Good lord! Wasn't that Elizabeth Taylor herself sitting over there with her new husband, the British matinee idol Michael Wilding? Few of the diners in the smart Hollywood restaurant could resist watching the starry couple from the corners of their eyes. Moments later, however, they must have been rubbing them in disbelief. After Wilding said something that had clearly displeased her, Elizabeth swung her arm back in a wide arc. Her punch landed squarely on his jaw, and her distinguished second husband — 20 years older and the darling of British cinema-goers — fell heavily to the floor. To outsiders,...