"He Has the Most Beautiful
Brown Eyes" - Jill Hayworth

The following interview with Jill Hayworth appeared in the 1964 magazine The Beatles Are Back.

"I didn't even know who The Beatles were until a few months ago. Then in Hollywood I heard 'From Me To You.' I can't really say why I flipped over them the moment I heard their record. They just sounded...well...special...and very, very different.
"But when I returned home to New York, the record wasn't even being played. A month or two later, a new Beatle record, 'I Want To Hold Your Hand,' started getting tremendous airplay across the whole country. I was delighted the group was catching on, simply because they're English and I'm English and...well, it made me feel I had something in common with them. Beatlemania started spreading and I must admit I was just as Beatle-happy as a high-school freshman. Even Mother started singing along with their records and she's far from being a rock 'n' roller!
"When I heard Ed Sullivan was going to have them guest on his program, I made up my mind I had to meet them. I saw them in action for the first time on his show. I thought they were absolutely fab and the moment the show ended, I called my steady, Sal Mineo (who was filming in California), and told him how wonderful they were and not to miss them.
"Sal's reaction was indifference, and it upset me. He said I was acting like a kid, a teenagge fan squealing about a rock 'n' roll group. He had never spoken to me like that before and it hurt. I asked him to please watch the show and then call me back to let me know what he thought of them.
He never called back. I knew this was his way of telling me to grow up. But I felt the one time I did get excited about something a bit silly, the least he could do is enjoy my enthusiasm. The fact he was so negative about The Beatles made me want to meet them even more. Meantime, my friend Steve Brandt, a magazine writer, had become quite friendly with The Beatles. Then one evening he called me from their suite at the Plaza Hotel. I nearly died. I could hearing them laughing and joking in the background. He told me to stay at home because he and The Beatles were going out in a few hours and he'd call me back and tell me where to meet them! I must have combed my hair and made up my face a million times. After two hours of pacing my apartment and driving Mother completely crazy, Steve called. My heard dropped as he told me the boys were tired and decided to get an early night's rest. I thought that was that.
"I was really getting to be an impossible Beatle fanatic and my mother and friends were getting impatient with me. Sal still hadn't called. I was very depressed.
Steve called me a day later to say The Beatles had invited him to their concert at Carnegie Hall. I could come.
"We were admitted backstage and we tried to go over and say hello but there were detectives keeping everyone away.
After the concert Steve said: 'Come on Jill, we're going over to the Plaza and tell the boys how good they were! I know how much you want to meet them.'
"He made me promise to act relaxed and poised when he introduced me. As we walked into their suite, a sort of after-the-concert party was already in progress. After Steve congratulated the boys, he introduced me to Ringo, George, John, John's wife Cynthia and Louise, George's sister. My first impression was how much better looking they all were in person. Trying to appear as relaxed as I could, I found a seat and lit up a cigarette.
"A moment later, Paul, whom I hadn't met yet, came wandering into the room looking for one of his boots. He glanced at me quizzically, walked over and said, 'I'm Paul, who are you?' 'God,' I thought, 'is he gorgeous!' All I could see were two of the most beautiful brown eyes staring at me. I felt foolish and finally blurted out, 'Hello, Paul, I'm Jill.' 'Well, Jill, how about fixing me a drink while I find my other boot. And make one for yourself while you're at it.' I know absolutely nothing about drinks and how to make them, I luckily enough, the only beverage The Beatles consume is the unholy combination of scotch and coke! I made about nine of them and served everyone. Then I retreated to a corner of the room. Paul came over afterwards and sat down on the arm of my chair."'What do you do, Jill?' I told him I was an actress and under contract to Otto Preminger. 'Oh,' Paul announced to everyone in the room, 'we have a movie star with us tonight. Please everybody watch your p's and q's.'
"After more of his teasing and joking, I loosened up and started feeling more comfortable. I wished Mr. Mineo could see me now! Wouuld he be surprised!
"Paul leaned over and whispered, 'Let's get out of here, there are too many people. I can't think straight. We can go and watch television in the other room.' Paul flipped on the TV, put his arm around me and we settled down to watch Johnny Carson's show, not saying a word.
"An hour later, Steve popped his head in to inform us everyone was going out to a twist club and did we want to join them. Paul said sure, 'We'd love to go.'
"When we reached the club, we joined the others, remarking how nice and empty the place was, just like a private party. Then Steve came over and said some friends of his were stopping by to join us for a drink, among them Tuesday Weld and Stella Stevens. I wondered just what Paul would think of them and how he would act towards me once Tuesday and Stella arrived and I had competition.
"Ringo asked me to twist and we made our way to the small dance floor. He's a sensation. We danced the Hitchkiker and the Mashed Potato and tried to teach other our favorite steps. We stayed on the dance floor for about fifteen minutes and sure enough, when we returned to the table, there they were...Tuesday, Stella and a few others. And Tuesday was in the middle of an involved conversation with Paul! I took my seat next to him and said hello to the new arrivals. Tuesday was warm and friendly and when I got back to the table she stopped talking with Paul and got into conversation with John and Cynthia. 'Thank heavens,' I told myself, 'Paul is stll my property! Paul held my hand as we sat listening to the bands. After an hour, he suggested we return to the Plaza and have a chance to talk where it wasn't so noisy.
