Evening star., 1938-03-21


journalism becoming depraved?) her
nose was shiny. She was clad In a
rubber apron, had on no stockings
and wore, outside of the apron, q
non-seductive pink sweater and
family wrinkled brown skirt. A cou-
pie of feet below the hem of the brown
skirt fortnight stare revealed
pair OF red-tipped bedroom slippers.
But in spite of all those items, from
shiny nose to foot-ease shoes, Miss
Velez existed in an aura Of glamour.
Don't ask us how she does it. But we
will listen If you have any sound
ideas on the subject.
The explanation of Miss Velez' ap-
pearance is the simple one that she
was having her hair overhauled for to-
nights opening. The rasp of q comb
through her auburn locks, pretty
cruel noise as noises 60 in this world,
provided an obligato to the interview.
But it bothered the star of the Ma
tionals show much less than it did
her interviewer. Every time the comb
struck snag. which was every other
second. he WINGED. Miss Velez, who
is reputed to be a firebrand, took it
like lamb, very special lamb. too.
One of the first questions asked Miss
Velez dumb as it sounds, one couldn't
help it, had to do with her hotel
suite number.
"At Union Station" the interviewer
remarked, you insisted that you had
to be on the ninth floor of a hotel,
that it was your number and nothing
else would do. How come you COM
promised on the third floor?"
Don't you see." replied Miss Velez,
this isn't just the third floor. My
suite number is 306. Three and six
are nine. It Is as good as the ninth
floor"
The interviewer supposed it was,
and while he was supposing Miss
Velez, who apparently is quite a super
stitious red-head (by birth, or choice.
We don't know. wanted to know what
date tomorrow, which would be today,
would be.
The 2lst," said one of the better
informed spectators at the Velez hair
doing.
The opening will be success" said
Miss Velez. That's one of my lucky
days"
RUT, success or failure. Miss velez
will not talk about her part in
the show. All questions relating
thereto, she parried expertly. She
likes the part tremendously, better
than any part she ever played on
stage or screen. In fact, she talked
Hollywood out of immediate work on
a picture in order to have a chance
to play the role. It requires much
more work than q film part, but 1t
provides that immediate and happy
contact with an audience that 4
performer can see and hear. Miss
Velez frankly is no exception to the
rule that such an experience is the
greatest thrill performer can have.
Incidentally. she is one person in
show business who does not think
Washington audiences are cold.
They say that about both Boston
and Washington audiences" she will
tell you. But I don't believe it.
This is my fourth time in Washing
ton. My last was on the stage of the
Capitol Theater about 4 year ago.
We got along fine. Johnny and Velez
and our audiences. I always have.
don't think Washington is cold"
She was proud of that.e She is
proud, too, of the fact that she does
not speak the kind of dialect English
which some typewriters try to indi-
cate is part of her alien charm. She
speaks very good English, not with
out a trace of an accent upon occa-
sion. but really an inconspicuous one
most of the time.
She does not like to have inter-
viewers give the impression that she