The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-07-19
The Seamy Side Of Broadway
By DIXIE HINES.

New York. July ID. 191e-The first period of prohibition shows as its most conspicuous result the abolition of one of the important clements of night life fin New York. the cabaret. The cabarets of New York are fam ous-aslS dad he knows-but they cannot exist without juice.
 Already several of the more famous or infamous have closed, and oth- CTS show signs of dropping. Such as seek to hold on are doing so by in cooperating q "cuuvert" charge of one or two dollars. The "couvert" charge is a form of petty biackmall which was brought out some time ago by the red light group of white light establishments. and means, in Ian guaEe understood by all, that you may enter without charge, but to re- main one must be mulcted and to leave one must be mulctcd and to oc- cupy a table one must be mulcted. The "couvert' Is tho little item found on the bill when you get ready to de- liver your wallet to the highwaymen at present serving as a waiter. It is the price of the table. which Is plus everything else. It is based on a leasehold of the space you occupy during the time you are being fleec- ed
 The managers of these resorts state that sf1ce the sale of wines and N- quors has been forbidden the reve- nue has dropped sveuty-five per cent and at this rate they find it impos- siVo to declare a dividend of more than 1000 per cent which is, of course, ridiculous
 There is such a thing as making ssf1. tho real thing
 Atlantis City saw q new play last week cMled "The Storm" It was wrstteff By Iangdon Mccormick who thereL Jr started out TO devise some effects representing the clements in anger from O snow storm that made the great Northwest a hissing. blind ing wilderness, and a forest fire which lighted up the heavens and bore down upon the imprisoned oc- cupants of the little hut with relent- less fury
 Tho dress rehearsal of this play was witnessed by several well known Broadwaytts and so realistic were these scenes, especially the fire scene. that George Broadhurst. the pro ducer, decided that in the interest of safety he would place on the pro- gra1nme a notice to reaseure tho ner- vous audience, so he averred that the fire scene was not in reality q fire scene ut all. with real fire. but an effect
 The news of this sensation spread along the board walk nt Atlantic City and the demand for seats was extra yaeant one of the actors fin the play is Robert Rendel. and d number of his friends Journoyed to Atlantic City to see the new rne!odrama
 Tell me-" ono of them remarked to the actor after the performance. 'T know the programme says there is no real fire fin that scene, but l waA nervous just the same As q mat ter of fact, is it real fire?'
 '-T'he best answer I can give you." tbe actor replied, 'is to refer you to the fact that I am on the stage. If 1t was real fro you would find me sonewhcre else. bet on that"
 The stnge is reclaiming It's best members who have been absent while engaged in anothor vocation. that of str-afing the Kaiser and the whole Germany army. one of the best young actors this country has ever produc- ed is Paul Gordon. n Yale graduate, a man of high intellectual attachments and an actor of spirit, Intelligence and accomplishment.
 Mir. Gordon appeared last week in . nsw play called Penny,"> which