Evening star., 1950-06-27

the possibilities being mentioned
for the reopening of the Statler
Embassy Room in September,
there is legitimate enough excuse
for telling you today about Mr.
Cugat's chihuahua. The chihua-
hua, dog which also is called the
Mexican hairless because it is
Mexican and doesn't have any
hair to speak of, has become some
thing of Cugat trademark.
Most orchestra leaders wave a
baton, or a fiddle bow or a limp
hand at their musicians in the
hope of keeping time. Mr.. Cugat
Is one of minority of one who
conducts his orchestra by waving
a dog at it. Since this canine form
Of musical expression is such a
rarity it seemed only natural, the
last time we saw Mr.. Cugat, to
ask him how it ever came about.
The idea of conducting an Or
chestra with a chihuahua did not
seem to be the sort of thing a man
would arrive at by sheer reason.
1t turned out, as expected, that
reason had nothing to do with it.
When he was making his first
motion picture. Mr.. Cugat had his
pet dog on the set to keep him
company. Came the time for his
first scene and it suddenly oc-
CURED to the orchestra leader that
he was nervous about this debut.
II don't know anything about
acting before a camera-or any
place else" he told the director.
What will I do with my hands?"
he asked in dismay, since these
apparently were growing and
seemed to Mr.. Cugat each to be
five feet wide.
"Oh. carry that dog" said the
director.
Out Of such spur-of the-mo-
ment inspirations are great enter
prises born. To the surprise of
every one, the Cugah chihuahua
was a minor sensation. Hundreds
OF letters poured in to the rumba
king, from people who wanted to
know about chihuahuas and from
people who wanted one. Being on
the canny side when it comes to
commerce, Mr.. Cugat now is, in
addition to the music business and
the Cugat Nougat business, in the
dog business. Owns a chihuahua
ranch.
\ X X
The Embassy Room, lest any
neutrality-suspicious. be made, is not
closed yet. 1t will be operating for
almost three more weeks, until
July Is to be specific, after which
it will be closed for redecoration.
1t will reopen early in September,
with either Cugat music or Guy
Lombardo's sweetest music this
side of.
The management of the Old
New Orleans has worked itself up
into furry of hopeful excite
ment over the new singer who
takes over in the Sazerac Room
tonight. She is Nicole Vernon.
blond and reputedly attractive.
who arrived in this country from
Paris only three and half weeks
ago. Her Sazerac Room engage
ment will be her first in the
United States, with the exception
OF an addition appearance there
the other night, when the Gus
toners are reported to have ap-
proved her highly.
During the war Miss Vernon en-
tertained troops with a travelling
USO troupe she joined in her ma
tive Paris. She also has sung in
leading music halls and cabarets
IN the French capital.
A singer whose voice is power
ful enough that she can disdain
a microphone. Miss Vernon's most
popular singing right now is done
in English, with a fetching Gallo
accent. She also can, when the
occasion demands, sing in French.
Italian. Spanish or Turkish. The
occasion which would demand
that she sing in Turkish may or
may not arise at the Sazerac
Room, but we want to be there
when and if it does.
Loew's, Inc, is reported consid-
erably interested in the Partisan
songstress, with an eve to theater