Life — June 7, 1928 — page 14: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

ALONG THE Dear Pat Wittarp: I've just come from one of the gayer asylums along the Whoopee Dis- trict after listening to a spellbinder dis- cuss some of the fascinating Broadwayfarers. They can say what they like about these Mainstreeters, Wil- lard, but I get a grand kick out of them, even if they are looking at the world through gin-colored glasses. One stay-up- late unfolded a series of gorgeous “inside stuff” that set my heart syncopating, and the most interesting yarn concerned Nick, the Greek. He's the lad who dropped millions in the local dice houses and he has never been known to beef, squawk or complain about the numbered aggravators. The only time he ever outguessed the New York gamblers was during his initial visit to the Stem, when he won about seven hundred and fifty grand betting on “Ace” Hudkins, who flattened Ruby Goldstein, the pet of the Ghetto. After that he practically kept the cube-tossers in splendor by living up to his reputation that no bet was too large for him to take. One night, however, after he lost a half million toying with the fickle dominoes, he strolled through Central Park with another gambler he had just met. The stranger said: “Nick, they say you'll bet on anything. I'll bet you twenty-five hun- dred that I can hit a dime with a bullet fifteen feet away.” Nick took the wager. The marksman placed the dime at the trunk of a tree, took fifteen paces, aimed, fired and pierced the money piece in dead center, “Now I'll bet you I can hit a Since Movie Stars Emote Better with Music, Way Not Orrer a Lime Aw To THE Trarric Cor? dime tossed into the air,” said the fellow. “That's out,” replied the Greek. “Pl bet anything on luck. I know better than to wager on skill.” Nick probably is back in Chicago pre. paring to invade Broadway again. No one really knows what his racket is or where his mess of currency comes from. They say that he is popular with a group of wealthy Greek restaurant owners in the sticks, who pool their dough and tug to his luck. When he is gambling he sel. dom talks. A nod of his head suffices for “That's a bet’ when someone offers odds, He stands with his arms folded, the fingers buried in his ribs. Once when he removed his clothes in his hotel suite someone observed that his sides were scratched—the result of his disappoint. ment, probably, when a huge wager was |lost. Quite a guy, no? The Thing to Do for laughs these Sab- baths is trying to find elbow room on the Long Beach sands. That's the spot where the gals re- mind you of the Car- nation Milk Com- pany’s slogan: “Con- tented Cows.” But what I started out to tell you was the flip crack made by Helyn Eby Rock, who has an adolescent stare, herself. Helyn’s girl friend spotted a duo of mermen ankling out of ihe ocean the other day and exclaimed: ‘Look at the sunburn on those guys!” “Yeah,” gagged Helyn, who spells it that way, “I wish I had a fork. The litle one looks as though he’s done!" Helyn’s idea of Omar Khayyam’s classic goes: “A loafer, ill bred —a jug of wine —and how!” Which gives you an idea. I've learned that Bacillus Acidophilous, which Childs’ keeps suggesting, is merely ritz for buttermilk. When you Get That Way on Broadway now-a-nights “you're on a bicycle.” The very delightful femme in the halitosis ads is Jean Nash, who used to be a George White hope in “Scandals.” The pretty phrail in the Van Raabe hosiery announcement is Ann Hardman, a Ziegfeld folly, and there are burgs in Texas and California named’ Winchell- which is about time. The few night clubs rating attention include the Little Club on 4gth Street, the Frivolity, Silver Slipper, 54th Street Club and Helen Morgan’s, which jus switched from 54th down to 52nd Street. That's the place where it is so strict you're not allowed to flirt with the other fel low’s girl—when he’s looking. I suppose oe knuck! own ¢ You place mamn now a Dear tonight is con diamor toa m wear U Ernest Rises.” Counte Coolid Inciden for Me Covarry sion of Ford ages to Deux 4 lke tt Alexanc It's his resemb] Ralp! made F his own samptiy handson lover. € there ar Doug arrived tho tel comicbooks.com