David Hartnell's Hollywood Gossip - Win Prizes

No-one is recognised as knowing more about Hollywood and celebrities than David Hartnell. He's not only spent a lifetime reporting on Hollywood's trivia, gossip and scandals, but he counts many celebrities among his personal friends. Every Monday morning David will give you an exclusive weekly update on the gossip, scandals and trivia of Hollywood's elite. David is an award winning broadcaster and columnist he’s also the patron of The Variety Artists Club of New Zealand Inc.

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by David Hartnell

Call 0800 688 726 or Order Online here 

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Read David Hartnell's Best & Worst Dressed List for 2009/10!

See David interviewed on the Good Morning Show about his Best & Worst Dressed List

Monday 30th August 2010

I'm not one to gossip but......Sir Peter and Lady Leitch Oh what a knight he was and what a night it was. My partner and I were invited to Sir Peter’s dinner party on the evening after his inauguration last Monday. I have known Peter as he was then for many years, infact, I opened his second Mad Butcher shop in Mt Roskill Auckland back in June of 1981 and have been firm friends with both he and Janice ever since. I was absolutely delighted when he was awarded his knighthood, it could’nt have gone to a more deserving person.

















Sir Peter and Lady Leitch and yours truly at their party last Monday night

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Whoopi Goldberg has left the London production of "Sister Act" to fly back to the U.S. after her mother had a stroke.





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Betty White, 88, won her seventh Emmy (including one Daytime Emmy) last weekend for her memorable stint guest-hosting Saturday Night Live. It made her the oldest Emmy winner in history! She’s won Emmys for her signature roles of Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Rose Nyland on The Golden Girls. Betty and Emmy have a long history – longer than most people imagine: She won her very first back in 1952 for the sitcom Life With Elizabeth.





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The New Your Post reports that Larry King always wanted Ryan Seacrest to be his replacement on CNN. But now King may be going to work for Seacrest -- on the radio show. Larry, who will step down late this year according to current plans, and the "American Idol" host are reportedly in discussions to give King his own radio show. It will be a return to his roots for King, who started out in radio as a late-night talk jockey in Miami 50 years ago. Ryan has a very popular daily radio show that originates from LA.

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Could the next contestants on "The Amazing Race" be celebrities? Kiwi born host Phil Keoghan hosts the show, says the show is talking about the idea of famous celebrity challengers, "If every celebrity who has told me they liked the show signed up and was a part of it, that would be huge," Keoghan told Entertainment Weekly.  Phil has said the biggest hurdle would be finding celebs with 4 weeks available in their schedules to film the show at a single stretch.

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Oprah Winfrey is a huge fan of The Mary Tyler Moore Show. She has hosted a cast reunion on a replica of the show’s set and even filmed the famous opening of the show with her re-enacting Mary’s iconic moment of throwing her cap into the air. But when Oprah’s staff came up with a surprise and invited Mary Tyler Moore herself onto the show without telling Oprah, she lost control: “I went into the ugly cry on the air.” Because of that, Oprah has made a rule that during the 25th and final year of her daytime show, she tells TV Guide Magazine must not be surprised like that again: “I don’t want to lose that kind of control. If you’ve ever looked at that tape, snot’s running out of my nose and I had such a headache that I couldn’t focus. I don’t handle surprise very well.”

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Frankly, my dear, you didn't give a damn who you slept with.

Two-time Oscar winner Vivien Leigh, the iconic Scarlett O'Hara in "Gone With The Wind," was a hot mess off-screen -- a slutty bisexual who battled mental illness for most of her adult life, an explosive new biography claims.

"Damn You, Scarlett O'Hara" outs at least three of Leigh's lesbian lovers, and describes her insatiable appetite for "rough trade" -- bad boys she'd pick up at Scotty's, a notorious LA brothel that masqueraded as a gas station with one pump and 22 attendants, The Sunday Times of London reports.

"In the 1940s, the world's most recognizable star would drive down to Scotty's with her friend George Cukor, the initial director of 'Gone With The Wind,' and they would both pick out young men for the night," a publishing source told the newspaper.

"They would pay the men with gifts such as cigarette cases, jewels, or even stocks and bonds. She depended on the professional discretion of men not to boast they had just serviced Scarlett O'Hara."

