Evening star., 1946-06-21

OyS, whose Henry McLemore.
mothers still stay awake at night
until they come in from a date,
know more about the earth's sur
race than the oldest employe of
the National Geographic.
I, myself, have had a touch of
this global understanding that
comes through warfare. There was
q time when I would have guessed
that Moratai was a night club and
that Aitape was a soft drink. Then
| went to Moratai and Aitape and
found that they were composed of
solid ground, natives with rings in
their noses. and Japs in trees.
Sandwich after Show.
All of which leads up to what I
am going to write about today. Last
night I went to see the musical
comedy, "Show Boat" a revival of
Show Boat" that is. 1 had seen it
when 1t opened in New York in
the late '20s, and my chief reason
for going this time was to watch
a Florida cracker, named Buddy
Ebsen. in one Of the principal roles.
When I first knew Buddy he had
the soft drink concession at the
pier In Daytona Beach. The wears
have carried him from the pier to
New York, to Hollywood, to the
United States Coast Guard, and
back to Broadway.
Buddy met me for a sandwich
after the show. was all full of
Show Boat" I was whistling a
medley Of Make Believe" Cant
Help Loving That Man." "Old Mar
River" and all the other songs
which helped to make Show Boat"
an enduring classic.
Buddy never once mentioned the
show. He never once said ANYTHING
about how good it was to be back
on Broadway.
He brushed of autograph seekers.
What He Learned.
He wanted to talk about what he
mad learned during the war.
For the better part of two wears
ne was the executive officer (after
learning to be PIT boat skipper of
a weather boat somewhere of the
Aleutians. 1t rained. It fogged. The
wind blew 40 all the time. No mail
No sight of any one. Month after
month. Buddy and his boat reeled
and rocked.
Henry" he said. "do you know
now seaeulls steer themselves"
mo, Buddy" l said, wondering
why one of Americas great dancers
would concern himself about the
habits Of seagulls, no, I don't
know how they do it."
Let me tell you," Buddy said
They steer themselves by their
heads. When they are up there
drifting around. and they want to
turn right, they turn their heads to
the right and of they 70 to the
right. When they want to 70 left.
they Just turn their heads to the
left. Don't let any one tell you this
isn't true. I watched seagulls morn
Ing, noon and night, Just to keen
from blowing my top"
I'm mighty glad to know that
about seagulls. Buddy" I said, but
do you think that Carol Bruce sings
MY Bill as well as Helen Morsan
did it?"
All About the Albatross,
Nobody could do it any better
than Carol does it." Buddy said
But do you know how to spot a
sooty-footed albatross? I mean can
you tell the difference between a
sooty-footed albatross and an ordi-
nary albatross?"
l said I couldn't, having ma jored
in algebra, not albatrosses, in COL
lege.
Buddy then told me about alba
trosses. How albatrosses were born.
How young albatrosses learn to f1v.
Ihe proper time for young girl al
oatrosses to go out without chan
erones. What albatrosses ate, what
albatrosses drank, and how alba
trosses refused to wear hieh-but-
toned shoes. He traced the history
Of the albatross.
1t Was a funny thing to hear a
dancer, a Hollywood boy. talk of
such things. But, as said when I
started this little story, a global war
Is a great teacher If you are lucky
enough to come home.
'Distriouted By McNausht Syndicate. Inc }