Aaron Tracy

As I mentioned, Dahl first meets Neil at a Manhattan dinner party, thrown by playwright Lillian Hellman.

Dahl is unusually nervous at the party.

For one thing, Hellman is a much more successful writer than he is.

She's someone he really wants to impress.

He's so uneasy that he ends up getting into a screaming match with another guest.

A guest who happens to be Leonard Bernstein, the world-famous composer.

These two really go at it.

And just when Dahl is most worked up, that's when he realizes that Hellman has decided to play matchmaker.

She's seated him next to a 26-year-old who he recognizes from magazine covers.

It's not an exaggeration to say she's one of the most beautiful women in the world.

Neil has already acted in major Broadway plays, winning a Tony for one that Hellman wrote.

But Dahl recognizes her from the movies.

Hollywood, of course, has snapped Neil up and decided to make her a star.

She's now one of those incredibly rare actresses who gets critical praise and big box office.

She's like the Amy Adams of her time, reddish hair and all.

As we've heard, Dahl is no stranger to dating movie stars.

But this one's different.

Neil is a force.

Watching some of her old films, it's easy to see why she's so in demand.

Whenever she's on screen, she forces you to look at her.