Close Up (Oct 1920 - Aug 1923)

5 Moving Along In MovieLand WEISS & KLEIN— We’ve talked a lot about the food these boys serve, and we just gotta talk some more, because they win the cat’s corsets for having the real, honest-to-goodness Eats. Try them once and you never forget the address. But be careful about the old $1.00 bills Joe Weiss hands out in change. A law should be passed to disinfect them, before they are passed out of his till. WINTER GARDEN— We have a nice Jewish boy who insists on singing a flock of parodies. Another female, A1 Jolson, who will ALWAYS sing a jazz song with razzle dazzle motions. A number of clever chorus numbers which embarrass the customers in a number of ways. Bert Fisk, who from now' on w'ill be known as “The Sheik of Spring Street,” and his orchestra sling out a line of musical hash a la cafeteria. Outside of a cover charge — for no good reason — there is nothing much here. PLANTATION — Now' w'e have this place of movie stars and eastern orchestras. The Knickerbocker gang of music hounds is very good and w’ell worth hearing. The cool nights are not causing any slack in business. HOLLYWOOD STADIUM — Frank Crowley is trying hard to give us good bouts, but some of the boys surprise him, and don’t live up to his expectations when they start punching. We hope that Roy Marshall will find some w'ay of heating the place before any more cold nights go by. P. S. Roy has installed the heat! CLUB ROY ALE — This place is to be the jinz for fights. Everyone that goes there gets in some kind of a scrap. Even the waiters fight once in a w'hile. Max Fisher still makes the patent-leathers and satin slippers glide smoothly over the polished hardwood. The orchestra is very good. Earl Burtnett, the popular composed, is the w'izard at the piano. The music here is worth a cover charge. MARCELL’S — Betwreen Mah Jongg teas and Jack and June Laughlin, this place is causing Eddie Brandstatter to spend a lot of money. “The Whirl of New York” is nothing but a copy of some of the best acts in large productions. Din South. 381 ner hour is becoming crowded and the tension of failure is passed. VERNON — Chinese noodles by the yard are becoming popular at this “exclusive” road house. Outside of a clever dancer, such as Claire Cortelyou, there is nothing much doing. Now', I am tired handing check girls tips for this wreek. Tomorrow' I will find you all back where westarted last week. It’s a lot of fun chasing you other “rounders” around this village of yellow cabs and long dresses. I get a lot of laughs just because the second street tunnel isn’t finished, and then because folks are sorta funny to me anyway. Next w'eek I will add two new cafes to the list and maybe some more surprises. Here’s hoping we don’t go color-blind riding in taxis. CODDLING THE HEAT We all know that it has been rather cool these past few days, and in consequence the Old Coke Stoves have been in full blast — especially on the set where Stuart Paton is directing that all-star feature, “The Attic of Felix Bavu” at Universal. Well, it just so happened that we perceived that well-known star, Sylvia Breamer, hugging one particular stove, she was dressed very shabbily in keeping with the character she is portraying in this Russian story. Our sympathy went out to her and in a fit of generosity we approached and offered the Editorial Overcoat — “EVERSOLL’S LATEST” politely — but firmly she declined our woolen offering, exclaiming the while in a “Tete e Tete” voice, “Why should I take your overcoat, when I am supposed to be shivering from cold in darkest Russia? Great Scott! If I thawed out now, my cold refusal of the villain (Wallace Beery) would be misunderstood.” Her argument proved conclusively in our mind, that this noted beauty believes in actulaly living her parts in the “Silent Drama.” Gertrude Astor has shaken the dust of Hollywood from her feet and for the next twelve weeks will be globetrotting with Alice Brady in whose support she is going to play the role of Mrs. Van Cortland in “The Ne’er Do Well,” the various scenes of which will be filmed in New York, Cuba and various South American countries.