Evening star., 1948-12-30

tionally prepare themselves to greet
the new year clear-eyed and un-
afraid by sating themselves on
diet Of equal parts of cigarette
smoke, alcohol fumes, crowds and
clamor. 1t is the night when the
makers and sellers of aspirin and
all the newer anti-headache nos
trums sit back and reflect that life
is good 1t is the night when
thousands of these millions of
Americans will be struck by the
vagrant thought that they'd be
happier someplace else, probably at
home, but hooray and happy New
Year, anyhow.
There is only one piece of advice
we hope you will remember on New
Years eve. Don't get the notion
that you ought to play the bass
fiddle. Those things cost money
and it makes musicians nervous to
have them knocked about by nom
union members who are on the
glee of the evening.
The charge often has been made
here in the, 1940s that the Army
had, If it still doesn't have, capri
cious attitude coward the talents
and special skillS of those it en-
braced. The experience of one
former drama critic we know will
remain forever etched in memory.
The Army, of course, has no parti-
cular use for a drama critic as
such, but it always has seemed to
us that the Army was going a little
out of its way in the direction of
the ridiculous when it made this
man an embalmer.
We bring this up only to report
that there is at least one case on
record where an Army personnel
be. He is the one who put Sgt.
Sande Williams in front of an Or
chestra and entrusted to him the
morale of that part Of the Air
Force which invaded Miami Beach
As morale-builder, Mr.. (as he now
is happier to be called Williams
has few peers, as one brief glimpse
of life at the Shoreham Hotels
Palladian Room will prove to you
1t was noted here the other Gay
that Mr.. Williams return ought
to put both customers and manage
ment in a happier frame of mind,
but that was only part of the story.
to
behind him, Alfred, the headwaiter,
beams in the doorway. The walters
charge happily on their missions OF
mercy. Even the busboys, usually
among the sadder inhabitants of
night clubs, seem happy. Mr..
williams and his musicians are
happy, they much preferring the
Shoreham to the Stork Club. And
the customers, in addition to be-
ing happy, are more numerous,
which certainly doesn't make the
management unhappy
Morale at the Palladian Room
is at a high pitch. You couldn't
find a happier After Dark rende-
vous'
It is only a short journey down
Birdcage Walk and across the lobby
to the Blue Room, where Barnee
conducts both the orchestra and
the entertainment affairs of a
number of well-known and not so
we'll known Washingtonians. A man
can make the trip on foot, without
even pausing to rest, especially
when there is such an incentive at
the Blue Room end as Jeanne War
ner.
Miss Warner is a singer of popular
songs who probably shows more
promise than any other girl practic-
ing that art around here these
nights. She is most attractive
young woman. She has a person.
ality that sells song. She has
voice of flexibility and what seems
uncommon range, with an upper
register that is great deal mellower
than most soprano tones. And she
knows how to use the voice to good
advantage Listening to her Is one
of the definite pleasures.
You may already have encount-
cred Miss Warner in your living
room, she being conveyed to num-
Der of living rooms nightly by
WNBW television. You should not
judge her by this, however, the
lackadaisical, dead-pan approach of
her program CIV Journal being the
producers idea and not Miss War
er's own. She is not dead-panned
singer. She is pretty-panned
singer.
The Blue Room. not so inciden-
tally, also boasts the presence cur
rently of Johnny Mack, one of the
abler tap dancers on the cabaret
circuit. Mr.. Mack-we might as
well say 1t again-is a welcome
rarity among dancers. He dances
with his feet.
*& ~
The Midnight Merry CO. Round: !
Fague Springman, who recently
sang there, was a Balalaika GUS
toner the other night, and the one
providing the lustiest cheers for the
musical comedy duets sung by Dena
Larena and the baritone, Slepou
shkin. . The King Cole Trio, just
voted the Best Small Instrumental
Group of 1948" by the Nations juke
box operators. starts 1949 with an
engagement at the Club KavakoS
The trio arrives January 2 for a
six-day stay. :. Dusty Fletcher, the
veteran comic who popped into the
limelight awhile back with open
the Door, Richard" is jroving quite
a