Hollywood: The Ages of Man

“I’m 40 and I admit it, but I’m only 40. I am younger than Tony Curtis.”

So declared Lauren Bacall recently, piqued at a Hollywood that excluded her from the Pepsi generation and forgot that Bogart was 25 years her senior when they married. As it turned out, she was wrong, but only by nine months. The birth certificate of Lauren Bacall, nee Betty Joan Persky, gives her date of birth as Sept. 16, 1924. As for Tony, the former Bernard Schwartz was born on June 3, 1925. Still, even an aging Lauren Bacall is younger than many of Hollywood’s Beautiful People.

This winter, for instance, Paul Newman will enter his 41st year. So will Jack Lemmon. While nobody was looking, Charlton Heston, Marlon Brando and Doris Day turned 41, Ava Gardner 42, Judy Garland 43. Montgomery Clift and Mickey Rooney are 44. Robert Stack has reached 46, Joey Bishop and William Holden 47. Dean Martin and Raymond Burr have hit 48, Gregory Peck and Kirk Douglas 49, Ingrid Bergman 50. Loretta Young could now be properly billed as Loretta Middle-Aged at 52. And as for Gary Grant . . .

For years people have wondered what could replace sex as the No. 1 topic in Hollywood. All too soon they may have their answer: medicare.