Evelyn explains that Little Women was mostly bait; once rebranded as “Evelyn Hugo, Young Blonde,” Sunset lined up sentimental comedies. Accepting her lack of leverage while her fame accelerated, she took her first starring role in Father and Daughter (1956) opposite Ed Baker.

To build her profile, Harry Cameron engineered publicity dates. For a staged night at Chasen’s with matinee idol Brick Thomas, publicist Gwendolyn Peters styled them, photographers swarmed, and Brick’s arrogance grated on Evelyn. Afterward, Harry reminded Evelyn that allowing a studio romance to advance could help her career, a compromise she agreed to despite resentment.

Evelyn tolerated similar photo-op outings with other actors, but everything shifted when Harry arranged a date with Don Adler. Don arrived at her apartment with lilies, praised an early cut of Father and Daughter that Ari Sullivan had shown him, and took her to the red-hot Mocambo. Don’s charm and respectful attention disarmed Evelyn, who felt genuinely seen.

At the club, amid a star-studded crowd, Don voiced quiet ambition while treating Evelyn as more than an accessory, which intensified her attraction. After hours of dancing, he asked to see her privately; he agreed to cancel a scheduled Trocadero outing with Natalie Ember to take Evelyn out the following Friday. The next day, their photograph appeared in Sub Rosa, cementing the budding romance in the public eye and hinting at how this connection could redefine Evelyn’s personal and professional trajectory.