Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-03-13
After Dark
News and Comment Of the Night Clubs.
By the Spectator.
Trade Mark Registered .. Patent once

Trad
II you never tried to interview
In English a man who speaks every
language but English, you might not
appreciate this.
It was opening night, and Georges
Stefanescu, the celebrated royal
Pan-pipe player who once gave .
command performance In London,
was returning to Michele's from
New York. We were unable 80
much as to ask him how he liked
it. Mr.. Stefanescu speaks Russian,
French, German, Italian, but Ro-
manian best. The Spectators Ro-
manian, it happens, is nonexistent.
Barrett the headwaiter Is from
Devonshire, England, so he wasn't
much good. If it hadn't been for
Mr.. Moscowitz. who In addition to
playing the cymbalom knows how
to make little basic English out
of Romanian, we wouldn't have
known how privileged we were to
even hear the remarkable instru-
ment which is one of two in the
entire world.
Mr.. Stefanescu's pipes of Pan
look exactly like those pictures Of
Pan piping away in mythology and
ancient history texts and sometimes
on library friezes. They sound eerie
and extremely Oriental, and frankly,
we would hate to marry any one who
played the things. The pipes Of Pan
are something we would not like to
bargain with before breakfast.
If there's one thing Band Leader
Lee Castle doesn't have to be re-
minded of it's the fact that there's
war going on.
Here are a few manpower sta
tistics on the current Roosevelt out
At. Something to note-To Lees
knowledge he has not single 4-F,
OF the IA men in his band, nine
have been discharged from the
Army. In addition to his bass play
er, two trumpet players. trombone
player, and three Saxophone players
who have served time with Uncle
Sam, his piano player, a technical
sergeant, was overseas ana saw
action in the South Pacific. An
other trombone player was alss
overseas and on the scene of some
real action. Although only 20 years
old now, Band Vocalist Tony Dexter
served in the Army as a private
for two years.
What's left of the band when you
subtract from IA are those men
who are married and have families.
| Sounds like some sort OF record
to us!
Contrary to an erroneous report
the Cross Roads has no intention OF
closing. AS a matter of fact AL
Massey is bringing his 11-piece band
to provide music for the night spot,
which of course, means that Lynn
Lee will be doing the vocals. Ralph
Hawkins, former bandsmen. says he
has decided not to. accept an over
seas offer which he received last
week from Hal Mcintyre.
Publicity pictures are an i'm
portant thing for night club en-
tertainers, but Martha Madison,
native Washingtonian 0ast heard at
the FL PATIO, has other views on
the subject.
To understand Martha's story of
how she nearly became a Persian
pinup girl you must realize that
| things are done q little differently
in Persia. Martha and friend who
were entertaining the boys overseas
happened into Fort Khoranmmabod
chats the way Martha spelled it,
one fine day and were invited to
have tea by none other than a Per-
sian general.
1t was a beautiful day, Martha
said, so beautiful in fact that the
general decided he wanted his pic
ture taken with his two charming
American visitors.
The general dispatched two of his
aides to get the village photog-
rapher. The village photographer,
Martha said, turned up promptly
looking for all the world like char
acter out of Dickens. A droll little
fellow, he appeared weighed down
with enough old-fashioned equip
ment to stock the Smithsonian.
He fixed his tripod and turned
a lot of screws" Martha said, land
then nodded approvingly, which was
supposed to mean we had been re-
corded for Persian posterity. How
right he was. The next day Amer
lean officials discovered that hum
dreds of copies Of the picture had
been made by the village photog-
rapher and that he was doing a
boom business with the village
people. Col. Murphy had to issue
an order to confiscate the negative
and that's just about as close as
ever came to being pinup girl"
If you ask us, that was pretty
close.
When June Robbins sits In the
Mayf1ower lobby reading Forever
Amber" we wish she would at least
glance at her feet now and then.
Junes very petite little lady and
we would be the last person In the
world to disapprove of her six-and-
a-halfs, but being in a hurry and
June being pretty preoccupied and
well. we almost landed on our face
in the middle of the Mayflower
lobby. a most undignified thing -.
The big aquamarine clip and ear
rings worn by Oracle Pearson of
the 400 Club were a present to
@ W