The Washington times., 1936-11-12
THE VOICE OF
Broadway
Stories Of Manhattan! !!
By Louis SoboI


q former Broadway roustabout
who finally affiliated with several
weekly and monthly gazettes that
were at the time putting the bite
on eminencios Of town via the
Shakedown.
You know, Mr.. s., we
have heard the most astOund-
ing story concerning you and
Mrs. L.-NOw, of course, we
shouldn't want to print any
thing like that. BY the way,
why not invest, say, $4,000 in
our publication, "etc, ETC."
With minor variations. One Of
the last of the tapping dread
fuls, he ran plumb into
Johannes Law and his next two
years were spent as an intra-
mural guest of Uncle Sammy.
That was some ten years ago,
and nobody has seen or heard
Of him until about two months
ago, when suddenly he was seen
in the company of a distin-
guiShed lady who can well af-
ford him on her reputed fortune
Of more than $5,OO0,OOO. He has
been seen with her constantly
since and his relationship to her
may be euphemistically cata-
lOgued as adviser" He is in the
chips, now, reSents columns like
these, of course, for being too
snoopy, but the real giggle is
that, unknown to the lady, it
was because the magazine with
which he was connected had
put the nip on one of this very
queens closest friends that he
(the current advisory found
himself riding, handcuffed to a
strange gent, on q train bound
for the South.
..'he Black Cat Club, If my
records are authentic, is the Oldest
existing night club in America.
It celebrated its forty-Sixth birth
day recently. Originally it was
grog-shop where, in what was the
courtyard, national horseshoe
tossing championships were con-
Quoted.
The owner of the grOg-ShOp
built a balcony for the Specta-
tors. Then, when some Of the
contests had to be postponed
because Of rain or snow, a roof
was built over the yard, the wall
Of the grOg-ShOp proper knocked
out, and so was born the cabaret
which still flOuriSheS in the Vii
lage. This, by way of prelude.
OF more vital interest is the fact
that it was here that q talented
thrush, named Grace Moore, got
her first singing job in New
York, carOling nightly for a few
pennies in addition to her meals.
She went on to a happier fate.
But if you GO to the Black Cat
tonight or tOmOrrOw-Or, 1 pre-
sumo, even next week, you may
still be entertained by a Grace
MoOre-nOt a picture, not a
voice-but in the flesh. This
Grace Moore is member of the
all-Sepian cast of entertainers
currently featured at the Black
Cat.
There's a handsome lass doing
a vaude single. She's not a head
liner but she's a good box office
and certainly an excellent enter
tainer.
Fourteen years ago she was
humping the ivOries and chant
ing dittieS in a Boston 5-and-1O.
Her Great Romance entered one
day in the shape of StOutish,
SlapStick vaudeville comic who
cried all over the counter when
she sang a weepy Irving Berlin
number. They didn't elope. 1t
wasn't necessary. They just
slipped off and were married
and q month later the girl was
the "& Co." Of the act. Mar
ried life agreed with the come
dian. He grew fatter and fatter.
It wasn't long before she heard
whispers: "What does she see in
that tub of lard?" She took the
whispers seriously and in her
frank manner told her husband
she was washed up with him.
''We're not mated, 1 guess"
she said, having read the phrase
the day before in a magazine.
The stout fellow, brOken-hearted,
blew the act, leaving her a note
in which he told her he would
always love her but he couldn't
remain in the act any more.
The girl remained in vaudeville
The husband drifted to a small
town outside of Kansas City and
opened a small grocery store
Neither bothered to get a divorce
About a year ago, while playing in
Baltimore, she received a wire
from him. "Iswould like to see you
again. Where will you be playing
next Week?" She never realized
how much she truly loved him
until she got that wire. Dear
dear Mack. He still cared-aftel
all those years. She wired back;
Boston do come, you darling
Love-ElSie."
The following Monday in Boston
she spotted him in the secone
row. She almost broken down anc
wept at the sight of him. He wa
fatter-and balder-and older
but she loved him. She coult
scarcely wait for him to come
backstage. Ie seemed hours be
fore he was ushered in. They EN-
hracad kisSed-aOd the oir.ld ueo