Evening star., 1947-03-11

It Is understandable that Holly
wood does not like night clubs. Hol-
lywood (the business entity, not the
city) would prefer, for sound busi-
ness reasons. that people spend
their evenings In movie theaterf
rather than In night clubs. We do
not propose today to 60 thoroughly
into the Hollywood treatment Of
night clubs when they are used as
scenes for photoplay action. That
would take too long. But we do
think the movies take unfair advan-
tage in their duel with the cabarets.
The Hollywood picture Of night
club proprietor-at least the por-
trait it always is drawing for its
millions-is q sad one, indeed. That
Hollywood has one-track mind in
this matter will be made clearly evi-
dent by the surprise with which you
will greet the character played by
Robert Aida in MORA Prentiss." Mr..
Aida, you probably are aware, is a
young man who owns night clubs in
Warner Bros pictures. He owns
some more in this picture. The sur
prise this time is that he Is q nice
guy.
If this marked q trend, it would be
a fine thing and we would not have
to chide the movies for picking on
night clubs. But we are as sure
that Mr.. Aida will turn up again
with faithful gunsel at his side as
we are that next Saturday Is the
day by which you had better have
paid your taxes.
Any night club proprietor prob
ably has suffered in one way or an
other for the picture Of his kind
painted by the movies. Peter Bor-
ras Of the Madrillon even had q
sad moment once, when he might
have questioned his calling and
rued the day when he expanded his
restaurant into the cabaret field.
He walked into the Madrillon one
noon and was introduced by a friend
to a newly arrived French diplo-
mat. Mr.. Borras chatted for a mo-
ment, then invited the two to have
dinner with him that night. Din
ner was a pleasant affair, Peter re-
calls, with much conversation, prin-
cipally in French, since the French
mans English was unsteady. Dur
ing the evening Mr.. Borras was
called from the table by business
and that's when. events took the
turn that made him wonder. He
learned about 1t later from his
friend.
No sooner had Mr.. Borras left the
table, 1t seemed, than the new ar
rival In this land turned and said.
with some surprise: "He seems to be
quite a charming man. He seems
man Of refinement, good taste and
education"
"Of course" said the friend.
What's so surprising about it?"
WELL" said the Frenchman, isn't
that unusual for an American gang
ster2 I mean. he is a gangster,
isn't he? thought from the
movies 4. In the movies, mean,
all American night club owners are
gangsters. Is this not SOP"
+
OF course, If the movies want to
get closer to the facts of night life
they never again will give us that
scene wherein someone says, "I'm
thirsty" pours glass of champagne,
takes a small sip Of 1t, then says,
Lets go home" leaving the jug for
the bus boy.
4 + + 4
Joyce Aimee is a tallish girl who
looks more than little bit like
Lauren Bacall, plays the accordion
and sings. She is doing all these
things-looking like Lauren Bacall,
playing the accordion and singing
for Club Cairo patrons these nights.
Her voice is a pleansant one, low
in pitch and she can take it far
down the scale without getting
husky. It is surprise, then, when
the voice of Miliza Korjus comes out
Of the loudspeaker during the Bedell
and Mattson comedy turn and Miss
Aimee says, II used to sing like
that" Like Miliza Korjus" we