Fred Perry – A New Yorker State of Mind

E.B. White grew up along the coast of Maine and had a lifelong love of sailing. He did not, however, have much regard for those who came to the water simply to bask in the sun.

White led off his column with some sharp words about the “sunburned man” who did not come by his tan honestly, like an athlete or explorer, but rather spent his weekends “frying” to cover his “bankrupt dreams.” White was also critical of “the weekend guest” who brought noise rather than tranquility to the seaside.

E.B. WHITE’S NIGHTMARE…At left, the West Bathhouse at Jones Beach is the backdrop for this circa 1930s image of New York beachgoers; at right, sunbathers play cards on Orchard Beach, known as the “Riviera of the Bronx,” circa 1930. *(facebook.com/Patchogue-Medford Library)*

Ever critical of innovation, E.B. White also lamented the rise of such “conveniences” as paper towels and powdered soap dispensers.

A FEW OF MY LEAST FAVORITE THINGS…Always wary of the newfangled, **E.B. White** preferred cloth over paper towels, bar soap over powdered; glass rather than Dixie Cups, and old-fashioned water coolers glittering with cracked ice. Clockwise, from top left: Ad for Scot paper towels, 1935; 1930s powdered soap dispenser; Dixie Cups, 1931; **Eleanor Powell** and **Fred Astaire** take a break at an old-fashioned water cooler during filming of *Broadway Melody of 1940*; detail from an ad for a Frigidaire electric water cooler, 1936. (witness2fashion/urbanremainschicago.com/lafayette.edu/tcm.com)

One more item from “Notes,” this referring to theatrical producer and director Jed Harris, who was peeved when a nostalgic reference in his new comedy, Spring Dance, failed to elicit laughter from a first-night audience at the Empire Theatre. E.B. White sided with the audience, and wondered if playwrights in the “television theatre of 1950” would someday reference “Greta Garbo and the Sixth Avenue elevated.”

RELAX, JED…Learning that Broadway producer and director Jed Harris was upset about an audience’s lack of reaction to a nostalgic reference, **E.B. White** suggested that the director’s protest was a mere “squeak.” *(History of Cinema via Facebook)*

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At the Movies

Gary Cooper finally showed off his gift for gab in Paramount’s drama The General Died at Dawn. Critic John Mosher called the film “lively,” and noted a “glimpse” of New Yorker short story writer John O’Hara in a cameo appearance.

TROUBLE IN CHINA…**Gary Cooper** and **Madeleine Carroll** portrayed lovers in war-torn China who seek to stop an arms shipment in *The General Died at Dawn*; at right, Cooper in a scene with **Akin Tamiroff**, who portrayed warlord General Yang. The film was directed by **Lewis Milestone** and written by **Charles G. Booth** and Clifford Odets. *(imdb.com/ebay.com)*

CAMEO…*New Yorker* short story writer and novelist John O’Hara played a minor role as a newspaper reporter in *The General Died at Dawn. (John Fronza via Facebook and YouTube)*

The title of MGM’s The Gorgeous Hussy suggested something racy, but as Mosher noted, it “unexpectedly turns out to be about Andrew Jackson.”

SEX SELLS…MGM played up **Joan Crawford’s** role as a “hussy” in this theatrical poster for *The Gorgeous Hussy*, but these were the days of the Hays Code and things wouldn’t get more racy than the scene at right, with **Robert Taylor** as Andrew Jackson and **Crawford** as the “hussy,” Peggy Eaton. *(imdb.com/mubi.com)*

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From Our Advertisers

It was time to get that fall hat, and Stetson had three smart-looking lids for the man about town…

…and here’s a not-so-smart ad from the makers of Talon zippers…no doubt some of the wags on The New Yorker’s editorial side got a kick out of this…

…and this strange ad from Lord & Taylor…not sure what they were trying to convey with that peeled-back corner…

…Jane Engel founded a popular women’s and children’s apparel shop during the Great Depression (in 1930) with just $400 to her name. She grew the business from a single shop on Madison into a successful chain of more than thirty locations…

JEWEL BOX…The flagship Jane Engel Building at Madison and 79th was designed by **Roy C. Morris** in the Art Moderne style—the generous use of glass brick filled the interior with soft, diffused light. The shop closed in 1955 and was demolished two years later. *(New York Public Library)*

…the makers of the luxury brand Packard made sure Depression-strapped buyers could still afford one of their automobiles, which ranged in price from $795 to $3,420 (in 2026 equivalent to roughly $19,000 and $83,000, respectively)…no doubt The New Yorker’s bean counters appreciated the revenue from these five consecutive full-page color ads…

…bourbon distillers continued to compare the accomplishments of famous men to the quality of their tipple…

…as the folks at Hockanum Mills continued featuring fine woolens in upscale, seasonal settings…

…and the makers of leaded gasoline continued their series featuring homespun images juxtaposed with attendants gassing up cars in the background…at first I thought this was one image superimposed over another, but more likely the gas pump is a prop…also, an odd detail on the left where children appear to be feeding (or teasing) a baby bear restrained by a leash…

…we move on to our cartoonists, beginning with Richard Decker…

…also in the calendar section was this illustration by William Auerbach-Levy for the mini bio of Fred Perry (1909–1995), British tennis star who won ten Majors, including three consecutive Wimbledon Championships from 1934 to 1936…he was the first player to win a “Career Grand Slam” which he completed at the tender age of 26 in 1935…Perry was also the world champion ping-pong champion in 1929…

FRISKY FRED…**Fred Perry** was one of the leading bachelors of the 1930s and his off-court romances were reported in the world press—including one with actress **Marlene Dietrich.** Perry was also known for his popular line of sports attire. Above: Perry hugs the championship cup after his U.S. Open victory at Forest Hills, 1936. (Wikipedia)

…an assortment of spot drawings…clockwise, from top left, Arthur Getz, Victor de Pauw, and Barbara Shermund (arguably not a spot drawing, but not really a cartoon either)…

…no signature on this, but it appears to be the work of Perry Barlow, which always reminded me of another artist known for his rural types, Robert McCloskey…

…James Thurber illustrated a public display of disaffection…interesting use of perspective here…Thurber seems to violate all the rules yet the effect is masterful…