In the glitzy, glamorous Hollywood of the 1930s, Leigh was seen as the romantic soul mate of another rising star, Laurence Olivier, who left his lesbian wife for her.

But unpublished memoirs and witness accounts suggest that within months of becoming lovers in 1937, they were both "playing away from home," claim co-authors Darwin Porter, who knew the actress in the '60s, and Roy Moseley, who was Olivier's personal assistant.

In addition to an affair with Brit actress Isabel Jeans and at least two other women, the book claims Leigh slept with a string of handsome co-stars like Marlon Brando and Rex Harrison.  From the New York Post

The book is published by Bloodmoon Products Ltd

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Zsa Zsa Gabor had some wonderful quick fire sayings, her tongue could clip a hedge it was so sharp. Here are just a few.

"I am a marvellous housekeeper. Every time I leave a man I keep his house."

"You never really know a man until you have divorced him."

"How many husbands have I had? You mean apart from my own?"

"I want a man who's kind and understanding. Is that too much to ask of a millionaire?"

"I never hated a man enough to give him diamonds back."

"To a smart girl men are no problem - they're the answer."

"I know nothing about sex, because I was always married."

"A man in love is incomplete until he has married. Then he's finished."

"Conrad Hilton was very generous to me in the divorce settlement. He gave me 5000 Gideon Bibles."

"One of my theories is that men love with their eyes; women love with their ears."

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Can you believe it’s 30 years ago Dolly Parton made her film debut which was the classic comedy 9 to 5 which she starred in with Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda. She followed that up with Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Rhinestone and, of course, Steel Magnolias.

But Dolly hasn’t starred in a feature film since 1992′s Straight Talk.

HERE SHE COMES AGAIN:

Dolly is going to team with Queen Latifah in Joyful Noise as a pair of ladies who work to stop the closure of a scrappy gospel choir. Queen will portray the mother of a couple of teenagers who takes the reins of the Pacashau Gospel Choir after the choir leader dies. Dolly will play the late choir director’s wife who is gunning for the chance to helm the singing group, according to the Hollywood Reporter magazines

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DVD’s NOT TO BE MISSED!

The Smurfs Favourites Collection
Magna

Over five decades on from their original inception, join Papa Smurf, Smurfette and the rest of your favourite characters in this special collection edition combining 50 smurf-tabulous episodes of the ever popular children’s cartoon series.

The Smurfs and the magic flute (The Smurfs very first feature film)
Magna

The Smurfs and the Magic Flute produced in 1975, was the Smurfs first move to the screen and the beginning of what would become a world-wide Phenomenon. 

Somehow a magic flute has gotten out of Smurfland and into the hands of young practical joker Peewit and the good knight Johan.  However this is no ordinary flute as it has only six holes and when played it has the ability to make people dance. That isn’t so bad, but when Peewit loses the flute to the sinister Oilycreep, the Smurfs have to come to the rescue!

What do I need I say about these amazing little Smurf’s, they are a delight and this movie is a sheer delight. The Smurf’s are timeless and they are a must for any child’s dvd collection.

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LA Ink Collection 6
Magna

Kat embarks on new projects away from the shop with the creation of her own Art book and redecorating boyfriend Nikki Stix's Music studio. But while Kat's away, the crew will play and even as musicians Lemmy (Motörhead) and Nick Wheeler (All-American Rejects) wait patiently in the chair, High Voltage's 1st Anniversary leaves it's mark with true LA Ink style.



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Man vs. Wild: Push The Limits
Magna

Bear Grylls travels around the globe to find te most dangerous tourist locations and environments, in order to show us how to survive in them.  With his simple survival techniques and his knowledge of the wildlife, he is able to give handy tips that could effectively save lives.



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Man vs. Wild: Ultimate Survivor
Magna

Mount Everest, Freezing Atlantic Oceans and Himalayan peaks are but notches on Bear Grylls accomplished survival belt. After going places and experiencing situations that defeat most people, Bear's proven he's a born survivor and the first collection of Man Vs Wild Season Two is no exception.

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HOLLYWOOD TRIVIA TO GO!

In mid 2002, the 94-year-old stepmother of Liza Minnelli dropped her legal action against her stepdaughter. Lee Anderson Minnelli, who was married to Liza’s father Vincent, accused Liza of selling her long-time Beverly Hills home out from under her. According to reports Lee was persuaded to drop her action after a phone call from Liza, who planned to move her stepmother into a rented apartment.

