#Barbara Cushing Mortimer Paley

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Babe Paley

With friend Slim Keith in Nassau, 1952.

Barbara Cushing with Hugh Chisholm, Jr., 1940s.

Photo by William S. Paley.

Babe Paley on her wedding day to her second husband William S. Paley, July 28, 1947.

Babe and sister Betsey.

Mr. & Mrs. Stanley Mortimer on their wedding day, 1940.

Babe and Pill Paley, 1950s.

[perfettamentechic]

6 luglio … ricordiamo …

6 luglio … ricordiamo … #semprevivineiricordi #nomidaricordare #personaggiimportanti #perfettamentechic

2022: Houston Stevenson, attore canadese, conosciuto soprattutto per la partecipazione nei film Descendants 2 e Lei è la mia pazzia, dove interpretò il principale antagonista. Figlio di Ronnie Stevenson. Scopre il suo amore per la recitazione in età molto precoce, e già a dieci anni lavora nella produzione di pellicole cinematografiche. Successivamente, studia e si diploma alla Shawnigan Lake…

[papermoonloveslucy]

LUCY & THE SWANS

BALL, CAPOTE & PALEY

The new FX series "Feud: Capote vs. The Swans" depicts a world that Lucille Ball knew all too well - wealth, fame and celebrity. Although she does not inhabit the New York Society of Babe Paley, Slim Keith, Ann Woodward, C.Z. Guest, Gloria Guinness and others, she and her Desilu empire lie just outside of it - her influence on the era keenly felt.

Episode 1 of the teleplay ("Pilot") begins in 1958, and takes us to the executive boardroom of CBS in New York. There, Bill Paley (Treat Williams) holds forth, a photo of Lucy and Desi prominently hovering over his shoulder.

In this room, the Paley and the CBS brass made programming moves played out on a schedule board. The Monday 9pm time slot is occupied by "I Love Lucy", with a small photo of Lucy and Desi (the same one that hung on the wall) tucked into the title card - as if they needed reminding of who they were! The only slight faux pas is that "I Love Lucy" (as a half hour series) did not run in 1958. Its final episode aired in May 1957. It then became an hour-long celebrity-driven musical comedy hour under the banner of "The Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse." Paley and CBS probably wanted Lucy and Desi for a 7th season, but Desi had other plans. He wouldn't kill the Ricardos (metaphorically) but relegate them to specials, interspersed with Desilu productions of new drama and comedy. It is possible that the action of "Feud" in this scene lies somewhere in that murky period between Desi's plans, and Paley's wishes for a seventh season of the half-hour format.

In actuality, during 1958, the 9pm Monday time slot was occupied by "The Danny Thomas Show" (filmed at Desilu) and "The Ann Sothern Show" (produced by Desilu). Monday also featured the Desilu Western "The Texan," making the only half hour of CBS's Monday primetime NOT created by Lucy and Desi "Father Knows Best."

Episode 6 ("Hats, Gloves, and Effete Homosexuals") set in 1978 includes a luncheon conversation at La Cote that mentions Lucille Ball and Lucie Arnaz. Truman's new boyfriend Rick (Vito Schnabel) is a handyman who once fixed Ball's air conditioner in Palm Springs.

Truman has promised to bring Rick to see They're Playing our Song on Broadway starring Lucie Arnaz. Rick says that he met little Lucie while she was swimming laps.

BILL & BABE PALEY

The power and influence of William S. Paley cannot be underestimated. He literally built CBS (the Columbia Broadcasting System) from a small radio station to a multi-media conglomerate, serving as Chairman for much of its existence. He shepherded CBS from radio to television, and was responsible for giving the green light to Lucille Ball making the transition from "My Favorite Husband" to "I Love Lucy," bringing her real-life husband along for the ride. Without Paley and Lucy, CBS would not have gotten a foothold in an industry dominated by the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC).

Paley's second wife was socialite Barbara Cushing Mortimer, who he married the year before he met Lucille Ball. Mortimer is best known as Babe Paley, and she was Truman Capote's favorite of the Swans. In "Lucy's Barbershop Quartet" (1963), the group needs to find a replacement singer for the group and Viv suggests the unseen character of Barbara Cushing, who is a soloist in their church choir. Although Lucy, Viv, Thelma, and Dorothy were definitely not swans (more like Danfield Ducks) the writers were tipping their hat to the big boss's wife.

A few years later, in "Lucy Meets Danny Kaye" (1964), Kaye telephones Bill Paley to see if he has any spare tickets for his show to give fan Lucy. The best he can do is tickets to "The Jackie Gleason Show." Paley does not appear, nor do we hear his voice.

In real life, Paley and Ball were both in the first group of inductees to the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1984. Ball and Paley sat at the same table together at the ceremony.

