Evening star., 1948-12-14
After Dark
Speechless Disbelief Is the Only
Reaction to Some People One Meets
By Harry Macarthur

was down in bed with a cold and
like circumstance have sent many
a man out on a paper route long
after he last thought he'd ever be
doing that again.
Well, Johnny was briefed thor
oughly by his son before setting
out. There were certain. houses
along the route, for instance, where
the paper couldn't merely be tossed
on the stoop on rainy evening,
but had to besstuffed in the mail
box. Mr.. Robb set out and shortly
came up against this condition
about which he had been warned.
He trudged up the long walk, folded
the paper neatly, put it in the mail
box and tapped politely on the
door. He had barely turned away
when the door opened and a gruff
voice stopped him in mid-step.
"Hah!" said the voice. Get
ting near Christmas and you're al
ready playing around for that Is
cents for a calendar!"
Mr.. Robb was still suffering about
it when we came upon him at the
Madrillon.
**+*
The Showbill:
The Club Cairo, which hasn't
had an entire change Of personnel
in the show for several weeks, has
come up with one now and still has
top-knotch tap dancer In the
featured spot. The name of this
one is Johnny Conrad and his COM
bination Of tap and ballet work is
marked by a smooth finish. The
comedian is Lee Wyler, man with
fine face for the job, who couldn't
seem to get going the night we were
there. 1t could be that, while his
comic characterizations are funny,
lot of his jokes are too whiskery.
On the distaff side are Lorraine
Kay, who sings. and the Shirley
Page dancers, who, well, dance.
The Lotus show is headlined by a
young man who quite probably will
make the name Stanley Kane a
much better known one In show
business some day. Mr.. Kane makes
his living at a profession the world
might never miss-the matching of
facial expression to the sounds from
an off-stage phonograph-but he
does make 1t funny even If he can't
make it fresh. He has a wonder
fully rubbery comic face and q good
sense for broad comedy. There are
not too many rough edges on his
act, either, considering his appar-
emily tender age, and he ought to
go places. He will go more places
without the phonograph and the
record of Cocktails for Two" of
course, but even with them he's
funny lad. Others on hand are
Buddy Shaner, the able singing fix
ture at the Lotus; Steve and Betty
Stevens, pair of lively dancers,
and the Guy Martin Dancers.
Fague Springman, the concert
baritone, continues to provide a
popular portion of the Continental
Balalaika's entertainment. He's
proven so well-liked, as a matter of
fact, that the management has high
hopes Of bringing him back early
in the year, after he takes q Christ
mas holiday.
%44 -
The atmosphere at Michels leans
toward the informal, especially dur
ing the late evening sessions. 1t was
almost too much for a surprised
newcomer to comprehend the other
night, when he sat looking on as
Michel fiddled away at an involved
violin concerto while putting on
long black cigar.
That guys good, all right" the
newcomer told his waitress, "but
how in the world does he get away
with smoking that cigar while he
works?"
WELL" the waitress answered, II
guess part of the reason Is that
he owns the place"
One of the many who have sue
cumbed to the National Theater's
motion picture, "The Red Shoes" is
IKaravaeff, the nimble dancer at the
Balalaika. Karavaef probably was
affected a great deal more than
many others by THE Red Shoes"
II just couldn't help it" Karavaeff
said. II remembered when I first
came to Washington and tears came
to my eyes when I remembered
that on that very same stage I had
danced with Pavlova."