The Washington times., 1936-12-22
THE VOICE OF
Broadway
By Louis SoboI
o. Henry Twists
To 1896!

Edward shattered all tradition
by announcing his intention Of
merging with an American di'
vorcee instead of picking a bride
from one of the royal houses OF
Europe. The curtain dropped
with his dramatic abdication Of
the worlds most powerful throne.
Charles Lindbergh, typifying
Americas best, abandoned the
country Of his birth to take up
residence in England.
The son Of the President of the
United States announced his be-
trothal to the daughter Of the
millionaire who had spent a for
tune in futile endeavor to have
his future son-in-law's papa de-
feated.
The 1nvincible Senegambian,
Joe Louis, was flattened by the
German, Max Schmeling, who
was considered completely out of
the heavyweight picture.
Lillian Hellman, author Of the
financially and artistically sue
cessful "Children's Hour" wrote
a second play, Days to Come"
which is one Of the seasons big
geSt flops.
Sidney Kingsley, author Of
one Pulitzer prize play and of
another which rates as one Of
the biggest successes in a
decade, Dead End" received
the Bronx cheer for his third,
a turkey labelled "Ten Million
Ghosts"
A screen star, Mary Astor, per-
mitted her flaming, revealing diary
to be aired in court-and emerged
more popular with the fans than
ever.
A minstrel-man, Harry Richman,
double-crossed the Atlantic-the
first time in the history Of avia-
tion-only to be met with jeerS
upon his return. Why is beyond
the conception of this department,
for the man and his associate,
Dick Merrill, did what they set
out to do.
France, hitherto ruled by the
1900 families" yields the reins
of government to Leon Blum, a
Socialist, who paradoxically
enough is a multimilliOnaire.
Leland Hayward, reported Sc
cretly wed to katharine Hepburn,
eloped with Margaret SULLIVAN,
whom the gossipers were remarTy-
ing to Henry Fonda, who married
a society belle instead, leaving
Hepburn the only one of the quar-
tet mentioned still unmarried.
In the midst of a dramatic
trial in which he was suing his
former best friend, David Freed
man, Americas ace gagman, is
found dead in bed, not many hours
after three big programs featuring
his material had been aired over
National networks.
A shy young newcomer, Robert
Taylor, usurpS the throne as
Americas No. 1 romantic hero
of the screen, held for many sea-
sons by Clark Gable. The giggle
is that originally Taylor was
signed by Metro to be used as a
possible ace in the hole in the
event Gable became unruly.
Father Coughlin, whose air
demagoguery threatened for a time
to sweep him into power as the
dominating personality of the year,
was slapped into oblivion by the
voters of the country.
Manhattan suddenly became
Gypsy Rose Lee conscious although
the girl had been around for years,
chiefly as one of the leading bur
leSque strip tease queens.
A girl Of mediocre talents and
personality is showed into the
limelight by an aStute press
agents campaign on featuring
the pronunciation of her name
-Simone Simon.
For refusing to reveal a news
source, Reporter Martin Mooney
spent 80 days in the hoosegow On
contempt of court charge. Re
Sult-a fat contract writing movies
for Warmers.
Congressman Marion Anthony
Zioncheck sensationally caps
goofy career by leaping to his
death from the fifth-story window
of his campaign offices in Seattle,
Wash. Only a few weeks previ.
ously he and his bride went wad.
ing in the fountain pool at Rocke-
feller Center.
An ailing Atlanta woman, Mar
garet Mitchell, writes a first
novel, Gone With The Wind"
and to her own arnazement learns
that it threatens to become the
best seller of all time-with the
exception of the Bible.
For the first time since Civil
War days. Americans fight
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