In 1976, he joined those paying tribute to Lucy on "Lucy and CBS: The First 25 Years." Paley and his wife Babe had homes in Manhasset Long Island, and Squam New Hampshire, respectively known as Kiluna Farm South, and Kiluna Farm North, where they entertained a myriad of celebrities, Lucille Ball among them.

TRUMAN CAPOTE

On screen Lucille Ball had little to no interaction with writer Truman Capote. But in her personal life, Ball was guest at at least one of his lavish parties. Gary and Lucy's photo album included a photo of the Mortons at a December 13, 1975 party hosted by Capote, Allan Carr, and John O'Shea in Lincoln Heights, a wealthy neighborhood of Los Angeles. The 'mug shot' was part of a party game where guests were 'arrested' and forced to pay bail in order to get released. The money was usually donated to the host's favorite charity.

In July 1978, Capote joined Lucille Ball at Westbury Music Fair to see Lucie Arnaz perform in "Annie Get Your Gun".

Capote's one foray into acting was in Neil Simon's Murder By Death (1976), a camp comedy send-up of Agatha Christie-style murder mysteries where Capote played the eccentric host, Lionel Twain. The film featured a few stars with close connections to Lucille Ball.

Peter Sellars (Sidney Wang) starred in Will The Real Mr. Sellars...?, an oddball film from 1969 with a very brief cameo by Lucille Ball courtesy of hidden camera footage.

Elsa Lanchester (Jessica Marbles) famously guest-starred on "I Love Lucy" as a woman who may - or may not be - a hatchet murderess. In 1973, she appeared on "Here's Lucy" as kooky bank robber Mumsie Westcott.

Although screen writer Neil Simon never wrote for Lucille Ball, or even appeared on the same screen with her, they did share credits on two television shows. He was a staff writer on “The Garry Moore Show,” which Lucy appeared on in 1960. Simon and Ball were both featured on “Bob Hope’s World of Comedy” (1976), but were not onstage at the same time.  It was Lucie Arnaz who worked closest with Simon. She starred on Broadway in They’re Playing Our Song (for which Simon wrote the libretto) in 1978. She then took over the role of Bela in Simon's Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway play Lost in Yonkers in 1992.

MISC. SWANS

Vivian Vance doing an in-character commercial for Swan dish soap on "The Lucy Show." Swan was made by Lever Brothers, and was discontinued in 1974.

SWAN SONGS

LUCY: "Would you begrudge an expectant swan her song?" RICKY: "You seem to forget that this particular swan has no talent." ~ Lucy's Show Biz Swan Song (1952)

LUCY: “It’s time for that swan to hit the come-back trail.” FRED: “That swan’s got a little ham in it.”  ~ The Indian Show (1953)

[chicinsilk]

US Vogue April 1, 1951 ❤️❤️❤️❤️

"Babe" wears a black Italian silk Shantung dress cut to the shoulders By Traina-Norell, a soft-brimmed hat, black Milan straw velvet streamers by John Frederics. Richelieu pseudo-pearl earrings. Everything at Bonwit Teller.

vogue archive

[theunabashedepicurean]

I couldn’t decide which photograph to post so here are two. Barbara "Babe" Cushing Mortimer Paley, photographed by Norman Parkinson and Horst P. Horst. Babe Paley was an American socialite and doyenne of the New York social scene, a staple of the International Best Dressed List and Truman Capote’s most beloved Swan. ____________________________________________ #babepaley #horstphorst #normanparkinson #photography #socialite #fashionicon #bestdressedlist #babe #trumancapote #swan #trumancapoteswans #halloffame #magazineeditor #vogue #fashion #style #doyenne #society #balenciaga #valentino #givenchy #couture #couturefashion #lifestyle #stregis #fifthavenue #newyork #newyorkcity #newyorksociety #highsociety (at New York City) https://www.instagram.com/p/Ca-TOk5o77I/?utm_medium=tumblr

[blackswaneuroparedux]

It was her style, that indefinable asset. It was said that the others had style but Babe was style.

Melanie Benjamin, The Swans of Fifth Avenue    

Barbara Cushing Mortimer Paley, known as “Babe”, was born on July 5th 1915. Though all the Cushing’s married well and gained popularity in society circles, Babe made her mark as a style icon.

After making her official debut during the Great Depression, Babe was often featured in the society pages, alongside other members of prominent and wealthy New England families.

Paley worked as a fashion editor at Vogue, and married oil heir Stanley Grafton Mortimer Jr. in 1940. In 1941, Babe received the title of the World’s second best dressed woman, after Wallis Simpson, in Time Magazine, and was also added to the best-dressed list in 1945.

Her marriage to Mortimer Jr. ended in 1946, and in the same year she met William S. Paley, the founder of CBS. Though Paley craved entrance to New York’s high society, and certainly had the money to match his ambitions, he remained shut out. Babe was well connected, and adored; paired with Paley’s substantial wealth, they made a fine match and were married in 1947. Together they lived an idyllic lifestyle, spending their weeks in their apartment at the St. Regis, designed by Billy Baldwin, and their weekends at Kiluna Farm in Long Island.