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Glenn Close’s dad was a brilliant physician, who spent 16 years in Zaire trying to find a treatment for the deadly ebola virus.

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Elvis Presley was very close to his parents, and in Loving You (1957) he had them appear as extras. It was their first and last movie.

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Sting is father to six children.

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Macaulay Culkin is godfather to Michael Jackson’s son Prince.

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Heather Graham’s dad was an FBI agent and her mum is an author of children’s books.

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Athena Cansino is the great-niece of the golden-age Hollywood star Rita Hayworth.

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TV actor Ed Asner is the son of a Kansas City scrap-iron dealer.

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Oscar winner Holly Hunter is the youngest of seven children; she grew up on a farm in Georgia.

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Mel Gibson’s father moved the entire family to Australia from New York in the 1960s, so his son wouldn’t be drafted.

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Christopher Lee is cousin to James Bond author Ian Fleming.

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Charles Bronson said in an interview that his family was so poor that he started school in dresses, which were hand-me-downs from his older sister.....but my lips are sealed!

Also - if you'd like to read about David Hartnell's house in the NZ Woman's weekly, please either scroll down here or click in the left hand column.

Copyright David Hartnell 2010

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WIN...

Two Lovers
Roadshow

A Brooklyn-set romantic drama about a bachelor (Phoenix) torn between the family friend his parents wish he would marry and his beautiful but volatile new neighbour

This week's question: How many years ago did Dolly Parton make her movie debut?

Please send your answer, along with your name and address details to us here. [Please also note that you must be a GrownUps member to enter the draw - please register Free here if you are not currently a member]

Click here for recent winners.

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Monday 23rd August 2010

I'm not one to gossip but......I’ve just read Dining Out: A History of the Restaurant in New Zealand by Perrin Rowland published by the Auckland University Press. This book is not available till next month, but I couldn't wait to tell you about it. This book bought back so many great childhood memories of dinning out; it was a real blast from the past. From oyster bars and ordinaries to hotel dining rooms, from Dunedin's Savoy to K Road's Hi Diddle Griddle, (remember chicken in the basket?)  from haute cuisine to Pacific flavours, from hogget to hapuka - Dining Out introduces us to the history of the New Zealand restaurant from the 1860s to the present.

Drawing on menus, memories, photographs and newspapers, Perrin Rowland tells the story of New Zealand's first nineteenth-century restaurants; luxury in the golden age; licensing and the Depression years; World War II and the Americans; post-war dining and the six o'clock swill; the rise of ethnic restaurants; and our contemporary explosion of flavours. Throughout she asks important questions about the eaten out. How did international trends - from hamburgers to nouvelle cuisine - shape the restaurant experience? How have New Zealanders reconciled a culture of the ordinary bloke with the luxury of dining out? And was it really all bad coffee and soggy chips before 1980? Extensively illustrated and engagingly written, Dining Out is a great, gastronomical tour through New Zealand history.

Perrin Rowland shows that in amongst the silver service and salads of the New Zealand restaurant experience lies a great story about the way our peoples and cultures have changed over the last 150 years. This book would make a great gift for the person who has everything. The selection of pictures through out were real gems. I have to say congratulations Auckland University Press for producing such a beautiful book, this would make the ideal gift for the person of a certain age who has everything.

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These amazing Nesting one-off set of the Golden Girl images is by American artist Ginger Williams.

Check out her website for more of her stunning work, it’s well worth a look.



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I’m sure this cover of The Rolling Stone magazine will be a huge seller and become a collector’s item with True Blood fan’s around the world. Hard to imagine this was the little girl who was born in Canada and grew up in New Zealand and won the Oscar for the kiwi movie The Piano is now naked on the cover. This sexy True Blood trio cast naked Alexander Skarsgard, Stephen Moyer and Anna Paquin! The cover isn’t any more shocking than a scene on the HBO hit but we do learn that for those nude scenes, Moyer and Paquin (engaged in real life) wear small pieces of cloth to cover their privates. Not so the blond and beautiful Alexander who tells Rolling Stone: “I don’t want a sock around it, it feels ridiculous. If we’re naked in the scene, then I’m naked. I’ve always been that way."

