The Washington times., 1935-01-03

~ SAAS ASNAAA SEHSNASS OAAS VIVIAN
stand and the guests form a
lane from the stand to the
Presidents chair. Little Pea.
body, wearing his stage uni
form (red jacket and flannel
trousers), addresses the Presi.
dent. His speech is unique
and should be used in a book.
'YOur Excellency, Mrs. Presi-
dent, ladies and gentlemen: 1
am now going to play a number
which you have no doubt heard
me play in the motion pictures,
on the stage, with Rudy Vallee
and on the Show Boat Hour
over the radio" He didn't leave
out a thing. He plays several
numbers and gets a swell hand
from the kids. Then James
steps on the stand and says:
eve have George Gershwin
with us tonight and, inasmuch
as the President has requested a
number, / know he'll Oblige."
Gershwin plays 81 Got Rhythm"
and receives a tremendous Ova-
tiOn. He plays "Of Thee 1
Sing" for an encore and as he
leaves the stand he shakes
hands heartily with a handsome
lad. Mario BraggiOtti. Last
year at this party Mario played
"April In Paris" and he, too,
went over big. incidentally, the
piano is an interesting one. It's
q huge gold affair, rather gaudy,
and was presented to Theodore
Roosevelt in 19O3-t he 1OO,.
OOOth piano made by Steinway.
A roll of the drums. An an.
nouncement. "RichGrd Watts,
jr., lDill please call the Willard
Hotel at 0nce-Ro0n1 607." The
youngsters roar. There mag be
tragedy in thG1 call but that
sort of thing is not in their
makeup. A tluStered lad ruSheS
from the room. This is the
needed touch. All restraint is
gone now and the dancers are
hGving a merry time. Franklin,
jr., requests a number. DGUiS,
tluStered, protests. "Don't be
sizly," says the lad. "I tell you
it's okGy." DaUis ShrugS re-
Signedly and taps his baton.
The clarinet shrieks, the bull
fiddle pounds the tuneles beat
of the under rhythm, the cor
net 1Uith its gold derby coUer
whinnies slyly, the SGTophoue
laughs with the ribGldry OF q
drunken bag. "Sh-Sh-Sh," 1Dhis-
perS the leader and as the blGre
is muted to blend 1Oith the song
of the fiddle, a crooner picks
up his megaphone and sings,
MnGbGShed, miss Otis Regrets"
HarvGrd and Yale. VGSSGr and
Sn1ith-they all gather around
and join in the singing. The
lyrics are ribGld and Martha
Washington turned SeUen times
in her frame on the DGH. And
then another request. "She
Came Rollin' Down the Mou1l'
tGin." The crooner sings in
the Eddie DGvis manner and
all join in the chorus. "DeSpite
the deacon'S ur0in' she re.
mained the UillGge Uirgin," etc.,
etc.
The whimsical insanity Of a
wailing clarinet as it filings its
ObIigatO high over the heads Of
the youthful dancers blends ludi'
crOusly with the piteOus weeping
of a young girl who has yet to
see her seventeenth summer.
Overdressed she is, with glitter
ing diamonds fit for q glamOr"
GUS hussy of the Diamond Jim
Brady era. Her much-tOO-Old
gown is of black brOCaded satin
and its daring is scarcely relieved
by two emerald and diamond
clasps on the bodice. The SET
ting is the famous East Room of
the White House; it is the fore
most event of the year for the
social youth of America-the
Presidents party for his chill
dren.
The lGchrymose young lady
has been terribly inSulted. She
had spotted George GerShwin
and expressed her intention of
asking him Immediately for his
autograph. Her eScort-her
brother and a HGrvard man, to
boot-S1id:: "Nir on that you
dizzy DOPE" No one had ever
talked to her like that and,
besides, she wGntS that sigma.
ture so Uery much. So our
heroine WeepS.