack up her belongings including paintings. “Connie” appears on Melanie’s list of phone numbers, identified as Paige’s sister. Melanie did not remember their names.
One year and one day after Paige Young’s suicide. The Chicago Playboy Mansion was sold or close to it, at this point. Bobbie Arnstein had died of suicide in January of 1975. From what I understand, this convinced Hugh Hefner to cut ties with his Chicago residency and move permanently to Los Angeles. The Playboy corporate headquarters remained in Chicago until 2012. Hefner’s ” constant companion” and mansion finder and partial decorator Barbi Benton, parted sometime in 1976. Hef then started a relationship in 1977 with his next #1 girlfriend:19-year-old Sondra Theodore from San Bernardino.
TheProximityFactor
Paige lived in Westwood, a 10 minute car drive to Holmby Hills. The local police had a friendly relationship with Hefner and the mansion employees.
Many former LAPD officers became Mansion security according to Secrets of Playboy. (PJ Masten) I believe Masten dated one of them at one time.
Hefner received reports on a regular basis from employees. They informed him about goings on at the mansion. This included employees and visitors, said PJ Masten.
The LAPD certainly knew who the hell Hugh Hefner was when they were greeted by Paige’s mural at her suicide scene 2 miles from the Playboy mansion.
As I continue to read about the history of the LAPD, I realize their Mythic status is based on historic facts. It has been a corrupt institution from the beginning. This fact is well expressed in the movie L.A. Confidential.
So really, it is not surprising that information unflattering to Hugh Hefner could be buried and made up to be like it just didn’t happen.
I am not in any way saying Hugh Hefner is directly responsible for Paige Young’s suicide.
But it is about the image.
Particularly at this date.
Bobbie Arnstein was arrested in Chicago, only 9 days before Paige’s suicide, on highly exaggerated cocaine charges.
Joni and Hef could have sincerely believed that by burying Paige’s story they were helping Bobbie and Hef from unjust prosecution. ( And persecution.)
There was more motivation than usual to justify hiding, burying and lying about Paige’s suicide (and everything she left behind incriminating Hugh Hefner, his friends and other men.)
PJ Masten in Secrets of Playboy talked about “an awareness that negative press was to be avoided.”
Jennifer Saginor,Secrets of Playboy and author of the book Playground said on a podcast Power,“Hef was always image conscious.” Hefner had the power to have Saginor’s book tour interviews suddenly canceled as she has recounted.
Jim Ellis, a former body guard for Hefner, early 1980s, said in Secrets of Playboy, his “job wasnot only protecting his clients physical being, but also their reputation.”
I believe that there was an opportunity for Playboy to shut this whole Paige Young thing down.
And the opportunity was quickly grabbed.
Hugh Hefner and Joni felt relieved I imagine.
Why does Paige Young’s entry in the Playmate Book, say “drug overdose” ?If they knowingly made that up, why that manner of death was chosen is beyond me.
END
Bill Cosby’s entry in Paige’s phone book. Included is his Brentwood home address and an assistant Fran. I understand that he owned and lived in a house in the PacificPalisades during this era. Cosby had purchased properties in Santa Monica through the years. He sold off many of them after the rape scandal ended his career. Michael Brandon, too many. Cindy Manay brings nothing.
Melanie’s original copy of her list from Paige’s phone book. The coroner allowed her to write down some names from the book. She then had to give it back to him. “I wouldn’t have done that now,” said Melanie. Looking at the list, so far have not found anything on Larry Fisher.
Steve Moress, listed below Joni-Hefner, opened a museum and shop of acrylic arts in 1974 at 2360 S. Robertson Blvd. It was open for several decades selling to interior decorators, but is now closed. I called several numbers for a “Stephen Moress” but none of them were working numbers. He’s about 80 years old now.
The following screenshots are from a real estate website. They show the interior of Paige’s carriage house/apartment over a garage in Westwood. It is located down the street from the Mormon Temple. The apartment was built over a garage in 1940. It is where Paige lived the last years of her life. She committed suicide there. Among her belongings was a suicide note mentioning names she said were complicit in her downfall. There was also a will. A mural proclaimed “Hugh Hefner is the devil.” Her belongings included many of her paintings. A few unfinished. All her personal belongings.
These real estate photos are all the world has left of this particular place of what is “old Los Angeles.”
In this case, a carriage house over a garage. It was built in 1940 by Kathryn Eddy, who appeared in walk-on parts in silent movies.
Front door open. Coat Closet. Original Hardwood floors.
Unless there are photographs lying in some attic or in a landfill placed decades ago?
Front door at top of stairs, looks to backyard and front duplex. The front duplex is pink and faces Eastborne Ave.Kitchen windows facing alley and buildings and wires.
All original built-ins, since gutted. Paige had a large black refrigerator a man bought for her and called it a “coffin,” said Melanie. This visit reminded me of another LA trip.
The place Paige was born as Diana Lee Cotterell is 1933 Griffith Park Blvd. It was originally a Christian Science Maternity center. The building was being torn down on the day I was visited. (See related chapter)
Front of house Living RoomPaige’s bedroom? facing the alley.
The builts-in of the 800 sq. foot apartment were being ripped out the day I visited; the place was being completely renovated.
Backyard facing Paige’s front door. If you were standing there, Melanie and BJ’s duplex would be on your right.Facing Paige’s house from the shared backyard. Front door faces the backyard and her back windows face an alley. This is where she hosted an “all-female tea party” with singer-actress Michelle Phillips and Hollywood social butterfly Samson DeBrier.
Notice Michael Butler at the top of the list here. I can’t find anything, so far on Larry Becker, Mandy, Jennifer Parkwater? Michael Brandon, too many. Cindy-Manay, nada, Samson?? Pat Cox, too many. Bill Cosby of course. UPDATE* I found Samson and it is the infamous LA character SAMSON DE BRIER.* PLEASE SEE RELATED CHAPTER
The next section provides information on the Michael Butler entry found in Paige’s phone book. . Top right below sister Connie Smashey’s contact information.
I am confident he is the same Michael Butler most famous as the millionaire producer of Hair: the famous “Tribal Love Rock” musical.
Butler brought Hair to Broadway where it was a smash hit.
Dubbed by the media as a “hippie-millionaire”
A detailed description of Michael Butler and his upper crust background in the article below by Eugenia Sheppard. It appeared in newspapers across the country in 1968, the year Hair opened.Also the year Paige Young was a Vietnam–eraPlayboy Playmate.
Butler was from Oak Brook, Ill. His family traveled and lived all over the world. (Hugh Hefner and Playboy were also born and based in the Chicago area.) Butler already owned a home above the Sunset Strip in LA. At some point he bought a lavish spread in Santa Barbara. Productions of Hair were opening all over the globe in 1968 and 69 and beyond.
Michael Butler in Look magazine article.
LOOK magazine 1969. Mentions his rented property behind the Sunset Strip.
Mary Blumewrote an eye-opening article about Butler in the LAT. Oct. 11, 1970.
Three marriages so far and a production company in LA “Natoma” And an avid polo player.
Page 1
Location of the Aquarius Theatre on the Sunset Strip. Hair played there for several years in the late 1960s. 6230 Sunset Blvd. It quickly became a landmark, and had already been a famous landmark, the Earl Carroll Theatre in the 1940s. It’s been several incarnations over the decades. The building was repainted this look for the filming of Once Upon A Time in Hollywood.
Page #3 of the LAT article. Butler was and avid polo player and played the sport with the wealthy elite around the world. Including Santa Barbara County as seen in the next articles.
Remember Suzy from the Desmond Guinness/Paige chapter?
Connection to Santa Barbara where Paige spent a weekend with Desmond Guinness in 1973. Suzy’s mention of Butler’s party in Santa Barbara. The guests included jet-setting IT couple Mick Jagger and his wife Bianca. This event took place on March 20, 1972. Paige was photographed with Desmond Guinness in Santa Barbara high society in September of 1973. (See corresponding chapters) Michael Butler hung out with these same crowds in these same places. Both men are listed in Paige’s phone book.
Suzy column: 6 year long divorce proceeding involving one child, Adam. Michael’s father Paul is teaching his grandson the sport of polo.
Michael Butler withnew girlfriend. San Fran Examiner June 25, 1971
Last I checked, this Butler website was being maintained well. You can see the entry about his good friend Celeste Huston.
Michael Butler counts Celeste Shane Huston as a great friend according to his website, link below. Like Paige Young and John Huston and Celeste, there was the “horse connection.” It appears Michael Butler lived a long and fulfilling life full of adventure and artistic creation. I’ve read that he was comfortable as an “out” bi-sexual for most of his life. What I found from this 1960s and 1970’s era, was that he was quite the “Ladies (only) Man.” This can be seen in the articles I’ve posted.
A Geo. Roberts upper left has 3 different phone numbers: London, “Club” and LA. Could this be a Playboy executive? It is a possibility. The Playboy Club moved from the classic 1960s Sunset Strip location and relocated to the new ABC Entertainment Center, set in new, modern, latest Century City. At some point in the 1970s, the Playboy Clubs were starting to seem passe. I’m not sure exactly when. By 1974, the “pubic wars” were played out by the media. Penthouse magazine won by outselling Playboy magazine. On the stand or subscription, I don’t know but Playboy’s profits started to slide probably around this time.
Celeste Shane Huston and Paige Young had 5 people in common: John Huston, Bill Gardner, Samson DeBrier, David Shane and Michael Butler.
Nothing comes up for Gus Prall at the top left.
Note below that David Shane is listed right below a Geo. Roberts on the left hand column, an X through it.
Shane is an important character from several other chapters. He was a man with a large 1970s mustache like Michael Butler, business owner set up by his successful Beverly Hills rental car owner father, and the brother of Cici Shane (Mrs.John) Huston.
Shane was a visitor to the LA Mansion and possible holder or keeper, and partner in Paige’s “sex tape.”
See chapters with Shane in the title, and Secrets of Playboy, episode 8.
LAT Nov. 1, 1973. I thinkthe CC Playboy Club opened earlier in the fall. Paigelived about a 3 minute drive from Century City. There is no record of Paige as a Bunny at either club in Los Angeles. Richard Sample says she did some kind work at the Playboy Club on the Sunset Strip in the mid-1960s. but he never saw her in the Bunny costume. Paige lived close to Century City and the Playboy mansion was close by as well.
LAT April 5, 1972. Paige had exactly 2 years and 2 days left in her life when this theater opened. It was a 3 minute car ride from her house in Westwood. Charity performance of Cabaret was performed at the opening. It has since been demolished. *Notice the advert below for the Classic Cat. They too, presentCabaret to an audience. (June 1973)
Van Nuys News June 15, 1973. This is a classic.
Playboy Club Move announcement, and for the Classic Cat Performance of Cabaret and A mexican restaurant actually named speedy Gonzales.
END
Marty Tregman is a long time realtor in Santa Monica, he doesn’t remember Paige. Jon VonNewman…. came up with nothing. BrianWilson is a common name so I can’t say this with the genius writer of the Beach Boys music group.
And right below Brian Wilson,
I was intrigued with the entry “Feminist Women’s Health Center 746 Crenshaw”
And I found many articles in the newspaper archives.
Turns out this Health care center played an important, but under recognized role in the 2nd Wave Feminist movement.
There were many services that Paige might have used at the “Feminist Women’s Health Center 746 Crenshaw”(FWHC)
You will see evidence of this through newspaper articles written at the time, both local and national.
This FWHC was one of, if not the first, women’s self-help health centers in the nation.
A brief context of the times is important and mostly forgotten.
“The Women’s Lib Movement” was in the mainstream news and discussions at home and parodied on TV shows.
I can remember this when I was in 6th grade.
South Gate Press Dec. 6, 1972
South Pasadena Journal Apr. 7, 1971
Feminism/ Women’s Liberation was more active in the early 1970s.
More so, than the 1960s.
I say this despite the publication of The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan in 1963. The movement flourished in a main-stream way in the early 1970s.
Cover of Life Magazine. August 1971
Let’s review some history to show you what I mean:
1972:The Equal Rights Amendment was reintroduced. 22 states, quickly ratified. This same year Title 9 was made a law.
Domestic violencesafe houses, rape crisiscenters, help lines and self-defense classes for women proliferated in the 1970s.
There were Media reports and editorials about equal pay for equal work and sexual harassment in the workplace.
There were reports about limited job opportunity and gender discrimination in housing and credit. Another topic was the implementation of subsidized childcare and wages for housework.
1973: The Roe V.Wade case. A woman’s right to an abortion become national law in January of 1973.
One exception was California:
Abortion was legalized in California in 1967 with the passage of the TherapeuticAbortion Act. This law allowed abortions in cases of rape, incest, or when the mother’s physical or mental health was in danger. In 1969, the California Supreme Court further ruled that women had a constitutional right to privacy, which included the right to an abortion. This was before the nationwide legalization of abortion in 1973 with the Roe v. Wade decision. credit Google AI
<<<<<<<Article by Linda Zink in Long Beach, explains what the Feminist Women’s Health Care Center was about. Excerpts from this article are throughout this section.
1974 – Housing discrimination on the basis of sex and credit discrimination against women is outlawed by Congress.
1975: An influential book about sexual violence and rape, “Against Our Will” by Susan Brownmiller was published.
In this environment many women were exhausted yet fed up with their treatment by almost always male doctors.
OB/Gyns were considered the experts and authorities on female bodies. This caused anger and resentment by women of all ages.
They turned the anger into public activism.
The health and reproductive branch of “Women’s Liberation” is symbolized by the worldwide success of the book “Our Bodies, Ourselves.” The book’s influence is significant. The book was published in 1970 and is now on its’ 9th edition.
You or someone you know probably own a copy. Or seen it somewhere. It’s probably been banned somewhere.
Our Bodies, Ourselves originally sprang from feminist “consciousness-raising” courses held in Boston in the late 1960s. Group members gave presentations about topics considered taboo at the time, like masturbation, postpartum struggles, and birth control — which was then illegal for unmarried women in Massachusetts. NPR website 4-8-2018
2 women who became activists lived in Los Angeles and Orange County were mothers:
Oakland Tribune Fri. Oct. 27, 1972
Carol Downer and Lorraine Rothman. Together, they started the Los Angeles Feminist W0men’s Health Clinic. They taught classes to women on how to be the expert on their own reproductive health. This includes fertility control with the method called “menstrual extraction”
August 25th 1972 Long Beach Newspaper.
Quote below from Los Angeles Conservancy, an historic architecture preservation society.
It is from their website as part of their nomination for historic status of the FWHC building at 1027 Crenshaw.
“Women’s Self-Help One clinic was the first in the nation and consequently placed the Crenshaw Women’s Center at the genesis point of the women’s self-help movement. Founded by Carol Downer and Lorraine Rothman, the clinic became a model for the national movement. In 1972, the Center was raided by police. Ms. Downer had applied yogurt as a cure for a yeast infection and was arrested for practicing medicine without a license. She was acquitted and the platform and publicity of The Great Yogurt Conspiracy raised the consciousness of the nation and helped make woman’s clinics a national movement.”
Historic status was denied.
The raid happened at 1027 Crenshaw Now I am not so sure. Press articles give the address as 746 Crenshaw as seen below. I am now thinking both locations were raided.
LAT Oct. 3, 1972. Refers to a Sept. 20th raid. Colleen Wilson and Carol Downer arrested for a bogus charge.
Article about Feminist Women’s Healthcare Center By Linda Zink. Talks about move to 746 Crenshaw.
The Women’s Center opened at 1027S. Crenshaw. LAT Jan. 9, 1970
Many classes and lectures were taught at this location.
This location was nominated for historic status.
Screen shot from Summer of 2024 of 1026 Crenshaw.
The Great Yogurt Conspiracy received wide press coverage due to its’ humorous title and the absurdity of the charges. This article explains more what it is:
Colleen Wilson arrested the night of the raid and is quoted extensively in the Zink article. This article says both locations were raided, 4th paragraph. The 2 places had a different name.
“Carol Downer revolutionized the women’s health movement, learning how to perform abortions and vaginal self-examinations, and teaching other women how to, as well.From the website Feminist Current, an interview with Carol Downer conducted about 3 years ago.