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Can you believe it, it’s 20 years ago little Jonbenet Ramsey was murdered. Here's The Globe's imagining of what she'd look like. (via Boy Culture)





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Remember Michael J. Fox on the 80’s popular sitcom “Family Ties.” After announcing his diagnosis with Parkinson's disease in 1998, he has primarily focused on advocating for finding a cure for the degenerative disorder. Now Michael, 49, has landed himself a lead role in an America TV drama called “The Good Wife.”

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"Shore Is Magic!" Family Comedy Magic Show

The "Shore Is Magic!" family comedy magic show features performances by some of the top magicians in New Zealand, illusions, ventriloquism, special guest performers, and is hosted by a comedian. This family-friendly show of comedy, magic and fun will be a evening

- FOUR SHOWS ONLY -

Friday September 24th, 7:30pm
Saturday September 25th, 1:00pm
Saturday September 25th, 4:00pm
Saturday September 25th, 7:30pm

The Rose Theatre, School Road, Belmont, Auckland

Adult $15, Child $10
Special Family Concession (2A3C) : $50

Buy 10 or more tickets and receive a 10% discount

Buy tickets online or call iTicket on 09 361 1000

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DVD’s NOT TO BE MISSED!

Hue and Cry (1947)
Madman

Starring Alistair Sims, Harry Fowler and Joan Dowling.

It is generally considered to be the first of the “Ealing Comedies” although it is better characterised as a thriller for children. Shot almost entirely on location, it is now a notable historic document due to its vivid portrait of a London still showing the damage of WWII. London forms the backdrop of a crime-gangster plot which revolves around a working-class children’s street culture and children’s secret clubs.

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Hotel - the First Complete Season of 6 discs.
Madman

The TV series Hotel resembled several other 80's Aaron Spelling produced, guest star type shows of the time like Love Boat and Fantasy Island.

The Hotel series characters included: Victoria Cabot, the wealthy woman who watched over the hotel on behalf of her sister-in-law, Laura Trent; Peter McDermott, the smooth, bearded General Manager; Christine his assistant and later love interest; Mark, the likable public-relations person; and Billy Griffin, the hotel's security director; Julie ran the hotel's information centre; and a recently married couple Dave and Megan served as the bellhop and desk clerk.

Notable Hotel series guest stars included: Morgan Fairchild, Shirley Jones, Liberace, McLean Stevenson, Peter Marshall and Lynn Redgrave. This is a great series the only think that has dated it are the women’s shoulder pads, apart from that it’s a very enjoyable series.

ABC broadcast a total of 114 episodes of Hotel between 1983 and 1988.

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East of Ipswich
Madman

Michael Palin drew on his own memories of family holidays in grey, provincial seaside resorts for this coming of age comedy set in the late 1950s. Sleepy, ultra-respectable Suffolk might suit his parents, but sitting in deckchairs and visiting local churches is not 17-year-old Richard’s idea of fun. In this holiday hell he meets fellow teenager, Edwin – young, good-looking and girl-crazy, and willing to take the naïve Richard under his wing…

Escaping the seaside stalag B&B and its gargoyle of a landlady, as well as the gruesome couple whom his parents have invariably befriended, Richard joins Edwin in a desperate search for excitement in this stuffy coastal town.

Soon, a gorgeous young woman who instantly ignites his imagination, a feisty young Dutch girl and a group of local bikers, make the holiday an eye-opening experience as Richard finally discovers love, lust and the joy of jazz cafés. Produced By Innes Lloyd Directed By Tristram Powell Written By Michael Palin

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HOLLYWOOD TRIVIA TO GO!

In 1990, pop star Billy Idol was totally surprised at a concert in Seattle when five men wearing nothing but masks marched on stage in a conga line during his last number. Watched by some 14,000 fans, Billy tried to keep a straight singing face, but burst into laughter. Since the men had been masked, nobody could identify the offenders. They were believed to be members of Billy’s entourage.

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In 1990, Lisa Marie Presley’s then husband Danny Keough formed a new band with the odd name of Ten-Inch Men. Take from that as you will.

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Drew Barrymore is remembered as the beautiful young girl in E.T. At a young age, she checked herself into an alcoholism treatment centre. She revealed that she had begun drinking at the age of eight and began using drugs at the age of eleven.

