The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-03-22
IN
New York
BY PAUL HARRISON


New York-There's plenty Of hi
jinks and hi-de-ho underneath the
Harlem moon. But you can't see
Gotham's black belt from a ring
side table at the aristocratic Cot
ton Club. Only "dickty" Negroes
go to places like that. "Dickty" and
''hinkly" are synonyms for high
hat.
| Most Harlemites find their fun
on the little dark side streets off
Seventh and Lenox avenues. For
one thing, the "o'fays", or white
folks, cramp their style. Also, few
Of them can afford to go to hot
spots which many white neople
would be willing to patronize.
"swing 1t, Honeyw
For example, there's the Bel
mont, typical of scores Of all
Negro night clubs. It's a base
ment place with a speakeasy-style
entrance, and is easier to enter II
one has Negro guide. Hats
checked, Is cents in advance. And
then a long narrow, smoke-fllled
room, its walls garishly. painted,
in the cheap Greek. restaurant
mode. Worn linoleum on the, floor.
and at the back are a few wooden
booths for ladies' and gemmun
yho wish a little privacy
A large black man at piano
supplies the musci. A safron-col-
ored girl named Jean sings and
popular melodies, some of them
with shady lyrics. Dancing, she
pulls up the hem of her modest
evening gown and her long legs
flash in the intricacie3 of routine
known only to such children OF
the night.
Patrons at the tables along
each wall sit quietly for the
most part, but when Jean
dances the shout, ".Swing 1t,
hOneyw You can hear that
exhOrtatiOn wherever people
dance I'm Harlem. "Swing II,
honey! Go to town! Swing 1t,
now"
20 cents. A shorty (half pint) OF
corn whiskey costs so cents. Har-
lem apparently never has heard
either Of prohibition or of repeal
Bootleg corn and bathtub gin re-
main. as always, the alcoholic
staples. ~
- z L
Where "Queens" Rule
Three O'Clock is a little early
to go to Dick Moore's Theatrical
Grill, but later every table Is oc-
cupied in the stuffy little bedlam.
The back belt knows Dicky as its
best dressed man. One night he'll
appear in formal tails; the next
night in heavy sports tweeds from
one of Fifth Avenues smartest
importers. He'll show you the label
to prove it.
Visiting celebrities supply most
Of the entertainment, supplement-
ed by a four-piece band and n tall,
coal-black Negro who is one OF
those erotic phenomena called
queens"--female impersonators.
This one has assumed the name of
a famous white movie star, wears
wig and an evening gown, and
sings alto. u
Strangely there is less public
lewdness, and much less nudity,
in all-Negro night clubs than in
the white hot-spots around the
Manhattan theater district. Or at
the Harlan night clubs patronized
by whites. In explanation an en-
tertainer told me: sour people
amt got much self-restraint. once
they gets gay, SO we, got to be care
full"
Other "Fun Spots" ia
There are, sof course, brothels
by the dozen, dives of wild IL
cense and incredible debauchery,
most of them with gala nights
scheduled for the first and fif-
iteenth of each month, when rail-
road porters get their pay.
Also there are such moral oddi-
ties as Clinton Moore's place., q
large second-floor salon hung with
cheaply-exotic draperies and redo
lent with incense. Through the
heavily barred door pass dozens OF
men and most often no women al
all. Many patrons seem rather
we'll educated. and in iigh-pitched
voices discuss the theater and art
and poetry, Men dance together
All are exceptionally well groom
ed. Moore. himself bustles about
with trays of perfumed cocktails
"Do have another, he chirps. "Oh
dear, I'm afraid you don't like my
poisonsI''
Such places, as I said, are typf-
cal 'sfun-spots". Anyone with the
stomach and the stamina can seek
1 4 (, = { 4 +H4