The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-11-07

AOHittly >, On 4OCn 3D., was the WIND
up spot, and accommodated more
nlurderers than Dannemora. Covar-
rubias, Peter Arno, Hemingway, G..
Gershwin and Anita Loos were the
idols of the intellectuals. A spot at
AZ West 49th St., had the richest
Wall st., trade until the Rookie
fellers chased 1t to make room fol
Radio City. The bar went to 81
West Sind, where 1t Is now. Crime
piled up gains on the coppers. No
solution was found-not even vet
for the killings of Dot King, Jos.
Elwell, Louise Lawson, the Hall-Mills
pair, or, a little later, Arnold Roth
stein.
The peasants sang "All Alone.
Europe began to unload at our
piers. Came Isadora Duncan and a
stew Bolo poet named Serge. The
Countess Cathcart was held at Ellis
Island for a curious offense we
called "moral turpitude". The law
took the rolling pin to three plays,
1.-THE Captive" "The Virgin Man."
and "Sex". Mae West, author and
star of the last named, lolled away
ten days on the Island for having
a frisky pencil. The dry agents used
to tip over the B'way spots at IL
p. M, so as to get q maximum
amount of sidewalk starers from the
theater crowds. One speak in the
Forties refused to pay off and used
to take 1t almost weekly. The boss
Kept two locations, one on 47th st..
the other on 48th. He used to
shoot the fixtures across the roof
after the raid and open up till the
next one. A merchant in Times So
used to ask what kind of labels you
liked on your gin bottles, and at
tached them to suit. The Charleston
was making parlor snakes out Of
all of US. Then came the Black
Bottom.
The song was Birth of the Blues"
The Prince Of Wales came to town
and fixed up the clothing manu-
facturers with styles for three sea-
sons. Ethel Leginska took one look
at Carnegie Hall audience and
disappeared. That temple began to
recognize the jazz frenzy by having
concerts played on locomotive
whistles, jugs and washboards. The
inland was shocked by New York's
surrender to the liquor interests. Out
West and down South the dry
agents shot innocent motorists in
the back on the guess they might
be toting firewater. California had
a law allowing cops to trick your
house (man's castle) without war;
rant. The local speaks began to
take over the mansions vacated by
the very rich. Some baited the
trade with the best bands. Others
boosted they had Owney Madden's
beer. Pola Negri was tweaking the
Hollywood noses and washing herself
up fast. The Passing Show" incor-
porated q song kidding the profan-
ity in O'Neiils' plays.
You couldn't escape the strains
of Varsity Drag.
The radio, which up to this point
had taken no part In the conversa-
ton, began to come to age. Head
liners ike Vallee, Stoopnagle and
Budd, the Happiness Boys and Olive
Palmer began to get their names
iM the paper. The gangsters threw
away their caps and sweaters and
showed up in pleated pants and silk
toppers. Then Buckner became U.
s. Attorney and made drinking in
onvenient-often closing as many
speaks In single day as opened up
the next. Out in Chicago, Prohibi-
ions greatest flower blossomed when
seven bootleggers were stood up
against wall and torn to pieces
with Tommy gun. The vets liked
the repeal plank in AL Smiths plat
form, but voted for Hoover to insure
prosperity.
The song (not addressed to
Hoover) was 1.-THE Man I Love-"
Nah jongg was on the way out
and everybody did cross word puz-
zles. British lecturers were marvel
ing at the widespread guzzling
among the American barbarians.
The lid was off. A joint next door
TO the Friars' Club operated with an
open door, and stacked free lunch
bar with roast turkey, lobster and
similar delicacies. 1t was broke in
six weeks. which was to be expect
ed of a place offering free meals
next to an actors hangout. The
banks began popping and the out
casts who lived in Paris on the
cheap francs came home and sang
THE Star Spangled Banner" and
offered to exchange stories Of their
tingling experiences for few hot
meals. The air over the Atlantic
was thick with flyers. The talkies
took hold and broke I'm the Gilbert