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Show 1-1 WHO'S NEWS -fl THIS Vt' WEEK By LEMUEL F. PARTON (Consolidated Features WNU Service.) NEW YORK. Having enjoyed a ward-room acquaintance of six or eight weeks with Rear Admiral Russell Willson, who recently took over as su-Willson su-Willson Can Pilot perintendent 'Ship' Annapolis of the United Through Any Sea N academy, this writer feels that everything will be shipshape at Annapolis come what may. When the then Commander Com-mander Willson deployed the destroyer de-stroyer fleet around Greenland and Labrador, shepherding home the army world fliers, in 1924, we were stalking Capt Donald Macmillan, the explorer, in the sub-Arctic, and found gracious hospitality on the commander's destroyer, Lawrence, at Indian harbor, Labrador. He's an alert disciplinarian, without with-out being in the least stiff-necked about it. When we began issuing the "Labrador Gumdrop," the spright-liest spright-liest piece in it was written by the commander. He is tall, grave, slender, slen-der, distinguished in appearance, deliberate in speech, but quick and precise in action. The latter became clear when a black squall socked the Lawrence Law-rence one day, with almost the suddenness of an explosion. With a rock bottom under Indian harbor, har-bor, the ship had nothing to get her hook into. She started slithering slith-ering and spinning like a Japanese Japa-nese dancing mouse. The shore was rocky and the chances for a crack-up looked fairly good. The commander's job was something like chauffeurlng a skidding automobile. We aren't sufficiently nautical to tell what happened, but he brought the ship through top-side up. A young lieutenant told me later that it was a brilliant piece of seamanship. Under a generous naval lease-lend plan, we borrowed the commander's fishing tackle and shotguns, to shoot puffins. We won the war and returned re-turned the armament. He, as one would have known, moved smoothly on up through grades to the post of rear admiral. He was born in Sardinia, N. Y., In 1883, put in two years at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Tech-nology and transferred to Annapolis. An-napolis. In the World war, he commanded the sixth battle squadron of the grand fleet. He holds Ihe Navy cross, the Victory Vic-tory medal and the Vera Cruz medal. Unfortunately, there is no file of the "Labrador Gum-drop," Gum-drop," but I remember that the last Issue was a heartfelt tribute to Commander Willson. JACK BENNY, radio and screen comedian, may be rusty on his calculus and Albert Einstein not so quick on the gags, but here they are D LL- i r L in steP on ae Ribbing by Gobs Honor Roll ol Effects Gagging Race Rela-By Rela-By Jack Benny 'ions for 1940. cited in Negro Ne-gro History week for their service to race relations, "in terms of real democracy.' Mr. Benny is named for his tact and understanding in the use of his Negro fellow-comedian, "Rochester." Born in Waukegan, 111., the son of a small merchant, he was a theater doorman, property man and then a vaudeville violinist vio-linist for years before he ever said a word on the stage. In the navy, playing classical music mu-sic for sailors, he was ribbed and ragged by them, impulsively impulsive-ly talked back and uncorked his talent for gagging. He married Sadie Marks, the Mary Livingston of his radio program. pro-gram. His new picture, "Love Thy Neighbor," in which he is co-starred ith Fred Allen, is right on his target. tar-get. His friends remark his gentility, gen-tility, pressed for further explanation explana-tion one of them said, "He seems to have an instinctive regard for other people's feelings." He was born Benny Kubesky, his recreations are bridge and casino, and he is rarely seen without a cigar. He meets reporters re-porters thoughtfully and never does any exhibition gagging for them no matter how they prod him. SIXTEEN years ago Grace Moore, a singer at the Music Box Revue, . said to Italo Montemezzi, "Some day I will sing your 'Love of Three Kings' at the Metropolitan Opera house." Many kings have toppled since then, but the durable three are still here, and the other night at the Metropolitan, Miss Moore made good on her prophecy and Signor Montemezzi made his debut at the Metropolitan, conducting his opera "The Love of Three Kings." He was born in Italy in 1875, and studied music mu-sic under famous masters in Rome. |