Life — December 21, 1928 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

A Reasonaste Return ror Your Money THE MAIN Dear Pac Wicarp: You once asked me Walter _ if it were true that the clique Winchell that collects in the Algon- quin Hotel dining-room con- spired every noon on what reputation to wreck or boost. I really couldn’t tell you, | Willard, for I have only been to the place | twice, and I discovered that the “round table” was like almost any other table except that the people who sat around it were a bit more interesting than the av- erage. I never sat at the damb thing, mind you, but I know most of them and they are not conspirators on literary mat- ters, or boogey men at all. But many of.the writers. who have been spanked by the Algonk Mob check it up to “personal reasons” and satisfy their aggravated minds by charging the Al- gonquins with being log-rollers. A log- roller, Willard, is said to be a person who pats you on the back if you pat him in return. Well, F. P. A. handed me a heavy chuckle once by refuting the same charge by with these words: “The only log-rollers I know are people who get great big logs and roll them over their friends’ necks!” This is quite true. The average writer Y jaround here would rather yip at or twit ja contemporary than boost him. For the |sane reason that people prefer readin; matter that will annoy somebody and sel- of stuff. In fewer words, Will Rogers is dom get interested in the Pollyanna type | always more interesting when he is be. littlin’ the Government than he is when he is giving it a break. But what I started out to say, Willard is that you seldom hear or read of the Algonquin crowd any more. Perhaps it is because so many of them have strayed or deserted the group. Most of the’ hero- worshipers who used to fight to get by George at the Algonk (to ogle their favorite authors) are now gathering at Sardi’s place on 44th Street, and between 1 and 2:30 every day, if you are an auto- graph fiend, you can get at least ten pages of X's there. The proprictor is a kindly fellow and he is immensely popular. But he is aging fast trying to please the temperamental patrons who squawk incessantly about this or that, but chiefly over a table “with a view" or why “my caricature or photo isn't being displayed yet.” Sardi enticed most of the celebs and near-celebs by decorating his restaurant with their likenesses and __ signatures, which are framed on the walls. Directly over the entrance looking out is a huge caricature of Mayor Jimmy Walker and below Jimmy’s is one of Lee Shubert, the dramatic critic's severest friend. Over there is one of Texas Guinan showing her huge molars and heavily rouged lips and mascarad orbs, and over here you may lamp a likeness of some actress you hate or some writer you despise. The cari- catures are all by a Russian named Gard; hence the wisecrack: “tGard’s Chosen People.” As a rule the living pictures are seated under their own free advertise- ments drinking a saucerful of java or nal SSS FO Jim: Did the honor system work well in your ‘college? Joe: Yes—until some darn sneak went and squealed on us. comicbooks.com