Evening star., 1941-08-04

M least expect to
Ezssssss@ - &Eaz zS&& find it smack
Henry McLemore. in the center OF
the worlds largest, noisiest and
busiest city. The address is Room
618, 247 Park avenue, New York
City, and how the travel agenc1es
have overlooked it as sometime
every tourist must see is a mystery
to me.
But they have. Even Thomas
Cook & Son, those authorities
on where to go and what to see
in this world. have allowed it to
escape them. Just as a test called
Thomas Cook & Son and asked
a travel expert TO name me some
Of the outstanding beauty spots Of
the world.
He never did mention Room 613,
247 Park avenue. He gave me the
Tai Mahal Victoria Falls, St Morit7,
Yellowstone Park, Lake Como and
the harbor at Rio de Janeiro. y
-
Now these are all right. but you
could take the looking Swiss
Alp you ever saw or the Victoria
Falls at high tide and put them in
Room 618, 247 Park avenue, and no
one would even notice them.
Because Room 6l8 is the head
quarters of John Robert Powers,
the man who supplies the most
beautiful models in the world for
commercial photography. When you
first open the door of Room 6l6,
the vista is overwhelming. AS far
as you can see, in any direction,
there are gorgeous girls.
If you care for blonds, there are
two or three settees full of them,
all with faces capable of launching
every ship at Newport News in rec
ord time. If its brunetS that YOU
prefer, they are there by the dozen.
Once you've walked into Room
618 you need never envy Balboa
his first sight Of the Pacific. Your
eyes pop and your head reels from
the sight of so much pulchritude
plus.
Life has few greater pleasures
! than to be kept waiting for an
appointment with Mr.. Powers. He
was IS minutes late seeing me. and
as far as I was concerned he could
have kept me waiting for days. If
he had come out and said he had
been called to e. PasO on business.
and could I possibly wait for him,
I would have said. Mr.. Powers, Eou
go right along, and take your tin-o.
too. You can walk out to Texas, Il
you care to. I'm in no hurry
When my vacation time comes
along, I am going to try to spend
1t in Room 618. I had originally
planned TO visit the Canadian
Rockies and Glacier National Park,
but I don't believe they'd impress
me very much now. What I want
to do, if Mr.. Powers will let me,
is to rough" it up there on the
sixth floor. Id like to pitch a pup
tent over IN one corner, in the
shade OF a thicket of blUe-eyed
blonds and a stately redhead, and
Just let the rest of the world 60 by.
The weather has no effect on the
beauty of Room 618. Unlike other
beauty spots, one doesn't have to see
it by sunrise or sunset to see it at.
it's best. It's just as overpowering
at 1920 am. on g rainy day as 1t
is at sundown of a perfect one.
%*
I sort of hinted about my vaca-
ton hopes to Mr.. Powers assistant,
Bob Fertig, young man who has
spent the last five years working in.
this Elysian Field of a room where
some 400 models check in and out
all day long. =
He discouraged it. ~
Said I might find myself getting
tired of so much beauty all the
time. This struck me as prepos-.
ferrous, but had to listen to him
because he spoke from experience.
"I get pretty sick and tired Of
looking at dazzingly beautiful girls
all the time" he said. ITS relief
to me to look at nice plain homely
girl. Two or three years at my
job and you get so you appreciate,
the sight of a nice set of buck teeth,
a good girlish squint, patch Of
freckles, or a nice, overweight fig
ure. My job is like having a straw
berry shortcake three times day"
Fertig, old fellow, you may be2
right, but I certainly would be glad
| to have the chance to get around t0
your way of thinking. 10