The Vogue editor also kept a fine circle of friends, including Truman Capote who noted Paley as one of his famous “Swans”; a selection of society’s elite and most glamorous women. Capote once said, “Babe Paley had only one fault, she was perfect. Otherwise, she was perfect.” Truman was said to be her one true confidante, until their friendship ended after she read excerpts of Answered Promises, which aired the dirty laundry of New York high society.

Vogue once commented that Babe had a “special talent for wearing clothes.” She gained access to designer clothes and often received gifts in exchange for her coveted status. She was known to buy entire haute couture collections from fashion houses such as Givenchy, though she often paired expensive clothing and fine jewelry with inexpensive costume pieces. Oscar de la Renta recalled her style stating, “Whatever she wore, she wore in a way you would never forget.”

She kept her place on the best-dressed list fourteen times before entering the Fashion Hall of Fame is 1958. Her beauty signature was her alabaster skin paired with a fiery red lip.

Later in life she let hair her turn grey rather than using dye to cover it, a statement that was heavily copied by other American women.

In all accounts of her style, Babe Paley’s manner of dressing has been deemed elegant, effortless, aspirational and crisp. She favoured twin sets, prim skirts, silk scarves, and pearls: all customary tools for any would-be society darling. No American woman since - with the exceptions of Gloria Vanderbilt and Lee Radizwell - has ever matched her iconic style status.

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Barbara ''Babe'' Cushing Mortimer Paley. Photo by John Rawlings, Vogue, February 1, 1946.

[lostfunzones]

Barbara Cushing (Mrs. Stanley Grafton Mortimer Jr.; later Babe Paley) wearing wedding dress by Mabel McIlvain Downs Vogue October 1940  Horst P. Horst

[nostalgebraist]

I was curious because I’d never seen the actress who plays Phyllis in Twin Peaks S3, and I googled her and she’s a socialite who was “voted Debutante of the Decade for the 1980s of the International Debutante Ball in New York City,” and now I’ve gotten sucked into this vortex of articles about high society people that talk about them like I should know who they are:

C.Z. GUEST, a Boston Brahmin and one of Truman Capote’s “social swans” who swam with Babe Paley, Slim Keith and Gloria Guinness, may not have been as keen on self-promotion as her daughter is.

Barbara "Babe" Cushing Mortimer Paley (July 5, 1915 – July 6, 1978) was an American socialite and style icon, whose second husband was the founder of CBS, William S. Paley. She was known by the popular nickname "Babe" for most of her life. She was named to the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 1958.

[serafino-finasero]

Barbara ‘Babe’ Cushing Mortimer Paley photographed by John Rawlings | Vogue, February 1946

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Beautiful Babe Paley: The People's Swan <3

1 & 2: Babe Paley (and Husband Bill) photographed by Slim Aarons at their vacation home in Jamaica, in 1959.

3. Babe and Bill Paley on their wedding day, 1947.

4. Babe Paley style (featured outside of La Cóte Basque with Bill)

5 & 6. Babe and Truman Capote vacationing at the Paley's home in Round Tree Jamaica.

[perfettamentechic]

6 luglio … ricordiamo …

6 luglio … ricordiamo … #semprevivineiricordi #nomidaricordare #personaggiimportanti #perfettamentechic

2020: Ennio Morricone, è stato un compositore, musicista, direttore d’orchestra e arrangiatore italiano. (n.1928) 2016: Cameron Boyce, Cameron Mica Boyce, è stato un attore e ballerino statunitense. (n. 1999) 2018: Vlatko Ilievski, è stato un cantante, attore e chitarrista macedone. (n. 1985) 2015: Jerry Weintraub, Jerome Charles Weintraub, è stato un attore, produttore cinematografico e…

[lukianocom]

Babe Paley Quotes

Are you interested in famous Babe Paley quotes? Here is a collection of some of the best quotes by Babe Paley on the internet.

About Babe Paley

Barbara “Babe” Cushing Mortimer Paley (July 5, 1915 – July 6, 1978) was an American socialite and style icon, whose second husband was the founder of CBS, William S. Paley.

Famous Babe Paley quotes

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Barbara Cushing Mortimer Paley by John Rawlings for Vogue, February 1946.

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Babe Paley in Vogue

Babe Paley, Vogue, February 1, 1946.

Babe Paley in Pacquin; Jewels by Van Cleef and Arpels, Vogue, November 15, 1946.

The first color photograph transmitted by wire; Babe Paley in Lucien Lelong, Vogue, October 1, 1946.

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contact sheets of Babe Paley, 1960s

Cecil Beaton: The New York Years