Her most famous film role was in the 1957 'Funny Face' in which she played fashion editor Maggie Prescott - a spoof of Diana Vreeland - another ugly duckling who proved that fabulousness was more important than one's face. An early profile of Thompson in Radio Guide declared, rather nastily, 'Ugly Ducklings Can have Beaux Too.' As an actress during Hollywood's musical golden age, Thompson was never cast as the drop-dead leading lady.

Eloise - with her stick-straight, ashy blond hair, pot belly and circus-mime face - is 'not yet pretty though she's already a person.' Neither Liza Minnelli nor Kay Thompson were ever considered ravishing beauties. In fact, the similarity which Liza shares with Eloise is also the one she shares with her godmother. If nothing else, both Liza - whose mother Judy Garland died of a drug overdose - and Eloise shared a fabulous surrogate mother who was much more attentive than their own. The most likely candidate for the beguiling Eloise is Thompson's goddaughter, with whom she lived on and off until the end of her life. I blame it on rowdy debutantes who believed themselves to be Eloise. Kay Thompson blamed it on rowdy debutantes. I truly believed that I owned her.'Įxclusive ownership of Eloise was presumably the motivation behind the theft of the Eloise portrait that hung in the Plaza Hotel in the mid-'50s. Apparently, Marie Brenner of Vanity Fair also believes herself to be Eloise in her introduction to 'The Absolutely Essential Eloise' she writes, 'Eloise was not allowed to belong to anyone else. I am not the only one who thinks she is Eloise. My mother, who introduced me to Eloise herself, simply handed me the phone. Once, he even asked for Eloise when he called me at my mother's house. One of my friends agrees with me: after discovering our mutual love of all things Eloise, he has since refused to address me by any other name.

Sorry: book is too large for expedited domestic or international shipping without preapproval of extra postage (at least double per USPS rates).I am Eloise. The unclipped DJ is equally lovely, protected in new mylar cover Free! Our photos depict the Exact book you will receive, never 'stock' images of books we don't actually have! Same Day Shipping on all orders received by 2 pm Weekdays (PST) later orders, Weekends & holidays ship very next business day. Else, completely clean & bright, pages white, colors vivid. Both are in Fine condition: just slightly less crisp than Brand New & with an old gift inscription in pen to ffep. A First Edition from 2000, this oversized 4to hardcover has glossy paper over boards decorated with the same design as on the matching DJ. Complete collection in one volume of all the beloved Eloise books: 'The Absolutely Essential'' (1999), 'Paris' (1957), 'Moscow'' (1957), & 'Christmastime'' (1958), with all of the original drawings by Hilary Knight.

The ultimate eloise kay thompson