The Wilmington morning star., 1940-06-29
Man bout
Manhattan
By George Tucker

NEW 4OnA7Ju 1S AO-J dOIlty
lis the word for Joe Howard. Ever.
since Billy Rose rescued him from
obscurity several seasons ago Joe
has been the foxy grandpa of the
Rialto. Just who is Joe? Well, Joe
wrote a song your grand daddy
will remember well. It's name is
II Wonder Who's Kissing H e r
Now" Joe is now living with his
eighth wife. His income is fat, and
his future is secure. In white tie
and cape he sprints before the
footlights every evening and leads
audiences in impromptu choruses
of i" I Wonder Who's Kissing Her
Now" This song, a fine old beer
hall lament, was composed dec
AIDES ago. But it is having is most
lucrative year in 1910.
Carol Bruce, who sprang into
prominence over night through her
singing and dancing in Louisiana
Purchase" has also been gobbled
up by n of New York's higher
priced hotels. She is being paid
an astonishing figure to appear at
midnight each evening and sing
a few songs.
But all these tokens of smiling
fortune did not explain her Ella
ton when I found her hurrying
through Radio City yesterday.
Carol used to work as a model in
a sports wear store. Yesterday she
ran down there and picked out a
new dress to 60 with a funny new
red hat her aunt made for her, a
sort of Mexican affair with a
wide brim that stands up l
around. After she found the dress
she wanted her old boss came in,
rushed up and congratulated her.
Pm SO proud of you," he cried,
Il will not let you pay for the
dress!" Carols eyes still danced
as she told about it, and displayed
the new dress.
More than 20 plays on Broad
way this year failed to last six
weeks, and many of them barely
got past the opening night. Twelve
weeks is considered a successful
run; anything less hardly gives
the hackers a chance to cover their
investments.
But, ever among failure, a three
week run is a major goal. Pro
ducers try everything in their pow
er to keep a play running for
81 days. reason: If Hollywood
buys a play that has had less
than three weeks on Broadway,
its producers can not share in the
royalties. The authors get all the
money.
Night Courts used to be a fash
ionable mecca for tourists and
New Workers who hated to stay
at home in the evenings. N o t
much is mentioned about them
nowadays, but they are interest
ing spectacles to those who never
have sat in on any of them. If
you plan to visit New York this
summer a good one to attend is
the broadway" night court, in
tllC lllldQlC ~ D WCSl VI o1OduWdy
Sessions begin about nine o'clock
in the evening and last until mid
night or after.
The defendants are usually pam
handlers who beg illegally, or
street fighters. You will see a
Harlem truck driver explaining to
the judge just why he slugged his
wife, or vice versa. Or a shop
litter who has been brought in to
face the law with the goods on
his person. 1t is a rapid-ire dis
pensation of Manhattan justice,
and the audience finds it an in
~teresting performance.
You'll get a surprise if o u
open a door in the International
Bldg. marked "Multiprises." This
is an organization that finances
people with ideas-such as invent
ors and designers. But the sur-
prise comes when you are intro
duced to the boss, who is none
other than the former cinema
star, Gloria Swanson. 3