Last column in Zink article. 5/13/73 Mentions support from Gloria Steinem and others for the Great Yogurt Conspiracy, and happiness after the acquittal:
The “yogurt conspiracy,” arrest and acquittal caught the attention of cultural icons like Gloria Steinem, Bella Abzug and Dr. Benjamin Spock, bringing national attention tothe LA activists.
Dec. 7th Palo Alto Peninsula Times Tribune. Undercover agents taking a FWHC class, were the ones who witnessed yogurt application on the “woman’s infection” by Carol Downer. This raid must have taken place at 746 Crenshaw where the how-to classes took place. This patient in question later became a well-known Pagan author and the founder of Dianic Wicca: Z. Budapest.
San Francisco Chronicle 1972
The Argus, Dec. 7, 1973(and above) Roe V. Wade had been legal for one year when this was written. The motivation for women to want menstrual extraction varies. California had already eased restrictions on abortion before R. V. W.
“Lorraine Rothman was a founding member of the feminist centered Self-Help Clinic movement and a major mover of many successful behind-the-scenes projects. With Carol Downer, she worked on the concept of menstrual extraction as a viable women’s home health care technique; and, in 1971, she invented the Del-Em menstrual extraction kit, which was patented n 1974……… Rothman’s collaborative relationship with Downer and the self-help clinic movement began when she attended an April 7, 1971 meeting organized by Downer to discuss women’s reproductive rights and abortion. At the second meeting, one week later, Rothman shared her idea of a safe home health care tool, demonstrating the prototype of the Del-Em menstrual extraction kit. Shortly afterwards, Downer and Rothman founded the Feminist Women’s Health Center (FWHC) in Los Angeles; Rothman went on to open a second FWHC in Orange County, closer to her home and family. Over the next two decades, Rothman traveled widely, taking the Self-Help Clinic concept to women’s groups both in and outside the US....”Archived interview subject description at CSU Long Beach.
LAT obituaryOct. 3, 2007 for Lorraine Rothman
746 Crenshaw, the address Paige had in her phone book, location was demolished in the 1980s and replaced with this monstrosity.
The location of the FWHC that remained,1027 Crenshaw and was nominated for historic status of the Women’s Movement in LA. This is a Google maps shot in 2024.
Carol Downer continues to lives in Eagle Rock and has been working in disability and immigration law for many years. She has lived a life of activism in women’s reproductive rights and the international peace movement.
She believes that women should not depend on the current legal status of a woman’s right to an abortion. .
Downer still advocates for women to learn the self-care or self-help method of abortion. She wrote a book on the topic in the 1990s.
For more details, see the Carol Downer entry in the Embryo ProjectEncyclopedia.
The Californian (Salinas) Dec. 14, 1992
END
I was able to contact one name on Paige’s phone list, who turned out to have been close with her for several years. She wishes to remain anonymous so I will refer to her as “Veronica.”
Veronica told me she heard Paige’s death announced on the car radio as she was driving. What she heard caused her to pull over, too shocked to continue driving. She tried later to call the radio station but couldn’t get through.
Veronica met Paige at the Malibu beach home she shared with husband Frank. Paige had been brought to the home by Joe Rank, an art lover collector, he worked in radio and lived nearby. Veronica never saw them together again. Paige and Joe remained friends. She thinks Joe possibly knew about Paige’s background and family. By the end of the 1970s Rank was the founder of a very successful clothing company. (More details at the end.) Veronica said that Joe Rank knew Paige quite well and I should contact him. I have tried, unfortunately, with no luck. He would be in his 80s or 90s now. The only place Joe or Joseph Rank turns up in newspaper archives is as a Spanish language radio station owner. And this is probably the same Joe Rank who knew Paige Young; Veronica said he was in radio at the time he brought Paige to the house. Veronica said it was during Paige’s “Playboy days,” The two women stayed in touch until the end of Paige’s life.
Veronica said Paige told her that Bill Cosby was an “art patron.” He was helping her to stay in her Topanga Canyon cabin home and art studio. Veronica thought it was “nice of Bill Cosby to help her out.” She thought nothing sinister about it. Paige did not say anything sinister about Bill or the arrangement.
Veronica concurred with others I have interviewed, that Paige often walked around topless or nude. She remembers Paige being naked or topless and playing in volleyball games. The “the beach boys” who hung around “were very pleased.” Veronica thought it might be explained by Paige’s personality which could be described as “high and low” or “hi-lo.” Veronica told me about an occasion that Paige used LSD and experienced a “bad trip.” Veronica stayed with Paige and helped her through the ordeal. Veronica was motherly to many of the young people who showed up at her home even though she was still young herself, in her 30s and had a husband and two young daughters. Her husband Frank enjoyed “collecting people,” wrote Veronica. And many young people would hang around their beach house socializing and playing games.
Paige’s painting of friend Veronica and her two young daughters. 1971. Paige gifted itto Veronica before she left Topanga Canyon and moved to Westwood due to a “rooster that woke her up at 5:am. She couldn’t take that anymore.” (Paige may have put in a 3 month stint in a room in a house Trancas Beach, across from Trancas Market.) I’m grateful to Veronica for her permission to use this image.
Veronica remembers buying groceries for Paige, at a store located at the bottom of “Fernwood & Topanga Canyon Dr.”
And the Safeway on Sunset & PCH, later Vons.
This happened about once a month for quite a while. The “2 friends would chit chat and catch up on news.” Paige never wanted more food than she could physically carry.
This was before her move to Westwood. After that Veronica didn’t see Paige as much but they talked often on the phone.
She remembers just vaguely that Paige mentioned her about her own art studio in Venice Beach, a block away from the beach. (See 2 chapters: Venice Beach, Richard Sample.)
(Dennis Hopper has a connection to Paige as he knew the artists that Paige knew, Larry Bell and in the same building: DeWain Valentine.Robert Irwin lived across the street at this time in Venice. Veronica remembers Hopper at events around town)
Paige sometimes expressed her suicide ideation in phone conversations with Veronica.
She did not discuss Hugh Hefner or John Huston, David Shane, Desmond Guinness or a”sex tape.”(See related chapters)
Several times Paige needed a ride to visit her sister, but Veronica never met the sister: Constance/Connie.
The last time the friends had a phone conversation, Veronica noted an “echoey sound in the background, sounded like Paige was in a bathroom.” Veronica tried to lighten the mood by asking her about the echoey sound and said,”Paige are you already in heaven?” Paige laughed and they hung up the phone with Veronica feeling Paige was in a better space.
Paige one time had checked herself into the UCLA Psych Center but was released in a just a few days.
Once Paige told Veronica “she said she had cured all the patients at the ward.”
Veronica said she never believed that Paige would actually go through with suicide.
Separately, Melanie told me about one time driving Paige to the UCLA Psych Ward. She remembers Paige “returning from the ward with a very strange man who worked at the hospital.”
He lunged at Melanie, Paige suddenly appeared with a gun and he bolted. Without pants on she said and added “it was the same gun she used on herself.”
Paige probably took advantage of the 51/50 law, which began in California in 1967.
“In California we have a law (5150) that the police (or yourself if you may harm yourself) can commit you for 3 days to a hospital for psych care. If you are pronounced no longer liable to harm yourself or others or decide you want to leave voluntarily you can after three days.”
Veronica does remember Paige’s expressing she did not have enough money for paint.
She told her to just wait a few days and would help her out with that.
Paige was dead before that happened.
Lack of money was a recurring problem for Paige.
She did not know Paige to own a car, says Veronica.
Paige did not talk of her past or any future plans. She seemed to always exist and speak in the present moment.
Melanie said does not remember Paige owning a car.
I personally think Paige sold her yellow Mustang seen by Sample in Malibu 64-67. Also seen by her cousin Christian/Chris in Sherman Oaks in 1964 as described to me. Paige made Chris a cup of coffee during his visit to her apartment. She told him about her divorce from Mark F. Segal.
Paige did not mention the violence and threats I viewed in her divorce papers. I told Chris about and he said “Oh, she would not have put up with that.”
No one I’ve communicated with who knew Paige say they can remember a time when she talked about her childhood. She never mentioned her family or her background. Veronica says Joe Rank may have known something of Paige’s family members.
Chris said he and his mother were contacted by Connie Smashey, Paige’s sister, to tell them the bad news of Paige’s suicide. Chris told me that Connie had a seemingly indifferent attitude about Paige’s death and he got the impression of “good riddance.” Chris said this made he and his mother sick to their stomach and angry and they did not stay in touch with Connie.
Aca Joe History
“Joe Rank, a Los Angeles broadcasting executive who had managed KMEX-TV, the Spanish language TV station in Los Angeles, moved to Mexico in 1973 to establish a printed tee shirt business on the beach resorts which were booming with international tourism. By 1978, Rank had shops in 75 stores in Acapulco, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán, and Mexico City, plus tee shirt shops in 15 of the popular Carlos n’ Charlie’s bars and restaurants throughout Mexico.
In 1983, the name was changed to Aca Joe and product distribution was limited only to Aca Joe owned or franchised stores. The line was expanded to include pants, jackets, sweaters, and more than just tee shirts. After changing to this more exclusive distribution of the product, the stores were swamped with customers. Lines were formed in front of the stores with people waiting to get in at all hours of the day.
The success of Aca Joe did not go without notice by international investors, and soon a deal was made with American partners for the expansion of Aca Joe outside of Mexico. William Meyer became Rank’s partner in Aca Joe International and the first stores in the U.S. were opened in the Bay Area of San Francisco, with shops in Union Square, Sausalito, and the Stanford Shopping Center.
The U.S. shops were very successful, and to provide financing for expansion, the new U.S. company filed for listing on the NASDAQ stock exchange. Prospects for the future of the stores were bright, and in 1985 Aca Joe International was the fastest rising stock on NASDAQ” From the ACA Joe website.
San Francisco Examiner Apr. 3, 1988 Joe Rank had some professional problems in the 1980s. He collaborated ACA Joe with William A. Meyer, a businessman who had a big success with Swensen’s ice cream in the 1970s . The two had a serious falling out and Joe Rank left his company. There is little or nothing about him after that in my newspaper archives.
Joe left LA and had moved to Mexico in 1973, before Paige killed herself.
Below are some photos of Paige’s over-a-garage apartment and where she stage her death.
Away from the backyard and duplex.
I’m looking up from the alley. This window faces the building next door. There is a bit of yard between trees house and fence, I did not see that part. It’s where Paige kept the Akitas she wanted to breed and Melanie complained about them barking. LAPD reports talks about a man named DeWitt to whom Paige wrote instructions to take her dogs. (See chapter on death certificate.) Veronica thinks Paige was going to try and make money from breeding the Akitas.
These windows face the alley. Garage had storage in it but no cars says Melanie. The window on far left is likely Paige’s bedroom.
Paige Young appears in the 1972 edition of Gowland’s Guideto Glamour PhotographY, Cover Below.
The photos were obviously taken during the Ridgid Calendar shoot, 4 years earlier.
This is the only time (left) I’ve seen Paige Young in a Peter Gowland photography instruction book, I have seen most. Peter’s wife Alice wrote the copy of the photography instruction books, including technical parts like camera settings and lighting tricks. She assisted her husband during the photo shoots and acted as hair, costume and makeup artist for the models. Alice was also the accountant and business manager. Peter was the artist, inventor, technical whiz and builder . Peter Gowland is well-known to a niche audience.
The B&W photo from Gowland’s Guide to Glamour, is from the same photo session as the color one, used in the 69/70 Ridgid Tool calendar. So Paige wouldn’t be paid of course, for the ’72 appearance in the newly published book.
1971
Around this time, Paige moved into a carriage house in Westwood. It is still standing near UCLA and the Playboy Mansion.
Taken Oct. 2022. Paige’s carriage house where she lived for a few years and ended her life in 1974. During my visit in 2022, construction workers were inside the apartment. They were gutting the interior and ripping out original built-ins of 1941. They ordered me to leave.
From Zillow about 10 years ago.
1972/73 cont…
According to the Daily Mail report of 2014, Paige complains to neighbor Melanie, about famed film director John Huston.
“She (Paige) said she had an affair with John Huston, and that he had done things to her, abused her. I remember one incident in which John hid her shoes to make her think she had gone crazy. It was a small thing, but she was really bothered by it.”
Daily Mail Dec. 2014
In case you don’t know, John Huston directed several classic movies including The Maltese Falcon, Key Largo, The Asphalt Jungle, Treasure of the Sierra Madre, African Queen, The Man Who Would Be King, The Misfits, Prizzi’s Honor, to mention only a few.
Despite his fame, few know that John Huston’s oeuvre as a director, actor, writer and narrator is vast.
“I know she dated Huston for a while and had just gotten back from a trip to Ireland with him.”
The “trip to Ireland” Melanie mentions, happened during the time that John Huston was married to Celeste Shane Huston.
Background
John Huston did live in ireland on an estate named St. Clerans, near Galway.
He lived there as often as possible from 1953 to 1975, when he wasn’t traveling around the world directing films.
Huston’s 4th wife Ricki Soma, located the estate and The couple moved in with their two young children, Anjelica and Tony.
Huston’s daughter, Oscar winning actress and director Anjelica, lived at St. Clerans as a child. She wrote about coming of age in Ireland as essentially Irish in culture, with two American parents.
Huston identified with being an Irishman and even became a citizen January of 1964.
The Daily Telegraph Jan. 04, 1964
He had long been disgusted with the investigations by the House on Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) during what is known as the “Communist witch hunts” era. Begining in 1947 and continuing throughout the 1950s.
From my source biography: Courage and Art by Jefferey Meyers.
Memoir about St.Clerans childhood.
Ricki Soma in the 1960s. A native New Yorker, she was a ballet dancer, Life Magazine cover model, budding starlet. Much more about Ricki at the end of this chapter.
Anjelica Huston’s memoir, describes her famous father and her relationship with him and his larger than life personality.
And her beautiful and artistic mother whose life ended tragically young.
San Francisco Examiner Aug. 25, 1972. Albert Morch, society columnist. Shane was the fifth wife of Huston. She had been married twice before.
A little background on Celeste Shane Huston.
John Huston marries Celeste Shane in 1972.
“Cici” grew up in a wealthy Beverly Hills family with three brothers. Her father owned a successful car leasing companies and rented out his yacht to celebrities like Frank Sinatra. (See chapter: The Shanes of Beverly Hills for more details.)
There are many stories about step-mother Cici in Anjelica Huston’s 2nd memoir Watch Me.
(Basically they got along.)
This was Huston’s 5th marriage and “CiCi’s” 2nd.
LAT Oct. 31, 1963Celeste Shane testifies on behalf of her good friend, starlet Jill St. John. St Johnis divorcing who she says, is an abusive husband. The husband was Lance Reventlow, completely forgotten today, quite famous in the 1950s. He was the only son of Barbara Hutton,Woolworth heiress.Hutton and ex-husband, a count, fought a bitter custody battle over Lance.Reventlow would die in a tragic air accident in Aspen Colorado in 1972. CiCi and Jill remain friends to this day.
LAT June 22, 1958 Before John Huston and Wally Green, Celeste had a short lived marriage to GeneShacove. Shacove was a prominent Hollywood hair stylist. He was an inspiration for the character of George in Shampoo, the classic Warren Beatty 1970s movie. I’ve also read Jay Sebring
The chapter “The Shanes of Beverly Hills” has more information about Celeste Shane Huston. It also explores her brother David Shane, a key player in Paige’s story.
How could James Bacon make such a glaring error. It was the 5th “time at the post for the colorful director,” Not the 3rd! Described is the wedding reception for CeCe (also seen as CiCi) and John Huston at her parents’ home, the Myron Shanes, in Beverly Hills. Note the reference to a “mutual love of horses.” Did Paige attend the wedding and reception?
After a Sexully-charged Courtship And honeymoon phase, John and CiCi’s marriage became strained in Ireland. 1972 continued.
Cici spent time living (visiting really) St. Clerans at the beginning of her short marriage to Huston.
She brought along her son Collin and his caregiver Maricela, who also acted as Cici’s “maid.”
Dad Wally Green also visited his son at the Irish estate during this time span.