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In 1989, the DA agreed not to prosecute Rob Lowe over his famous sex videotapes — Rob had to lecture in LA schools on the dangers of drugs. It turned out that the LA School Board didn’t want any part of the young Hollywood star. The Board’s president said, ‘It appears on the surface he has, at minimum, dubious judgment.’ After the much-publicized video sexcapades, hundreds of jokes circulated around the world; one was that Rob’s next movie would be Two Men and a Baby. As the news of the sordid video sexcapades hit the front pages of every tabloid, Rob was in the middle of shooting a movie called Bad Influence — it was all about a drifter who secretly videotapes a businessman having sex with a woman.

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The September 1998, US issue of Movieline featuring a near-naked shot of Liz Hurley wearing nothing but strategically placed fur was deemed far too risqué by the prudish Yanks. It was considered too raunchy for news-stands and magazine racks to display. Only the magazine subscribers got to see the original pic of Liz, while copies bought in the shops had her in a full-length dress.....but my lips are sealed!

 

Copyright David Hartnell 2010

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Let's face it, we all love a good gossip! If you're interested in a present for family or friends, please scroll down for a GrownUps special book price for David Hartnell's book.

David Hartnell's Best & Worst Dressed List of 2007, published in the NZ Women's Weekly November 2007, can be viewed by clicking in the left hand column (attached files) - Enjoy!

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Here are a few intresting facts about Mae West, who's still impersonated by drag queens around the world.
By DAVID HARTNELL

Mae West, 1930s sex siren, still holds the record for a Hollywood star living the longest in the same apartment. She lived in Unit 611 of the Ravenswood Apartments in LA from 1932 until she died in 1980.I visited her their many time's, on first meeting her I was so surprised how short and dumpy she was. Her apartment was totally white-on-white, it was like stepping back in into the 1920'. Even today her penthouse is pointed out on just about every Hollywood tour. For many years it was thought that she owned the whole block of apartments, but after her death it was found that she only owned her own. I visited her a number of times at her Ravenswood apartment, it was like going back to the 20's and 30's when glamour was at it's best. "As long as the building stands, I will never leave", she told me. Over the years, an occupant of the apartment believes Mae's spirit is still there. The TV works everywhere, except the bedroom, which Mae always felt should be kept for reading, sleeping and making whoopee. On numerous occasions, the phone in the apartment will ring when no one's calling, and the chandelier in the foyer flashes when someone Mae dislikes is present. A photo taken in the lounge showed a bosomy apparition in a mirror. Many psychics have visited the apartment and all believe there is a strong spirit of Mae West there.

Tom Selleck first came to the notice of the Hollywood talent scouts as the model in the billboard adverts for Salem cigarettes. As a teenager he won a four-year basketball scholarship to USC. He also had a lead speaking role with Mae West in Myra Breckinridge (1970), a role he would like to forget. If you haven't seen the movie your missing a treat, It's now out on DVD.

The movie She Done Him Wrong, starring Mae West, was made for $260,000 and grossed $3 million. It was the biggest box-office attraction in 1933.

'Mae West' was the name given by the British RAF to their inflatable life jackets during World War II. Even today, it's recognised by compilers of dictionaries. This makes Mae West the only movie star ever to be listed in a dictionary, something she was always very proud of.

Hollywood sex siren Mae West (the Madonna of yesteryear) had the best one liners in the business, she accrued for herself a kind of negative, self trivialising allure. The following are some of her most memorable one liners: When she signed a contract with Paramount studios she told the Hollywood press:

'I'm the girl that works at Paramount all day and Fox all night.'

'Good sex is like playing a good game of bridge. If you don't have a good partner you had better have a good hand.'

'Give a man a free hand and he will run it all over you.'

'I used to be Snow White, but I drifted.'

'I feel like a million tonight - but one at a time please.'

'It's better to be looked over than overlooked.'

'When a girl goes wrong, men go right after her.'

'Is that a gun in your pocket or are you just glad to see me?'

'Between two evils, I always pick the one I haven't tried before.'

'It's not the men in my life that counts; it's the life in my men.'

'I always say, keep a diary and one day it will keep you.'

'When I'm good I'm very very good, and when I'm bad I'm never better.'

'A little hush money can do a lot of talking.'

'I've been on more laps than a table napkin.'

'I don't know a lot about politics but I'd recognize a good party man when I see one.'

'A curve is the loveliest distance between two points.'

'You must get out of those wet clothes and into a dry martini.'

