The Washington times., 1937-03-15
THE VOICE OF
Broadway
-ByLOufs Soho
ONE WEDNESDAY NIGHT!

bAA11Ab 1IC Ilhu ISbu4hCA w SAAN
Hollywood Restaurant at perhaps
five times the salary which hac
lured him there earlier this year
For another thing, Mr.. JacE
Benny was not only in the audi
ence but graciously came to the
microphone and paid tribute tc
the charming resonance OF the
Fields voice. Leading the or
cheStra was Mr.. Lennie Haytor
and it must have been with some
thing Of pride that Mr.. Fields re
called some seasons ago when he
appeared on a columnist's air pro
gr am completely unheralded
merely as the pianistic stooge for
Miss Blossom Seeley. Mr.. Hayton
was on that program, too-Some
thing of an individual feature-a
man who played the piano and got
billing for it. Now Mr.. Hayton and
his band were orchestral Stooges
for Mr.. Fields and Miss Seeley was
one Of the audience and the famed
Mr.. Jack Benny was an enthu.
siastic fan. It was a perfect night
for Mr.. Fields.
But the real fun came long
after Mr.. Fields and Miss Bios
som Seeley, Mr.. Jack Benny and
Miss Mary Livingston, Mr.. and
Mrs. Ed Sullivan and all the
other ladies and gentlemen Of
the audience and Of the show
had departed. Then half .
dozen Of US sat around with the
lights low and Mr.. Harry Revel
played the little piano while Mr..
Mack Gordon sang new songs
which will be international hits
and old songs which have be-
come international hits. And
between numbers, MesSrs. Cor
don and Revel and Mr.. Cyril
Gardiner, the director, recalled
days in Europe together.
Mr.. Gardiner recalled, for in
stance, that night in Biarritz when
the peppery little Mexican chan
tcuSe, Reva Reyes was losing heav-
lily at roulette, playing number
three. The girl was blue-for
three months salary had gone on
the table when along came the
then Prince of Wales, who had
a great admiration for the young
Mexican beauty. Edward slapped
five pounds worth of chips on
number three-the wheel spun
the little ball clicked into the
notch numbered three The Prince
let it all ride on the same number
and again-number three won.
Calmly he Scraped his winnings
toward hi1n-waited for two more
turns Of the wheel-and then
once again pushed the chips on
three-and again the number
came DIP. Wales showed his chips
in for cash and turning to Reva,
who had watched eagerly-and
wiStfully-murmured: You see,
Miss Reyes--that is the wayy to do
it." And walked off-with his
winnings!
Mr.. Gordon frankly admitted
puzzlement over the average
Britisher's inability to cOmpre-
hend American speech. "YOU
ask for a timetable and a man
pulls out his watch and says:
Five after, Sir!' You order
baked beans and the waiter de.
liverS imported artichOkes. So
I decided as long as l was stay
ing in London, 1 would enunciate
clearly-and illuStrate-SO what
happens? I'm walking along
with q lovely girl and she says:
'Oh, Mack, I've got to have some
brilliantine. Do you mind?" I
said: No, darling, in fact I will
so into the drugstore and get it
for you myself So walk into
" drugstore and / say to the
clerk: Listen, here Is what I
want Brilliantine-Bril-lian.
tine, understand? For the hair
Very good SIR said the clerk
and came back q few seconds
later with Gillette blades. That's.
why I left for Paris the next
day."
On another occasion, Gordon re-
ports he called down at his hotel
for orange Juice. PUT ice in,
please" he urged. A few minutes
later, q bellhop appeared with a
tray-on which was newspaper.
"Tottenham, sir!" he exclaimed.
"Tottenham won, sir" Really"
drawled Gordon, How about the
replied the boy, "Tottenham." i.
Gordon pulled out a few Of his
hairs and then said: would you
mind going down and getting
me another copy of that paper?"
. Another copy of this same
pyper, sir?" eyes," murmured
Gordon, "I want to read about
Tottenham twice!"
Harry ReveI recalled the night
certain little French girl
scored heavily at a London night
club and decided to make a
speech. "Misters and Missuses,"
she began. Mr.. Revel called her
aside later. ''Never say 'MiSterS
and MissuSeS,'" he said. "That'S
not good form. Say, Ladies and
gentlemen" ooh, no." re-
piled the girl, "YOu have fun wiz
me. Ladies and gantIemen' is
Somezing which see on re doors
here-I know better!"
Maine Lobstermen
r LIZ