The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1935-07-01
In New York
BY PAUL HARRISON

BY PAUL HARRISON
New York, July / All around
the town: Sounds of revelry by
night mostly come from the upper
air the shakespeare, haze-en-
shrouded tops of Manhattan's
skyscrapers. For all the roof gar
dens are open now, their terraces
gay with night blooming artifi-
cial flora, lighted waterfalls rush
ing out faucets to flow over tin
rocks, and genuine customers
gamboling on the crags in the faint
flush of roseatc spotlights.
These places are not literally
open; nor are they, strictly
speaking roofs. For each oiie
Is surmounted by its own ROOT,
together with twinkling electif ~
stars, projected pictures of NOV
ing clouds, and golden moons
hung on wires. The same effects
could be, and In some cases are.
obtained in basement nighteries
with no pretentions to altitude.
OF course, the roof gardens do
have view from their windows,
but this outlook often is blocked
by studied arrangements of drap-
cries and ported trees.
In justice to the nature-fakers.
I must admit that real stars sell
dom are visible from Manhattan
anyway reflection of myriad lights
against the ever-present dust haze
being what 1t is. Washed air from
a cooling system certainly is more
suggestive of bosky dells than the
breezes swirling through the city's
canyons. And artificial moons seem
real enough to couples seeking
romance.
Whoopie Oldstyle
Getting back to earth and stroll
ing in the Frivolous Fifties, I'm
impressed by the apparent swing
of the hot-spot pendulum. A year
ago 1t seemed that habits and
haunts of the speakeasy era had
been left behind. Gaiety was de-
centralized; small clubs had with
cred and died; and big eat-drink-
crowding into the Broadway area.
But the pendulum is swinging
back. Three of the largest cab.
arets have closed, leaving the
steadily-popular French Casino
alone among the theater-restau-
rants, and q couple of spacious
cabarets of the type of N. T. G.'s
Paradise, an institution that APP
parently will go on forever.
Meanwhile the trend of trade
has been toward the east side OF
town again, back to the Frivolous
Fifties, and particularly to the
single legend-laden block on Fifty
second street between Sixth and
Fifth avenues. The intimate little
diversion-dens have revived with
a whoop. Speakeasy camaraderie
prevails again; bartenders are
hailed as Joe and Frank; and wo-
men rest their elbows on the bars.
Minstrels crouch over small, mobile
pianos and sing double-entendre
ditties about the facts Of life.
On SEND Street
In the block there must be
dozen little spots of no great
fame, but OF astonishing popular
ity, and the best of these is the
Famous Door, where Louis Prima
plays and all sorts of musicians
and entertainers gather in their
off hours. Healy's and Lou Rich
mans are other places in which
to look for the Broadway crowd
when 1t strays from its own
range.
Several notable establishments
survive from prohibition times
Leon and Eddie's at No. So; Jack
and Charles. usually called
Twenty-one; Tony's at No. 50;
and the Town Casino at No. Chez
Leon and Eddie has prospered at an
unprecedented rate, what with the
nice food and naughty decor, and
the bawdy ballads of Eddie Davis.
Eddie used to be master OF cere-
monies in some of the early night
clubs, and Leon, once was head
waiter for the dizzy dive copdt>{td
by MessrsN Clayton, Jackson and
Durante. They met, merged and
made a million.
Hearty Eaters
Broadway may have an upside
down stomach, but its heart seems
to be in the right place. n I'm
thinking of the short, lean, quiet
young man named Dave who con-
ducts the tastefully upholstered
restaurant and sidewalk cafe called
Dawes Blue Room, right on this
Main Stem.
For a good many years, and
during the 1eanest years, too, It
was small and unpretentious but
packed with the broadway
crowd. Most OF them paid, but
many didn't, Dave won't tell
how many meal checks he initiated
during that period, for stranded
actors and starving chorus girls.
and song-writers who found fast
ing no spur to composition. Maybe
sentiment has magnified Dawes
munificence. But just the same. IN
the process OF expanding hts buei-
ness. he went broke.
The creditors are giving Dave
q chance. ana all Broadway II
turning In - help. Busy pfnpin
walk block 20 have even o single
cOcktnii in tho Blue Room. Fat
people on dieta order more than
they should eat because ''Unye
needs the huniness". Celebrities
DROP m % provide the very fnnei-
bic values Of their presence. A.
a result. Dave n doins ~ fifss'.
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