'Too much of a good thing can be wonderful.'

During the movie slump of 1938, Hollywood's most outrageous sex siren Mae West commented, 'The only picture to make money recently was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and that would have made twice as much if they had let me play Snow White.' Mae West left the silver screen after starring in The Heat's On (1943), and did not appear in another movie until Myra Breckenridge (1970).

She holds the record for the longest gap in a career. Her last movie was in a 1978 romp called Sextette (now on DVD) a version of one of her old plays from the 1930s, which has become a camp classic. She played the starring role of a bride trying to consumate her sixth marriage-to a much younger man played by Timothy Dalton. At the time she was in her late 80s and had trouble remembering her lines. The director came up with the idea of having someone off camera reading her lines to her through an earpiece. If you watch the movie you can often see her hesitate before speaking her lines, waiting for them to be relayed to her. In the middle of a take, and to everyone's astonishment she blurted out an LA traffic report. Her earpiece had picked up the frequency of an LA police traffic report. Oblivious to what she had said she carried on acting as if nothing had happened, of course that take never got to the screen. Mae West was one of the few stars listed in the LA phone directory. It was one of her little quirks; she believed her fans should always be able to contact her.

A picture of Mae West will fetch around $2,500 (US) if it's in good condition. I would never sell the one she signed for me it has pride of place on my office wall. Believe me. Mae West was one of a kind.

An exclusive look at David Hartnell's Home. (From NZ Woman's Weekly)

Celebrity gossip guru David Hartnell has lunched with film director Alfred Hitchcock along with some of the most glamorous movie legend's of all time like Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, Dame Edna Everage, Princess Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, Mr. T and Joan Collins to name drop but a few. He's busier these days than he's ever been, recently shedding 21 kilograms in last eight months, front's his own weekly celebrity TV show, writes a gossip column for NZ Truth, presents a daily Hollywood gossip spots on NewsTalkZB, Style Consultant to Citizen Watch's in New Zealand, his own web page on www.grownups.co.nz and still causes a stir with his kiwi Best and Worst Dressed lists which he's been doing for the past 26 years.

He's a celebrity in his own right, but when he relaxes in his lounge, drinking from fine English bone china, he knows, only his long-term partner Somboon could love living in their eclectic Auckland house.

"The house doesn't have a theme but a Thai flavour," David says, glancing around. "People say our house is like a dramatic museum. We don't think so because we live in it."

David and his Thai partner met 16 years ago a year after David bought the inner-Auckland city house.

"I knew the chap who owned the house and said if he was ever going to sell to let me know," David remembers. "About six months later he said he was selling and I responded, 'I'll buy it'. I didn't need to do any renovating except put a new roof on." The house had a very grand opening by David's cousin The Earl of Mt. Edgcumbe, with a guest list of the who's who.

From the first day they moved in, David and Somboon felt a strong connection to their inner-city sanctuary.

"I've been here for 15 years and have great memories," David says. "We have good neighbours and have watched the families grow up and get married. We all do our own thing but we're very supportive for security reasons."

Their favourite room in the house is the deck they made into an enclosed terrace.

"We have had some wonderful dinner parties out there," David says. "Somboon is an excellent cook and I'm an excellent washer. I don't mind how many pots and pans I have to clean because the meals are always magnificent."

Nearly every room in the house is decorated with photographs of famous friends, which David could never bring himself to throw out.

"The pictures in the lounge are special ones of people we love and like," David says. "Everyone likes them but they are dust catchers. We recently moved a lot of the signed Hollywood pictures, memorabilia and my awards into the toilet because there were so many of them. We decided everyone stands or sits in there and now has something to read. It's become quite a talking point," David laughs.

The house is character filled with Buddha statues and mementos of the couple's world travels hanging from its walls.

David and Somboon, who owns an organic rice cracker business, work from their Westmere home office. But while many couples would feel pressured both living and working together, the duo have devised out a winning formula.

"We have one golden rule that no work comes out of that office," Somboon says, "We don't seem to get on each others nerves."

The most dramatic thing the couple bought recently is a beautiful poster embellished with a huge golden frame. David believes the stories behind how furnishings came to be are some times more interesting than the objects themselves.

