Evening star., 1938-12-15
After Dark
Smart People, Smart Things, Smart Places.
Rv tho Snocto totor
BY the Spectator.
Trade Mark Registered o. 8. Patent once.

Christmas bells the magnet that
lures dollars to the Golfers of Santa
Claus, away from the Golfers Of the
wineries, dineries and .danceries.
Until, finally, just before the day
there is no one left to look at tap
dancers and listen to bands but
those dependable stayouts who
think f1resides are part of radio
broadcasts and bedroom slippers
something to fall over in the dark.
Just the other night this happened
in one of our bright downtown spots,
so help us 1t did. Fellow came in
about II o'clock for q scrambled egg
and a glass of milk, found the or
chestra playing to two lonely peo-
pie, who were off in a corner paying
no attention anyhow. The baton
waver sat down with the egg-eater,
chatted moment, then looked at
his watch. WELL" he said, "it's
about that time. Comes now a floor
show" Nuts" or words to that
effect, replied the lad behind the
eggs. "Tell it to 60 home. Tell it
the customer does not want a floor
show"
A'* And at another SPOT the other
eve the lassies of the chorus strug-
gled halfway through number
before ringsider screamed, too
loudly, Wow! And I just came from
seeing the Chester Hale girls"
- One of the reasons the Ma
drillon is such fine place is that
spirit of whimsy-whamsy which
overtakes Johnny Shaw and the lads
on occasion-and then anything is
likely to happen; anything within
reason. The other night, f'rinstance,
Sr. Shaw stood up in front of his
band and asked politely what would
the people Ike to hear. There were
shouts for MY Reverie," Deep in
Dream" MY Blue Heaven" ;"
What Do You Know About Love?"
and raft of other things, mostly
gentle things. So for five minutes
the band beat the daylights neatly
out OF 'Bugle Call Rag" walked off
the stand. Still, If you think it's
easy to be an orchestra leader and
say the customer is always right,
you should have been at this same
Madrillon another night. This the
night when a couple stopped at the
bandstand, he asking, Lets have a
rumba";; she bowling, Lets do not
have a rumba and If you play one
I'll walk out"
Some cheerful spirit of whimsy
must have been lowering over Helen
Hamilton's Russian Troika, too, that
evening when there was the bright
party in the French room celebrat-
ing Representative Francis Walters
return Tor a fourth term. Into the
Iroika came Representative Siroyich
stopped to chat with Mrs. Hamilton.
That's a happy party" said he
Yes" she replied. IT'S Rep. Wal
ter. Do you know him?" NO" was
his answer. So Mrs. Hamilton intro
duced two fourth-term Representa-
tlves. now wonders more than before
Whatever goes on up on "the Hill"
AL Norton of the Bamboo Gar
dens calls it the Soup Shufle"-
you know, the Lamb Broth Walk" ."
- : Peggy Townsend's debut as a a
night club singer by now has been
made history by the society scrib-
blers, whole raft of her friends
having turned up at the Cafe Ca
price Monday eve to shout Justify
and cheer her right out of her first
night jitters. So let it only be added
that she has more than a social
reputation to recommend her, the
more being pleasant, husky voice
which does well by a song, and she
makes the lounge at the Roger
Smith Powhatan an even brighter
place.
''' A rolhcking affair, too. that
same Monday night, was the Wash
ington debut of Jose Dominguez
who brought to the Shoreham his
famed rumba band. Nimble and
authentic are his Latin American
rhythms, which are available to
rumba fans both at cocktail time in
the lounge and evenings in the Blue
room during Barnee's intermissions
And we are not leaving the subject
OF the Blue room without telling you
that Fontana and Bettine have been
held over, at the same time telling