Mamie Van Doren — a movie star from the same era as Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield — has a written a book about her pet cockatoo.
“China and Me: Wing Flapping, Feather Pulling, and Love on the Wing” from Starlet Suave Books chronicles the tribulations of integrating a wild creature into a human household, matchmaking a mate for China, and caring for their inevitable offspring.
“A blonde actress of a certain age writing about her 50-year relationship with a parrot is almost as bizarre as a girl who grew up on a South Dakota farm with no electricity or running water becoming a sex goddess,” Van Doren, 91, told me.
“Our feathers are a bit ruffled by time, but we’re still going strong. China’s been my companion, foil, and wise confidant for so long, I thought it was high time for others to meet him as well.”
Van Doren, who starred in “Teacher’s Pet” with Clark Gable, “Untamed Youth” and “Vice Raid,” recently performed as a guest artist with the band, Pink Martini, and recorded two songs with them.
She’s also busy writing a memoir, “Secrets of the Goddess.”
“It’s everything you’ll need to know about me, with gloves off and straight shooting. It’s chapter and verse of how I became Mamie, what happened to Joanie Olander — my real name — where the bodies are buried,” Van Doren said.
“It’ll be a collection of the forgotten, overlooked, grotesque, gorgeous, improbable, and funny stuff of my life.”
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Tom Stoppard didn’t just show up on opening night of his “Leopoldstadt” at the Longacre Theater.
Before posing for pictures with Mick Jagger and Steven Spielberg, the English playwright was regularly at previews, tweaking the production.
The story about how most of his Viennese family was exterminated at Auschwitz also drew Diane Sawyer and Glenn Close before it debuted to rave reviews,
Opening night drew Christine Baranski, Edie Falco, Tina Fey, Ethan Hawke, Steve Martin, Elaine May, Cynthia Nixon and Edna O’Brien.
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Sports legends, entertainers and restaurateurs ruled the night at the opening of the Tin Building by Jean-Georges Vongerichten at the South Street Seaport.
Former NFL quarter back Boomer Esiason and Hall of Fame coach Bill Cowher (Pittsburgh Steelers) held court in the speakeasy-style Chinese restaurant, House of the Red Pearl, at the top of the 53,000 square-foot building.
The two-story emporium, featuring six restaurants, was moved inland 32 feet and raised 7 feet to protect it from flooding. The Howard Hughes Corp. provided the necessary $194 million.
QuestLove held court with Babyface and friends as Brooke Shields and husband Chris Henchy found a cozy booth and stayed until the party ended.
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Timothee Chalamet has been checking out a nearly $4.5 million painting that once belonged to rocker Rod Stewart, which is now for sale at MS Rau in New Orleans.
The actor posted “Tristan and Isolde with the Potion” by John William Waterhouse to his Instagram account while at the Venice Film Festival, where he wore a shimmering blood-red backless jumpsuit. He was promoting his new film “Bones and All.”
The 26-year-old seems to have a penchant for red as the hero in the painting bears a striking resemblance to Chalamet in his role in “Dune,” from his chiseled profile to his dark curly locks.
The painting, which tells the story of Isolde, the beautiful daughter of the King of Ireland, who heals the injured hero Tristram, was created in the final year of the artist’s life and was exhibited a year later at the Royal Academy in 1917.
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It seems that most former Victoria’s Secret models are now moms.
The latest one to join the motherhood brigade is Aussie Shanina Shaik.
The gorgeous lass who was once married to DJ Ruckus has moved on to greener pastures with music producer Matthew Adesuyan, whose record label reps the Nigerian artist Burna Boy, the biggest singing superstar from Africa.
The handsome couple recently welcomed their first child, a boy named Zai.
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Suzanne Somers and her two granddaughters have teamed up to create a smoothie for the “Three’s Company” star’s Suzanne Organics line called Chocolate Gut Renew.
Camelia is dating “Glee” star Chord Overstreet, Lindsay Lohan’s co-star in the upcoming holiday movie, “Falling for Christmas.” Her sister Violet is a fashion designer.
The siblings have made a roller-skating video in Venice, Calif., that will be released on social media to launch the drink on Monday.
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George Clooney and his wife Amal were talking to Miami Mayor Francis Suarez and club king Joey Morrissey at Casa Cipriani, while Taylor Swift dined with Diane Von Furstenberg, her son Alex Von Furstenberg, and two impossibly tall and beautiful blonde models … Woody Allen was walking his tiny, mixed-breed dog on E. 85th St. and Park Ave., chatting up a pretty young blonde who was walking several dogs … Lily-Rose Depp looking romantic with a long-haired mystery man on Central Park South as Jack Nicholson’s old flame Anjelica Huston walked by.