"We have a house in Thailand we visit a few times a year," David explains. "Earlier this year we went to stay and ended up at a Chinese restaurant. Magnificent posters lined the wall, which I loved so much I photographed. I thought nothing of it until I bought a poster from a Chinese emporium in Auckland about six months later. I felt like I'd see the poster before, so got my camera out - I'd bought exactly the same poster I'd loved in Thailand. Funnily enough, the poster cost next to nothing but the frame cost a bomb."

The entertainment reporter is as flamboyant in character as he is in his décor taste. Pictures of Somboon and himself have been transformed onto canvas using an Andy Warhol pop art theme.

"Everything has to be over the top, otherwise feature pieces just look like a pea on a drum," he says.

One of David's most prized possessions is an oil painting by his comedian friend of 40 years Phyllis Diller. The couple were gifted the original piece of art to hang proudly on their wall. To this day, David visits Phyllis, 91, in America and reminds her his beloved painting is hanging pride of place.

The pair also values a special Buddha statue in their pretty back garden among their special treasures.

"This Buddha was erected in memory of Somboon's mother who passed away," David says. "Her photograph is also on a beautiful hand-carved Thai table with our collection of other Buddha's. An interesting fact is Buddha's have to be higher than people's heads, which is why they are all placed high in our house."

David admits their house isn't for everybody but neither Somboon or he care. Just like fashion and interior trends come and go there a firm believer one has to be happy and confident in their surroundings.

"I absolutely adore our home," David gushes. "I couldn't imagine living any where else. It's a perfect haven for Somboon, me and our dog Miss Cele."

Story and pictures courtsey of NZ Woman's Weekly.

Steal David and Somboon's style

David and Somboon's five favourite things:

Their house in Thailand which the built from scratch 40 minutes out of Chang Mai in Northern Thailand.







David was stoked to find this oriental poster at a Chinese emporium in Auckland.











Not everyone can be a firm friend with famous comedian Phyllis Diller. David and Somboon love their dear friend's oil painting.







Somboon's Thailand-based sister Sudarat spends hours rolling, folding and linking the pages from the New Zealand Woman's Weekly into beautiful origami-like swans.







David loves this Freda Stark doll made by Hamilton doll marker Marshal Watt. Freda picked the fabric for the doll from one of her dressers.










David was gifted this Baker Light Mickey Mouse antique toy. When the string is pulled Walt Disney does Mickey's voice. "I love this toy because Mickey Mouse never turned into a rat, like so many Hollywood actors," David says. "He is a Hollywood survivor."









The Buddha statue was decorated in memory of Somboon's mother.

Would you like to purchase David Hartnell's Book?

Let's face it, we all love a good gossip! Within it's 308 pages and 28 chapters you'll find juicy facts and fascinating, outrageous trivia about international movie and TV stars. David covers everything from Celebrity Good Luck Charms, Law Suits and scandals surrounding the Rich and Famous, Sex, Nudity and Drugs to Marriage and Divorce Hollywood-style and everything in between. Plus over 2,500 celebrity birthdays.

Give yourself or a friend a personalised gift.

Here's what some of the stars say about his book.

"I love gossip! Especially David's style."
Jacqueline Stallone

"You can 'dine out' on this stuff for months! Great inside scoops, from one of Tinseltown's truest fans."
Leeza Gibbons.

"David Hartnell's Hollywood trivia is outrageous fun!"
Jackie Collins.

"Probably the truest collection of Hollywood foibles ever assembled."
John Austin Columnist, Hollywood Inside.

"A Kiwi I admire."
Dame Edna Everage.


Forward by America's number on funny lady, the legendary Phyllis Diller.

My old friend, David Hartnell, is known as the 'Hollywood Scribe'. We first met in Sydney, Australia, many years ago, where he used to pop around with his celebrity radio show. He's informed the world of the machinations of the Tinseltown greats and semi-greats for decades. I see him often in La La Land, as he is a world-travelling jet-setter with bags packed, pen and laptop at the ready. He has the energy of a three-year-old. This man speaks one language-Hollywoodese Trash!

And it's all true!

Read him and weep … laughing!

Phyllis Diller
Los Angeles, California,


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To receive a personally signed copy of David Hartnell's Trivia, send a cheque to P.O.Box 78042 Grey Lynn Auckland New Zealand. Please send the name of the personal you'd like David to autographed too.

About David Hartnell

You can contact David Hartnell on dhpromo@ihug.co.nz

Read about David Hartnell here.

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