Evening star., 1947-12-11

Earlier this week we were forced
to apologize for not being able to
report on Miss Beatrice Kraft, hav-
ing gone to see Bobby Clark In
stead. After sitting In attendance
upon Miss Kraft later at the Shore
ham Blue Room, we have but this
to say: II it had been any one in
the world but Bobby Clark, we would
have made the silliest mistake in
the world that night we did not 60
see Miss Kraft.
Any one who does not think Beat
rice Kraft is wonderful Is daft, does
not appreciate the finer things of
life and should be sentenced to floor
shows inhabited only by Buddy
Lester.
Miss Kraft Is not the seasoned
clown that Mr.. Clark is, to be sure,
being several years younger in ex-
perience, but she Is to East Indian
dancing what he is to operetta.
Authentic Oriental dancing in cos
tune and manner provide the foun-
dation for her art, but that Is all.
The authenticity provides color and
then becomes a sort of playground,
through which Miss Kraft frolics
with unbounded glee.
The combination Of a pretty girl
and subtle, adroit sense of humor
Is wonderful one and Miss Kraft
makes the most of her gifts. She
has a pair Of male dancers with her
now. which permits her to introduce
some madly whirling numbers that
would make Terpsichore feel mighty
silly II she ever saw them.
The addition Of the two new dane
ers also helps Miss Kraft overcome
one Of the problems of her art. In
the past the dancer has encountered
occasional ringsiders who have not
read the message in her expressive
eyes and, thinking her in dead earn
est, have Just sat staring at her.
She does not meet very many of
these any more, what with the two
boys behind her accenting her every
Spoofng move.
II you've been sitting around like
a dope waiting for an excuse to 20
to the Blue Room. Beatrice Kraft
Is it.
The other aspects Of the Shore
ham entertainment this week are
fine IN their way, too. A great deal
OF vocal excitement is generated by
Deanne Carroll, whose last local
appearance was on the Capitol stage.
A pert and pretty lass, she has a
soprano voice that is large, rich and
colorful. She knows how to use it,
too, on the kind Of songs that keeps
Blue Room customers happy. The
athletics of the affair are provided
by Kay and Kay, whose hand-bal-
ancing turn is a smooth one. The
male Kay, incidentally, does a hand
stand on his flngertips, which is
something for you to try sometime
as parlor trick.
The Midnight Merry -Go-Round:
Bob Simpson and that all-star band
he conducts at the Sazerac Room of
the Old New Orleans will be dou-
bling between there and the stage
OF the Capitol Theater for q week,
starting today. Gene Ford needed
a small unit for a cabaret setting
and he couldn't have picked better
one. Julian Altman, who leadsd
the luncheon orchestra at the Stat
Ter Embassy Room, takes on an
additional chore next Monday night.
Then and thereafter, Julian, his
violin and orchestra will be provid-
ing nightly music at the Pail Mall
Room of the Raleigh Hotel. i
Sherry Sherwood, the Hamilton
Rainbow Rooms attractive singer,
is doing a weekly television stint on
WTTG. The time and day are
things her accompanist and pub
licist, Mark Rollins, are keeping
secret from us.
Eddie Gallaher, q beer salesman
who may be heard nightly on WTOP
on a program called THE Moon
dial" may not know it but he has
something in common with Nelson
Eddy. Back in the days when Mr..
Eddy was operating more enten-
sively in the movies, every film critic
faced with a shudder the necessity
Of reporting on the quality of his
acting. wooden" was the word the
critics often felt called on to use and
it always was sure to arouse an
active set of Nelson Eddy fans.
1t is not the wooden quality that
Mr.. Gallaher shares with Mr. Eddy,
to perish that thought, but rather
the distinction of having an active
set Of Eddie Gallaher fans. We
have a letter to prove it, to wit:
Dear Mr.. Macarthur:
I have been reading your ar.