Elsie de Wolfe and the Circus Ball.

The Circus Ball by Oliver Messel.
Oil and Gouache on Paper.
Elsie is shown as Ringmaster with white steeds.

Ages and ages ago, people with style had money and people with money had style.  It used to be that a celebrity or socialite (a real one, not one from the loins of Kris Jenner) could give a party (without corporate sponsorship) that would live on in the great big social diary in the sky forever (without having to sell footage to the media).  Elsie de Wolfe was one of these people, and on the night of July 1, 1939, she gave the Circus Ball.

Held on the brink of World War II, it was the last great party of the Season, and indeed, the last great party of it's era.  Elsie, the American born Socialite who had been a bad actress, then a ground breaking Decorator, then finally the international hostess known as Lady Mendl, held the Ball at her beloved Villa Trianon; a gift to a royal mistress of the 18th Century which Elsie had purchased with her lover at the time, the theatrical agent Bessy Marbury, and the heiress Anne Morgan.

The Villa was Elsie's true love and life's work.  Purchased in semi decrepit condition, Elsie restored the interiors, added a new wing, and installed modern bathrooms. During her life, she saw it used as a military hospital during World War I, and after fleeing Paris for the United States, returned to find it destroyed by Nazi's after World War II.  Upon each return, she would lovingly restore the home back to it's de Wolfe splendor.

The interior of the Dance Pavilion, now permanent.

For her grandest party, Elsie would add another appendage to her home, a Ballroom.  Elsie sought to recall the late 19th Century trend wherein fashionable ladies with means would construct temporary party rooms for a single evening's use.  The Dance Pavilion, as it was called, was open on three sides to the Villas gardens and painted in green and white stripes.  For the interior, she contracted with Maison Jansen, the first international design firm, based in Paris, and their premier Decorator, Stephane Boudin. 

Elsie could have done the work herself, but it was much simpler for her to hire it out and have all the details sorted by someone else.  As a bonus, Boudin has become one of the most sought after decorators on both sides of the Atlantic.  Having his name associated with one of her parties would surely impress Elsie's elite guests, which numbered 700 for that evening.  Naturally, Elsie, who invented the game Boudin was playing so well, would not be so smitten with his tact and flair as the rest of the world. 

A view of the Dance Pavilion with glass walls,
set up for cards.

Boudin's treatment of the Dance Pavilion was an utter confection.  The green and white stripes of the exterior were repeated on the interior through Regency style draperies.  The furnishings were eccentric pieces shaped like whitewashed tree trunks and there were button tufted leather semicircular banquettes crowned by Venetian Blackamoors wielding parasols that concealed electric lights.  Flanking the entry to the pavilion were two artificial tree trunks that had been whitewashed and ornamented with artificial leaves.  One tree bore a heart pierced by an arrow with the initials 'E& C' inside (for Elsie and her husband, Charles.  By now she had dumped Bessie in favor of marrying a titled English dignitary).  Yet the piece de resitance of the room was surely the spring loaded floor, imported from England, designed to combat weary feet with its diving board qualities.

Elsie's Mainbocher gown from the Circus Ball,
now part of the MET's permanent collection.
Ivory silk chiffon embroidered with white and
silver sequin butterflies over a taffeta slip.

Outside, there was a champagne bar housed in a circular structure with a matching striped roof that had been built around a large tree in the garden.  The main attraction of the Circus themed ball was, of course, the Circus, and Elsie was there to act as it's honorary Ringleader (clad in a size 2 Mainbocher evening dress and her favorite diamond and aquamarine tiara), leading eight trained ponies (white of course) through there paces.  The Circus ring was laid out on the lawn and featured acrobats, tight rope walkers, clowns and jugglers in addition to Elsie's pony routine.

So that her guests wouldn't go hungry (an novel idea for Elsie, who often starved her party guests by limiting the amount of food served), the buffet, which served lamb chops, scrambled eggs, cold salads, cakes and champagne, stayed open until 5 am.  So that her guests could work up an appetite, the Dance Pavilion housed three orchestras on rotation, and the grounds were home to a strolling blind accordion player and a Hawaiian guitarist who floated on a boat in the swimming pool.  Whether eating or dancing, the guest list read as a who's who of European Society (which in reality was just Elsie's little black book); Chanel, Maugham, the Windsors, Eve Curie, all were all at home at the Villa.

A period view of the the formal gardens at the Villa Trianon.

Pleased with her Ball, Elsie decided to make the Dance Pavilion a permanent structure.  She had the spring loaded floor replaced with parquet to match what ran through the Villa, and had the walls glassed in so the views to the garden wound still be open.  She even situated a fireplace in one wall so the room could be enjoyed in cooler weather.

Surely, a party of this magnitude would be met with more criticism than praise, as we are in a tight economic pinch as of late and this was not a frugal effort.  However, how wonderful to reminisce of an era that has past, and of great people that made it what it was.  How marvelous to dream of such a glamorous life and find inspiration in it.  Certainly I feel no shame admitting that I would have loved to be in attendance, even it it meant floating on a dinghy in the pool.

