The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1936-07-18
THE VOICE OF
BrOadW
-ByLOuiS SObOl-
Broadway Folk


down to a sedate existence. This
most typical Of all Broadway gen.
tlemen is a master Of American
slang, is a graduate Of Variety
when it was a far more rowdy
gazette, has written a book and
many magazine articles about
racket guys, for many years con-
Quoted one Of the peppiest Broad
way columns in town, plays q mis-
cradle game Of poker but is
shrewder at picking winning nags
at the trackS-and is easily one
Of the best liked and respected
Broadwayites in town. But I don't
think he's having as much fun as
in his more harum-scarum days
when he was simply a newspaper
guy.
Johnny today handles the at.
fairs Of Fred Waring, Joe Cook
and one or two others. His income
is said to be in excess Of 100 gees
a year. In addition, he has just
become head of q music publish
ing firm. In other words, Johnny
O'Connor who used to like to mix
with the desc, dose and demmers,
who was trusted by both racket
guys and the gendarnes and re-
spected by them, is today Sedate
business man, fretting about in
come taxes, politics, the status Of
song hits and the vagarieS Of radio.
Mr., O'Connor, who used to have q
slim, waSplike waist and had am
billions once to be a jockey, is gain.
ing weight almost as fast as those
figures pile up in his bank books.
Mr.. O'Connor is also more puncti-
liouS in speech and extremely con-
sentative these days.
az think" remarked Mr.. O'COn-
nor, the other evening. 81
will look over some farms in
Connecticut. There is something
soothing and inspiratiOnal in
sunsets over hills-anI dew on
the fragrant grass at Sunup."
Those Of US who knew him in
the days when sunup was the
hint that it was time to 80 home
to bed, left feeling very sad about
the change that had come over
DIR. Johnny O'Connor.
1zzy Grove was once a good
fighter. He is fatter now, older,
married and soon to become
papa. He is no longer a fighter.
Icy, who on his business cards
labels himself with great dignity,
Edward Grove, is a booking agent.
There is no escaping Mr.. Grove
when a client is having an audi
ton. He puts in more strenuous
road work running to the or.
chestra to assure proper arrange
n1ent for his client, running back
to the boss to be sure he will
listen, running over to any avail
able newspaperman to emphasize
the Importance Of a line in APP
prevail Of the client, etc. Izzy
Grove puts his heart and soul
into his work and as a result has
many clients and earns q decent
livelihood. He will accept any
suggestion. His latest find" is a
handsome, singing youngSter.
Buddy Kennedy-he's got a voice
like angelS-it'S sweet like sugar,
wait'll you hear it," II don't like
the name Buddy Kennedy" vol
unteered reporter .. That's a
high-clasS name-you don't like
it?" worried Izzy. E. mo" The
ex.pug ran seven times around the
night club which in this case is
almost mile and came back,
perspiring =. From now on" he
painted, "his name is Dick Ken
needy. Put it in the paperS-how
heSsingS like an angel"
What started to say was that
in his pugilistic days Izzy Grove
made it a ritual to be in bed be-
fore midnight-and up at the
crack of dawn. In interviews with
sports writer's, he often declared
So1emnly: "You gotta take the
fighting business seriously. You
gotta live clean life-early hours
and eatin' at regular times"
Booking Agent Grove now never
gets home before 4 or 5 in the
morning-and is up at the crack
of noon. I'm the bookin' agency
business" Mr.. Grove would tell
you, If you thought it necessary
to interview him, you gotta keep
all kind of hours for the benefit
of your clients. You gotta sacri'
flee your health"