Photoplay (Jan-Jun 1963)

tures, that he was not sure of anybody. I knew his childhood situation — how his father had died, how his mother had worked so hard so he could stay with people and so he could go to school and grow up properly. I knew that this lonely background perhaps caused a discomfort for him with people. But when he met my family he was right at home with my parents and my sisters and brothers. After we were married we all lived together for a while. And I could see that Vaughn just loved being with a family, a big family, at last. He never said to me he liked them. He confessed to me later that this was because he didn’t know how to tell them how much he liked them. But you could see it by what happened the day we had to leave them for the States. We were all at the railroad station and Vaughn started shaking hands with everyone and then, all of a sudden, he broke down — even more than I did — he began to cry so much, like a child. And he just looked at everybody then, and he just said one thing. He said, ‘You people have been so nice to me.’ And, by that, everybody knew that he loved them just as they loved him. “When we got to the States it was very tough on us. We went up to Maine first and Vaughn tried farm work, but that was not for him. So we came down to New York with practically nothing. In New York for a while we stayed with a woman who had raised Vaughn part of the time when he was a boy. She took us in. She is a very kind and helpful woman whose name is Sally Fribergh. We can never forget her kindness. But we knew soon that we had to be on our own. So I got a job as a librarian. And Vaughn began looking. for work as a comic or m.c. — work which rarely seemed to come, so once in a while he would take any kind of job. Like one time he worked in the shipping department of the S. Klein discount store on 14th Street. Things like that. “We took a furnished room for a while — $10 a week — it was really terrible — dirty, with lots of mouses always running all over. Until finally we got our little apartment, two and half rooms in the German section of New York, where at least I could feel a little more at home. Vaughn continued looking for work, and sometimes he talked about a big break maybe. And I would not know what to say — because, well, I was not yet enough used to America, where the big breaks really seem to happen sometimes. The big break “And then, as you know, the big break did come. And oh, I don’t know, but it’s all been so much since then. People are always curious to know how I react to all that has happened these past few months. They ask me questions like, ‘How are you and Vaughn treating yourselves to all the things you’ve always wanted?’ And I can only say to them that it all came so quick, that there hasn’t been the time to treat ourselves to anything new or special. It is strange about things like this, no? I mean when Vaughn and I were so broke and never had a dime, there was always food in our icebox. And now, you look in the icebox and you will not even find a drop of milk. There’s no time to eat, anymore.” The door to the dressing room opens suddenly. Vaughn walks in, still tiredlooking but smiling. It’s intermission time, Part I of “The First Family” is over, the sound of applause is right behind him. He closes the door, walks over to Vera, kisses her on the hair, then sits and talks for a while with us as he unwinds. “Pm not frustrated” Then he pauses for a moment and says to us, “You’ve been talking to so many people about me. Do you still have any questions left for me to answer?” “A few,” we say. “Like?” “Like do you feel you’ve changed any these past few months?” “Yes,” Vaughn says. “I’m calmer. I’m more secure. I’m not as frustrated and nervous as I used to be. And I don’t jump so quick anymore if somebody touches me, or knocks on the door.” “Who’s the person to whom you owe the most?” we ask next. “My wife here. Vera,” he says. “She supported me. She worked around the clock — at her job and at home. While I waited around for work so that maybe someday we could do a little switch and I could support her.” “What was the most encouraging thing Vera ever said to you during this time?” “I’m afraid Vera’s basically a pessimist,” says Vaughn. “And the most encouraging things were the things she didn’t say. Like, ‘When are you going to amount to something?’ There were plenty of times she could have let me have it like that. But she never did.” “Are you a pessimist, Vaughn?” “I’m an optimist. A great big optimist. I realize now that I liad'no right to be optimistic. Everything was going wrong for me. Then along came this one-in-a-billion break. But I can remember, when I was working at Klein’s, every payday I’d run into Luchow’s restaurant and spend ten bucks for a meal I couldn’t afford, just to make me feel good. And I’d be sitting there eating this steak or what-have-you and I’d tell myself, ‘Boy, come the day, come the day, and I’m going to eat in restaurants like this three times a day.’ And now, well, the day has come. And I find I’m not very hungry anymore. And, basically, I still eat the same kind of stuff I always did — hamburgers, a can of beans, lots of milk. And I find that I really didn’t mind that kind of meal at all.” “Vaughn, more than a few people have talked to us about your desire for tenure in show business — ” we start. “They talk right,” Vaughn interrupts. “I do want tenure. This flash in the pan business isn’t for me, not if I can help it. I know — there are people around who say, ‘He can do JFK and that’s all he can do'.’ Well, to me that’s like saying Sophie Tucker can only sing ‘Some One Of These Days.’ I can do more than impersonate the President. And I want to show what I can do. And I’m not going to wait!” There’s a knock on the door. “Vaughn,” a voice calls out, “we’re ready for Part 2. Half a minute.” In even less time than that, Vaughn is gone . . . headed back for the huge Baltimore stage, with Scranton, Pa., lined up for tomorrow night . . . Miami the night after . . . other cities . . . then Vegas . . . then new worlds to conquer. And possibly — and very probably — enduring stardom. — Philip Pope HOW TO BE a. ing beauty with Cashmere Bouquet Talc. Leaves your body smoothed and soothed . . . fresh and fragrant. You’ll feel luxuriously revived, delicately feminine. After every bath, reward your body with exquisitely fine Cashmere Bouquet Talc. Cashmer Bouquet Talc CORNS Removed by Mosco, also Calluses. 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