Evening star., 1939-10-12
After Dark
Smart People, Smart Things, Smart Places
By the Spectator.
, Trade Mark REGISTERED q. 8. Patent ONCE

Hey, hey, lack-a-day, never is
there a dull moment. Never. No
sooner do all the towns midnight
haunts get opened and embarked
upon a new season than do they
start importing new stars to wax
enthusiastic over. To the Russian
Troika now has come a slim, trim
lass yclept Nadia Cortez, to step
into that spot in the show which
for two weeks has been Olga Bac-
lanova's. Three years has Mrs.
Helen Hamilton coveted Mile. Cor
tez (who is French in spite of
first name which sounds Russian to
us and last name which sounds
SPANISH. But only now has the
young lady won release from New
York and the st. Regis Hotel, where
Prince Obelensky brought her from
Paris three seasons back to sing at
the Maisonette Russo. Quite way
with song does Mile. Cortez have,
according to the report we have
via telephone. She was not, how
ever, singing when we were being
reported to via telephone.
Also new to the local scene is
Rudolph Friml, jr., leading son
OF the composer, who brings his
subtle rhythms to the slick Club
Lafayette at the Lafayette Hotel
tomorrow night. That means to-
night is your last chance to see
and hear Patricia Oakley taking
songs apart with drama and with
comedy.
And there's to be a new enter
tainer in the Mayf1ower Lounge be-
ginning tomorrow, a lass who shares
Mr.. Friml's apparent disregard for
Friday the 18th. All we can learn
about her is that she is very young,
very attractive and very talented.
Was at New Yorks Stork Club a
month or so ago"
- We like the tale of the waiter
who had the last word and we know
lot of other people on the after
dark scene who will like it. There's
a chap in town whose business takes
him into night clubs, usually as a
guest of the clubs. and walters know
that serving him is a case of art
being its own reward. One of his
favorite excuses. any night in the
week, is the ona about it being the
day before pay day and he hasn't
any money for tip. He was singing
that to a waiter one recent eve
when that hero interrupted him.
Look" he said, you don't have to
tell me the story. Forget it. I don't
mind serving you and besides if I
ever do mind your last drink will
just be a Mickey Finn" With that
he bowed politely, slowly walked
away.
''' Anything can happen at the
Madrillon. Couple sauntered in the
other night, plopped a paper bag
on the table and ordered coffee.
Then from the paper bag pulled
squares of fudge cake and started
munching contentedly. Penny
Ford comes to the Mayfair Monday
to do her singing there for while
. The Lounge Riviera has been
playing host to all the top singers
in town, among other people. Gene
Archer is one who's been there often
to rest up after riding his Donkey
Serenade" from one end of the
Shoreham Blue Room to the other.
Maxine, the throaty-voiced young
lady with Phil Spitalny's Hour of
Charm" is another, she renewing
acquaintance with Pete Macias and
the lads who used to make music
for her when she sang at the Heigh-
Ho a few seasons back. Pete even
remembered that she sang Lost in
a Fog" Patricia Oakley has been
around, too, and even if she does
not exactly sing song she likes
the Lounge Riviera. The Kings
testers at the Wardman Parks
Metronome Room are working over
time on lyrics for a football skit
they plan to put in their floor show
the first frosty night.
- Poor Bill Briggs. The East
ern Air Lines lad is always falling
into evil hands. Just a couple of
nights ago, for instance, he was
sitting with a lass from the far
Northwest, soaking up Bill Nc
Cunes nimble music and some
Shar-zad atmosphere, when he
spied friend, invited him over to
have a lemonade. The moment the
chap sat down he looked at the
young lady from the far Northwest,
a stranger in our midst, and shook
his head sadly. Il hate to do it on
your first night in town." he
whispered, "but it is a duty no