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Philly Children’s Star, Gene London, Talks to the City
By Suzanne Cloud
Once upon a time, right here in Philly, a brilliant young storyteller and artist named Gene London made baby boomers swoon the minute he was hired by WCAU Channel 10 to work in the Cartoon Corners General Store “for 3 1/2 cents” in 1959. Now, at age 88, it’s evident that London never lost his core audience. They were on hand to hear him tell stories again about Bette Davis, Grace Kelly, Tyrone Power, Leslie Caron, and, especially about Minnie and Izzy Yulish, his beloved parents who emigrated from Russia to Cleveland, Ohio, and who were determined to be real Americans.
This past summer, London was on hand to personally delight “his kids,” who are now in their 60s and 70s, at his Golden Age of Hollywood Fashion Exhibit at the Tangier Outlets in Atlantic City, NJ.
Come as you are
Gene London has been showing his extensive collection of gowns and costumes for many years, restoring many to their former glory with the help of his partner John Thomas, and taking his show on the road all over the globe. On display are Edith Head creations from the film To Catch a Thief, Cecil Beaton’s dress from Gigi, Orry-Kelly’s Queen Elizabeth dress for The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex, Walter Plunkett’s party dress for Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind, and these are…
