The Washington times., 1936-12-22
MOVIE SINGER
CALLSCL0THES
HER HOBBY
sBy LYDIA CALVERT
Special to The Times

birds song-but she is Superla,
tive. She is Gladys Swarthout.
AS a truly beautiful face is
hard to paint, she is hard to
draw with words for her person,
ality is so perfectly fused with
gentility, so highly winnowed OF
all hypocrisy and smallness that
there is nothing you can grasp
firmly and exploit as there would
be from your foot-Stamping dia.
mond-flaunting movie star. She
is of as fine quality as the ex'
quisite notes that issue from her
golden throat.
Mrs. Frank Chapman
In their lovely white Spanish
house with red tiled roof I had
tea with Mr.. and Mrs. Frank
Chapman. for Miss Swarthout in
real life is Mrs. Frank Chapman.
Between husband and wife is the
easy camaraderie founded on
good friendship.
He is a large, handsome man,
tweedy, brown-haired. Princeton
'23. His conversation is witty
brilliantly intelligent, sympa-
thetic.
She is large:eyed, soft-spoken,
kind. She has great beauty. Her
chestnut hair rolls magnificently
back from her face. It's an in
teresting face with plenty OF brow,
space. It is kind, above all. But
her speaking voice! 1t is as thrill
ing and as deep as night.
I hesitate to bring up the sub
ject of clothes. It's so good to
sit and chatter about Baltimore
and hear the names of DR.. Hugh
Young, the Lyric, Mrs. John Gar
ret spoken of with so much gen
uine warmth; to look about and
see the photographs of Toscanini
and dozens of other famous music
and professional people displayed
on the piano and tables. I say
to myself:
"TheSe people aren't inter-
eSted in clothes. Their time is
too much taken up with music
and books and people"
But I barge in just the same
and strike a geySer!
THE DIALOGUE
She: "It's my pet hobby. It's
his pet hobby, too"
He: Il check everything she
buys"
She: II get his approval on
everything I wear"
He: "NOw and then she goes
on hat binge alone and then"
She: 81 go to his tailor"
He: eyes, 1 lost my summer
sports coat last year that way"
g She: 81 took his lovely white
tweed and had myself a coat
made"
He: "The tailor was holding
Il for me-"
She and He: 1--WE love Stuffs!"
She: Getting up and COM
ing over to mel Feel that fab
ric." (She holds out the arm of
the lovely tailored coat she is
wearing. It is a brown cash.
mere tweed, softer than elder
DOWN. That's the sort Of
stuff we like"
She: 81 have a 'pOSSum cape
that wear over this"
He: "Where is it, dear? It's
quite amusing, I think"
exists to get cape. Returns
with the 1oveliest looking piece
Of elegance you've ever SEEM
She: Looks like chinchilIa
doesn't it,"
It does, but it's far more
beautiful than chinchilla because
it's more subtle in marking and
far lighter in weight. She tries it
on. He gets up and spreads it out
to the light cycling it like true
connoiseur.
He: II think it's nice, don't
yOu?"
BUYING KNOWLEDGE
She speaks of the Importance
of always knowing exactly what
you want before you go to buy.
She says it only confuses the
salesperson to say "Oh, I'm not
sure" and What do you Think"
Every woman, she thinks, should
sit down before she ventures out
on a shopping expedition, and
make up her mind exactly what
she's going to buy, or go to a
friend whose opinion she values
and get help.
"He: who has been sitting
Slumped in a large chair with
his chin in his heavy tweed coat
collar. oh, I have an cpl
grant"
He sits forward on the chair
edge in boyish enthusiasm.
"The most expensive thing
to buy is bargain!" He
pauSeS for effect. isn't that
good? I've spent more money
on bargains and they never were
any good"
She says it's better to be un-
derdressed than overdressed. She
likes to dress extremely simply
and she puts long accent when
she says it on extremely" They
say that "Valnetine," famous
New York designer of gowns,
whom she patronizes, and the
owner of the tailoring establish
ment where they go, are both
friends of ours"
They offer to drive me into
town, and soon, tucked luxurious
ly back in the receSses of a ire
mendous car, separated from the
chauffeur by a sliding glass
panel, our feet on soft cushions,
the interview continues uninten-