Evening star., 1938-01-23

young composers came 70 learn
that there was money to be msde
In polite syncopation.
But Bennie Goodman and before
him the royal family" Of colored
musicians, Duke Ellington, King
Oliver and Count Basic, are throw
backs to the music that came to
this country from Africa, with all
its harmony and freedom OF per-
formance and strange, exciting
rhythm. From the coiored bands
on the Mississippi River steamboats,
and from the frenzy Of revival
meetings they get their stuff and it
acts on the nerves like q shot Of
cocaine.
JACK BARAGWANETH's first
play, "All That Glitters.' opened
here Wednesday night, having
played to tremendous houses in
Baltimore. In spite Of funny dia-
logue. plot that though hack
neyed is always good, it got luke
warm notices. Maybe one Of the
troubles Of a play dealing with the
foibles Of the smart set Is that
people today cannot agree on what
constitutes society In New York.
There is cafe society and interna-
tional society and Junior League
and Colony Club groups who are
perfectly capable Of working with
professional capacity all day at
their adopted charity and giving q
dinner for Connie Bennett at 81 in
the evening. So the lobby, during
the entractes was filled with smoke,
wonderful clothes and = great deal
Of discussion. Would q dowager,
who could socially make or break
people, drop casually into . gen.
tleman's apartment at II o'clock
at night? What, nowadays. con-
stitutes a social insult? In any
other strata the arguments might
have been acrimonious.
+* X \
WHEN Elsa Maxwell gives a
+ w party, 1t is news. This vital
daughter of California, who has
made society her profession, boasts
that she likes publicity and, for her
purpose, she gets it. According to
our stooges it was an immense sue
cess, lasting until in the morn
ing. It was given cher parties.
like news story, must have focal
point) for Cole Porter's two broken
legs, which have recently emerged
from their casts and have been
named 10 and Josephine. Ethel
Norman, Bea Lille and Gertie
Lawrence sang, adlibbed and were
generally glamorous. Maxine Sui
livan, the quiet little colored girl
with a lovely voice, who sings swing
music at the Onyx Club. was the
hit of the evening" Eventually all
the guests danced the big apple
and played musical chairs. And
50 it went.
FINALLY, little weary of the
dose of vicarious living which
seemed to have come our way this
week, We wandered yesterday into
the annual corset show, held at
the McAlpin Hotel. Here we hoped
to get dose Of the simple and en-
thusiastic spirit which charac-
teri1es hard-working competitive
trades and also see glass case after
glass case full Of sleek, lacy gar
ments.
Instead. the show was informally
spread over the bedrooms OF three
floors Of the hotel. The corset
(girdlieres. foundations, bandeaus
to you) salesman (not LADY,, our
informant, was anything but son
of even New York soil.
Let me show you little pip of
number" he began. nimbly pull
ing a voluptuous garment off the
door knob. This is a smooth con-
troller, which is profile magic" As
we examined it and tried to visual
ize the effect Of his words, he add
ed, What We are doing is putting
glamour and rhythm into founda-
ton garments"