I was lucky enough to capture Agnes Moorehead ( she is Phil Baker's madcap stooge on his program Sunday nights over CBS) for lunch and we got to talking at length about this very thing.
"I am naturally pretty much of a conservative when it comes to clothes." Agnes told me. "I am the tall and stately type and heaven help me if I try to look cute. But at Christmas I like a red dress. I have to be very careful about the shade of red, because my hair is such a funny color."
Her "funny color" hair is actually a beautiful rich auburn, almost mahogany, with shades of bronze in it. I can see why Agnes has to watch her step with red. I made noises to that affect. Agnes smiled.
"I have had yearning eyes on a red fox cape for months," she said, "but my husband tries to keep me from it by warning me that I can't wear that particular shade of red. I can though. I can wear anything that is in the orange tones and lavender and warm shades of brown. I especially adore chartreuse and it's nice with my hair, but my husband definitely doesn't like it so I pass that up."
I made a particular mental note that the radio stars aren't much different from other folks; husbands have a lot to say about what they will wear. I have been just a shade out of the fashion picture for years because my husband won't take me out if I am wearing anything in my hair, even a diamond tiara, if I had a diamond tiara. I was prepared to go into this a great length over the onion soup but Agnes was rambling on.
"I don't dress up for broadcasts," she said "unless there's a special benefit after the program or some special high jinx that the cast is putting on. Then I like to be very formal. I have a lavender raffia lace with purple velvet straps over the shoulders which I especially adore- it is dignified yet dramatic. And I love rich furs-ermine and silver fox."
Agnes does not change her hair for evening except sometimes to do it in a coronet braid. She can make this braid of her own hair because it is very long and very heavy. She has one interesting pet idea- she makes her own foundation cream for evening.
It is a special formula with bay rum in it, and witch hazel, a little glycerin and a drop or two of iodine and Mercurochrome. The result, when applied, is a warm glow, a little like suntan make up. But don't try to make it yourself it has taken her years of experimenting to work out the formula, and she only recommends it for girls who the same type of skin and coloring as hers.
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