John O’Hara – A New Yorker State of Mind

Sunlubbers

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)*

* * *

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)*

* * *

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…

…speaking of effect, George Price in the subway…

…Peter Arno continued to explore a familiar theme…

…Carl Rose imagined the home life of a mermaid…

…Barney Tobey’s Miss America gave a plug to her sponsors…

…Alan Dunn gave us a view of a pre-preview…

…Dunn again, with a rare cartoon featuring a known personage…

…Barbara Shermund revealed a surprise at the teller window…

…Mary Petty got creative at the hat shop…

…and Petty again, as we close with her modern take on higher education…

Next Time: Through the Looking Glass, Darkly…

On Catfish Row

Above: Left image: Todd Duncan (Porgy) and Anne Brown (Bess), in the 1935 Broadway production of Porgy and Bess. Right image: John Bubbles (Sportin’ Life) and Brown. (Photos courtesy the Ira & Leonore Gershwin Trusts)

The 1935 Broadway production of Porgy and Bess is widely regarded as one of the most successful American operas of the twentieth century, but when it opened at the Alvin Theatre on Oct. 10, 1935, reviews were mixed, including the one penned by Wolcott Gibbs.

October 19, 1935 cover by **William Crawford Galbraith.** *The New York Times (Oct. 9, 1935)* made this observation about the rodeo at Madison Square Garden: “New York, which for several days has been vaguely aware of an impending rodeo because of a profusion of ten-gallon hats along Eighth Avenue and a sign in a beauty parlor, ‘Welcome, Cowgirls,’ will see the real thing this morning.”

Now you would think a work by composer George Gershwin, with a libretto written by DuBose Heyward (author of the 1925 novel Porgy) and lyricist Ira Gershwin, would be a sure hit. Some critics did praise the production, which ran for 124 performances, but others criticized themes and characterizations of Black Americans that were created by white artists.

MIXED REVIEWS…The original Catfish Row set for *Porgy and Bess* as seen at Broadway’s Alvin Theatre (now the Neil Simon Theatre) in 1935. (Billy Rose Theatre Collection, New York Public Library Digital Gallery)

This wasn’t the first time Porgy was adapted to the stage. It was originally produced in 1927 by Heyward and his wife, Dorothy, at the Guild Theatre in New York. The Heywards insisted on an African-American cast—an unusual decision at the time—and enlisted newcomer Rouben Mamoulian to direct. The play ran a total of fifty-five weeks.

ORIGIN STORY: *Porgy: A Play in Four Acts*, was a 1927 play by **Dorothy Heyward** and **DuBose Heyward**, adapted from the short novel by DuBose. (Wikiwand)

Gibbs preferred the original Porgy to the Gershwin–Heyward production, admitting that he simply did not care for “the operatic form of singing a story.”

continued…

TAKING THEIR BOWS…**George Gershwin** greets an audience after a performance of *Porgy and Bess.* Behind Gershwin are his brother, **Ira Gershwin** (left), and librettist and *Porgy* author **DuBose Heyward** (partially hidden, at right). (umich.edu)

The Moss Hart/Cole Porter musical comedy Jubilee! premiered at Broadway’s Imperial Theatre on Oct. 12, 1935, just two days after the Porgy and Bess premiere. Gibbs dubbed this show “heat-warming and beautiful.”

THE BEGUINE BEGINS…Inspired by the Silver Jubilee of Britain’s **George V,** the musical comedy Jubilee! told the story of a fictional royal family. The play featured such hit songs as “Begin the Beguine” and “Just One of Those Things,” which have become part of the American Songbook. (ovrtur.com)

ROYAL HIJINKS…At left, **June Knight** as Karen O’Kane and **Charles Walters** as Prince James in *Jubilee!*; at right, **Mary Roland** (the Queen) encounters “Mowgli” (**Mark Plant**) in Act I. (ovrtur.com)

Note: In the last issue (Oct. 12) we saw an ad for an around-the-world luxury cruise on the Franconia. Cole Porter and Moss Hart—with their families, friends, and assistants—sailed on a previous Franconia cruise, possibly in 1934, with the intention to write a new musical while on the trip. Apparently some of the songs and scenes in Jubilee! were inspired by their ports of call.

* * *

Steering Clear

“The Talk of the Town” commented on the “steer-wrestlers” that were featured at the Madison Square Garden rodeo. Since steer-wrestling was also called “bulldogging,” it caused considerable consternation among New York animal lovers.

A BIG HOWDY…Cowgirls From the Madison Square Garden Rodeo With Millicent Hearst, 1932. (texashistory.unt.edu)

* * *

Much Ado About FDR

The Conference on Port Development of the City of New York took issue with President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s foreign trade policies, particularly his strict stance on neutrality, which the Conference believed was detrimental to foreign trade. This was likely related to the October 1935 Italian invasion of Ethiopia. E.B. White offered this satirical poem in reaction to the trade spat.