"In the cab on the way there, we didn't speak at all. I just leaned back nice and cozy and rested my head on Paul's shoulder. When we got upstairs to the suite, Estelle Bennett (one of the Ronettes), George, Bob Freeman (the group's photographer) and some other people were sitting about talking. It was now past 3:00 A.M. and I had to call my mother. Paul took me into the study to I wouldn't be disturbed. He said, 'That's nice, calling your mum. Mine died when I was fourteen.' I didn't know how to answer him....When Mother got on the phone Paul took it and said hello. He told her we hadn't really had a chence to talk and promised to put me in a taxi within an hour. Luckily, she understood and I was able to stay for a while.
"We settled down in the study and talked. After about an hour, I told him I really had to leave. 'Jill,' he asked, 'why don't you come down to Miami? We're going the Sullivan show from there and when that's done, it will be nothing but vacation for us. Do you think your mother would let you?'
"I told him I liked the idea and promised to call the next night at his hotel in Miami. I knew I liked Paul very much. More than I've ever liked any boy besides Sal. I thought of Sal and what I would tell him. But still I knew no matter what Sal said...I was going to go to Miami....
"I had butterflies in my stomach as I stopped off the plane at Miami Airport. How would Paul react to seeing me how here? What if, deep down, he really didn't want me to be here in Miami? What if he was with another girl at this very moment? I found my way to his hotel and went up to his suite. It was a bathrobe-clad Ringo who answered my knock. The boys were sitting out on the balcony trying to get some sun. Paul came over and kissed me on the forehead. 'Hello, Jilly, I just called your hotel.' 'But how did you know I was here?' I asked. 'Oh, I had a long conversation with your mother in New York and she told me where you were staying. I promised I'd look after you, didn't I?'
"If I ever needed reasurance, this was it. The fact he took time out to call my mother in New York proved he was interested. Then he suggested I go to my hotel and dress up for the evening so we could go out.
"Brian Summerville (The Beatles' press agent) came to tell the boys a reporter from a British newspaper would be going along with them. The man from the British press wound up in our car and I could sense Paul was uneasy about talking in his presence. Soon we arrived at our destination, the Mau-Mau Club. We had a round of the official Beatle drink (scotch and coke) and I got up to twist with Ringo. Paul doesn't dance at all; he enjoys sitting at his table and singing along with the bands. When we left we were all happy.
"When I got to my room I found a pile of phone messages waiting for me. I wondered who could have possibly called as I opened them up. I panicked...they were all from Sal! He knew The Beatles were in Miami and here I was, too. I knew he must be furious with me. I got on the long distance phone. 'Jill,' he demanded, 'just what are you doing in Miami? I called you in New York and was stunned when your mother told me you were down there.' 'Oh,' I answered quickly, 'Steve is down here doing a story on The Beatles ans he asked me to come along with him.' 'Jill, are you dating anyone?' his voice was deep and serious; I gatheredup my courage and said, 'Yes, Sal, I'm dating Paul McCartney. He's one of The Beatles and he's a wonderful boy.' There was a pause on the other end. Then Sal asked if we were serious and I told him Paul was a lot of fun and I intended to spend some time with him. Sal told me he'd call again tomorrow.
"I hung up feeling confused and bewildered. I didn't want to have to lay my emotions on a table and analyze them. All I know was that I liked Paul and he was good company. Paul relationship with Paul was so different. With him there was never any questions asked about Sal or any other boys I might be interested in. Paul was just interested in relaxing and enjoying himself. He was wonderfully uncomplicated.
"Next day Paul phoned me, upset that one reporter has linked us together and we were on the front pages of all the English papers. Paul was worried that I'd be upset.
"But then all the British reporters in Miami began phoning me. I called Paul.
"'Maybe it would be better if I went home,' I suggested. 'Please, Jill,' Paul reassured me, 'no one has to know I'm seeing you.' 'But Paul,' I added, 'that's just the point. I can't meet you in secret. I don't want to feel guilty for no reason at all.'
"I sensed Paul's concern for my feelings and then I was mad at myself for feeling so sorry for me. I realized I'm luckier than Paul. This was only one week I had to be stared at. Paul would go through this ever day of his life. I decided not to see him again in Miami. This was his vacation and I wanted him to enjoy it. I wrote Paul a letter explaining my feelings and asked Steve to give it to him. Then I flew home.
"That evening in New York my mother said I'd done the right thing. Paul would have talked me out of it if I'd told him I was leaving. He phoned, apologized for everything and asked me to meet him at Kennedy Airport when The Beatles changed planes for England. But when I got there it was mobbed by thousands of teenagers.
"I somehow managed to work my way to their plane as the boys were boarding. Ringo spotted me and told Paul. Paul's face lit up when he saw me and started to make his way down the staircase. It was almost impossible. He reached out and grabbed my arm. 'Thank you,' he told me. 'Thank you for everything. I'll speak to you very soon.'"
With that, Paul flew back to England-out of Jill's life and back to Jane Asher.

Email Sarah

Return to Vintage Articles and Interviews

Background courtesy of The Background Boutigue

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws

1