Evening star., 1943-06-16

mine aC GA
ridges Hotel to-
Henry MeLsnere. day.
Dolf had just arrived from Amer
lea for a six-month tour of a pa
triotic duty, that OF entertaining
troops, and, knowing the man. ~
expected to find him swathed in q
silken robe doing nothing more
strenuous than waxing his immacu-
late mustache. I scarcely believed
my eyes when T walked into his
room and found him bending over
tub like a common washerwoman,
half submerged in suds.
Thank the Lord you have ar
rived" he said. In three hours I
have to make a talk in Trafalgar
Square to what police tell me will
be crowd Of $4,000 people and I
haven't a single clean garment to
put on"
He tossed me a bundle Of socks,
handkerchiefs and package of LUX,
which he somehow had brought over
in the airplane with him.
Don't be too particular with
them,' he said, because I am doing
only the cuffs and collars of the
shirts. To hell with the bosoms. I
am wearing a double breasted suit,
and what the English people don't
see won't hurt them"
Rigs Line From Window.
When We had finished washing
Menjou buzzed for maid and asked
if he could have a bit of string.
When the string came he hastily
erected a clothesline out OF the
window of one of Londons smartest
hotels and we hung his washing out
TO dry.
Later We ironed it and I wish that
all of Menjous movie fans could
see MIN at an ironing board. 1t is
an impressive sight. He may be
susve and sveldt on celluloid. but
he is messy piece of business at
the ironing board He perspires and
curses as cuffs and collars are singed
Twice the ironing board collapsed
and We had to deal with a red-hot
| iron as we would with an incendi-
AIRY bomb there on the heavily car
! peted floor.
The second time it fell and we were
| douSing it with water to cool it.
! Menjou exclaimed, Il wish Walter
were here to see me now" Walter
being Walter Pidgeon, one OF Dolf's
closest friends. The boys would
never believe that the mighty Men,
lou. the well-dressed man. could
iron a cuff but I tried the laundry
here and they said I could get nv
clothes back in three weeks If thev
put rush order on II. I don't
know where will be in three weeks"
Menious wardrobe is frishtfullv
skimpy. You mt bring trunks
on airplanes uggested to him
that he get the amy to issue him
an enlisted mans fatigue suit to
wear while he was beating around
the country. He liked the idea. Il
would feel pArfectly at home in a
private's uniform, he said. That's
what I wore all during the last
war;
Star in Big Unit.
! A month from now Meniou 1,
not going to be as well dressed as
Mickey Rooney is normally unless
ne adopts this suggestion to save
his meager wardrobe. I have seen
his itinerary and it calls for visit.
to some of the most remote spots
where American troops are sta.
tioned-places where Daniel Boone
wouldn't go without compass and
some beads to swap with the ma.
tlves. Before he sets sail for home
few Americans in the British Isle,
Will not have seen Menjou and hi,
act. He is travelling as a star with
a big vaudeville unit and looks for
ward to every minute of it.
II 1 can put in a plug for friend.
the Government couldn't have sent
a better man over here than Dolf.
He is the sort of man who will not
only do his own laundry but will
do the laundry for the whole Amer
lcan Army abroad If it will helm
any. Personally, 7 am mighty glad
10 see him. not only as an old friend
but as man with plenty of money.
put the bite on him for a few
pounds as soon as I finished with
the laundry. I come from a long
line Of washerwomen and we never
work for nothing.
/ Distributed by McNausht syndir.t. w.,