Thank the Writer- Marion Parsonnet

If you enjoyed this great movie, you owe it to the writer, Marion Parsonnet. He was married to my cousin, so I spent some time with him when I was in my formative years. I was with them the night he died, when we stayed up until 3 AM, and I heard all about his life and how he wrote movies and TV shows. Most of the snappy electric lines of this movie are his brilliant creations. We didn't discuss this film much, except he referred to 'Casablanca' as his inspiration.
I was 19 and not yet out, so I can't comment on his approach to the idea of a gay subtext. He was very hetero, and my cousin Shirley was an Ava Gardner clone reared in North Hollywood, and later Maid of Honor for Gloria Vanderbilt when whe married Stokowski. Shirley later told me that's why she married an older man, because Gloria had.
Years later I spent time with Glenn Ford's son, Peter Ford, in Paris and L.A. So I was around Glenn a lot. He took a real dislike to me, and attacked my clothes verbally at Rosie Grier's house at a birthday party for Eleanor Powell, Peter's mother. I had worn an Army jacket with shirt and tie and thought I looked sexy if not fabulous. I was defended by Yale Summers, whom I had a crush on from 'Daktari', much to the consternation of Yale's wife. Peter worked on my house making cabinets- since I knew him, I chose him over another guy recommended to me named Harrison Ford.
Glenn warmed up to me or at least tolerated me. I remember Peter and I going over to Glenn's dreadful house in Beverly Hills behind the Beverly Hills Hotel. It was across fron Conrad Hilton's house and very secluded. We were chatting and he noted that Rita was his neighbor- she often called on Glenn to come over. Rita had married Aly Khan, so she was a strange mix of religious royalty and film star. I never met her.
I never mentioned to Glenn that Marion was related to me. Clueless in Hollywood, that was me.

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