Royal Visitor

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 502, 3 November 1928, Page 27

Royal Visitor

Hollywood Scrambles

to Fete Prince George A ROMANTIC RUMOUR Hollywood went British with a vengeance during the visit of young Prince George of England, writes an American paragraphist, commenting on the visit of H.M.S. Durban’s royal officer to the film colony. Of course, Mary Pickford- and Douglas Fairbanks shook out the feather bed in their royal suile at Pickfair and entertained the Prince. At the dinner party held for his Royal Highness at the Fairbanks estate Jack Gilbert, Charlie Chaplin',

Gloria Swanson, Greta Garbo, Claire Windsor, Jetta Goudal and Lily Damita were guests. Following dinner other guests wero received for the evening’s entertainment.' Following dinner, and much

later in the evening, the Prince, with Chaplin, Mary and Doug., Gloria Swanson, June Colyer, Lily Damita, Bessie Love and George Beban, paid a short visit to the Plantation Cafe. Next day at noon the Prince lunched with Gloria Swanson, June Collyer and others, and went to the Fox studio with June and Gloria and Victor MacLaglen.

It was quite evident that the Prince was just as titillated by meeting the gods and goddesses of the cinema as any other 26-year-old young fellow would be. The Blue Book in Hollywood will doubtless he determined in future by whether or not one was asked to the Prince’s parties. Another Motive? , Some newspapers are now asking if the Prince’s visit was in any way associated with the' French film star, Lily Damita. : 3 3 “When word came to Hollywood that Prince George was aboard the .Durban,” declares one writer, “it is said that Miss Damita immediately went to meet him. The report is that she knew him in Paris and London., “Miss Damita spent several days around Del Monte while the Prince was there. “Then he suddenly decided to come to Hollywood—despite the alleged instructions of his father, King George, to keep away from the picture colony.” The reports proceed that Commander Coolridge and 15 officers of the Durban were quartered at the Roosevelt Hotel, Hollywood; and that until they read the newspaper reports of the Prince having been entertained at the Fairbahks-Pickford mansion—they did not know he was in the community. It was thought when he left the Durban he was going to a house-party at Monte dtp.