Cici was as out of place at St. Clerans as anyone could possibly be,” said John Huston remembering those days.
John and Celeste. Paige was an acquaintance of the couple along with Bill Gardner.
When Cici was asked she said “I wasn’t prepared for the eleven servants, the mistresses, Betty O’Kelly, Gladys.”
Ending Credits to Gladys Hill on the John Huston film Fat City1972. Location filming in Stockton, California. Star Stacy Keach on street.
Gladys Hill was an assistant on several Huston films, a co-writer on some, including Reflections in a Golden Eye.
Hill acted in 3 Huston films, the most famous being Night of the Iguana.
Cici said of Gladys, “ I loved Gladys and hated her at the same time. She had too many people inside her. One day she’d get drunk and tell me everything and the next day she’d be awful..”
Betty O’Kelly was a close family friend and manager of the St. Clerans estate.
Tony Huston referred to her as “Dad’s hot water bottle.”
Cici said of Betty:“Betty O’Kelly was a terrible woman. She looked like an old leather shoe, a prune face, hard, nasty piece of work. But she was very loyal to John; she was in love with him.”
Both Betty and Gladys were completely devoted to John Huston for decades. They supported him in the running of his life.
Cici said while at St. Clerans, she observed several of the employees’ behavior and took a peek at the financial books. She concluded many were taking advantage of Huston by overcharging him.
….”she was horrified by the seething sexual history of the estate and the rampant theft by the Irish staff…” from Huston biography Courage and Art by Jeffrey Myers.
Huston had often been absent over the years, busy directing films all over the globe. Money matters did not interest him.
He had a lax attitude about what his employees and assistants were doing with his money.
Cici wanted most of the staff fired but Huston refused.
Of the horse’s caretaker Cici said, “I caught him with quadruple charges for horseshoeing. I know about horses. He couldn’t screw me around.”
CiCi encouraged Huston to sell St. Clerans to help cut down on his expenses.
This all created a lot of tension.
ZOE SALLIS
Another drama at St. Clerans was Cici’s anger about the visit of her husband’s young ex-and sometimes current mistress, ZoeSallis.
Zoe Sallis as Hagar in the Huston film The Bible: In the Beginning, released in 1966. Zoe and John had an affair in the early 1960s which produced (actor) Danny Huston in May of 1962. Danny visited his father often but never actuallylived with him while growing up. One of the bios. I read states that this afforded John Huston the ability to shower Danny with attention and affection the times they were together. More so than towards his other children.
The visit was ostensibly about bringing her young son fathered by John Huston: Danny.
Huston was still married to Ricki Soma at the time Danny was born.
Angelica Huston was about 11 years and said in her memoirs how it devastated her when she learned the news.
She quickly grew to love Danny.
Cici resented the monthly allowance (and breakfast in bed) afforded to Zoe.
From The Hustons by Lawrence Grobel. An excellent biographical source.
Zoe Sallis said that Cici forbade Huston to cast her in the movie “The Man Who Would Be King,” filmed in 1975.
The part went to Shakira Caine, whose husband was co-leading man with Sean Connery.
Michael Caine and wife Shakira are seen on the set in Morocco. >>>>>>>>>>>
Zoe felt then, and still does, that this was a major missed opportunity for her potential career as an actress. (Sallis has a youtube channel)
Her blame on Cici is understandable but misplaced.
Huston could have pushed the issue to cast Zoe. I don’t think it was worth it to him, in that moment, to upset Cici and have her around when she was in a pissy, bitchy and jealous mood.
That’s how little he cared.
By 1975 the marriage was at its’ end.
John has the women around for amusement. Zoe is back to ‘see her boy.’ Ha ha. She is here to ask “Big Daddy’ whether she should turn Jewish…THANK GOD I’m not madly in love or I would be destroyed by him as he’s done to these three I mentioned (Gladys, Betty and Zoe). Also, Eloise is another wreck of John’s, as well as the Italian countess (Valerica Alberti) and Tony’s poor mother! I can see it so clearly! He is the devil!”
It seems Eloise (another girlfriend) and you have been screwing each other for years and that you are a wonderful ‘ball.’ I am fucking bored with hearing about who you fucked and especially since you put me with all you ‘OLD’ bangs.
In a letter from CiCi to her parents from Courage and Art, Jeffrey Meyers.
According to biographer Meyers, Huston enjoyed women fighting over him. (as did Hugh Hefner)
insightful review of Courage & Art
by Todd McCarthy.
One could construct several categories for the women in Huston’s life. There were the quick conquests; as Celeste says, “John would screw anything that wasn’t nailed down.” Some of these were actresses, including Zita Johann, Mary Astor, Ava Gardner and Eiko Ando. He also had five wives: first sweetheart Dorothy Harvey, aristocratic Irish beauty Lesley Black, actress Evelyn Keyes and model/ballerina Ricki Soma (Anjelica’s mother) and then the wealthy, self-possessed Celeste. He was faithful to none of them and generally tired of them after a while, which runs contrary to his pattern with the women who make up a third category, the long-standing mistresses. With de Havilland, the refined and sophisticated Marietta FitzGerald Tree, French actress Suzanne Flon and Zoe Sallis, the mother of his son Danny, to name four of the most important of his long-term lovers, Huston conducted affairs that continued, on and off, across many years and marriages. He sired three children.
Illuminating this hitherto unexplored but obviously central aspect of Huston’s life helps Meyers round out a fuller portrait of the man than has previously been offered; he clearly conveys his subject’s allure, cruelty, intellectual thirst, game-playing, paradoxical emotional intensity and distance, callousness and egoism. Meyers does not mention it, but I always loved Orson Welles’ remark to the effect that his friend excelled at playing Mephistopheles to his own Faust. He was, indisputably, a complex figure, and Meyers catches that while also writing with evident haste.
From the Hollywood Reporter by Todd McCarthy. Nov. 2011
John and Cici left Ireland and returned to Cici’s house in the Pacific Palisades, at some point in 1973.
In this last full year of Paige Young’s life, I believe she continued her friendship with the Hustons.
John stayed on long enough in Ireland to film The Makintosh Man with Paul Newman, partly filmed in Ireland. (The duo had filmed Life andTimes of Judge Roy Bean two years earlier.)
Huston cast a young Victoria Principal in a small role in Judge Roy Bean. She posed for Playboy during this time due to some contractual obligation as part of promoting the film. As I recall the photo spread is non-explicit.
John Huston finally threw in the towel over St. Clerans when he realized he could not afford the upkeep, large staff, Danny and Zoe, Allegra and Gladys.
The St. Clerans estate was sold sometime in 1973/4. John Huston did not completely vacate it until 1977, according to Celeste Shane Huston in an online response to me.
Given what Melanie’s story says in the Daily Mail and the sale of St. Clerans, Paige’s visit must have necessarily been in 1972 or 1973.
July1975 newspaper notice.
Their divorce was finalized in 1977.
John Huston and Paige were both painters besides being horse lovers. These factors may have played a role in their “connection,” whatever it was.
Photo by Helena Lopes
Paige, John and Cici were all horse lovers and riders.
From what I’ve read in these bios, Huston had a mean-streak in his personality.
And when he unleashed the mean-streak, it was mostly aimed at the ones most likely to become upset over it.
In the Daily Mail article, Melanie tells of Huston hiding Paige’s shoes. “It really bothered her,” even though she knew “it was a little thing.”
I wrote that Cici Huston and Paige both boarded horses at Sepulveda Stables in Sherman Oaks. This I know because there was information and photos of on an alum website, no longer found.
Celeste facebook messaged me once that she was the one who introduced Paige to Sepulveda Stables. (No I do not have the emails saved, they were lost. Take my word for it or not.)
I had already learned that Paige boarded her horses at the stables located at Sepulveda Blvd. & Hatteras, in Sherman Oaks, by the time I read Cici’s message.
Paige had boarded a horse at the stables since grade school age when she was known as Diana Cotterell. (See related chapters)
“Diana Cotterell,” gave 2 school photos to the owners of the stables. These photos were published on a website about Sepulveda Stables.
Diana definitely looks grade school age in them.
“Diana’s” friend Joan Edwards (left) and Paige Young when she was still called “DianaCotterell.” I spoke with Joan Edwards who knew her only as Diana. The girls are about 7th grade in the lower photos. (by comparing it to another photo taken the same year)
Diana Cotterell lived close to Sepulveda Stables as did several of her classmates, like Joan Edwards.
That would mean Cici knew Paige as Diana in grade school.
I find this unlikely. She gave no sign she ever knew her as a child named Diana.
Diana changed her name sometime between the ages of 16-18, to Paige Young.
Paige was tight-lipped about her past I have been told by 3 sources.
She was also quiet about any future plans. She was “more focused on the present moment,” said to me by her good friend Veronica.
Richard Sample to me, said Paige never talked about her past or childhood.
Cici, in the early1960s, along with actresses Donna Reed and the aforementioned Jill St. John, boarded horses at Sepulveda Stables according to the website.
(Maybe Paige and CiCi met in the early 1960s, but not before.)
Cici in a facebook message exchage with me
denied that Huston and Paige had an “affair.”
And that she and John Huston “we were only trying to help Paige” (Presumably, due to Paige’s emotional troubles that resulted in a suicide.)
She wrote that “2 prominent lawyers.” connected to show business purchased Paige’s ticket to Ireland for the visit. Paul Caruso was one.
Bill Gardner
A visitor to St. Clerans during these few months of John and Cici’s Ireland honeymoon was Bill Gardner.
Here is a photo of Bill and Cici posted by Bill to his Instagram account.
This is Bill Gardner, Paige Young’s date to the Warhol opening at the Pasadena Art Museum. Bill identifies Celeste Huston and himself at St. Clerans estate in Ireland. Is this also the time that Paige visited? This photo of Bill and CiCi Huston is from Gardner’s Instagram account. He has not posted since 2014. I have messaged him on all his social media several times and have yet to see a response. I suspect he has passed away by now.
This is the sameBill Gardner from the Pasadena Art Museum chapter.
1970 Pasadena Art Museum.Paige Young and Bill Gardner.
Another connection with Celeste Huston to Paige Young. And he was another horse lover.
The following paragraph is what Bill wrote for his author page on Amazon. Numerous celebrities are mentioned.
William Louis Gardner started his career getting a diploma from the Pasadena Play House in the fifties. The US Air sent him to Pasadena, California to learn film and television production. During his education at the Playhouse he was sent to do on-the-job-training at ABC, CBS and NBC. He spent time on the on the sets of Colgate Comedy Hour studying, observing and watching the process of television variety type shows. Bill became acquainted with the Martin & Lewis show, Jimmy Durante Show, Danny Thomas Show, Lucille Ball, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland and Milton Berle Shows. After William left Hollywood he joined his squadron and wrote and produced films for the US Air Force. When he was discharged from the Air Force he returned to Hollywood and went to work for Mickey Rooney as his assistant and manager for ten years. After he joined Jonathan Winters as his manager. In 1965 William moved to Ireland and joined director, John Huston, as his assistant. He worked on John’s films in England and Morocco. John sent Bill to East Africa to do pre-production for a film Bill had written called “The Games End”. The film has yet to be made. William, left the industry in 1972 and came back to California and moved to Montecito and became a real estate broker. He formed a Real Estate office in Santa Barbara and retired thirty five years later to write a novel “Confession of a Hollywood Agent” and numerous screenplays. His novel “The End of the Game” struggles with Africanization, intrigue and murder to save the elephant. Present, Bill keeps on writing.
scribd.com
Gardner is quoted twice in the Jeffrey Meyers biography of John Huston, identified as a publicist/ friend.
Notice that Gardner mentions Jonathan Winters and John Huston, both linked to Paige Young.
Cici Huston wrote a nice compliment on Gardner’s Amazon author page.
Legendary LAT columnist Jack Smith sees Huston and Hefner and an “unidentified sex object,” possibly Paige Young, present at a backgammon tournament in 1972. The observation by Smith happened around the time Cici and Huston tied the knot.
The group partly inspires the title of the column:
Huston and Hefner, both avid backgammon players, are seen together or at least in the same place together, probably at the Hefner co-founded backgammon club Pips. Who is the unidentified sex object mentioned by writer about LA Jack Smith?
Allegedly the cast and crew of the film Chinatown spent some off-set time at the Playboy mansion.
The cast, of course, includes Huston and director Roman Polanski
This time frame coincides with the years that Paige was hanging out at the Playboy mansion “scene,” on an occasional, if not regular basis.
Paige was seen at the Playboy mansion near the end of her life. In fact, weeks away from. This is recounted by neighbor Melanie Myers, who herself was invited to and attended a party the Mansion. Melanie talks about this in Secrets of Playboy documentary, episode 8 and to me personally.
Paige attended with BJ Royale, neighbor in Westwood.
Billboard on the Sunset Strip 1974.
More about John Huston ahead.
Chinatown was a major hit movie and an instant classic. It was released June 20, 1974 about 2 1/2 months after Paige Young’s suicide
NSFW
It looks like Paige was still modeling in the early 1970s.
However it’s the only modeling I’ve found since the Playboy years.
She appears in some Electrochemical Company photographs, credited to Peter Gowland,probably takenin 1972 or 73.
Maybe used in gift calendars for clients? I’m not certain.
They are rare.
I suspect Gowland had Paige in mind at once, for this assignment.
He knew Paige needed the paycheck and that she would be willing to pose topless or nude.
Obviously quite tame by today’s standards but still NSFW.
There is an association between Electrochemical Company and the Ridgid Tool Company, Gowland’s long time clients. Paige appears in the 69/70 Ridgid calendar shown at the top of this chapter.
Photo I purchased from ebay from a series of photos for “Electrochemicals” by Peter Gowland.
Paige was one model of a few featured in this series, possibly a gift for special clients. Ann Cushing and starlet Brook Mills, two Gowland favorites, are the others. Plus one I don’t recognize.
The models all go uncredited including Paige, her “Playmate” status is not indicated anywhere. She is portrayed in this series, like the others, as an anonymous model or “girl.”
I recognized Paige and informed the seller.
From the same series. Gowland favorite Ann Cushing on the left. from ebay and my pinterest board I don’t own these.
Paige left, Ann right.Early 70s. Both Paige and Ann’s topless images would adorn the famous “sip and strip” bar glasses of the early 1970s.
Another photo from the Electrochemical shoot, used in Secrets of Playboy docuseries. Originally an image found on ebay; I purchased only one photo of the set.
Los Angeles Mormon Temple with Angel Moroni lording over the Westwood neighborhood where Paige Young lived and died. Her friend Veronika remembered this landmark statue near Paige’s carriage house.
END
What is the connection with Desmond Guinness (see related chapters) and John Huston?
Paige Young was acquainted with both men, and she was friends with Huston’s 5th wife Celeste Shane Huston.
A renowned socialite, party animal and generous host, Guinness entertained the international jet set at his home, Leixlip Castle. Those who visited included British royalty Princess Margaret, her husband Lord Snowdon, and Lord Mountbatten, A-listers such as Jacqueline Kennedy, film director John Huston, Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithfull, and his stepfather the British fascist leader Oswald Mosley, his mother Diana Mitford’s husband.
.
Desmond Guinness Obituary in The Irish Times August 29, 2020.
Did Paige Young meet Desmond Guinness when she stayed with John and Celeste Huston at St. Clerans in 72-73 ish? Possibly.
Desmond always had a place to stay with eager hosts when he visited Los Angeles and Santa Barbara.
John Huston in his bedroom St. Clerans, his Georgian Mansion.
More on Anjelica Huston’s mother Ricki Soma.
Enrica Soma was the 4th wife of director John Huston and mother of actress Anjelica. Here she appears on the cover of LifeMagazine by Philippe Halsman.
Ballet dancer Ricki featured in Life Magazine, 1947.
Because of the attention Ricki received from the Life Magazine cover, she was pondering a possible movie career.
Ricki’s father was Tony Soma, who ran a well-known restaurant and was an early adopter of yoga in the USA.
was photographed with Marilyn Monroe and others starlets as “up and coming” actresses.
John Huston came into her life and pretty quickly she abandoned that idea. I’ve read it was after see her Life cover.
