Smyrna times., 1936-03-05
SIDE LIGHTS OF
NEW YORK CITY
Told By L. L. Stevenson in
His Own Immical Way
of D0ings in City
INTERESTING SKETCHES

Of all the cats that make their
homes in Broadway theaters, Min
ME, of the Winter Garden, is per-
haps the best known. For two
years her bad breaks, feats and
exploits have been recited here and
there. Usually, during perform
ances, she takes up quarters in
some remote part of the theater
where she is safe from shifting
scenery and the feet of hurrying
actors. Nevertheless, she has had
her moments. Once, she walked on
during a mood" song number and
took a position down stage, center.
With the attention of the audience
centered on Minnie, the number
was ruined. She has done even
better-or worse, according to the
viewpoint-than that. 1t was the
time when, with scene approach
ing its climax, she chased a dog
across the stage. Thus, cat
stopped the show.
y
Minnie began her theatrical ca
teer at the ripe age of six weeks,
her first appearance having been
with the last Joe Cook show, Hold
Your Horses" Cook used her as
a prop to fit into little wine COB
let. When she outgrew the goblet,
she was adopted by the members
of the Cook company and the stage
hands. Rapidly she acquired tricks
that endeared her to her associ-
ates. Through some unique sense
of timing, she would appear at the
stage door at s a. m. and 2 p. m
on matinee days and settle herself
at the stage door. As the perform
ers came in, they stopped and ca
ressed her. At 5 20 p. m. on matt
nee days and at IL 20 p. N. each
evening, she was back again on the
table for bit of farewell petting.
Minnie is just as popular with
members of the "At Home Aboard"
company, and that brought her into
the limelight again. On her sec
ond birthday, the various members
of the cast took part in a party
for her. 1t was a successful party
except for one thing. Minnie drank
so much cream that she was too
sick to purr for two days. But the
theater motto, "The show must go
on" was so firmly ingrained In her
that she didn't miss any stage door
appearances.
Remaining in the Winter Garden
a bit longer, there was the unique
situation of union stage hands fight
ing among themselves to do extra
work that carries with 1T no extra
payl In one number, Beatrice
Lille is perched on a little seat
about nine feet above the stage
level. There is no time for a lad
der to be placed under her perch
after the completion of her number,
so it is necessary for some strong
man Of the backstage crew to catch
Lady Peel when she jumps. Eddie
Bowling, stage director, volunteered
for the job but the union men re-
fused permission on the ground 1t
was striking" that particular set.
Finally Jack Mears, the property
man, won out on the ground that
Miss Lille is a piece of property,
so it was his job to remove her
from the set.
Possibly, I'm theater-minded to-
day, but there is that matter of
programs, especially those of musi-
cal shows with many numbers. In.
order to keep track Of what's going
on, careless customers use cigarette
lighters, which is against the fire
laws and dangerous. while the sight
Of fiickering flames here and there
In a darkened theater Is not reas-
suring to the timid, to say the least.