Laurel outlook., 1945-02-28
Lights Of York
by L. L. STEVENSON

driver of a taxicab, a very attrac-
tive young woman, assigned me to
the farthest corner of the rear seat.
Hardly was I inside when the cab
tilted violently to the right, the rea-
son being that Ed ('Strangler')
Lewis, the wrestling champion,
had put his foot on the running
board. Without any difficulty, Lewis
hoisted his 300 or more pounds of
massiveness and inserted himself
beside me, the two of us filling the
seat completely. Then the driver
looked inside to see if she couldn't
squeeze in another passenger and
thus make her trip more profitable.
Acknowledging the inevitable, she
closed the door and the ancient We
hicle creaked and groaned its way
uptown. When we reached our hotel,
Lewis gave the girl 81 which was
exactly double the fare"
kins, who started out to be a bal
lerina until a broken ankle forced
her into the straight dramatic path,
looking wistfully at the marquee
posters of the Ballet International.
-. Melody Thompson, the cigarette
heiress who became an MGM star
let, browsing around in one of those
red-fronted marts-a So, 1000, 900 baby
in a 5 and 10 cent store. Gene
Buck making slow progress through
THhes square because so many
friends stop him for a chat. . Bob
Burns, the Arkansas traveller, trav-
cling Broadway and walking as if
pavements made his feet hurt. .
Mary Martin, looking cutter than ever
in a trim gray outfit, peering into
a toy store undoubtedly with her
Maggi McNellis, who always seems
to be in a hurry these days, hurry
ing to keep a luncheon appointments
at Gilmore'S.
Cuff Notes: Benny Malchioli, one
Of the most efficient walters in the
Waldorf-Astoria's Wedgewood room,
is such an exact double for the
Voice that his friends call him Ben
ny Sinatra. . q. Two of our favorite
young folks, Sylvia Diamond, &C
count executive for David o. Alder
Associates, and Peter Manasse, an
importer, whose wedding was set
for next month, surprised their
friends by slipping away recently
and having a quiet ceremony per-
formed. A lot of happiness for them
both D1Aocon4 ~, hot MALTA
and Harry Ryan of Detroit are the
parents of a pretty little daughter
whose name is Sheila Diane Ryan.
=. . The first thing Leopold Stokow-
ski told Leo Reisman when they
met after Reisman's recent return
to New York, was that he had lost
Reisman's recording of est. Louis
Blues" and would like another
that recording was made more than
IS years ago.
Faces & Places: Rotund balladeer
Burl Ives comparing abdominal bay /
windows with rotund Toots Shor at
the latter's food emporium and re-
marking, after all, what are fat
people-thin people with f1esh?" =.
Dale Belmont, the girl with the
blue velvet voice." looking at a
Fifth avenue window display of blue
velvet. Homer Croy, who
needn't worry about putting on
weight, strolling Park avenue .
and in the next block, Fulton Ours
Ter, who isn't thin, getting a bit of
sunshine. . . Margaret Carson, en-
tirely too attractive to be a press
agent, going into the seth street
entrance of the Metropolitan. . .
She's the Nets official tub thumper
this season.. An Ohio girl, she
carries a buckeye which came from
Toledo, her home town.
This & That: Les Martin, Buddy
Powers and George Mills, known to
theater-goers as "The Three Stow
aways," have been released from
the army after serving Uncle Sam
three years. They will play the
lead in the new revue, "Ex-G.I.s
on Parade" which Barney Ross will
head. . All members of the cast
will be men who have served in
World War II. Harry Joachim,
youngest gag writer, sends
this message to women who work in
defense plants: "Never carry your
welding torches into a crowded bus
street car-you may deprive
some man of his seat" . Phil
Baker notes that many of our z
desires are often nipped in the bud =
get. While Xavier Cugat AYERS A
that his %osteopath kneads patients.
Addenda: Says Brother Ned, writ
ng about their dream-come-true
which he and Rusty have named
Manson Farm: "When you come to al
visit us next summer, we will get tt
a little early so that you will eat e,
melons with tie dew still on them Pr
the corr will he inst IN ceo m