Ricki married Huston and had 2 children. She devoted her life to John, Anjelica, and Tony.
From Color Photography1960. by Philippe Halsman.
She earned a reputation for her naturally exquisite taste in decorating and was collecting unusual antiques and wearing exotic “bohemian” clothing years before it was the popular thing to do.
Basically, she was a trend setter who didn’t get much recognition for it when she was alive. (Much like Brooke Hayward Hopper, and MarinaGuinness)
Ricki became a “Wife #1“at St. Clerans when Huston invited his mistresses or girlfriends for a visit. Or they dropped in unannounced.
She tolerated it for a long time.
But Huston’s girlfriends and his lack of interest in her, finally pushed Ricki past her limit. She moved to London in 1960.
Ricki gave birth to a baby girl in 1964 named Allegra whose father is John JuliusCooper, an Englishman who inherited the title Viscount Norwich upon his father’s death in 1954.
Ricki remained married to John Huston from 1950 until her untimely death in a car accident in 1969.
John Huston adopted Allegra after this tragedy and financially supported her for a long time. I have read that John Julius Cooper and his wife were willing to raise Allegra despite the social scandal and gossip it would cause. (But I’m not sure.)
And I’m not sure Huston was any more attentive to Allegra as a child than he was to Angelica and Tony.
I need to research this aspect more deeply.
Allegra wrote a memoir: Love Child.
Anjelica and half-sister Allegra are very close as are Anjelica and half-brother Danny Huston. I don’t know about Tony Huston.
Anjelica wrote in her memoirs that she and “full” brother Tony were very different from each other and not close siblings growing up.
In this chapter, I have gathered all the accounts of witnesses to Bill Cosby and Paige Young’s relationship. Witnesses who either saw these events with their own eyes or Paige told them directly.
Tamara Green’s account was published in the Dailymail.comDec. of 2014. She is quoted at length below.(This is the article that started my investigation into the life of, and people, times and events surrounding Paige Young.)
Article by Ryan Parry.
Modeling shot of Tamara Green, late 1960s. Dailymail.com
“One of Cosby’s victims, attorney Tamara Green, knew Paige from modeling circles and recalls seeing the pair together.
Tamara Green recalls that she ran into Paige while in El Paso, Texas around 1970.
‘I was there seeing my boyfriend. Paige called me and said Bill was on tour. She was traveling with him.
‘They picked me up at my friend’s house and I remember sitting in the back of a stretched black limo with them both and Bill wanted to score some drugs.
I called around and found a bag of pot some place on the edge of El Paso.’
El Paso Times Feb. 22, 1970.
Bill Cosby was in El Paso at the time Tamara said he was.
‘Paige was in to her drugs and Bill wanted to get her some, she was along on the trip like his pet dog, she was a very subdued person, more like moon on the water in terms of her personality.
El Paso Herald Feb. 21st. 1970. Cosby was in El Paso at the time Tamara Green recalls the encounter with him and Paige.
‘They were clearly well acquainted with each other, it didn’t seem like a new thing. As far as I know they dated for a while.
‘Paige always seemed in a stupor, a daze, like he was controlling her. All I remember is that their relationship wasn’t healthy.’
‘Paige was a young thing who was very much taken advantage of by the men of Hollywood, she was intelligent and talented, it’s a tragedy what happened to her.'”
Cosby – whom has recently become the subject of at least 17 sex attack allegations dating back to the late 60s and 70s – was obsessed with Young who had caught his eye during his many visits to the glitzy Playboy Club where she worked on Hollywood’s Sunset strip.
Cosby was also a regular at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles as he and Hugh Hefner began working on many projects together.”
END
A few years ago, I posted the image you see below, on a private Malibu Facebook group.
The members either lived or grew up in Malibu, generally from the 1940s-1990s.
They all seem to have had several experiences of celebrity encounters in the neighborhoods or beaches of Malibu. (People who worked at Malibu watering holes shared hair-raising stories about residents and heavy drinkers Jan-Michael Vincent and Gary Busey.)
Paige by Peter Gowland. Somewhere in Malibu with the backdrop of the tile manufactured in the area.
I also notice that many members are from long-established families. Their parents, grandparents, or even great-grandparents moved to Malibu when it was undeveloped, located “away from it all.”
That’s how the movie stars felt when they settled in the Malibu Colony.
Google AI says:
Movie stars began living at the Malibu Colony in the mid-to-late 1920s, with development starting in earnest in 1926 when real estate developer Harold J. Ferguson began leasing parcels from May Rindge to build cottages for Hollywood’s elite. By 1929, the area was known as the Malibu Movie Colony and was attracting a number of famous actors, including Gloria Swanson, Dolores del Rio, and Bing Crosby. GOOGLE AI.
In those eras, Malibu was certainly not as internationally famous as it later became with Gidget, Beach Party movies,The Beach Boys and Malibu Barbie.
I asked the group if anyone remembered Paige Young from 1965-70, the estimated years she lived there.
Of course, many of the Facebook readers recognized the Malibu tile, but no one recognized Paige.
Peter Gowland was the Playboy photographer who produced Paige’s centerfold issue.
He used many locations in and around Malibu for his pinup shoots which was close to his own area of town by Will Rogers Beach and Rustic Canyon.
From the magazine Glamorous Models, 1952
Until..
finally, one person who contacted me: Henry G.
.
Henry said he knew Paige from the Malibu art scene and used to hike with her, often in Topanga Canyon. Henry remembers Paige living in a cabin in Topanga. He indicated they were “just friends” and hiking buddies.
Again, it happened around 1970.
Henry told me about one time he was with Paige at her home in Topanga Canyon, when she began to “break down and cry.”
Henry asked her what was wrong and she told him that Bill Cosby had raped her.
Henry worked in the television industry and said to Paige that he “always thought Bill was a nice guy.” Paige replied that he is not nice. She told Henry that Cosby is “a piece of shit,” “scum,” “a bastard” and “don’t even get me started.”
I then asked Henry if Paige indicated that Cosby had drugged her before the rape. Henry said he remembers Paige saying she “came to” and “realized she had been raped.”
Henry said at one point in this conversation Paige “tilted her head in the direction of her dresser. I looked over and saw a check made out to Paige signed by Bill Cosby, it had several zeroes.”
In episode 8 of the 2020 documentary Secrets of Playboy, I am shown working in my home office. My voice over recounts the story Henry told me about the Bill Cosby rape.
I had sent some audio comments to the producers of Secrets of Playboy. It was too late to do another in-person interview after I spoke to Henry.
.
In the episode my comment was edited with a couple of different audios. It’s notcompletely clear what I am saying.
This may be due to legal issues.
I do hope the story is nowcomprehensible as to what I was told by Henry.
At some point, Henry knew Paige did not have much money. He offered her a place to stay in one of his rental rooms.
This was in Henry’s house located in the Trancas Beach area of Malibu. It was off of Broad Beach Rd., across from the Trancas Market. “Long since torn down.”
Paige stayed at Henry’s house for “only about 3 months” he said.
She had been complaining that the “isolation” in the area was making her “antsy” and “unable to paint.” (this is odd coming from a self-confessed Nature Lover.)
Paige’s cabin was at the southern end of Topanga Canyon Rd., close to the PCH and beach. She frequented Fernwood Market said her friend Veronica. Fernwood Market is the southern end of Topanga Canyon Rd. Paige moved further west along the coast to Trancas Beach, but she found this area too isolated from LA. (Apologies if the map doesn’t transfer.) Paige is featured in her Playboy issue as being a painter living on Malibu Beach with her dog Joshua. Truthful, but more precisely she was probably living closest to Topanga Beach part of Malibu, and her cabin was north of Hwy. 1
Henry also told me that he didn’t see Paige very much the last 2 or soyears of her life. She had become “reclusive.” (Maybe, but she lived in Westwood by this time and another Malibu friend Veronica told me it was more difficult to get together with Paige after she moved.)
I asked Henry if Paige ever mentioned Hugh Hefner, or her Playboy experience. He said she didn’t but that he himself had a Playboy experience of his own.
One evening he found himself at the Playboy mansion. Because his companions were “beautiful, young Malibu girls, Henry and a few other males were allowed entrance the mansion.
Henry said at one moment during that evening he and Hefner locked eyes for a few seconds, enough time to exchange a mutual smile.
Vintage Postcard showing the Playboy building on the right stamped with the famous Bunny icon. The club took up 2 or 3 floors. It also had offices and a suite on the top floor for Hugh Hefner while he was visiting LA. These were the days when Hefner’s home base was still the Chicago Mansion.Sunset Strip Playboy Club was opened on New Year’s Eve 1964. It was a Playboy Club tradition for the opening to occur on a New Year’s Eve.
The next incident was told to me by Paige’s boyfriend and fellow artist RichardSample.
I believe this happened before 1970. Paige and Richard were not seeing each so much other by then.
Artist Richard Sample in the early 1970s. Thanks for usage to Ellen Sample.
This story also appears in chapter Richard Sample Interview #1.
Richard Sample told me he would occasionally pick up Paige at thePlayboy Club, after her shift.
She worked at the club “for about 3 months,” he thinks.
Bill Cosby was a frequent visitor and performer at many Playboy Clubs and a close friend of Hugh Hefner during this era.
“Bill Cosby was always trying to put the make on Paige. She didn’t want anything to do with him, she ignored him.”
Richard Sample
Bill Cosby plays the LA Playboy Club, 1967Valley News Dec. 22.
Valley Times 1967 Look at that lineup!
One time, when Richard was waiting in his car for Paige to get off her shift at the Playboy club one evening, he said he was close enough to
witness Bill Cosby acting angry at Paige.
Bill Cosby’s phone number/assistant Fran, from Melanie’s list of Paige’s phone book.
Apparently, she had rebuffed yet another one of his advances.
Richard Sample gives an account of Paige at the Playboy Club in the 2014 Daily Mail article.
Richard said during our interview that Paige “went downhill when she started (her association) with the Hefner gang.”
Bill Cosby’s name was found in Paige’s phone book after she died, which I had access to part of.
Recently, I found even more proof.
I spoke with Darlene J. Valentine. She knew Paige as a casual acquaintance from 1970 until her death in 1974.
Mrs. Valentine mentioned that her ex-husband, artist DeWain Valentine, told her that Paige was “a mistress of Bill Cosby.” DeWain and Paige were dating at the time that she was also Cosby’s mistress. And DeWain was dating a lot of women too.
We know Cosby during this era was already dating while married, pursuing, grooming, drugging and raping women.
Some background on the accusations against Cosby.
Bill Cosby was first publicly accused of a drugging and rape in 2004/2005 by Andrea Constand.
Constand and Cosby met through her job at Temple University. They formed a friendship there. Cosby had been a supporter of the university and on the board of trustees for decades. Constand was director of operations for Temple’s women’s basketball team.
Andrea considered Cosby a mentor, and was not prepared for what occurred at Cosby’s family home in Connecticut.
Since Tamara Green, who knew Paige, has long said she was drugged and assaulted by Cosby testified about this behind closed doors in support of Andrea Constand in 2005.
She did an interview about it with Matt Lauer of the Today Show in 2005. (The interview seems to be gone from youtube.)
Bill Cosby and Andrea Constand from pagesix.com
Tamara was one of a dozen “Jane Does” who testified on behalf of Constand in her suit. These women claimed that Bill Cosby drugged and raped them too. Therefore, Constand’s claims could be corroborated.
Cosby and Constand settled out of court.
Life went back to normal for Bill Cosby.
The sexualassault suit and discussion was quickly forgotten in the media and therefore forgotten amongst the general public.
Soon to recap the 2014 suit Constand filed against Cosby.
Then of course the Hannibal Burress video went viral in 2014 and the rest is history. (Please see my Start here/about page.)
Tamara Green’s reputation and character were disparaged by Cosby’s legal team in both 2005 and 2014/15.
Best friends for many years.
I was lucky to find “Veronica,” friend of Paige’s from Malibu.
She told me via email that Paige was a financially struggling oil painter and Paige told her that Bill Cosby was acting as her “art patron.” He was giving some kind of financial assistance to Paige, possibly including rent on the Topanga Canyon cabin.
Veronica wrote that she thought nothing of it, only that it was very nice of Bill Cosby to help Paige, allowing her to pursue her goal of painting for a living.
Bill Cosby’s name was found in Paige’s phone book after her suicide in 1974, so they definitely knew each other.
Paige frequently shopped at the Fernwood Market, Veronica told me, which is located on the southern part of Topanga Canyon Rd. “Paige never took more than she could carry.”
UPDATE: I interviewed Darlene Valentine, ex-wife of prominent LA artist DeWain Valentine.
Mrs. Valentine was acquainted with Paige Young, Richard Sample and his father Charlie Sample.
She was told by her ex DeWain, that Paige was a “mistress” of Bill Cosby. DeWain himself dated Paige during this time she was Cosby’s mistress.
Darlene said she and Paige were friendly; Paige invited her to an all-female tea party at Paige’s house. (Please see related chapter.)
Darlene also told me she knew that Bill Cosby purchased pot from a friend of hers in Venice Beach. So she was long aware that Cosby was not as “squeaky clean,” as he appeared on TV.
Paige’s grandmother Virginia Young LaRocca died in August of 1976 in the Studio City Convalescent Hospital located at 11429Ventura Blvd. Location is close to the 1950s family home at 13055 Moorpark St.
Cause of Death: Stroke per a relative on a Mormon family website. A family audio recording to a relative on a Mormon MIssion somewhere in the world. Everyone said at least a few words into the tape recorder, except for Virginia, whom they referred to as “Doing really good Today.” Virginia may have had the debilitating stroke in the early 1970s and been unaware of of her GRANDDAUGHTER Paige’s suicide in 1974.
This address is the Chase Knolls Apts in Sherman Oaks. Ironically named Huston St., not a common name.
Virginia was cremated and her ashes scattered in the ocean near the Santa Monica shoreline, just like granddaughter Paige’s ashes two years previous.
Virginia died of a stroke after one year of onset, according to her death certificate. It may have been more than a year.
Josephine’s daughter, former Warner Brothers starlet Mary Jane Harker Lanier died in 1988 in Jacksonville, Florida. Her husband Samuel Lefkovitz Lanier remarried and lived with his second wife for over 10 years until his death in 2007 at age 88, also in Florida.
The oldest child of Jane and SamuelLanier,Samuel Harker Lanier, passed away in 2018; he was only in his 60s. A Florida lawyer, he had been disbarred due to a cocaine arrest only a few years previous.
Virginia’s sister and former Vaudeville performing and travelling partner, Josephine Young Harker, Paige Young’s great aunt, died in June of 1979 in the Jacksonville, Florida area. Public record.
.
Donna Virginia LaRocca Holroyd had moved sometime in the late 60s, with mother Virginia? (had she had her stroke?) and husband Jack, to Simi Valley. Were they divorced already? Possibly as it is looking like Jack Holroyd married and divorced twice after Donna. Still need to confirm.
By 1970, Donna was the head supervisor for the Ocean View Children’s Center(5201 Squires Dr.) in Port Hueneme “for low income and welfare families…. so that the mothers (of the Valley Village neighborhood) could work or go to school.” Oxford News 1970.
Article below mentions that Donna received a degree from UCLA in EarlyChildhood Education.
Oxford Press Courier March 21, 1971. Her daughter Paige was probably living in Westwood or Trancas Beach by this time.
More on Donna Holroyd.
By the time of her daughter Paige’s suicide in April of 1974, Donna and Jack Holroyd were divorced. Donna was living with her mother Virginia back in Sherman Oaks. They stayed at the lovely and historic Chase KnollsApartment Community on Huston St.
Donna’s Chase Knolls address is on Paige’s death certificate asher nextof kin.
This Huston address is also on Virginia LaRocca‘s death cert. in 1976. Donna is listed as her mother’s next of kin. (See Above)
In 1980 this address appears on Donna’s own death certificate.
Donna Holroyd is divorced and living at the Chase Knolls Apartment Community in Sherman Oaks according to her death cert.
Donna dies of a “hypertensive arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease,” in her Chase Knolls apartment at age 59 years. Her and Jack’s son Wesley would have been about 20 years.
