John Kenneth Galbraith, peripatetic ambassador, author, political adviser and now professor at Harvard, took the occasion of his 60th birthday for a bit of mental meandering. On age: "I shan't be sorry when men begin to refer to me as old. But I'll be awfully sorry when women do." On politics: "Don't go near any political headquarters. Except for a stirring at election time, they're a kind of grim repository of people who like politics and can't get jobs elsewhere." On the Washington scene: "No tourist should leave Washington without seeing the late 19th century museum pieces in the Senate."

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Balloons cascaded down, toilet paper was unfurled, horns honked and musical instruments tootled away as Actor Peter Ustinov was installed as the first Rector of the University of Dundee by Queen Mother Elizabeth. He then turned his attention to a wry 40-minute speech dealing in part with the foibles of Yankee politics. Said Rector Ustinov: "We may feel safer in the hands of Mr. Nixon whose smile, unlike that of Mr. Humphrey, seems to be formed by the pull of an invisible bit, as ambition tugs at the reins before the final hurdle. Or we may be influenced by the frailty of Governor Agnew, who has committed so many indiscretions in so short a span of time that his capacity for them must be ascribed to a gift rather than a vice. The Agnew and the ecstasy."

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To celebrate the opening of his chichi men's shop, Fashion Designer Bernard Lanvin threw a bash at Brasserie Bofinger, one of the newest In restaurants in Paris. It was a time for the boys to shine, but it was an aging lady of 72 who stole the show. The Duchess of Windsor, looking slim as ever in her well-above-the-knee sequin outfit, wowed the crowd by dancing the Jerk with her host.

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Actress Daniele Gaubert was in Rome filming Camille 2,000, a futuristic version of Dumas fils' classic, and gossip columnists made the most of every rumor about her life and hard times with ex-husband, Rhadames Trujillo. The trigger-tempered playboy son of the late Dominican dictator had held her a virtual prisoner of love at his European estates for almost five years--or so the stories went. Then the romantic legend began to falter, as Daniele missed her cue and told reporters: "It's true that my husband wanted me to live on his estates in France and Spain, but it was not against my will. That is what I wanted to do, too."

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Pity the poor drama critic, always the observer once removed, never the player on stage. And imagine the happy wonder of New York Times Critic Clive Barnes upon seeing a colleague not only participating but achieving greatness of sorts in the role. It happened while Barnes was covering Paradise Now, a Living Theater production designed (among other things) to break down the barriers between audience and actors. During the performance, the players strip down to what Barnes describes as "skimpy yet adequate bikini-like covering." Even before they did, the barrier broke. Up stood Fellow Critic Richard Schechner, editor of the Drama Review, champion of audience participation. As Barnes tells it: "Mr. Schechner--to the everlasting glory of his profession--stripped completely, an action I had never previously observed from any of my other colleagues, although Mr. Schechner was, in fairness, wearing a mustache."

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Trouble was piling up in London for Beatle John Lennon and his Japanese girlfriend Yoko Ono. First was their new record album, The Two Virgins, featuring on the cover a rear-view photo of John and Yoko in the nude. Read the proposed ad: "It's just two of God's children singing and looking much as they were when they were born, only a little older." British music magazines refused album ads showing the cover. Then the couple was nabbed and charged with possession of marijuana, which Lennon once described as a "harmless giggle."

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Paris was packed for the premiere of the new Rex Harrison film, A Flea in Her Ear with a lengthy list of notables including Maria Callas, Dewi Sukarno, and, of course, Dick and Liz. An aspiring young French actress like Genevieve Gilles, 20, would ordinarily be lost in that flashy crowd. But Genevieve arrived on the arm of Darryl F. Zanuck, 66, who has promoted the careers of such stars as Bella Darvi, Juliette Greco and Irina Demick. And Zanuck has already made Genevieve something of a star. He directed the 23-minute short, The World of Fashion, that preceded Flea on the program, and Genevieve was the film's only performer. That may not be much of a step up the movie ladder but with Darryl's help, who knows?

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