Linda Evans

A few of us were sitting around visiting last Sunday evening after the House Concert when singer/songwriter Jill Trenholm said that one of her past jobs was as a leg double for Linda Evans.  The conversation stopped dead.  Every eye went to Jill’s legs which, unfortunately, were hidden within a pair of non-revealing, full-length trousers.

“You were WHAT?” we all asked.

“Oh, yes,” Jill laughed.  “She had a leg double (me), a hand double, and also a belly double!”

It was one of those conversational moments that seemed to shatter into laughter and then fly into a gazillion other directions; none of us asked the right follow-up questions and so all that remains with me is that delicious piece of trivia.  That and the fact that Jill’s husband Joe said, “Yes, Jill has spectacular legs!  The best I’ve ever seen.”

I don’t know how the other women in the room felt about that particular remark but I was totally glad that I, too, was wearing non-revealing, full-length trousers!

Amelia Earhart

The sartorial aspect of all that brings me to a second piece of trivia.  This one I came across while reading My Day, the compilation of newspaper columns written by Eleanor Roosevelt in the 1930s and 40s.  Mrs. Roosevelt was not only an inveterate and enthusiastic traveler, she was a friend and great fan of Amelia Earhart’s.  When the famous aviatrix offered to take the President’s wife on a flight, Mrs. R. enthusiastically accepted.

According to the editorial comment in the book, Earhart piloted the First Lady and some friends from Washington [D. C.] to Baltimore.  Both pilot and guest of honor wore evening dress.

My first thought upon reading that was that we’ve certainly digressed in our ‘air-wear’ these days!  But further research revealed that Ms. Earhart had been at a White House “do” when she offered to take her hostess for a little flight.  They went right then, about midnight, presumably without changing into their flying togs.  I wish there were a photo of them in their long gowns with leather helmets and goggles a la the Red Baron…

Perhaps it’s simple-minded of me, but I find that bits of trivia such as these – leg-doubles-and-flying-in-ball-gowns-oh-my! – make the other, more somber, news of the week almost bearable.