Donna outlives her mother by 4 years, and her daughter by 6.
Chase Knolls Apartments Sherman Oaks.Not Donna’s apartment which is located behind the locked gate.
Oldest daughter and Paige’s sister Constance Smashey is listed on Donna Holroyd’s death certificate as next of kin with a Simi Valley address.
Constance and Steve Smashey divorced and Connie would move to the PalmDesert area in the 1980s. She now lives in Banning, California.
She turned down my request to ask her a few questions about her sister Paige and their family.
Wesley Scott Holroyd died of alcoholism in 2014 at age 53. He was living in the San Fernando Valley where he spent most of his life.
Paige’s father Robert Morgan Cotterell and his wife Pat, moved to Oregon in the 1970s after he retired from Douglas Air. They lived there until their deaths around 2010.
Bob Cotterell’s obituary is no longer online. When it was, there was no mention of his daughters by Donna LaRocca: Diana/Paige and Constance.
It appears that Connie has reunited with her half siblings.
Richard Sample told me that Paige drove him to meet her sister one time only. He said he “didn’t get any impression” they were close.
Paige did not disclose her personal history or childhood, to anyone I’ve talked withwho knew her.
Paige’s ex-husband Mark Frederick Segal married a woman named Denise in 1974. A few years later they had a son: Ivan Mark Segal.
1985/86 Mark F. Segal stayed in the car business:
Segal sold his home on Crisp Canyon Ave. to Rex Ramsey and later bought it back from him. He sold it again and moved to Portland in the late 80s? He died there on October 16, 2012.
4133 Crisp Canyon Ave. was razed and replaced with a really horrible McMansion.
His son Ivan Segal lives in Portland and Scottsdale.
Desmond Guinness married Penelope Cuthbertson in 1984.
She is his cousin according to “International Set” gossip writer Suzy Knickerbockerback in 1973. They were not couple at that time.
View of Irish author and conservationist Desmond Guinness (1931 – 2020) as he sits in an armchair at his home, Leixlip Castle, Leixlip, County Kildare, Ireland, 1968. (Photo by Susan Wood/Getty Images)
Desmond continued fundraising for his Irish Georgian Society well into old age. He died on August20, 2020. I have read Desmond had some degree of dementia.
Ex-wife Mariga and co-founder of the IGS died decades earlier.
There are numerous obituaries online for Hon. Desmond Guinness.
Desmond’s niece is fashion icon and socialite Daphne Guinness. His granddaughter is popular fashion model Jasmine Guinness.
How and where Desmond became acquainted with Paige Young is a mystery. Possibly was through John and CiCi Huston in Ireland.
Desmond on his own was well connected in Los Angeles and Southern California. He had a receptive audience in the area.
In the late 1970s……..
Paige’s divorce lawyer Marvin Mitchelson gained a reputation beyond Beverly Hills and LA. He became internationally famous when he represented Michelle Triola Marvin in her lawsuit against her live-in lover of 6 years, actor Lee Marvin.
Beverly Hills Lawyer Marvin M. Mitchelson
Mitchelson introduced the term and concept of “palimony” into the courts.
Commonly known as Marvin vs. Marvin, the case received major publicity in the mass-media of the time. It’s something I personally remember as a young teenager. I call it “People magazine” famous.
I didn’t learn the back story in detail until I researched this project. I am condensing the details for this website.
Michelle Triola Marvin was a singer in Hollywood. She felt she was owed part of Lee Marvin’s $3.2 million fortune, as she had given up her own career, per his demand, to become his live-in lover, helpmate, career advisor, and even helped to raise his 4 children from first wife Betty.
Triola said Lee Marvin had promised her life-long financial support. Triola-Marvin was abruptly dumped when Lee Marvin suddenly married his high school sweetheart Pamela Feeney in 1970. Marvin kicked Triola-Marvin out of their Malibu home and cut her off financially.
Because Michelle Triola Marvin was not legally married to Lee Marvin, she had no legal standing to demand any financial compensation.
Mitchelson saw an opportunity in California’s newly enacted “no-fault” divorce laws.
Mitchelson filed a breach-of-contract suit against Lee Marvin in February of 1972 asking for 50% of his estate.
After being rejected by two lower courts, Mitchelson pushed the case to the California Supreme Court, where he won.
The Marvin vs. Marvin case finally reached trial in January of 1979 and it quickly became a mass-media event.
The judge in the case, Judge Marshall, awarded about $100,000 to Triola-Marvin, for the salary she potentially lost giving up her career as a singer.
Lee Marvin’s attorneys appealed, and the decision was reversed, leaving Triola with nothing and Mitchelson with nothing.
Mitchelson didn’t care though, because the fame the case brought him was worth millions of dollars in representing “wronged spouses,” mainly women.
The fact that in the end, Triola got nothing was not well publicized in the many media reports. It happened after the initial hoopala had died down and was never emphasized in the reporting.
Over the years, some of the women Marvin represented were celebrities like Bianca Jagger, Zsa Zsa Gabor and Joan Collins ( a reverse of his norm as Collins was the one being sued by estranged husband Peter Holm.)
Mostly though, Mitchelson took cases of non-celebrity live-in girlfriends or mistresses of rich celebrities: Sara Dylan (Bob), Anna Kashfi (Marlon Brando) Nancy Lee Andrews (Ringo Starr), Veronica Buss and Puppi Buss (girlfriends of Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss) Soraya Khashoggi,Kayatana Harrison (Flip Wilson.)
Marvin represented a few men: Mark Christian, ex-lover of Rock Hudson, in his widely publicized case against Hudson’s estate for failing to disclose his AIDS status to Christian.
Mel Torme, Carl Sagan and Sonny Bono were other clients.
Mitchelson was disbarred in 1988 for grossly overcharging clients and went to prison in 1993 for tax evasion.
Marvin Mitchelson was released from prison in 1998 and died in 2004.
Lee Marvin died in 1987 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Michelle Triola went on to have a long live-in relationship with actor- comedian Dick Van Dyke. She died of lung cancer in 2009.
Information from: Ladies’ Man: The Life & Trials of Marvin Mitchelson, by John A. Jenkins. The only published biography of Marvin Mitchelson. It’ a fascinating look at an LA character of his time, nearly forgotten today.
Two years into my research I subscribed to newspapers.com and searched for Paige Young; instantly this article came up.
Paige Young is the date of Desmond Guinness with bespeckled host Guy Roop of Santa Barbara, seen on the right. Beverly Jackson in the middle of the trio on the left.
The article was written bysociety columnist Jody Jacobs and published in the Los Angeles Times, Oct. 10, 1973.
^^^^Jody Jacobs was the society editor for the LAT from 1971-1985.^^^^
I felt a chill when I realized that Paige Young had only 6 months left to live when this article was published.
What you see above, is Jody Jacobsonly mention of Paige Young in the article besides her photo by photographer Kathleen Ballard.
The rest of the article discusses the many Santa Barbara society VIPs who attended the party for Desmond Guinness.
This story involves another newspaper society columnist named Beverley Jackson of the Santa Barbara News-Press.
Beverley Jackson in the center of the trio, with Mrs. Louis-Dreyfus and Douglas Campbell. Campbell is hosting Desmond Guinness at his mansion in Beverly Hills. They were in Santa Barbara for the weekend. Douglas Campbell threw many parties in his mansion which was filled with an expensive Fine Art collection.
Jackson attended the party and then wrote about it for the Santa BarbaraNews-Press in her regular “society” column. (Included in update at the end of the chapter.)
Last page of Jacobs article. A cocktail party at the Alexanders pictured above, one event on Desmond’s busy itinerary in Montecito that weekend. Beverley Jackson mentioned in 2nd paragraph, enlarged below. Mrs.Louis-Dreyfus mentioned is probably the same family as actress Julia, who was born and lived in New York.
Beverley Jackson mention beginning lower left column.
I was fortunate to exchange a few emails with Beverley Jackson about 2 years before she died at age 91 in 2020.
She wrote to me that she remembered Desmond, but not Paige.
And without my prompting, “Desmond was always very discreet in these matters.”
But no memory of Paige.
It turns out Beverley did meet Paige in 1974, less than 2 weeks before Paige ended her life. Please see update at the end of this chapter.
Beverley Jackson lived a very full life from what I have read online.
She wrote a society column for the Santa Barbara News-Press from 1968-1992.
This job allowed her to travel and often stay with 100s of wealthy people from around the world.
This includes Leixlip Castle in Ireland visiting Desmond Guinness, at his home base. (Desmond is English.)
All the while having her home and work in beautiful Santa Barbara County.
Beverley traveled widely in China inspiring her to become a historian and author on Chinese culture, costume and fashion.
On top of that, Jackson had yet another career as a curator for the SantaBarbara Art Museum.
After reading the Jacobs (and later Jackson) article
I thought, who is this Desmond Guinness
attendingseveral events arranged in his honor by a Who’s Who of Santa Barbara society?
Famous in the Santa Barbara Art world, Guy Roop hosted Desmond in Santa Barbara and took him (and Paige? Probably) to tea at Wright Ludington’s home earlier in the afternoon. Ludington was a major Art patron and founding member of the SantaBarbara Art Museum. I guess Paige stayed the weekend in Santa Barbara. Where? It doesn’t say of course. This photo of the trio was at Desmond’s reception at the Biltmore Hotel Santa Barbara. She places her booted feet on a coffee table at the Birnam Wood Golf Club reception for Desmond.
“the Hon. Desmond Guinness.”
as it is often written.
Usually written with the Hon. before his well known last name, Desmond was born in 1931.
Let’s start with his family of origin.
Hon. Desmond Guinness, as his last name indicates, is an heir to the famous Guinness brewery, banking and finance family fortune.
*Please note: What I have written below is meant to serve only as a general overview.
The story of his mother and father’s lineage is written in history books.
Bryan Guinness, the 2nd Baron Moyne, father to Desmond, poet, playwright and author.
Desmond’s mother was a controversial woman named Diana Mitford.
She came from an equally controversial English society family of 6 eccentric, beautiful, headstrong, individualistic and scandal-prone sisters.
2 of whom, Diana and Unity, were followers of Adolph Hitler and adopted fascist philosophy.
Diana Mitford certainly lived by her own set of rules with disastrous results. The same can be said of Unity.
The major source for my information is the book Diana Mosley: Mitford Beauty, British Fascist, Hitler’s Angel by Anne De Courcy.
Desmond’s parents, Bryan Guinness2nd Baron Moyne, and Diana Mitford on their wedding day in 1929.>>>>
Diana was 18, Bryan, 24. Diana and Bryan were members of Bright YoungThings, a group of aristocratic, artistic bohemians in 1920sLondon. Diana’s writer sister Nancy Mitford, was a member too.
Other members were: writer Evelyn Waugh, his wife Evelyn Gardner, photographer, costume designer, set designer and Artist extraordinaire: Cecil Beaton.
The Mitford family was wealthy but they were kept on a “financial short leash,” according to Jessica Mitford.
There was one brother in the Mitford family of 6 sisters. Diana is seated next to Tom Mitford. She has what looks like a handbag on her lap, instead of a dog like her sisters. 1934. Her parents frame the group with Tom in the middle. Tom Mitford was a soldier in Burma and killed in battle in 1945 only weeks away from the war’s end. “It was a loss the family never recovered from,” wrote his sister Diana to a friend.
Diana with her first two sons, in the mid-1930s: Desmond and Jonathan Guinness. Desmond was the younger of the two boys.
National Gallery website.
Desmond and his brother didn’t grow up consistently with their mother.
She divorced their father when the boys were toddlers because she had fallen in love with Sir Oswald Mosley.
Mosley was an aristocrat and politician who served in the British House of Commons from 1918-1931. .
Sir OswaldMosley founded the British Union of Fascists (BUF) in 1932 after visiting with Mussolini. His followers adopted a black-shirt and pants uniform, inspired by what Mosely had observed in Italy.
The para-military wing of BUF became known as the “Blackshirts.”
FROM AI:
Conservative Party: Mosely was first elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Harrow under the Conservative Party in 1918.
Independent: He became disillusioned with the Conservatives, particularly their policy on Ireland, and crossed the floor to sit as an Independent MP in late 1920. He was re-elected as an Independent in the 1922 and 1923 general elections.END
South Wales Evening Post Nov. 29, 1933.
Daily Telegraph, Greater London. Nov. 9th 1934
Mosley ran and won with the Labour Party 1924-1931.
and was finally defeated when he ran with his “New Party.“
The BUF was banned by the British Government in 1940.
Diana Mitford Guinness and Oswald Mosley met through mutual social circles in 1932.
Known as “Cimmie, ” she came from a family of sisters, as did Diana Guinness. Cimmie herself ran and won a Labour Party post for 2 years. She was crushed when her husband was seen as a frequent companion to Diana Mitford Guinness.
Oswald was married in 1920 to a wealthy society woman: LadyCynthia Curzon known as “Cimmie.“
“Tom” Mosley and Cimmie had 3 children, the youngest born in 1932.
Mosley was a ambitious philanderer; he had affairs with both Cimmie’s sister and their stepmother.
The answer is yes according to historians.
Apparently he was irresistible to women?
from Anne de Courcy book Hitler’s Angel.
As a public speaker, Mosley was a powerhouse. The Blackshirt uniform was worn by of the Fascist Defense Force, paramilitary wing of BUF.
The BUF became more openly antisemitic in 1934.
Mosley told Diana that he would not divorcehis wife.
Diana went ahead and filed for divorce from her husband Bryan, Lord Moyne, who absolutely adored her.
And Cimmie adored her husband, Oswald, nicknamed “Tom.”
From Hitler’s Angel by Anne De Courcy. Diana was considered the great beauty of the Mitford Sisters.
Diana asked Bryan for only enough money to live on.
She returned the Guinness family jewels and kept only the jewels Bryan had gifted her during their marriage.
And just like that Diana became Mosley’s mistress.
Cimmie was increasingly stressed and threatened by Diana’s divorced, unattached status and by all the time Diana was spending with her husband.
Apparently Diana and Mosley were pretty brazen about appearing in public together.
“From Diana’s point of view, Mosley had been unfaithful from the start of his marriage and even if she gave him up would continue to have liaisons with other women. If Cimmie had come to terms with all the affairs, she reasoned, why should she not do so with Diana?
What Diana did not understand was that Cimmie had realized that her husband’s feelings for Diana were more profound than any other liaison…and that Cimmie would be sharing him on the deeper level which she had assured her was hers alone. ” FromHitler’s Angel, De Courcy
This affair was gossiped about amongst the Society circles. Diana’s parents were furious and banned her from visiting. For a while anyway.
lolanthe 7 Pinterest
Oswald Mosley and Diana Mitford in Venice. Not sure of the year or if they were married here.
Many of Diana’s old friends, family members, and acquaintances shunned her, yet she maintained a group of loyal supporters. This group included several male admirers like Brideshead Revisited author Evelyn Waugh, also a member of the Bright Young Things.
Conveniently for Diana and Oswald, Cimmie died in 1934 after a bout of peritonitis.
There was gossip that the stress Cimmie experienced over her husband’s affair with Diana, was responsible for her death.
Mosley decided to wait 2 years after his wife’s death before making it legal with Diana in 1936. He wanted to wait a “respectful” amount of time.
Diana had gone along willingly with the delay, if not happily.
Hitler attended the secret wedding of Mitford and Mosley and the reception took place at the home of Joseph Goebbels.
Diana became Lady Mosley.
Within the Hitler circle, Diana hit it off in particular with Magda Goebbels, wife ofJoseph.
Another of the Mitford Sisters was Unity.
From the book by Anne De Courcy. Unity Mitford (left) was one of Diana’s sisters and what we might call a “groupie,” of Adolph Hitler. Here we see them surrounded by Nazi soldiers at a rally in 1937. Unity moved to Munich in 1934, ostensibly to learn the German language. When Unity knew Hitler was in town, she would lunch every day at his favorite spot, the Osteria Bavaria, hoping he would stop in. A few weeks passed when he did, and the two finally met. Unity became part of Hitler’s entourage and Hitler’s specialcompanion.Unity introduced Hitler to her sister Diana in 1935 and then she became part of the entourage. Diana, in turn, introduced Hitler to Sir Oswald Mosley. This probably impressed Mosley and scored points for Diana. Eva Braun viewed Unity as a rival for Adolph’s affections; she was extremely jealous and resentful.
