Show Jilt w pitchin Horseshoes The Grouch of 1600 People t f Had to Turn Up This Point IBY By y filly BlUy Bose f I T saw Maurice Chevalier die a avi t. t vi few weeks ago tF rf He was dead only a few minutes but but to the performer performer per per- former it must 1 like a have bave felt g gd od h hunk u n k of ot f forever The de death at 11 t scene was enact- enact l 4 a i i id i'd d on the stage tot the the Go Golden Ide n theater ater the night of big boy uie e the boulevards oUght brought his one- one roAn ian show how back Billy Rose ROKe Roseto Ko ita to New York Maurices Maurice's opening concerned itself with the need of ot of a gal sai f for r a s guy y It was vas one nc of those audience participation numb numbers num num- entertainer calls the in which b bets bers rs i the spectators spectators' attention to a aS I S couple o of at ladies who have come to the the Cheater unescorted And then to a ft couple of gents a few aisles away avaY ay who are minus girls The entertainer en en- introduces them to each t other and makes maltes the usual suggestions about their getting together Old stuff but sure I One of the stanzas of th the Great Accents song had to do with the Maurice singled singled singled sin sin- joys of being young out a haired grey-haired woman who sitting down front He kidded her her hera a a. little and then reached reach d into I jilts his straw skimmer and threw her hera herI I a a handful of what he said was I eternal youth I 4 J She Was as Drunk I t Then the death scene took place The woman stood up and started heckling him rum It was evident she was as drunk Chevalier ignored her herand I and nd kept singing but it was like I trying to perform in a wind tuni tunnel tun tun- nel el i The woman kept heckling and there was more whisk whisky than wit In her remarks tAfter f After the first few seconds the audience didn't think it was funny It settled back in its seats and waited for tho the old bag to talk herself out Sh She finally did but Chevaliers Chevalier's opening number was d dead d. d And from where I sat I got the feeing that a little of Chevalier Che- Che valier h had d died too I Twenty minutes later the hep i crowd was again eating out of Maurices Maurice's well-manicured well hand but ut tit there was still a hint of ot hangI hangover hang hang- I over in the theater t After the show I bumped Into Garson Carson Kanin the playwright- playwright director and told him the story l t A Better One Jf I know a better one than that nid Gar Gar the one about Harry Hary Harryf I t f Something like 20 years ago act ac- ac r t to Gar Houdini appeared at a benefit show at the Winter Winte Garden It was one of those nights timers old-timers are forever talking about Joe Cook imitated four Hawaiians Hawaiians Ha- Ha W. W C C. Fields did his poolroom poolroom poolroom pool pool- room act and Al Jolson got down on one knee and s sing sang ng Mammy Then came Houdini's turn According According According Ac Ac- cording to Gar his first trick consisted consisted consisted con con- of escaping from an iron safe personally locked by J. J J. J Shubert Then Harry announced a new trick trick one one he had been working on for 15 years I III shall place a 8 dozen needles and some loose thread in my mouth he said Without using my hands in on one second 1 I w will thread all the needles A Bore Now Today this stunt is in hi the repertoire repertoire repertoire reper reper- toire of ot every date club-date Merlin You can buy it in magic stores for fora forn a n dollar But 20 years ago it was wonder stuff I UI 1 need a volunteer Houdini told the audience I 1 want him to examine the needles and thread And then look into my ray mouth and make certain I have concealed nothing there The magician ran his eyes over the front rows and rejected the celebrities whose might detract from his trick Finally he spotted a little man sitting on onan onan onan an aisle seat You sir said Houdini Would you ou care to volunteer Th The little man got to his feet and climbed up on stage Kindly examine my mouth ordered the magician Do you see any needles or thread hidden under my tong tongue e 7 What He lie Saw The little man peered into the magicians magician's open mouth and said nothing Dont be frightened my good goodman goodman goodman man said Houdini Please tell the audience what you see Pyorrhea said the little man The audience laughed for five minutes The magician went ahead and did the trick on which he had worked for fOl 15 years but nobody paid any attention Poor Houdini Out of 1600 people at the Winter Vinter Garden that night he had to pick on Groucho Marx whom he didn't recognize without his moustache Copyright 1948 by Billy Rose Distributed b by the Bell Syndicate Inc |