Howard Brubaker also chimed in on the trade issue, and on other unsettling developments in Europe:

* * *

Puppy Love

Critic and poet Cuthbert Wright (1892–1948) was moved to write poetry after visiting a dog cemetery that also welcomed animals of all stripes. Here are excerpts of the opening and closing lines:

PET PROJECT…**Cuthbert Wright** was moved to verse after his visit to a pet cemetery, possibly the Hartsdale Pet Cemetery in Westchester. (Wikipedia/parenthetically.blogspot.com)

* * *

Man and Machine

Art and culture critic Lewis Mumford is back this week, this time taking a look at the work of French artist Fernand Léger (1881–1955), who created a form of cubism known as “tubism,” regarded today as a forerunner of the pop art movement of the mid-1950s and the 1960s.

It is no surprise that the humanist Mumford, who sought an “organic balance” in everyday design, found Léger’s machine-like works alienating and sterile, representing an “aesthetic poverty.”

TOTALLY TUBULAR…Clockwise, from top left, works of **Fernand Léger** cited by **Lewis Mumford**: *The City,* 1919; photo of Léger, circa 1930s; from the 1918–1923 series *Mechanical Elements*, 1920; *Composition in Blue,* 1920–27. (Philadelphia Museum of Art/The Met Collection/Art Institute of Chicago, Charles H. and Mary F. S. Worcester Collection)

* * *

Disappointment in O’Hara

That is how Clifton Fadiman titled his “Books” column after reviewing John O’Hara’s latest novel, Butterfield 8.

O’Hara (1905–1970) wasn’t just any old scribbler. A prolific short-story writer, he has often been credited with helping to invent The New Yorker’s short story style. Praised by the likes of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway, O’Hara cranked out two bestsellers before the age of thirty. One was the acclaimed Appointment in Samarra (which was praised by Fadiman). The other was BUtterfield 8, the novel Fadiman found disappointing (Hemingway, on the other hand, blurbed, “John O’Hara writes better all the time.”). Here are a couple of brief excerpts from Fadiman’s review:

Fadiman concluded his review with a note to the author: “Why not let Jean Harlow have it, Mr. O’Hara, and start a fresh page?”

Well, Harlow didn’t get it, but twenty-five years later Elizabeth Taylor would reluctantly take on the role of Gloria Wandrous, and win the Academy Award for Best Actress.

YOU AGAIN?…**Laurence Harvey** and **Elizabeth Taylor** played on and off lovers in 1960’s *Butterfield 8.* **John O’Hara** did not participate in writing the adaptation, and the film’s plot bore only a slight resemblance to his novel. However, after the film’s release more than one million paperback copies of the novel were sold. (aiptcomics.com)

* * *

At The Movies

We begin this section with an excerpt from “The Talk of the Town,” which covered the “International World Première” of the Warner Brother’s adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The film opened worldwide on October 9, 1935 in London, Sydney, Vienna and at New York’s Hollywood Theatre, where crowds turned out to get a glimpse of the stars.

RUBBERNECKERS…*A Midsummer Night’s Dream* premiere at the Hollywood Theatre in New York City on October 9, 1935. (britannica.com)

Film critic John Mosher praised Joe E. Brown’s performance as Flute, as well James Cagney’s portrayal of Bottom, and lauded the “magnificent group of clowns” that formed the remainder of The Players. Here are excerpts from his review (note I included the entirety of Otto Slogow’s delightful spot drawing):

THE LOVERS…Left to right: **Ross Alexander** (Demetrius), **Olivia de Havilland** (Hermia), **Dick Powell** (Lysander) and Jean Muir (Helena) meet cute and confused in *A Midsummer Night’s Dream. (TCM.COM)*

THE SEVEN STOOGES…Bottom (**James Cagney**) and his fellow Players prepare to perform a stage play about the death of Pyramus and Thisbe which turns into a farce. From left, in front, **Joe E. Brown** (Flute), **Cagney**, and **Otis Harlan** (Starveling); in the back are, from left, **Hugh Herbert** (Snout), **Arthur Treacher** (Epilogue) and **Dewey Robinson** (Snug) as The Players in *A Midsummer Night’s Dream.* **Frank McHugh** (Quince) can be seen behind the wall in back. (IMDB)

DANCING THE NIGHT AWAY…Fairie scene from *A Midsummer Night’s Dream.* (Facebook)

Mosher also reviewed the romantic comedy I Live My Life, which he found to be a satisfying satire on the lives of the rich.

