Evening star., 1942-12-10
After Dark
News and Comment of the Night Clubs.
BY the Spectator.

Usually an entertainer, or his press
agent. has to dream and dream
then hit himself on the head and
dream some more before he can
emerge with the sort of publicity
plug which he deems worthy of him.
self or client. Even so, the final
product born of their sweat and tears
most likely will appear in the shape
OF one or all of three words: Sem
sational, spectacular, terrific. Or
perhaps phrase or SO that might
easily be applicable to the virtues
of Lincoln or Washington.
Occasionally, however, an enter
tainer has only to plod along on the
old nightly routine, Offering his
wares, sighing over the erratic vol
ume of applause, wondering whether
he'll get his breakfast at 3 am. or
a.m.-and in general letting the
whirl 60 by. When out of the blue
comes the sort of praise that even
press agents can't dream about and
which leaves the layman in a near
state of incredulity.
That is what happened to the
Anchor Rooms Matt Windsor one
night last week.
1t seems that in the months prior
to Pearl Harbor colonel of the
marines and his wife made Mr..
Windsor's spot their favorite haunt
liked to hear him sing and beat out
their favorite tunes. Then the COL
onel was sent somewhere in the Pa
clflc. In teh course of one of the
grimmer skirmishes out there, he
and his detachment became sur
rounded by Japs and, as never be-
fore, 1t looked like curtains to the
colonel. Marines being the type of
fellows they are, however, the Jap
clinch was broken and the colonel
and his men lived to tell the tale.
The tales climax which the colonel
had to reveal to Mr.. Windsor was
that just as the last hope seemed
gone what should come into his
mind but-the music of Matt Wind
SOr.
The colonel's enthusiastic sim
cerity just about balanced Mr.. Wind
sor's speechless surprise that night
last week. And to top it off, the
marine presented the entertainer
with a Souvenir Jap occupational
shilling cleaned from the victorious
field.
AS 1t so infrequently happens
along this circuit, the Christian
names of pair of ballroom dancers
have been divulged for public con-
sumption To the Shoreham Blue
Rooms CHARLOTTE Claire and
PHIL Arena-a bow And a few
bits of revelatory matter out of
gratitude.
Charlotte, before she moved into
the larger and better paying field
OF diversion, was once considered
one OF the leading American dancers
of serious ballet. This reputation
was particularly widespread during
her terms with the San Francisco
Opera Co. and the Chicago Civic
opera as prima ballerina. Phil at
one time owned and operated
dance band: one, furthermore. held
in such esteem by the late Helen
Morgan that she used it for quite a
while as background to her songs.
Phil subsequently organized a dane
ing school. being a versatile lad ap-
parently. and that is how he met
Charlotte.
Together they formed q ballroom
team, the technique of which has
seldom If ever been duplicated,
Charlotte's ballet CtoeD style blend
ed with Phil's traditional la ball
room.
It's nice these nights in the Blue
Room. You know exactly who is
doing what.
Bill Strickland of the Lotus is at
heart and by practice a drummer.
AS such he submits an observation:
All men at heart, if not by prac-
tlce, are drummers.
Mr.. Strickland cannot recall the
number of times this fact has been
manifested before his very ewes
which have seen many years of
rioht r1,,I nj