Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-07-23
Mew York
Letter

NEW YORK.-On the day they
were burying Harry Reichenbach i
happened 10 be passing a monde
script secondhand and auction store
in lower Sixth avenue. IN one cor
ner OF a window. In a pile OF dusty
mirrors and dishes. ! noticed a time
worn cop OF September Morn"
Remember IL? And how shocking 1t
was supposed to be?
Wei, I mention this because Il
was Harry who caused an entire
nation TO get excited YER this ordi-
nary picture. He had been retained
by a certain picture dealer who
wanted to sell more wares. And
millions Of copies were sold when
Harry made almost everyone be-
lieve that something naughty was
being perpetrated.
This was. TO be sure, one or the
earlier stunts Of this fabulous press
agent.
Barnum and Reichenbach would
have made q great team. For Harry
had a flair for the fantastic and
bizarre IN advertising and was pre-
pared 10 stage any sort Of stunt TO
introduce his clients 70 the public.
This often involved the hood
winking OF many editors. Harry was.
i'll fact, one OF the last or the big
buncombe" type of press agents.
What he did was often spectacular
and even hilarious. but a tremend-
GUS change has come Over the pub
Lefty business within the past five
years or more.
Broadway gents. who once spent
sleepless nights trying to think u
schemes, now resort TO no film
flammery. They let news of the
write well. and half a dozen OF them
have been taken from their old
tasks 10 hold down serious writ
ing jobs. Several have become stage
producers and have presented sue
cesSful plays; any number are IN
Hollywood and others are we'll
X own authors.
When the war came. Harry's rep
utation had reached the point
here Uncle Sam let him be a press
y IN for the American forces.
Before he reached this status,
however. Harry had participated IN
hilarious fakeries that have since
become Broadway legends. There
was the case or The Virgin OF SIAM
hcul.r for instance. Harry had
planted" half a dozen mysterious
Turks in a swanky hotel. They re-
fused at first TO be zen by the
press and there was q UGH conjec-
ture as 70 their mission. Then, n
day. admission was made that they
were searching for a kidnapped Turk
ish maid. known as "the virgin u
Stamboul.' A reward OF $4,000 was
offered. When the newspapers had
tumbled for II. announcement Of the
movie Of that name came.
On another occasion a lion was
discovered IN a hotel room. II had
been delivered. inn0cently enough.
IN a crate. Police were called and
there was no end OF excitement. The
papers thought III a funny tale and
followed the many incidents. until
The owner was discovered 10 be a
certain II. r. zann."
Meanwhile, the efforts 10 dislodEe
a lion from a midtown hotel room
vas proving a most whimsical nov
city. II not a difficult task. And. or
course. the IT. r. Zann' involved
was later connected with 'Tarzau
or the Apes"
"One might assume that such
stunts would have caused Reichen-
bach 10 have been tossed out on his
a by every editor in New York.
Fact was. that Harry was friendly
with most OF them. though eyed with
great suspicion until he reformed"
Nest or his Jokes were SO good that
even an editor who had bitten
had TO laugh. The day OF the hoax
type Of publicity passed. however.
and Harry adopted more serious
methods. He took on the personal
publicity OF many movie stars and
v toured with Sarah Bernhard.
Harry viii be remembered longest
for his pranks, which will be told
and retold for many a year.