A touch of Hollywood glamour

Mathis Winkler

There’s a scene in “My Fair Lady” when Eliza Doolittle, the scruffy

flower girl, turns into a stunning beauty and descends a staircase in a

diamond-studded white ball gown.

“Miss Doolittle, you look beautiful,” says a stunned Col. Hugh

Pickering. “Don’t you think so, Mr. Higgins?”

“Not bad,” comes her grumpy language teacher’s response. “Not bad at

all.”

It seems certain that Noelle Allen, 18, will get a more enthusiastic

response tonight from her grandfather, Gene Allen, when he takes her to

the 73rd annual Academy Awards.

Last week, the Eastbluff teenager made several trips to a Laguna Beach

salon, where stylists helped transform her from a Catholic schoolgirl to

a belle ready for the red carpet at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.

There, she is bound to cause double takes, just as Audrey Hepburn’s

Eliza did while stepping down the stairs created by Noelle’s grandfather,

who won the 1964 Academy Award for art direction on “My Fair Lady.”

Mind you, the senior at all-girls Catholic Rosary High School in

Fullerton is far from being in need of a make-over. This will be her

fourth time at the Oscars.

“She’s always looked nice,” said her grandfather, who was president of

the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1984 and 1985 and has

taken Noelle, her sister, Claire, 15, and their parents, Michael and

Tessa, to the awards ceremony every other year since 1995.

Although Noelle has made do with “dresses I had for school dances” in

the past, she wanted something more special for her first trip to the

Academy Awards since becoming an adult in December.

“It’s the first year where I’ve gotten to watch most of the movies,”

she said. “It’s the first time I understand how special it is to go.”

GOLDEN MOMENTS ARE TOUGH ON THE NERVES

Not that the grandeur of the occasion -- after the ceremony, the

Allens go to the Governors Ball, where Noelle says “the food is always

really good” -- hasn’t rubbed off on her before.

“I remember sitting down [in 1999] and feeling nervous,” she said.

“And then I realized that I shouldn’t feel nervous because I had nothing

to be nervous about.”

Noelle’s grandfather did, however. Three times, to be exact.

Before winning the golden statuette for his work on “My Fair Lady,” he

was nominated for production design on “A Star is Born” and “Les Girls.”

“When you don’t hear your name, you immediately start applauding the

winner,” Gene Allen said, adding that he missed his first ceremony as a

nominee while working on location in India for another movie.

But winning is another story.

“First, you’re kind of startled,” said Allen, who started working as a

blueprint boy in 1936.

“You walk up and wonder, ‘What am I going to say?’ But words come out

if you’re an Irishman. I said it was unfair to the other art directors up

for an award because they didn’t have an Audrey Hepburn to work with.”

While Noelle has seen her grandfather’s films and has borrowed his

trophy for Oscar parties in the past, she is more interested in the

contemporary stars.

As far as the Oscars are concerned, the gymnastic, chair-climbing act

by “Life is Beautiful” director and actor Roberto Benigni after winning

two Oscars is something that’s stuck in her mind, Noelle said.

But Tom Hanks is clearly her favorite actor. No question about it.

That worked out nicely, since Hanks won a best actor award for “Forrest

Gump” the first time Noelle attended the Oscars.

This year, she is keeping her fingers crossed again for Hanks, who is

nominated as best actor for his performance in “Castaway.” But trying to

lobby her grandfather for a vote in Hanks’ favor is out of the question.

“She’d know better than that,” Gene Allen said, adding that even his

wife, Iris, never knows how he votes.

“As president [of the academy,] I never knew who won until the

envelopes were opened,” he said.

Following her grandfather into the world of movies could happen,

Noelle said. But she wouldn’t bet on it, and she’ll definitely not stand

in front of a camera.

“If I ever was going to win an Oscar, it would be behind the scenes,”

she said.

Although Noelle doesn’t know what she wants to study in college, she

is interested in English and art.

A SLICK LOOK FROM HEAD TO TOE

On Thursday afternoon, it was dress rehearsal time. Wearing a dark

blue, spaghetti-strapped top, beige pants and flip flops, Noelle dropped

by Salon DeNour with two of her friends for an hour of grooming and

styling to make sure she has the right look for the big event. She will

return at 9 a.m. today for the real thing.

Her friends, Heather Deyden and Lauren Pulaski, both 17-year-old

seniors at Newport Harbor High School, said they were happy rather than

jealous about Noelle’s big night.

“Everybody wants to go to the Oscars,” said Heather, adding that she

and Lauren would try to spot their friend on television. “But I think I

just said, ‘Look your best and try to get your face on camera.’ ”

“Are you excited for Sunday?” asked Maria Demoles, the salon’s stylist

and co-owner, who helped Noelle pick out a gray, black and white

snake-skin gown a few days earlier.

“Yeah, I’m getting really excited,” Noelle responded.

“We’re going to keep a real clean, real smooth look,” Demoles said as

she began blow-drying Noelle’s hair. “Slick from head to toe.”

Once little waves were flattened with a hair iron and Demoles seemed

pleased with the state of things, the stylist’s eyes started to brighten

as she grabbed a tube of silver hair mascara from the table.

“OK, now we get to play,” she said. “If I can’t play with real [hair]

color, I’m going to play with something.”

Covering several strands of Noelle’s hair with the glimmering

substance, Demoles wrapped up that part of her work.

Next came Noelle’s face, which would remain subtle in color.

“We’re doing very light eyes and strong lips,” Demoles said. “We’re

staying more in your light violet, pinky tones.”

A few minutes later and still seeming a little nervous, Noelle

disappeared and returned dressed in her gown and ready for Oscar night.

To smiles of approval from her friends and others in the salon, the

soft-spoken Noelle began to carry her new look with confidence. The

change in clothing begat a change in attitude.

“I feel ready more than any of the other past years,” she said. “It’s

exciting not to have to worry about what I’m going to look like.”

And then, when asked whether she’d make it to school Monday, her eyes

shone with a faint touch of mischief.

“I’ll probably try to go,” the honor student said, smiling. “But maybe

just a little late.”