Evening star., 1949-09-13
After Dark
Kleie Lights and Cameras
Bring Inevitable Defeat

Interviews with pretty girls were
hat we wanted, interviews with
pretty girls were what we set out
after, but interviews with pretty
GIRLS we didn't get.
And it was all the fault of peo-
Die like Thomas Edison, or who
ever it was that invented the first
camera.
The Illustration behind these
paragraphs stems from last
Wednesday night. when Nick Gas
ION premiered his beauty contest
1T the Old New Orleans.
The whole thing is just another
beauty contest-like a tenderloin
steak smothered in onions Is just
another tenderloin steak smoth-
cred in onions. or a $25 raise is
just another $25 raise. or a pair
Of aisle seats for South Pacific"
is just another pair of aisle seats
for South Pacific" But since
the whole thing had to be gone
through with we got there a half
an hour early, topped Nick's re-
luctance with desperate persua-
sion and so ended up with a ring
side table.
Visions Of very easy column
crammed with nothing but inter-
views with visions danced through
our head.
What is a beauty contestant S
thought on the future of relations
between Russia and Liberia? That
certainly is something everyone
wants to know, we thought.
And what position does a beauty
contestant take on the battleship-
versus the -airplane debate?
Or does a beauty contestant
agree or disagree with Aristo-
pharies' observation, You cannot
make a crab walk straight"
Would a beauty contestant care
to comment on the underlying
factors in the decline Of the
Roman empire?
We lined up three or four
pencils.
The contest started, the ten girls
walked around the floor. people
clapped and cast their ballots.
Then each one stopped before
the microphone. and said a few
words.
One wanted to be a dress de-
signer. One wanted to be a model.
Another wanted to be a singer.
One wanted to get married.
Fine stuff. but a little flimsy for
full-fledged, column-fllling inter-
views.
So after the contest was over
(the first preliminary in a three
month contest, that Isl we trailed
the girls upstairs, there to launch
this interview-conducting.
The girls were sitting around a
couple of tables. chatting with
Nick and three or four other peo-
pie to whom we paid no atten-
ton. Not for a second or two, that
Is.
"Hey Mac, grab this light"
Somebody with q camera in one
hand pushed it at us. We took
it, absently, and reached for q
piece Of copy paper.
Back up, back up. give us more
light" someone else yelled. He
had a camera, too.
Point it over there" a third
photographer yelled. pointing in
the general direction of the Ben
ming car barn.
Swing it around" he yelled.
Now walk toward, slowly-hey,
watch out for that wire. you'll
trip
It was too late. Many pictures
and lots of ight-holding later. the
strange men packed up their we'll
strewn equipment and left.
We started forward i. now for
those interviews.
Come on, girls let's eat. Din
ner everybody" a publicity man
called. The girls dashed off.
Blank copy paper went back in
our pocket, pin-pointed pencils
followed.
There are no interviews today.
n 4 X X
The most lucrative brother act
in show business comes to the
Embassy Room of the Statler next
Monday. The brothers are Car
men. Lebert and Guy, their last
name is Lombardo and around
them is an orchestra which for
uncounted years has been making
o,,xy 1@Nr.-