Unity Mitford
Sarah Walton-Lee Pinterest.
Unity shot herself in the head when Britain declared war on Germany. She was distraught over the conflict between her “two beloved countries.”
Unity survived but had limited mental capacity until meningitis killed her in 1948.
There is a recently published biography of Unity by Lauren Young: Hitler’s Girl: The British Aristocracy and the Third Reich on the Eve of WW2.
During WW 2
Mitford and Mosley were considered a threat and were placed under British house arrest. They spent 3 years in Holloway Prison, followed by house arrest until 1949.
Diana Mitford Guinness Mosley gave birth to 2 sons with Oswald, Max and Alexander.
Desmond and JonathanGuinness did visit their mother in prison, and apparently got along fine with their stepfather.
(This is a point I intend to do further research on)
Max and Alexander Mosley had financial struggles that the Guinness sons Jonathan and Desmond, simply did not.
Mosley was tight-fisted with money when it came to his sons with Diana.
Diana didn’t have much money independently of her husband. She did have some steady income from Guinness and shared it with her Mosely sons.
The couple lived out their years in France and Ireland after the war as they were highly disliked in England.
Diana and Oswald Mosley in old age. He died first in 1980. She continued to downplay her husband’s affiliation with Hitler and Mussolini and antisemitism and died in 2003. The couple remained married despite Mosley continuing to have affairs during their long marriage. Just as he did to his first wife Cimmie. Everyone knew Oswald as “Tom.” Diana called her husband “Kit.” Her beloved only brother was cut down in his youth by war was named Tom. Tom Mitford was a Nazi sympathizer as well.
I have no idea why a dramatic series or feature film about the Mitford family has not yet been produced.
Their story lines contain elements of high melodrama resembling a Greek tragedy: Birth, death, war, marriage, adultery, jealousy, divorce, family ties and feuds, innocent children, fascism, wealth, poverty, money, politics, titles, eccentric British personalities.
*UPDATE There is a new series, Outrageous, about the Mitford Girls to be shown on Britbox 2025.* The trailer includes Diana and Unity deciding to go to Germany to “learn German.”
The BBC series Peaky Blinders features Oswald Mosley and Diana Mitford in a storyline.
See interview with “Lady Mosley” on Thames TV youtube channel, recorded in the 1970s.
Diana Mitford Mosley is still outraged that the British Government imprisoned her and “Kit” during WW2. And is still defending Nazi ideology and white supremacy in her sophisticated and charming way.
Diana lived a long 93 years and died in 2003, in Paris.
END
1954: Desmond Guinness grows up and gets
educated at Eton, Gordonstoun in Scotland. And then studied French and Italian at Christ Church, Oxford.
In 1956 Guinness and beautiful Hermione Maria-Gabrielle Von Urach and Desmond marry.
The bride had German royalty and titles on her father’s side. Her English mother was institutionalized when “Gabrielle” was only 6 years old. Her father had to work away from his daughter as he had no money.
The little girl was brought up by her godmother Hermione Ramsden in Surrey and Norway with 17 different governesses.
At age 18, Gabrielle became known as “Mariga.“
1954wedding day of Desmond and Mariga Guinness.
This beautiful young couple shared a love of architecture, history and had no need to work for a living.
Married at Christ Church Cathedral Oxford England>>>>
Evening Standard, London, Nov. 25, 1957. They look like a young couple very much in love.
Article goes with photo.
Desmond and Mariga purchased the decaying Leixlip castle of Ireland, restored it and made it their primary residence.
Mariga and Desmond were known for giving fabulous high society parties in Leixlip Castle.
From DiscoverIreland:
Leixlip village was established by the Vikings and Adam de Hereford, a follower of Strongbow, built the castle. It is located in County Kildare and has an interesting history.
The plasterwork in the Library dates from the mid 18th Century. The carpet is French Savonnerie. A treat in the Drawing Room is the large 18th century Dolls House that originally came from Newbridge House and drawings of the six Mitford sisters by William Acton
Features of Leixlip Castle include, The Front Hall, which boasts a 17th century Brussels tapestry depicting Theodotus offering the head of Pompey to Caesar. The Dining Room is furnished with Chippendale Chairs and Bavarian tapestries.
Desmond Guinness at Leixlip Castle Ireland. Photo by Slim Aarons.
(Cropped)
Together the couple founded the Irish Georgian Society (IGS) in 1957/58. It was and is, dedicated to the preservation of Irish Georgian castles and Irish castles in general.
Probably more people have seen this portrait by Slim Aarons than know the identity of its’ subjects.
The couple produced two beautiful children named Marina and Patrick. They are shown in a famous photo taken by society photographer Slim Aarons.
Mariga and Desmond were able to restore several more historic castles and published books on the topic.
I found in my research that Desmond toured the US extensively to fundraise for the IGS from about the mid–1960s through the 1980s. I read dozens of articles about his visits in the newspaper archives. Mariga toured with Desmond in the US at least one time that I’ve seen.
Desmond was warmly welcomed at numerous US high society and historical society gatherings. He presented lectures and slideshows to promote Irish architecture, history, and design, fundraise for IGS and sell his books.
His visits were covered by local newspaper society columnists. They would write about the society folks’ attendance at either a lecture, party, luncheon, cocktail party, or dinner. Sometimes a combination of events; all in honor of the Hon. Desmond Guinness.
I’m including a only a few of many newspaper examples from 1969.
I picked 1969
out of the many years Desmond travelled the US because it’s the same year Paige Young was touring the US and Canada for Playboy promotion.
Miami Herald April 24, 1969
From the Palladium Item Richmond, Indiana March 16, 1969
March 25, 1969
Nov. 11, 1969 Philadelphia Inquirer
Ithaca, New York Feb. 21, 1969
Des Moines Register March 2.
Desmond visited towns one may not have expected him to: Des Moines,Shreveport, and the Corning Glass Center in Ithaca, New York.
Meet
“Suzy”
aka Suzy Knickerbocker, was a syndicated society columnist for over 50 years and worked for many different newspapers.
The following article from 1969 informs the reader about her interesting career climb.
Glen Falls Times NY. March 15, 1969
Daily News Nov. 19, 1969. A typical example of a Suzy column.Mentions the infamous Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Mrs. Claus Von Bulow and Barbara Hutton marries a Prince.
Suzy like to write about European society types, with or without titles. Royals and would-be Royals.
Suzy K. wrote adoringly about Desmond (mainly) and Mariga several times.
NY Daily News Nov. 1969.
Desmond Guinness had a busy schedule of travel for IGS educating and fundraising, for decades.
Return to 1973 Santa Barbara
Desmond had already been the house guest of Douglas A. Campbell in LosAngeles for 2 weeks when:
Paige appeared as the date of Desmond Guinness at a series of high society parties over a weekend in Santa Barbara.
It was described by LAT society writer Jody Jacobs as a season of grey skies and rainy weather.
LAT Oct. 10, 1973
This Suzy syndicated column below, appeared just 2 days later on October 12.
The timing is intriguing to say the least. Desmond is seen out with a date, Paige Young. His divorce is announced in these Suzy articles only two days later.
.
October 12, 1973
Philadelphia Inquirer Oct 12. 1973.
From Suzy 3 years ago in 1970. Divorce rumors too! Even the same photo was used. As I learned Desmond and Mariga would not divorce until the 1980s.
1973 before the separation:
March 21, 1973. Desmond’s mentions in bold. Suzy in NY Daily News. Mariga is mentioned.This is before the separation announcement later in the year.Desmond back in Suzy’s NY Daily News column only weeks later. April 13, 1973. Desmond’s datewith Paige in California was just 5 months in the future. So is the announcement of his and Mariga’s divorce. Desmond would marry this “pretty English cousin Penny”mentioned in the last few sentences, in the 1980s.
Lexington, KY. Herald-Leader Mar, 2 1972Mariga with Desmond during the 1972 tour. That was not common.
Indianapolis Star April 21, 1973. Desmond still making appearances at niche societies all over the USA. Desmond was only a few months away from his stay with Douglas Campbell in Los Angeles and date with Paige Young in Santa Barbara.
Sept. 1973
Jody Jacobs, society writer for the LAT. LAT Sept. 23, 1973, shows us thatDesmond is a guest in the LA home of Douglas Campbell beginning on Saturday, which would be the 29th. The Santa Barbara soiree was on approx Oct. 9 Did Desmond and Paige spend time in Los Angeles together?? Or Ireland?
Desmond’s blue eye always got a lot of attention.
LAT Oct. 8, 1973. Joyce Haber column Parties thrown for Desmond Guinness in LA. His host was Douglas Campbell. Desmond meets and appears with Luciana Avedon on the Merv Griffin show and brings her later to Douglas A Campbells party for him. r.
This ad appeared in theMiami Herald March 19, 1974. Desmond would be going back to LA soon. Paige Young would be dead in 3 weeks.
In the lower 2nd column, writer describes Marina’s lovely velvet and brocade dress.
( This is the dress she is wearing in the LAT photos with Beverly Hills designers and art patrons Beegle and Tony Duquette.)
Raleigh News and Observer March 29, 1974.
This article is unusual because it brings up the uncomfortable subject of Desmond’s mother Diana Mitford and step-father Oswald Mosley.
Notice the comment and story about Stanley Kubrick!
Was Desmond feeling unencumbered that evening in Santa Barbara, knowing his pending divorce would soon be publicly outed?
Desmond was in LA at this time too so he would have been cross country traveling often.
Desmond is back in Los Angeles, this time with his daughter Marina. This visit coincides with the time Paige Young was contemplating suicide.
It is interesting that Desmond visited Los Angeles twice, 6 months apart.
Jody Jacobs column LAT March 31st 1974. Marina wearing the brocade outfit mentioned in the article from North Carolina. This is a week away from Paige’s suicide. Beegle and Tony Duquette were Hollywood set designers and patrons of the arts. They lived in a giant Maximalist art work of a house in Beverly Hills: Dawnridge. (Which is now being preserved by some dedicated preservationists )The velvet and brocade dress Marina is wearing is described by the North Carolina writer, she must have worn it there too!
The following article by Suzy, was published 10 days before Paige’s suicide. Desmond in bold. He was back in Los Angeles.
Suzy column Daily News March 28, 1974.Again Desmond is the houseguest of Douglas Campbell and parties are given in his honor. Tons of parties with big names in the Art and Hollywood worlds. On this visit Desmond’s daughter Marina accompanied hm to Southern California.
According to Paige’s neighbor Melanie, Paige was afraid of a sex tape/film being seen by certain people or a certain person, and that “Cici Huston’s brother,” was a phrase Paige threw around a lot in connection to the tape. (David Shane?) He had possession of the tape and would not hand it over to her.
I have to wonder if at least one person in Paige’s mind was Desmond Guinness (and his crowd?)
Desmond and his phone number to Leixlip Castle and his brother Jonathan Guinness, were listed in Paige’s phonebook found at the time of her suicide.
Written down by Melanie from Paige’s phone book. Both Desmond and his older brother Jonathan Guinness. were acquainted with Paige. Apparently.
This indicates she saw Desmond outside of the their dates in Santa Barbara. Now I know she did. Paige was present at another party for Desmond in late March of 1974. Literally less than two weeks away from her suicide.
Contact information for Desmond Guinness at Leixlip.
The Santa Barbara News-Press recently became available on newspapers.com.
Beverly Jackson was a society columnist for the New-Press at this time. Here is her article about the party at the Santa Barbara Biltmore for Desmond and Paige was his date.
Santa Barbara News-Press Oct. 14, 1973.
Paige Young is not mentioned as she was in the LAT Jody Jacobs article.
Part 2 of Article.
…..Reynolds who has just completed a fine portrait of..>>>>>>>
Paige Young with Desmond Guinness and Santa Barbara Host Guy Roop Oct. 10, 1973 Los Angeles Times article by Jody Jacobs who wrote about Paige:
As we have already seen through Suzy and Jody Jacobs articles, Desmond was back in Los Angeles in late March of 1974. He was again was making social rounds to promote the the IGS.
This time giving a lecture on the topic at the Leo S. Bing Theater located on the Los Angeles County Museum of Art Campus. (The Bing Theater was recently demolished.)
And again he stayed with Douglas A. Campbell, who again hosted at least one party for Desmond at his beautiful mansion in Holmby Hills.
Two weeks before Paige’s suicide.
The Hon. Desmond Guinness,
PART #1 of Beverley Jackson article in SB News-Press
Part #2 of B. Jackson article.
The most important part of the article is at the tail end.
We see that Paige was at the dinner party for Desmond held at Douglas A. Campbell’s home. And not just any table either. Paige was sitting with Jackson and Marina Guinness, daughter of Desmond.
So they met. As Dad’s new friend in LA?
South Gate Press Saturday March 23rd 1974.
The date of the party is not given, but if this was published on Thurs. March 28, 1974 and the Bing Theater lecture was Monday March 25.
This dinner would have been within 2 weeks of Paige’s suicide.
Was Paige afraid that any of the people at this gathering, would learn about the sex tape in which she appeared??
Around May 15, 1970, An appearance by Paige Young at the Pasadena Art Museum (PAM) was recorded by Marvene Jones of the Los Angeles Evening News, and her photographer. Jones’ column, The Social Butterfly, Focused on hip happenings of the LA social set.
The occasion at PAM was a gala opening for the new Andy Warhol exhibit.
Warhol himself makes an appearance, obviously a big deal.
Los Angeles Evening Citizen 5/16/1970
Column #2 of article. Richard Sample told me Paige was always barefoot. (And frequently topless) Iconic 1960s fashion designer, from Los Angeles Rudi Gernreich, was the designer of Paige’s dress this evening. Rudi Gernreich is famous for his aesthetic contributions to fashion in the 1960s. Did Paige get the dress directly from Rudi? I think so. Paige Young and Rudi Gernreich lived or hung around Venice Beach at the time. Both were guests at Venice Beach artists’ openings. Rudi Gernreich was and is known for his innovative, modern, risque and gender-bending clothing. He is celebrated to this day for his impact on 1960s fashion and way beyond.. At the end of the article, Marvene Jones gossips that Paige removed her Gernreich dress in the VIP area, later in the evening.
William Louis Gardner was born in Minnesota and finished school there. He joined the US Air Force and worked at the Pentagon in the Target Library of the world. Went on to the Pasadena Playhouse to learn television and movie making. He got a job with actress Marion Davies at her home. There He met a movie agent and started a career in Hollywood. William Louis Gardner has worked in Hollywood as the agent, personal secretary, PR advisor and manager for for Mickey Rooney, Jonathan Winters, Jill St.John, Bobby Van and director, John Huston. William Gardner is the author of two books, “Confessions of a Hollywood Agent,” and “The Games End.”
Bill Gardner’s website
Paige’s date for the Warhol opening at PAM, Bill Gardner, is shown on the set of the Jonathan Winters Show 67-69 CBS. Gardner is with 2 men he “managed,” Mickey Rooney and Jonathan Winters. Paige Young said in 1969 interviews that she was an extra on the Jonathan Winters show and Playboy After Dark. Both shows were filmed at CBS Television City at 7800 Beverly Blvd.Marvene Jones wrote in the above article that Bill was Jonathan’s manager for a while. She also wrote that his main job was to keep Winters sober.
According to the Jones article column 2, Paige Youngand Andy Warhol discuss a role for Paige in an upcoming Andy Warhol film.
It’s not something that ever happened. I think the two were making flirty small talk. Ironically, Paige mentions Warhol and the Pop Art scene in an interview with Playboy magazine.
She said about Pop Art “it gives me a headache.” And
“I wouldn’t waste my paint on it.”
Marvene Jones also says that Mr. and Mrs. DeWain Valentine made up a foursome that evening with Paige and Bill Gardner. Valentine had an exhibit showing some of his large cast polyester resin pieces at the Pasadena Art Museum. It was being shown along with the Warhol exhibit.
Notice in the Los Angeles Times
Last part of Marvene Jones’ column shows Warhol with locally famous art patrons Robert and Carolyn Rowan.
