The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1953-02-24
HAL
BOYLE
SAYS

NEW YORK ITO get in to see
her, first the doorman had to phone
upstairs.
Then when you went through the
door you met determined Irish
looking maid whose brother prob
ably worked for the FBI and had
checked ]. Edgar Hoover and
cleared him with j. Foster Dulles
and vice versa.
Then you met Midnight. land
scraped French poodle who gave
you a nose-warming welcome. Then
son Bob, z, and Ethel, 10. Then the
two press agents VINO had also sur
vived the tran c e inquisition
turned to a chestnut brunette and
said:
Ethel Merman."
This was my introduction TO
Miss Broadway" the brass-voiced
queen of what the outside world
still likes to call the ''great White
Way" an old nickname for Ameri-
cas- most noted neon cowpath.
got in easy. escaped meeting
three turtles and two local love
birds who inhabit the Norman
menage on Central Park West. q
floors above the street where pig
cons cater to the tourists for pea
nuts.
Up close Ethel is just as breezy
and frank as she is in the theater.
But with a long horse hair bundle
behind her neck whanged by a
piece of silver, plus a dot-dash
dress and a throaty accent and a
forward Dusty profile - well, she
looked younger than l had expect
ed.
| guess it was her serious brown
eyes. or something.
She rules her big duplex apart
ment with bronze whim but she
had to fight gameIy to hold her
stage.
Nov, you 60, away and get out
of here, Midnight she said firm
ly. And the handicapped poodle
rubbed his left lawn against her,
his right lawn against me-then
turned himself to the press agents
so they could scratch him in the
crabgrass. They did-loyally. Sem.
per Fidelis. One for all, all for
one.
/ had come to get the story of
Ethel Merman's life, and she made
a gallant try to tell me.
81 was a stenographer," she said,
land / still answer my own mail.
I never took a singing, dancing
or acting lesson in my life. George
Gershwin told me, Don't ever take
music lesson, Ethel
"All ! have done since Is belt
out the songs. -
As she paused for approval, Mid
night moved in for effect, shifting
Electrically.
Now you get out of here, Mid
night" said Miss Norman with no
belief he would.
Ethel, whose career embraces II
straight hits on Broadway with
never a dud, found her first star
movie role in "call Me Madam"
so exacting she lost 10 pounds.
It's a nice loss. Looks good off
her.
Now she'd like to rest up a bit
after the long strenuous years on
Broadway and settle down, "Just
make picture or two a year"
It's hard to believe. Ethel can't
give below her best. Even in an in
terview. She's the cld-school enter
tainer 49,. never yield always
the eye turned on the spotlight :.
the foot itching the voice al
ready humming for the cue.
my kids don't care a thing
the theater." she said.
/ believed her for a moment.
Then / noticed how little Ethel |
kept breaking in with Midnight :.
and young Bob started tickling the |
piano.
They were both trying to take |
the stage away from Mama. And |
at first / thought it was a sad |
thing because nobody win
ever shadow Ethel Norman.
! felt sorry for the kids for mo-
ment, because / thought their |
mother oyerpowered them. But By |