The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-09-11
In New York
BY PAUL HARRISON

 popular lone wolf of the night spots is an aging playboy who doesn't dance, scarcely ever talks, but constantly is surrounded by a coterie of cuties. Plain case of checks-appeal.
 Best bet among practicing prodigals-about-town, though, is young MT. Putnam Humphries, formerly of Denver, now the dew fest member of the New York Stock Exchange. Cracks up air. planes, pours champagne into saxophones, moves around in a cascade of currency. Great guy! -ask any head-waiter.
 Alfred Vanderbilt and Jock Whitney flew to the Saratoga races every day, returning each night for a gallop around the after dark places of Manhattan, Broadway is enormously : pleased with Sally Rand's success as Sadie Thompson in Rain" during her brief Maine engagement. Proves she can overcome the handicap of clothes.
 Revenue Cutters
 A good many midtown barber shops have become, literally, clip-joints. Price lists are shaved below the agreed minimum, but outrageous checks are presented to patrons, some of whom are afraid not to pay. Union barbers are in a father about it, protecting the cut-throat competition,
 Mrs. Lou Gehrig has written song with 8 baseball twist =, 'I Can't Get to First Base With You" From where I sat at, Leon and Eddies' the other night, it looked like a hit. Sean O'Casey may move to this country. Wants to do articles and books as we'll as plays. Considering the amount of getting-around he does, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jr., seems to have less fun than anybody. Frohman Has Birthday.
 Old Dan'l Frohman has had a birthday. Records, and MT Frohman himself, disagree about whether he's 82, S4 or S5. Anyway, he's eighty-something, and this depart ment's best wishes go to the gaunt tireless, high-collared dean of the theater. Once he was office boy for Horace Greeley. Once he hired David Belasco. He will long be remembered as a producer, man. ager and theater-builder. But per- formers honor him most because for 50 years he has headed the Ac- tors Fund, raising and dispens- ing many millions for needy stage folk.
 Joe Zelli, the repatriated hand kisser, has a new night club, the Vignes de. France. Very elegant, and seems to be doing all right 7. .1. It seems to be true-about the shortage of chorus girls on Broadway. George Whites call to pick chorus of 50 for his new Scandals" brought 1900 ap- plicants, most of them discontent- ed housewives, unemployed sten- ographers, and ambitious fledg- lings who weren't sure which was their left foot. Out of the lot he found 50 competent and person. able dancers. v
 Signing Up
 Arrivals noted: A sky-writer traced Welcome Home. Grace Moore" in words a mile long when the singer returned from her Lon- don triumphs i. Norma Shearer and Irving Thalberg were the cen ter of a mild riot when their car stalled in front of theater the other evening. Autograph hunters had them at their mercy Fred Astaire was frightened by the size of the reception when he came east for the opening of his picture. he probably will get 8 chance to become the new head of Madison Square Garden Corp. There's talk of high places being made for him in a couple of big film companies, but I'll bet an autographed picture of Betty Compton against an old Tammany campaign button that Hollywood is smarter than that. Rare Opportunity
 The Barrymores are a funny kind of family. Seldom seek each others company. But there was one occasion when Lionel. John and Ethel all were gathered in the same room. Said Ethel: "Now God-please send that bolt of iightning!"