Evening star., 1962-06-26
MAN OF SINCERITY
Jackie Bright in Encore
By MARY MeGRORY
star Staff Writer


Jackie Bright's act before the
Mcclellan Committee was held
over.
It was inevitable.
Senators investigating cor
ruption in night clubs hadn't
seen anybody like him before.
Besides. they wanted to ask
him a question or two.
They had little chance at
Mr.. Bright's debut on Capitol
Hill. Before he became National
Administrative Secretary of the
American Guild Of Variety
Artists, Mr.. Bright was a night
club master Of ceremonies, and
he is used to holding the floor.
A man who has prevailed
over the rafting of ice cubes,
the arguments of walters and
the opportunities of B-girls is
hardly likely to be put off by
Senators, and Mr.. Bright was
very big in the Senate hearing
room, to which he will return
today.
SmOldering Indignation
Mr.. Bright has large moist
dark eyes. which must have
cleaned brightly in the baby
blue spotlight in the old days.
Yesterday, they smoldered with
indignation as he told the SEN
ators with all sincerity" what
his enemies in the guild are
doing to him.
He never said so, but it seems
obviously that heaven must
protect the working girl with
the AGVA card. Mr.. Bright
simply hasn't got the man.
power to take care Of them.
What with lax liquor control
boards which hand out night
club licenses "promiscuously"
and law enforcement officers
who testify so easily and union
members who fear their Social
Security payments won't be
turned over to the government.
Mr.. Bright simply can't do the
job.
He seemed appalled, when
Senator Mcclellan mentioned
the B-girls, those entertain
erS" who solicit drinks from
night club patrons.
Mixing Not COndoned
Our position has BEEN" said
Mr.. Bright, that we don't un-
der any circumstances .condone
mixing Of any type, and say
this with all the sincerity I can
muster"
He is, however, a metaphor
mixed and told the spellbound
Senators in one sentence about
people who live in ivory towers
who are blinded by the sun
and connot see the forest for
the trees"
Mr.. Bright did not wish to
discuss the B-girl situation.
When he was asked about
them, he would say, with a
great show of teeth, THANK
you for asking me, Senator"
and then embarked on series
of non-sequiturs, irrelevancies,
scandalous tidbits about ag-
grieved former employees and, i
once, a discussion of democracy.
When he began out of the
blue to tell the Senators about
"a written letter" he had re-
ceived from an AGVA agent,
who feared bodily harm" SEN
ator Mcclellan inquired Won
deringly,
What is this related to?"
Caution Takes Over
There was only one moment
when Mr.. Bright's flow halted. !
Senator Mcclellan read to |
him a letter from his principal [
accusers, Mr.. and Mrs. Smiley"
Hart, who said they had paid
Mr.. Bright money for a Florida {
job, and in anticipation of
conflicting testimony from Mr.. 1
Bright, offered to take a lie h
detector test. Chairman Nc
Clellan gave Mr.. Bright the 8
same opportunity. :
Mr.. Bright'S bright smile I
faded somewhat. II have heard {
a mixed opinion about the lie 7
detector test" he said cauti-
ouSly. For a machine goes be-
yond the scope of asking me-"
Il am sure" he added graci- I
ously, being still anxious to I
please the patrons, sit isn't be-
ing asked me for reasons of
entrapment."
II am not trying to gild the
lily, believe me in all sincerity"
he was saying soon again II
which nobody has yet accused
him of doing.