- Ian

Most of the Maison Jansen furniture was purchased at auction by Victoria & Son
in New York.  You can see the Blackamoor banquette and the marvelous 'x' based
stools with faux bois bases.  The Chinese stand and cache pot as well as the snail,
was not part of the lot from the Villa Trianon.  Part of the suite was purchased by
Michael Taylor for a client in San Francisco.

Interiors on Film - The Women



L to R : Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford,
Rosalind Russell.



The Women has got to be one of my favorite films; I can watch it over and over and be entertained as if it were the first time and not the tenth.  I'm speaking of the 1939 original with an all star, all female, cast headed by Rosalind Russell, Norma Shearer, and Joan Crawford, not the rehash with Meg Ryan and Annette Benning.  I refuse to see the updated version because I feel it would anger and upset me since the George Cukor directed original was perfection. 

For those who are unfamiliar, the story is a simple one of adultery and situational comedy; a New York wife and mother discovers through Beauty Salon gossip that her husband has been stepping out with a department store perfume girl.  Humiliated and depressed, she flees to Nevada to get a divorce.  While there, she is introduced to a variety of colorful women, all with man trouble of their own, who will inspire her to fight tooth and nail to get her husband back, if that is what she really wants.  Of course the story ends well with the happy reunion of the estranged couple and the ousting to the trollop. 

What makes this film stand out, besides the acting, writing and beautiful Adrian costumes, are the beautiful 'contemporary' sets designed by MGM's Cedric Gibbons; and for a design junkie like myself, wonderful interiors can make up for a multitude of sins, not that The Women has any.  Gibbons transports us from chic salons and glossy city apartments to Colonial country homes and nouveau riche man-traps without leaving the comforts of a sound stage in Culver City, Ca.  While I adore beautiful locations, there's still magic in conjuring an exotic land or beautiful boudoir in an airplane hangar or a studio back lot.  Gibbons most definitely has that movie magic we all love to crave, and the few images I could dig up from this iconic film illustrate that talent beautifully.

- Ian




Sydney's Salon, where our story opens.  The film had wonderful nods to surrealism
in it's costumes and sets, as seen here with the trompe l'oeil landscape walls
and the hand holding the crystal ball.  I also love the sweeping staircase, for
purely selfish and decadent reasons.

One of Adrian's many costumes with Surrealist influences (if you need a hint, it's the three
disembodied, stylized eyes).  Designers like Elsa Schiaparelli were finding
inspiration in artists like Salvador Dali at the time.



Mary Haines' (Shearer) City Apartment.  Two things infatuate me with this interior.
One -  That Blackamoore Cachepot.  In the film, it's seen overflowing with flowers.
I wonder what happened to it?  Because I really, really, want it.



Two - The liberal use of quilting.  Not only is the furniture done in
quilted fabric, but look at the drapes!  Floor to ceiling box quilting.
It's genius.  Total genius.  I want to replicate it for a project.

  

The Haines Country House.  I know it's a set.  I know it's synthesized reality.
But I really want to have a Colonial home with a powder room large enough to
have a Sheraton desk, a Ladder back chair and a floor to ceiling built in
corner cabinet to display my collection of cut crystal decanters (which I am also,
currently, without).  And dig that wallpaper!  It's fab!



Apparently, this look became known as 'Hollywood Colonial'.  Think Mr. Blandings, or
even the season where Lucy moved to Connecticut.  Beautiful early American and Georgian
architecture mixes with 20th century furnishings to create the look. 



The Kitchen in the Country House.  Utterly charming with its painted brick and
frilled curtains.



You know a Set Designer was responsible for this work.  A lovely
painted stair, dark wood floors, pictorial wallpaper (loving that) and a
striking bay window configuration at the foot of the landing.



Crystal's (Crawford) man-trap of a bathroom.  Imagine what the rest of the home
looks like!  As garish as it is, I am fascinated by that glass bathtub with it's
wave base.  And check out that lyre shaped towel holder!



A view through Crystals bath and into her Boudoir.  Look at the sliver of bed!
The serpentine bed spread trimmed with tassels is really rather nice.  I love the telephone
stretched to Crystal's bath tray.  You can tell she'll be marinating for a few hours. 
And that silk head rest is killing me!



The Ladies Lounge, home to the films final showdown between Crystal and Mary.
Deeply tufted furnishings, fringes, mirrored tables and a city view create the mood
of late Deco opulence and feminine beauty.  I also love that Gibbons has created
opportunitues for grand entries in all of his sets with architectural elements emphasize
the theatrical qualities of his interiors.



Details of the Lounge are incredible.  The doors are silver leaf!  With crystal knobs!
The vanities are Chinoiserie in inspiration, but the legs are Lucite and the tops mirrored!
The wall mirrors are topped with a Pagoda crown!  How utterly decadent.