Evening star., 1944-06-06
After Dark
News and Comment of the Night Clubs
Trade Registered q. s. Patent once

Behind the urbane and sophis-
ticated facade of Russell Swami,
who brought his magic to the
Statler last night for a fortnight's
engagement, there exists man
who has known other and leaner
times. There are no knicks in the
suavity of the man, but the fact
remains that he once was an actor
in a stock company which played
such rugged frontier communities
as Brooklyn, Scranton and Kansas
City.
1t is not to be understood that
Mr. Swami looks back uuon this
part of his life with anything re-
sembllng a sense of Illustration. 1t
was not precisely what he wanted,
but as an apprenticeship it served
its purpose we'll in spite of such
cultureless vehicles as "Abie's Irish
Rose" and The Trial of Mary
Dugan"
1t was while he was being an actor
on this level that the Statler's
magician came to the conclusion, in
so many words, You have to be a
magician to get ahead in this busi-
ness
No sooner had he told himself
that than he remembered he was a
magician. Many was the trick he
had picked up from the Chinese
on the local embassy staff as lad.
Many more were the ones he had
learned when as bond salesman,
the depression caught him with no
bonds to sell and no customers. His
idle time he spent picking up a
trick day to show to the boss.
whose brooding was thus so pleas
antly interrupted that he forgot to
hre Swami for many months.
When the boss finally did remem-
ber that he did not need bond
salesman, Swami was an accom-
pllshed magician. At least, he has
convinced every one of that fact
from Cafe Society to kings-the late
Albert of the Belgians, if you want
the Spectator to name one.
No sooner had it read the last
Issue of After Dark than the Will
lard's lovely press department
rushed to its typewriter to assure
every one that the red checked table
cloths would be in the decor of the
Music Hall when it opens next
Tuesday night.
Whats more" the pretty press
department added, "the entire Music
Hall Is getting new coat of paint
from top to bottom, so we shall be
all bright and shining for the open
ing night"
The opening. incidentally, is
benefit for the Stage Door Canteen.
X
A chap with memory and in
clinations to soothsaying had no
sooner heard Sharon Terry sing at
Glen Echo than his mind began to
work like fury.
"A local girl" he said to himself.
"This is just the way Kate Smith
started, singing at Glen Echo. Miss
Terry's cinch."
That's what he said.
No, the absence of Norman from
his familiar spot at the door of the
Mayf1owerS Lounge does not mean
that he has been drafted. That was
reported some time ago, but it was
before Selective Service started its
re-contemplation of things. At the
moment, Norman is merely on vaca-
tlon-but with an ear tuned to eny
call that may come from the Army.
In which, incidentally, it is his no.
ton to become an aerial gunner,
very fighting assignment.
The fact that people seem to be
buster at midday than they once
were has inspired a change in the
Lotus show program. Three per-
formances day still is the rule.
The schedule has been altered, how
ever, to eliminate the / o'clock, or
matinee, performance, toss that one
over onto the evening program. The
revues now are staged at 7, GAS and
midnight every night.
*
That fierceiy loyal old residents
may not challenge it's statement
that Treasure Islands June 20 ice
show is the first in Washington of
its kind in a night club. the man
agement points out that the ice
Is real The difference between
real ice and the other kinds is that
the former is frozen water, the lat
ter a chemical composition.
1t was IT, latter, you may remem-
ber, that was used by Evelyn
Chandler, Bruce Mapes and that
colorful group of skaters who
brought the first night club ice
show to the Shoreham several sea-
sons ago.
You should remember. too, how
all the customers got right up and