Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-16

for few topical songs!
~ Five thousand dollars for outlining
the decorative scheme of a single
evenings entertainment!
Special trains to bring guests across the con-
tinent!
Airplane fleets to carry guests out to coun-
try or a beach estate!
Three thousand dollars to a composer for
writing an original" number for exclusive
Thirty-five thousand just to bring out
deb!
mo limit" bid for popular stage perform
ers who will guarantee to appear exclusively
for . very exclusive affair and turn down all
other bids for the social seasonI
Fabulous offers for the services of famous
stage-Set artists!
such are but few Of the items In the 1880
budget Of New Yorkis rich social spenders.
Competition for novelty has always been
keen in the so-caIled 100" whose ranks have
years
But this winter Manhattan society has gone
Broadway" in a large manner. It has been get
away day" for popular entertainers Of the bright
lights belt. Staggering sums have been waved
under the noses OF any singer. dancer or player
who leaped suddenly into the limelight.
TT has been Q commonplace, rather than an
= exception, for such performer to appear ut
- -
night club for another $500; grab taxi or .
waiting limousine and hustle over to Long
Isenad to make another $500 In q few min
uteS, and arrive at one Of the talking picture
studios for a similar sum the following morning
Earlier In the year Helen Morgan-haying be-
come something of a vogue thanks to her work
in Sweet Adeline" and in the talking pictures
had been retained at a cost Of $2,500 for
three songs. Libby Holman, who had stepped
out Of obScurity into the nmelight for her rem
0F IA IA uNe9o and
In Low" also found herself TN the heavy bid
ding
And It so happened that Maurice Chevalier
the popular French singer comedian was max
nag q talking picture on Long Island. At the
moment one Of his pictures was playing to
Standing room in mid-Broadway. One Of the
ultra-uitra entertainers decided she could
scoop" her competitors by getting the services
of the eK-music hall favorite from Paris The
bidding started at $1,000 for two songs and
wound up ut SIS, 600 for three.
But Chevalier politely asked to be forgiven
.. he was very busy he was very tired
:. and, perhaps. he did not care to appear
at such private entertainments for any sum of
money!
OF course, at least one Manhattan dowaeer
was indignant!
So this particular blue book" lady got an
other bright idea. She would have her party
decorated" by one Of the more prominent
Broadway stage designers!
A LII of which established still another fad.
During the current social season all the
others have rushed In, calling upon Joseph
Urban or Norman Bel-Geddes, Joseph Men
zies or Robert Edmond Jones. or Lee Simonson
or any one Of the others who have been recog-
nized Is outstanding artists Of the theater. The
fee for furnishing q few theatrical ideas has
ranged around IS, 900. And that's just for the
idea-0ne can only presume what the cost has
been for the suggested settings.
Parties which ranged in cost from $25 900 to
$4,000 have been frequent. The wedding Of
Bernice Chrysler to william Garbisch was esti-
mated at something like 100000 or better.
There were about 1900 guests. The Sherry
catering can be figured loosely at $20 o person.
After which there were all the other costs of
entertainment.
And, the matter of bringing out the debutantes
earlier during the coming out" season saw
extravaganza reaching new peak.
There was, for instance. the occasion of Viz
GINA Thaw's coming out.
This took place during the holiday. period.
Mr.. and Mrs. william Thaw III had invited
some ZOO guests.
One Of the swankiest hotels in New York
turned over several bali rooms and dining rooms
for this occasion. The theatrical decorators
converted these rooms into replicas of Per-
sian gardens with starlit skies overhead. Bam-
boo trees were imported for floor atmosphere,