Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-21

A S an avid devourer Of the in
~ timacies purveyed in the movie
n fan magazines, I have fol-
years wanted to visit such cele-
brated spots as the Brown Derby res
taurant, the Embassy Club, Malibu
Beach, one hotels coconut grove, the
Blossom room at another hotel and the
Mexican resort, Aqua Caliente-for it
is in these favored places that the
ornamental film stars are said to fore
gather and swap gossip on their own
time
have now been in Hollywood for
three weeks and have cat vast ex-
pense) visited all the meccaS mentioned
above. Perhaps there's something the
matter with my eyesight, or perhaps the
stars don't look like stars when off
duty, but the disappointing fact is that
all have seen to date is one young
lady who looked like Evelyn Brent. but
who, it turned out later, was not Evelyn
Brent, and a genial gentleman who
might possibly have been Leon Enrol.
So have nothing of much personal
interest to report. Shamed as / am to
admit it, can't tell you who was seen
dancing with whom the other night.
have managed to eavesdrop on no
one other than a lot of unattractive
looking people whose romances are of
no interest to any one but themselves
(and even then not so fascinating).
However, the quest for information
has not been entirely fruitless. 4 1t has
led me across the Mexican border, and
though I saw no stars in Aqua Cali
ente ("the stars week end play
groundD, I did succeed in agreeing
with the roulette wheel on the selec-
ton of several lucky numbers, and con-
sequently returned to the United States
In possession of my skin.
Aqua Caliente is only an hour and
three-quarters from Los Angeles by
airplane. BY the old-fashioned auto
mobile, 1t Is anywhere from 4 to IL
hours, depending on how many wrong
turns you take and how many trucks
you collide with en- route. Crossing the
line at San Ysidro, the eye Is instantly
aSSailed by masses of billboards adyer-
Using various obsolete beverages bear
ing such quaint names as beer rum"
and whisky" 1t seems that Mexico
Is still in state of comparative bar
barism, which means that you can get
anything you want, provided you pay
for It, and pay pretty: The champagne
retails for the sum of $18 quart and
duce of New Jersey.
Having passed the Mexican authori-
ties, who give you no more than a
markedly hostile look, you enter the
historic town of Tia Juana and df you
take my advice pass rapidly through
it, with fingers clamped firmly upon
the nostrils. Tia Juana resembles
nothing so much as an old street scene
in Universal City. From all sides comes
the merry din of mechanical pianos
and the clatter of the slot machines
which no one has licked yet. There are
also hordes of fresh, lovely, flower-like
young girls, shyly inviting passersby to
step up and buy another round for the
bunch.
The street of Tia Juana is damned
with cars bearing California license
plates, and all the various emporia-
bars, perfume shops, dance halls anC
gambling dens-are damned with ex'
uberant emigrants from the Colder
state. !, Every week end an American
evolutionary force crosses the border
and takes Tia Juana-or rather, Il
would i be more accurate to say thai
Tia Juana takes the Americans.
Judging by the numbers Of guests or
hand. and the. profit indicated in al
prices, feswoufd expect that the native
Mex1cans would be driving about IN