PAM has been called the Norton Simon Museum since October 1975. (An interesting LA story itself.) Classic Hollywood actress and widow of producer David Selznick, JenniferJones married Norton Simon, a very wealthy man. He took over the museum in the mid-1970s.
LA Times article 1970, about the upcoming Warhol Show.
Another article on the show.
DeWain Valentine, sculptor from Colorado, was a young and rising artist in the 1960s Venice Beach art scene.
Los Angeles Time March 10, 1968.
(Name misspelling of Warhol!) This refers to the exhibit Paige attended with Bill Gardner, DeWain Valentine and Mrs. Valentine. I interviewed Mrs. Darlene Valentine, who is referred to in the Marvene Jones article. She wasn’t sure if it was a planned foursome or if they just happened to be standing together. She did tell me that after her separation from DeWain, she felt pressured to attend some openings with her estranged husband. Some in the art world didn’t want a hint of scandal gossip at an important openings. They feared it could alienate potential buyers.
Valentine is considered one of the innovators of the “Lightand Space” art movement. The others include Larry Bell, Robert Irwin, Helen Pashgian, James Turrell, John McCracken, Fred Eversley, and Doug Wheeler.
Many of these artists lived or rented a studio in Venice Beach due to the cheap rent. This was continuing a practice already established by this point in time.
From Pacific Standard Time exhibit website, 1968. DeWain Valentine in front of one of his works of art (or is it material for the artpiece?) in the Market St. studio where Paige Young also lived, or rented, at the time her Playboy issue was released.
brief Background of the Venice Beach Art scene:
End of sentence reads: “exoticism: and of course, it’s glorious beach.” From “Made in California: Art Image and Identity 1900-2000
Before the
Light and Space artists emerged in the 1960s, there was the Ferus Group. Named so because they exhibited at the Ferus Gallery, which opened in 1957.
From top right: Billy Al Bengston, Irving Blum, Ed Moses, John Altoon in front of the Ferus Gallery on La Cienega Blvd, in 1959. Photo from the book PacificStandard Time, by William Claxton.
The Ferus Group includes California based artists: Ed Keinholz (original part-owner of the Gallery), Wally Berman, Billy Al Bengston, Ed Ruscha, Larry Bell, Robert Irwin, Ed Moses, Craig Kauffman, Ken Price and John Altoon.
Artists Jay DeFeo and Sonia Gechtoff from San Francisco.
Ferus Gallery included New York artists in their exhibits: Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg,RoyLichtenstein, Frank Stella.
The curators and owners of the Ferus Gallery who helped bring them to renown are Walter Hopps and Irving Blum.
end of sentence “directly onto sheetmetal.” From Made in California: Art, Image and Identity 1900-2000
Hopps had the eye for cutting edge art. Irving Blum was good at selling it.
Many of southern California artists lived in VeniceBeach.
The Ferus Gallery gang interacted with Andy Warhol during his well documented stay in Los Angeles in the early 1960s. Warhol drove with actor Taylor Mead, assistant Gerard Malanga and painter Wynn Chamberlain from NYC to LA.
It was Warhol’s very first trip to LA.
Ken Price exhibition announcement from 1961, Ferus Gallery. From the book: Made in California: Art, Image and Identity.1900-2000
The trip plan was to catch opening night for Warhol’s 2nd exhibit at Ferus. His Campbell’s soup can collection has already shown there to jeers and laughter.
The Southern California artists were allowed to live and create far away from the competitive and critical Art world.
They found freedom to creativity outside of New York City.
Ed Moses once said “No one cared what we were doing.”
Alongside this growing art scene in Venice Beach in the 1950s and early 1960s, the “Beatnik Scene” was happening.
Author Lawrence Lipton documented and helped popularize Beats and Beatniks into a popular culture trope.
Lipton lived and observed the culture of people dropping out of the work-a-day world of post-war affluence.
They were moving away from the promotion of the so-called American Dream culture. This shift was noticeable in places like Venice West, California, North Beach, San Francisco, and Greenwich Village, NYC.
Lawrence Lipton wrote about the real life characters of the beatnik culture in his book Holy Barbarians.
Valley Times. November 7, 1959. The year that Holy Barbarians was published. Beatniks became a fad into the early 1960s and permanently after that..
The hotspots for Beats and Beatnik culture:
Venice Beach and Hermosa Beach communities in LA, North Beach in San Francisco and Greenwich Village in NYC.
Carolyn Keith on Pinterest.
Trope of a Beatnik Girl from the 1950s.
Here is an image of a Beatnik girl with many the cliches of Beatnik images in popular culture.
She has wine, cigarettes, a black beret, and black clothing.
Beatnik couple. Heidi Johnson pinterest. Beatnik accessories like bongo drums, wine, coffee, black striped t-shirts, Modern Art.
Beatnik culture featured in a late 1950s issue of Modern Man magazine. Modern Man was a “Bachelor” magazine and a competitor to Playboy magazine in the 1950s. KCET pinterest. Some of the 1950s pinup models were “Beatnik” in their philosophy about nudity. (Collette Berne)
Movies:
1959 Mr. Tucker, proprietor of a Los Angeles coffee house, hires three down-on-their-luck classic beatnik patrons. They are out-of-work actor John Mapes, struggling writer Ray Miller, and George Leland. George is the wayward son of movie star Rita Leland. They agree to participate in an armored car robbery. This occurs during a four-hour stopover in Chicago on the trio’s train trip from Los Angeles to New York. Mapes’ worried wife Jeanne joins him on the train, concerned about his not having had a job in more than a year. (wikipedia)
Disappointingly, TheRebel Set is not about Beatnik culture.
The film begins in a Beatnik coffeehouse with Beatnik patrons. Two of the patrons are struggling actors. They are recruited to join in an armored car heist in Chicago.
The group of Ferus artists were organizing as a Cultural force at the same time the Beatniks were becoming a pop culture force.
Over the next couple of years, Ruscha fell in with the artists orbiting the Ferus Gallery, which opened in 1957 on La Cienega Boulevard in West Hollywood. Founded by the curator Walter Hopps, his wife Shirley Hopps, and the artist Edward Kienholz, Ferus quickly became the ground zero of Los Angeles art, hosting exhibitions by Kienholz and a roster of talents that included John Altoon, Larry Bell, Billy Al Bengston, Robert Irwin, John McCracken, and Ed Moses, as well as Ruscha. Stylistically they were a diverse lot whose efforts ranged across figuration, Expressionism and Minimalist abstraction and this was no less true of Ruscha’s output, which ran the gamut from Pop Art to conceptualism. ART NEWS Nov. 2, 2023. Article about Ed Ruscha by Howard Halle.
The Ferus ‘Studs’ the new generation of artists, young abstract painters, ceramicists and assemblage makers who had been flying under the wire now were the featured artists at the Ferus Gallery. The Gallery was ripe for the adventurous artists who would set the new bar in contemporary styles. The Ferus Gallery had belief in the performance of their work and was one of the first galleries to support it.
Ferusgallery.com
Inside the Ferus Gallery,1960.From left artists John Altoon,Billy Al Bengston with dancing owner and curator Irving Blum. Photo by William Claxton.
END
The Light and Space or Finish Fetish art movement was born in the mid-1960s.
DeWain Valentine was a key player along with Larry Bell, Doug Wheeler and Robert Irwin, Helen Pashigan, Peter Alexander and more.
Originally from Ft. Collins, Colorado, Valentine developed a type of polyester resin material. This material allowed him to make large scale pieces like the one shown below.
Previously, the material would crack when making a piece this size: approx: 17 1/4x 17/4 x 7/8.
(Christies Auction online)
Valentine was a newcomer to Venice Beach compared to the others artists, he arrived with his wife Darlene and sons in 1965.
He had been hired to teach a course on plastics at the UCLA Extension program.
From my reading, he experienced a rapid success on the West Coast.
For much more detail on these art movements which established the LosAngeles art scene as one on par with New York City or even Europe, watch the documentary “The Cool School, ” available on Netflix.
Richard Sample
Told me that after he moved to a studio-home in Venice (late 1960s), he invited Paige to live with him.
Richard’s father is artist and western jewelry maker, Charlie Sample. He was able to get Richard the studio space in Venice Beach.
I asked Richard the location and he said he could not remember it, but that it was quite close to the ocean and his artist neighbors and friends were, DeWain Valentine and Larry Bell.(See chapter: Interview with Richard Sample)
Valentine polyester resin discs from a newspaper article. This is what Paige and the attendees would have seen that night at the Pasadena Art Museum in 1970. But much more colorful like below!
Paige refers to her “new Venice art studio” and discusses the art scene there in several interviews with Playboy magazine and US newspapers in 1969 and 1970. (See chapter: Most Public Year 1969)
Richard Sample and Paige Young joined the community of Venice artists. They were “not working with the new materials,” to quote Paige in an interview. She was referring to her neighbors and friends, Valentine, Bell, Irwin, etc.
Paige mentions her Venice Beach art studio in several articles including Playboy January 1969. So, it was not made up for publicity. A female friend does remember Paige talking about her Venice art studio. For the most part, I have confirmed that Paige’s Playboy publicity about her personal life mostly aligned with the truth of her real life. She did live in Malibu as her Playmate feature and interviews state. However, technically it was the southern end of Topanga Canyon near the beach across the Pacific Coast Highway. So Topanga Beach?
Paige mentions Venice Beach as an “art colony,” where she now lives.
Philadelphia Inquirer Jun. 27, 1969
I found the location of this Venice studio:62-68Market St.
Research and interviews show that artist Robert Irwin lived across the street from Valentine. His name was not mentioned by Richard Sample.
At one point I asked Richard if he “knew EdRuscha or Robert Irwin” and some others. He did not recognize those names, he was certain about Larry Bell and DeWain Valentine.
Richard Sample’s niece EllenSample remembers visiting her uncle and grandfather Charles Sample at the art studio/home in Venice Beach. Charles Sample was a jewelry maker and had a retail storefront in addition to his studio.
Ellen, a child at the time, remembers hearing frequent talk about a man named “Valentine.”
Richard and Ellen both recalled being able to see the beach from the studio. 62-68 Market St., a block from the ocean, is a large structure. Many artists rented their own studios according to Ellie. This is why the address lists a range of numbers.
Richard Sample paints in Venice Beach. He was a friend and former lover of Paige. Richard left LA in the 1970s for Solvang and Los Alamos, Ca. eventually winding up in Idaho. Paige’s oil painting of Richard is hanging on the wall. To the upper left, we see some kind of Paige Playboy plaque. It looks like something the company would present to the Playmates.
Richard Sample is listed with an address of 63 Market St. Venice, in a newspaper marriage announcement, 1968.
Venice Evening Vanguard. Aug. 21 1968
Ellen texted me a story: she thinks her Uncle Richard sublet the Venice studio to Paige at one point.
Ellen recalls “tensions” about Paige among Ellen’s aunts.
These women were the wives of Charles Sample and his sons.
Ellen said her own mother was not bothered by Paige living at the studio. However, her mother did “go with her sister-in-laws to see what was going on at the studio.” Ellen says the most tense time was when Paige’s Playboy issue was current and shortly after. (This would have been November of 1968 and 1969. In 1969 Paige was frequently traveling all over the US to promote her photos published in a”current” issue of the magazine.
Richard Sample told me he was forced to ask Paige to leave the Venice studio because she never paid him rent. (See chapter Richard Sample interview)
I have learned that Paige was not a good manager of money.
I asked Ellen if it was a possibility that Richard felt pressured to ask Paige to leave due to the tension with the women in the family.
Ellen said she thought itwas possible, but just didn’t know for certain.
DeWain Valentine has spoken about his Venice studio in several art magazine interviews and the influence it had on his art.
Mrs. Darlene Valentine told me in a telephone conversation that Paige was one of many women Valentine “slept with” or “dated” during those days.
She remembered the night at the Pasadena Art Museum, but not specifically that she double dated with Paige. She does remember that Warhol superstar Ultra Violet was along with Warhol.
She does not recall meeting Bill Gardner, Paige’s date of the evening.
DeWain Valentine fondly remembers the friendships with his many fellow artists. He had a special connection with Larry Bell and Robert Irwin. This was particularly true during the 1960s and early 70s.
Brooklyn Rail 2019
DeWain Valentine above states that he lived in and eventually purchased the 62 -65 Market St.
61-65 is the address listed here.
And indeed, several records with his signature and name can be seen in public building archives from LA County. They are now available online.
Here is how 62-68 Market St. looked in September of 2022. Sold by Valentine approx. 20 years ago. Bell’s former place is to the right with the red and cream bricks.
DeWayne Valentine spent many years living and creating art in Hawaii after the 1970s.
When he moved back to LA from Hawaii, it was to a large studio and home in Gardena.
.
From the Documentary “The Cool School.” Market St, where Valentine, Bell and Irwin, probably others, had art studios. Richard Sample and Paige Young made art and lived, briefly. Paige lived or rented the studio space for about one year. When she could not pay the rent for several months, Richard Sample “had no choice but to ask her to leave.” When he went to tell her this, Sample found her living on a houseboat in Marina del Rey.
The first white building facade you see in this clip was Valentine’s studio, where Paige and Sample lived and worked for a while in 68/69. The ocean can be seen from this location on Market St., just as Ellen and Richard Sample described it. Larry Bell lived next door and Robert Irwin lived across the street where the arches are on the left. (I think.)
From an 800-page + biography of Andy Warhol.
by author Blake GopnikWARHOL, published in 2020, it is considered the definitive biography of Warhol according to “A.I.” I have uploaded these paragraphs from the Warhol Biography describing the night Paige attended the Warhol opening at PAM, written up in the Social Butterfly column. Notice the sentence “Specimen Days, a comedy about Walt Whitman’s time as a Civil War Nurse.”
<<<<<<<<<From the Marvene Jones column above. Andy’s new movie idea, Specimens of Man.
So DeWain Valentine and Ed Keinholz are chopped liver?
PMOM = Playmate of the Month. PMOY = Playmate of the Year.
This photo of Paige Young appears in the January 1969 issue of Playboy magazine.
A brief update about her life is included, which was truthful I learned, if incomplete.
Update on Paige Young shown with her photo. Jan. 1969PlayboyMagazine.
More specifically Paige lived in Topanga Canyon/ Topanga Beach. And area at that time of artists and hippies of all kinds.
The January 1969 Playboy magazine issue shows all 12 Playmates of 1968.
A brief update accompanies each one, as we read in Paige YOung’s.
Standard protocol for this annual issue.
It means the PMOY title will be announced soon.
1969 is also the 15th anniversary issue of the influential and wildly successful magazine.
Hugh Hefner became famous for his publishing and business empire including the trendy Playboy Clubs and instantly iconic Playboy Bunny cocktail waitresses.
And successful enough to have created scores of imitators in the magazine publishing world during the 1950s and early 1960s.
Titles like Escapade, Nugget, ModernMan, Adam, Dude and Rogue, to name only a few. An easy Google image search.
The imitators experienced varying degrees of success.
The Playmate of the Year
has a higher status thanthe Playmate of the Month (PMOM) obviously.
Kind of like, the “elite of the elite.“
Or the “creme de la creme.“
A PMOY title is akin to winning a beauty contest, much like Miss America or Miss USA.
1947
The 12 finalists are the 12 PMOMs.
The yearly 12 have already cleared a major hurdle by winning over many other young women for the coveted monthly spot.
Round 2: the 12 finalists are automatically up for the PMOY title.
PMOY means more of everything you have already experienced as a regular PMOM: public appearances, photo sessions, media interviews, a modeling fee, career opportunities.
However, a pink car is reserved exclusively for the PMOY.)
PMOY 1970 Claudia Jennings with her prize of a Playmate Pink Mercury Capri Claudia Jennings.
Claudia Jennings Jennings, an aspiring actress, is interviewed on the Tonight show sitting on Johnny’s famous couch around the time she was given the title PMOY.
More about Jennings in my Start Here page.
A big party is thrown in your honor, often at Hef’s Chicago mansion, later LA, which will be attended by various celebrities, including good looking film actors, the press, Playboy big-wigs, assistants and assorted VIPs.
