The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-02-09
In New York
By PAUL HARRISON

pass in the night clubs is the one about times being so tough that certain establishment has had to lay off half of its marionettes.
 It isn't true, however, that Broadway has come upon hard times. The simple fact is that
 there are far too many bright spots. And seven of them are of such magnitude tone seats 2.20O people) and magnificence (offer- ing undressed shows which are the equivalent of two acts of stage revue) that smaller places with fewer attractions have to charge higher prices.
 Another thing: Manhattan mer- ry-making is much less transient
 than it was during prohibition, one of the veteran club managers
 reminds me. Two years ago cabaret with 200 seats could ex-
 pect to collect 600 or 700 cover charges between z D. m. and 3 a. m. People somehow were obsessed with the notion that they couldn't
 have fun without popping. into three or four hey-dey dens In an to confine their wanderings to a BVOV TC6tduA AOE uAhhOip ~ ebSS@- ter, and a single night club after ward. Lights Out
 At this writing, three of the
 larger places are dark, but only during redecoration or the whip
 ping together of new shows. The Manhattan Music hall, one of those remodeled theaters, is idle. So is the Casino de Paree, awaiting the installation of a revue with lyrics
 by Elsa Maxwell, no less, the lady who thinks up odd parties for sated socialites. The Palais Royal, large and glittering Broadwayish palace, has pust out the cat and put in @ watchman. Also, the club of M. Joe Zelli is shuttered, and will remain so for at least 60 days.
 Considerable preliminary amusee ment has attended the efforts of Miss Maxwell to help with the new show at the Casino de Paree. The jolly lady started out to corral some honest-to-goodness society girls for the cast. Got them, too, they thinking it all a jolly lark at first. After a couple of rehears- als, though, it developed that they were expected to wear great deal les on Fifty-second street than they ordinarily wear on Park avenue, which isn't much. And so they walked out and went to Palm Beach, or Palm Springs, or somewhere far away. where they now are wearing nice, respectable one-piece bathing suits.
 Parodies
 There are more singers of naughty songs about town than you could shake disciplinary stick at. Don't take your Aunt Minnie on a random tour of the cocktail lounges of a late afternoon. On second thought, though, 1t might wouldn't understand.
 First think you know am go-
 ing to side with the Anti-Saloon leaguers and brand the cocktail
 hour, as Manhattan observes it, as a menace. Too many young sters; too many "quick ones" be- fore going home to dinner; too many precarious acquaintances scraped up between nice people and people not so nice.
 In contrast, 1t is pleasure to report some eminently proper bright spots. The Wivel Restau- rant, for example, best-known of the Swedish places specializing in smorgasbord and gentle manners. There's a show, including a mas- ter of ceremonies who does prac- tically everything in rhyme Take, too, Chateau Moderne, which has the unprecedented good taste to slip a little Chopin into the interludes. of it's entertain ment Next I offer the Flying Trapeze, which has the highest ceiling in all New York, and aeri- alists cavorting overhead. The net which keeps them out of your soup is 30 feet above the tables. Innovations
 The French Casino, home of the Folies Bergeres, now offers cock tail hours two days a week, but
 provides a fashion show The Barrel of Fun has made thought fuI, and doubtless profitable, ges- ture in inaugurating floor shows at the odd hour of 10 p. m. 50 that entertainers from other cabarets may have little night life of their own .. Another theater, the Lit tic Picture House, becomes 8 res- taurant You'll like the Lew wn-Harry Askt tune, 'Waltz on \