The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-11-07

PORTRAIT OF A COLUMNIST
TURNING GRAY
"a Broadway History Of The
Roaring POSI-
The decade opened with flappers
worrying their parents by checking
their excess toggery at dances
learning to inhaie and having theil
hair bobbed. Later they piled ir
rumble seats with a lad and q
square bottle of gin. They rolled
their hose and did the shimmy
Their goddesses were Constance
Talmadge and Colleen Moore and
later, Clara Bow, who was given the
name of 1T Girl" by GodmotheY
Elinor Glyn. Intellectual youths
were off to Paris where there were
no bluenoses and lots of francs for
q dollar The first Of the Russky
runaways introduced vodka at the
Soirees. Gertrude Anterior coined
the word "sophisticate," and Ted
Lewis sponsored the laughing from
bone.
Nora Bayes led the country in
singing Just Like a Gypsy.
Broadway began to worry over
getting Boweryized. There were
signs around town, "Give a Thought
to Broadway" warning against the
increasing honky-tonks. Valentines
click had the movies hiring every
young man whose hair could take a
coating Of oil. Manhattan was
Sinking into brownstone hideaways
and gulping poison" out of teacups.
Bellhc9s were getting $40 a quart
for corrosive sublimate. Two low
comedy dry agents, Izzy and Moe,
were kicking in doors and SWITCH
ing into more DISCUSSES than Ed
Wynn. Tibbett lifted the roof off
the Metropolitan Opera House.
Baileff came over with Chauev
Souris and had everybody tapping
to Parade of the Wooden Soldiers.
The dance mania was on full blast,
and Gilda Gray was the hottest
gal In town.
The romantics were humming
''Pale Hands I Love-"
Harlem began to move downtown.
Carl Van Vechten was its champion,
and soon everybody knew Florence
Mills and Bessie Smith. A mad re-
vue called Shuttle Along" gave the
town I'm Just Wild About Harry"
The headliners included such Me-
groes as Miller and Lyles, Sissle
and Black, Clara Smith, Johnny
Hudgins, Johnny Nit, Josephine Ba-
ker. Paul Robson raised an out
cry by making love to a white ac-
tress in O'Neill's "All Gods Chillun
Got Wings. Paul Whiteman was
at the Palais Royale. the man of the
hour. Wayne B. Wheeler was the
butt Of the photographers. Also
Pussyfoot johnson, Volstead and
Civic Virtue, hideous statue
spotted in City Hall park. Highbaii
glasses replaced the teacups in the
speaJs and four bits became the
popular tariff for q drink. Cards
appeared giving you admission to
the dives.
The song was Three O'Clock in
the Morning"
Tie breezy loudmouths from
B'wSy got outsmarted by a yokel
from Illinois named G. G. Pyle, who
gave professional football meal
ticket in Red Grange. He put ten
mis- on q gilt-edge basis, too. Ben
Lyon, Ben Finney and Phil Plant
were the big catches" among the
dolls. Connie Bennett was the
queen at the Hotel Plaza dansants,
john Coolidge had to play the little
gentleman on his week-ends from
college, because Pop was In the
White House. Buddy Rogers gradu-
deny. Genl Smedley Butler left
the Marines to mop up Philly, driv-
ing the burg's thirsty to B'way. T"
saloons began to glossy up, with III
pressive floor shows: Gilda Gray at
the Rendezvous; Nirska offered
South Sea torsoing at the Moulin
Rouge; Evan Burroughs Fontaine
was nautching at the Palais Royale;
Geraldine Karma was giving out
with the Javanese att he Gold Room
of the Beaux Arts; Emilio Deliro
and Irene Bordoni were the converts
at Club Maurice; Moss and Font
anna were gliding elegantly at the
Mirador. B. Lille, G.. Lawrence and
jack Buchanan captured the town
ana set 1t to warbling "Limehouse
Blues.
The dry periods worst curse, the
m. c., made his appearance.
with Guinan in the lead, the
the Island was night club
crazy. The columns began TO cover
them like police stations. Girl made
copy-Wilda Bennett, Lora Sender
son. Imogene Wilson, KITTY Raw