You would meet 100s of men in particular I imagine.
How was PMOY chosen?
I wonder if reader feedback influenced the decision, was it up to Hugh Hefner alone, or decided by committee?
Paige Young did not win and I doubt if she was even in the top 3.
The winner was Connie Kreski seen here on her PMOY issue, June 1969
Winner Connie was the girlfriend of Victor Lownes, head of the London Playboy Club & Casino, Chicago friend of Hugh Hefner.
A forgotten figure of the 1960s.
There is evidence Connie and Victor met at a Chicago Mansion party to honor her title as PMOY.
More on Victor Lownes coming up.
By the time of her title in 1969, Connie had already filmed a movie directed by English singer, actor, composer Anthony Newley.
Newley wrote many classic songs:Goldfinger, What Kind of Fool and I?, Feeling Good and Candy Man!
Connie Kreski
was born Constance Joanne Kornacki in Wyandotte, Michigan.
She said in press interviews that she grew up in a “strict Polish Catholic family.”
January Playboy 1969
Playboy January 1969.Connie’s photo above goes update. She modeled with fashion photographer David Bailey.
Constance Kornacki was studying for a degree in psychiatric nursing at Mercy College in Detroit when Playboy came calling in the form of a man at a University of Michigan football game.
He worked for Playboy and told Connie he thought she had the ideal youthful face and figure required for Playmate candidates.
Connie appeared to look much younger than her 21 years.
This is why Newley cast her as Mercy in his 1969 released film “Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness?”
Part 2 of Columbus Ledger article. Compare what is said about Connie’s age in the two articles. Refers to missing boyfriend living in London. This was Victor Lownes, not named here.
Cincinnati Enquirer Sept. 8, 1969
Anthony Newley had married a beautiful Hollywood starlet in 1963.
She was a native of England named Joan Collins.
Anthony Newley plays himself in the title role of Heironymus, wife Joan Collins plays his wife in the film, named Polyester Poontang.
It was pretty much a flop and skewered by the critics.
Film poster released in the US Mar. 1969.
The article below was written before the disappointing reviews that followed the debut of the film in 1969.
It’s an interesting look at late-1960s popular culture by way of Newley’s film, filmed on the island of Malta in 1968.
The Newley’s small children Alexander and Tara were in the film as well as and several starlets, models and dancers.
Part 2of article: This part of the article is about Connie who plays the titular Mercy Humppe. Connie had moved to London with her PMOM money where she met Newley and Victor Lownes, or more likely, met Lownes in Chicago and was invited by him, or she follwed him? to London. Note the part that Connie “plays a temptress of 14.” Paragraph 4.Evening London Standard. June 7, 1968. Part 3. Poor quality image. Connie as Mercy and Anthony as “Heironymus .”
1969 in an article describing the set of the “Heironymous.”
Connie, just like Paige Young, had publicity all year long in 1969.
More than they would ever have the rest of their short lives.
Connie had her picture in newspapers across the USA, England and Canada in ‘69
Connie was in newspaper articles many times for her title role in Heironymus Merkin.
Atlanta Constitution May 25, 1969.
Part #2 of Constitution article. Tells how Connie was first spotted by Joan Collins as a potential for Merci Humpee. This article says they met in Chicago and Victor invited Connie to London where he run the Playboy Club and Casino.
One issue of Playboy magazine featured a ninepage photo spread, serving as a promo for Heironymus. And for Connie as their Playboy Star.
Newley was a great friend and appeared on Hugh Hefner’s show of 1968-1970Playboy After Dark.
Connie has several nude shots in the issue and a nearly nude Joan Collins has one.
Kingsport Times Tennessee 6/19/1969 Paige Young was touring the US and Canada this year to promoting Playboy After Dark. Promoting Anthony, friend of Playboy and Connie, Playboy star on the horizon with a possibly bright future in Films.
Victor Lownes
is a colorful and forgotten 1960s character.
Lownes was a close Chicago friend of Hugh Hefner.
Atlanta Constitution May 24, 1969. Looks like Connie met Victor Lownes in Chicago and moved to London to be with him?
People said that Lownes, who moved to London to run the Playboy Club & Casino, embodied the “Playboy man” even more than Hugh Hefner.
He was also known to sexually harass Bunnies at the clubs.
Victor Lownes, friend of Hugh Hefner, is the head of the London Playboy Club. He is the steady of Connie Kreski. Here we see him giving assistance to friend Roman Polanski, shortly after learning he lost his wife, son and friends in the brutal Charles Manson killings in Los Angeles. Press-Democrat, Santa Rosa, Aug. 11, 1969. Victor and Connie are seen together in the much viewed film footage of the Tate (and maybe Sebring?) funerals on youtube. However, they are never identified.
Little Known connection to Charles manson killings
Victor Lownes, Hefner anddirector Roman Polanski, Anthony Newley, were close friends in the late 1960s and 1970s.
Roman by Marta on pinterest Wedding Day for Roman and Sharon in London. Jan. 20, 1968.
Polanski and actress Sharon Tate lived together in London for a time and had their wedding reception at the London Playboy Club in 1968. A party hosted by Victor Lownes.
Connie and Victor appear together with several mourners at Sharon Tate’s funeral in Los Angeles, on film footage seen on youtube.
Connie flipping her hair in London, late 1960s.
Roman and Sharon also appeared together on an episode of Playboy After Dark, a show Connie appears on several times.
The couple was interviewed by host Hef; Roman does most of the talking. (Available on youtube and tiktok.)
Paige Young promoted the show in 1969 and may or may not have appeared on the show.
Los Angeles Times May 15, 1969. Anthony Newley on hand to escort Connie Kreski accepting her honor of PMOY. Victoria Vetri,PMOY 1968, and starlet is mentioned in left column. Her reign of ‘68 was honored at the party. The opening of her film, now a cult classic, When Dinosaurs Ruled theEarth, was also celebrated. Victoria Vetri had a small part in the Roman Polanski-directed hit film “Rosemary’s Baby.” Victoria was known as Angela Dorian when she was the September Playmate of the Month in 1967. and Playmate of the Year 1968 as Victoria Vetri. Roman Polanski convinced her to use her real name. of Victoria Vetri, where she had a bit part in Rosemary’s Baby.
The Manson murders would occur just a few months after this article appeared.
Victoria Vetri with her PMOY 1968 car. AMC AMX FROM Google AI: This AMX was heavily optioned with a 4.8-liter V8 engine, a 3-speed automatic transmission, power steering and brakes, bucket seats, an AM radio, an eight-track tape player, Magnum 500 wheels, and air conditioning
Detroit Free Press Aug. 17, 1969. Connie was friends with Sharon Tate. She spent time with her only a couple days before her tragic and infamous murder. Connie is rarely mentioned on the numerous “Manson Family” websites. These sites focus on every detail of the case and include tangentially related characters.
Harrison Carroll in Hollywood syndicated column Mar. 21, 1969. New Castle Newspaper. Shows connection of Connie Kreski to Sharon Tate and Roman Polanski. Detroit Free Press Jan. 11, 1970. Mentions the mysterious Victor Lownes. Connie holds photo of herself and Victor, who would dump her in about 2 years for the force of nature that was Marilyn Cole. Connie claims there is nothing romantic going on between her and Roman Polanski. This article is only months after the horrific murders.
Victor dumped Connie after he fell hard for a new Bunny at the London Club.
The aforementioned Marilyn Cole
She has her own story to tell and has done so in interviews. But she’s never been asked about her love triangle involving Connie and Victor, that I know of.
Marilyn appears briefly in Secrets of Playboy.
This Bunny was quickly promoted PMOM in 1972 and PMOY in 1973.
Marilyn Cole’s Playboy centerfold is famous/infamous for being the first obvious straight-on view of a PMOM with full frontal nudity. Not subtle or partially hidden as earlier photos.
Cole’s issue came at a time when Playboy magazine experienced a drop in readership. This was due to competition from the new and more explicit Penthouse magazine.
The Marilyn Cole issue provided a huge sales boost for Playboy which she talks about in Secrets of Playboy documentary.
Penthouse magazine feature more explicit and forward photography of their centerfold called a “Penthouse Pet.” In particular full-frontal nudity.
The viewer is more of a voyeur to the private bedroom of the “Pet,” than he may have seen in the Playboy centerfold.
Playboy was “forced” or pressured into publishing more centerfolds in the Penthouse style, to keep up with the new standards in Society, that they helped bring in.
Marilyn in the Daily Mirror 1974. Photo by The now infamous Terry O’Neill. This may have been the time Terry and Anjelica Huston met and became an item. Anjelica was an in-demand model.
Connie Kreski has about 10 TV and film appearances after “Hieronymus.“
April 6, 1969. Long Beach Press Telegraph
From 1969
From a newspaper TV schedule. Connie on Laugh-In gogo dancing.
From 1969
Connie appeared as a guest on the Merv Griffin and Joey Bishop talk shows.
From the Fremont Tribune, June 21, 1973
The Trackers is available on youtube. A terrible movie. Connie seen briefly at the beginning of the movie and briefly near the end.
In a 1969 episode of Playboy After Dark, Connie is introduced by Hugh Hefner as “Connie Kreski, our Playmate of the Year.” Connie does not say one word the entire show.
She does have more lines on other episodes of PAD, mostly the ones from 1970, the last year of the program.
Connie with Roman Polanski, Barbi Benton, Hugh Hefner, probably in Europe and likely a year or so after Sharon Tate and the others were murdered.
Sorry, no credit for this newspaper from overseas. I would not be surprised Connie and Roman had a fling or a romp or whatever.
The People, London. Aug. 23, 1970 A little over a year since Sharon Tate and the others were murdered, Connie remains friends with widower Roman Polanski. Sorry for poor quality.
Kreski’s newspaper press indicates she was signed to a contract with Universal Studios.
Universal signed an extraordinary number of pinup models, beauty contest winners and starlets in the 1950s and 60s.
Detroit Free Press April 27, 1969 The hometown/homestate paper covered their homegrown Hollywood star.
It seems Connie had about 15 minutes of fame as an actress.
She appeared on a memorable 1970 episode of Love American Style starring Kaye Ballard, playing a topless waitress: Love and the V.I.P.Restaurant.
After a few years Connie’s contract with Universal was dropped which merited one sentence in a Hollywood gossip column I read.
Her last credit is a TV mini-series Aspen in 1976.
James CaaN
Connie had a high profile romance with actor James Caan beginning in the early 1970s and lasting around 3-4 years.
She was identified in Hollywood news articles as his “girlfriend” and “ex-Playmate.” T
hey got together soon after Caan’s star making turn in TheGodfather; he was much in demand by directors and studios.
And by many beautiful young women, according to several interviews at the time.
Connie Kreski with her boyfriend of the 1970s, James Caan, at the premiere of The Godfather in NYC. March 12, 1972. Connie became involved with Caan after she was dumped by Victor Lownes for another PMOY: Marilyn Cole. This is recounted in the book Bunny by Russell Miller. It is said Caan dumped Kreski to marry Elvis girlfriend and Playboy cover model Sheila Ryan in 1976. That marriage lasted about one year and produced Scott Caan.
Playboy Mansion regular James Caan speaks about girlfriend Connie Kreski in NY Daily NewsOct. 8, 1972
Below is from an 1970sPlayboy feature on men’s jewelry with Connie and boyfriend James Caan.
Detroit Free Press March 19, 1972. Shirley Eder also writes about the bust up between Caan and Connie seen further below. James Caan was singled out along with Al Pacino, for their star-making turns in The Godfather. Article mentions Connie’s former partner “Vic Lownes.”
It was determined that Connie Kreski died of cirrhosis of the liver at age 48 in 1995. Laennec’s is a cirrhosis most associated with alcohol abuse over time.
What happened in her life that caused it to end this way at the age of 45?
What happened to her friendships with Hefner and Polanski and that crowd? And James Caan?
Connie Kreski is rarely mentioned in any pop culture forum.
I find that strange, given the people that she was seen hanging out with: Roman Polanski, Sharon Tate, Hugh Hefner, Anthony Newley and James Caan.
Many of these people continue to generate attention and conversation. Some are still alive, many dead.
Most recently, Connie’s ex and Playboy mansion regular and good friend of Hefner, James Caan passed away on July 6, 2022. His death drew numerous accolades and a film festival is in the works.
Unusually, Caan lacks a dedicated biography.
This will likely be forthcoming.
Caan hadn’t been asked about Connie since the 1970s, that I have ever seen.
Like Paige Young, Connie’s cause of death is incorrectly identified on the internet. It usually says “blocked carotid artery” or “cancer.” Connie’s entry in The Playmate Book, mentions her death in Beverly Hills, 1995, but doesn’t state a cause. I have included closeups of her death certificate.
Connie and a man named Louis Edelman were married in New York in 1986 per records seen on ancestry.com.
They set up a marital home in Beverly Hills. Connie was pregnant at the time but unfortunately lost the baby the same year.
Connie died in March of 1995 at the young ageof 49. She died before her about 10 years older husband, Louis Edelman.
I had long wondered what happened to Connie so I ordered her death certificate.
And after seeing it, of course I wondered how she had become an alcoholic with all her seeming advantages in life. Beauty and a budding career in movies and TV, money.
Cirrhosis of Liver is clearly stated as the cause of Connie’s premature death. Interval between onset and death says years.
I was fortunate enough to get some answers by correspondence with Connie’s stepdaughter Barbara Cooper. Her father was Louis Edelman.
Connie Kreski’s last home and where she was found deceased. The location is on N. Almont Dr. in Beverly Hills. Like Paige Young’s carriage house, it is built over a garage, behind a “main house.”
Barbara Cooper told me that after the loss, Connie began an obsession with calorie counting and losing weight. On top of that she abused alcohol and her husband Louis felt compelled to hide liquor bottles from his wife.
With those two illnesses, it’s no wonder that Connie died so young and before her older husband.
Barbara’s daughters spent vacations with “Grandpa and Connie in California.” Barbara told me how consistently kind and sweet Connie was to her daughters and to everybody.
She said that Connie did not talk about Playboy, Hefner, any of the Playmates, or her days in Hollywood.
More on Connie Kreski and herbrief time in the spotlight
Chicago Tribune July 7, 1969. Long article featuring Connie. Her friend Sharon Tate is mentioned and unknowingly had about one month left to live when this article was was published.
Telegraph Journal New Brunswick. July 10, 1969
Still a couple years away from meeting Marilyn Cole and giving Connie the heave-ho.
Another famous gossip columnist of the era: Marilyn Beck. Here, she dispels any truth to the rumors of a romance with Connie and Sammy Davis Jr.
She was Sammy’s type in that era given the physical qualities of Sammy’s women mentioned here.
I doubt that Victor Lownes remained faithful to Connie. She was in LA working on her new career as an actress.
Connie had a fair amount of press on and off, for about 6 years. Press for projects and Hollywood gossip due to her relationships with Victor Lownes, Roman Polanski (denied as a relationship) and later James Caan.
I’ll be posting several of all kinds.
June 1969, Florida Today. Connie was able to fashion model despite not being tall. She was wafer thin with proportions of being tall; she could have been a perfect commercial model, if not a high fashion one. There are many fashion shots of Connie that I haven’t yet published.Anniston Alabama Star July 29, 1971. This tells me Connie wasn’t getting much film work.
Anderson, Indiana Bulletin Sept. 11, 1975.
Detroit Free Press Oct. 1975
James and Connie guests of Hef at Playboy Mansion West. LAT. Feb. 7, 1973. Joyce Haber column.
Patriot News 9/12/1975
NY Daily News June 1, 1979. Looks like Connie dated singer Mac Davis for a while after the Caan breakup. Update on Barbi and Hef relationship.
Salt Lake Tribune Oct., 3rd 1975 Only a couple of weeks between the Dorothy Manners article above and this one by Shirley Eder’s syndicated column.telling the world that Jimmy Caan is romancing Sheila Ryan, one of Elvis’ former girlfriends.
BACK TO 1969
Detroit Free Press April 27. 1969
Chicago Tribune March 24, 1969. Article by writer Norma Lee Browning.
Paige Young in Los Angeles
Paige Young in Los Angeles 