MATCHING WITS…Bored socialite Kay Bentley (**Joan Crawford**) has a tempestuous romance with idealistic archaeologist Terry O’Neill (**Brian Aherne**) in *I Live My Life.* (IMDB)

* * *

From Our Advertisers

Readers ninety years ago opened the Oct. 19 issue to this two-page spread featuring the latest in fall/winter fashions…the ad on the right from Bergdorf Goodman featured stage and screen actress Gladys George donning a full-length silver fox fur…

…George (1904–1954) was appearing at Henry Miller’s Theatre in the play Personal Appearance…she was featured in this testimonial ad for Schrafft’s in the theatre’s Playbill…

…the folks at Packard took out this colorful two-page spread to promote their more affordable model, the 120…the move to more affordable models helped the luxury carmaker weather the lean years of the Depression…

…there is a strange quality to these Arrow Shirt advertisements…what are the they looking at?…apparently something amusing as the man applies mustard to a hotdog, but it isn’t the vendor, who looks down at his cart…

…R.J. Reynolds continued its Camel campaign featuring accomplished athletes who got a “lift” from smoking…the ad also included a couple of regular folks at the bottom, who claimed the cigarettes were so mild “You can smoke all you want”…

…Old Gold continued to enlist the talents of George Petty to illustrate their full-page ads…

…here’s a couple of back of the book ads touting Irish whisky and Ken-L-Ration dog food…note how the Scottish terriers speak in “dialect”…Ken-L-Ration was a leading dog food brand in the 1930s, thanks to their use of horse meat rather than “waste meat”…

…on to our cartoonists, we start with Al Frueh enhancing the “Theatre” page…

…James Thurber showed us a man at odds with the times…

…Barbara Shermund kept us up to date on the modern woman…

…Whitney Darrow Jr offered a challenge to Helena Rubinstein (note the woman on the right—she could have been drawn by Helen Hokinson)…

…Gluyas Williams checked in on the lively proceedings of a book club…

…Helen Hokinson went looking for a good winter read…

…Gilbert Bundy offered an alarming scenario on the top of p. 31…

…and we close with Peter Arno, and an eye-raising encounter…

New Time: It Can’t Happen Here…

The Wild West

As in her other films, Mae West’s character in I’m No Angel was sexually independent and unapologetically so. (Kino Lorber)

We first encountered Mae West back in 1926 when The New Yorker commented on her risqué Broadway play, Sex. Although the play was the biggest ticket in town, it eventually attracted a police raid that landed West in jail on morals charges. Sentenced to ten days for “corrupting the morals of youth,” she could have paid a fine, but for West a short stint on Welfare Island was worth its weight in publicity gold.

Fast forward seven years, and West is one of the nation’s biggest box office attractions and starring in her third film, I’m No Angel. Depression-era audiences responded enthusiastically to West’s portrayals of a woman from the wrong side of the tracks who in the end gains both fortune and social acceptance. Although puritanical forces continued to be outraged by West’s antics, New Yorker film critic John Mosher found her act to be “a safe parody on indecency.”

SHIMMY TO SUCCESS…Clockwise, from top left: At the beginning of *I’m No Angel,* Tira (**Mae West**) shimmies and sings in a circus sideshow; studio poster for the film— In the early 1930s, West’s films were key in saving Paramount Pictures from bankruptcy; a wealthy sideshow customer (**William B. Davidson**) arranges a private rendezvous; Tira has her day in court despite attempts by her ex-boyfriend, Slick Wiley (**Ralf Harolde**), to discredit her. (IMDB)

SHE GETS HER MAN…**Cary Grant** starred opposite **Mae West** for the second and final time in *I’m No Angel.* Eleven years junior to West, Grant portrayed Tira’s fiancé, Jack Clayton. (TCM)

And finally, a much-talked about scene from the movie featured West putting her head (rather sensually) into the mouth of a lion. In reality it appears to be a camera trick: West was actually placing her head to the side of the lion’s mouth. Still, a gutsy move by West. As for the lion, it was no picnic either.

* * *

Comic Relief

Eugene O’Neill surprised critics and audiences alike when he premiered Ah, Wilderness! at Broadway’s Guild Theatre on October 2, 1933. Among the critics was Wolcott Gibbs, who concluded that O’Neill should stick to his usual themes of disillusion and despair. An excerpt:

PASS THE CORN, PLEASE…Around the table in the original 1933 Broadway production of *Ah, Wilderness!* are (from left) **George M. Cohan** (Nat Miller), **Eda Heinemann** (Lily), **Elisha Cook, Jr.** (Richard), **Gene Lockhart** (Sid), **Marjorie Marquis** (Mrs. Nat Miller), **Walter Vonnegut, Jr.** (Tommy) and **Adelaide Bean** (Mildred). (Photograph by Vandamm for *Stage* magazine, November 1933)

ERRORS OF COMEDY…**Wolcott Gibbs** (left) found **Eugene O’Neill’s** attempt at comedy to be nothing more than a recycling of corny old saws. However, *Ah, Wilderness!* proved successful in its first Broadway production and in the touring company that followed. It remains to this day a staple of community repertory. (*The New Yorker/Playbill/Encyclopedia Britannica*)

* * *

Hell in a Handbasket

If Eugene O’Neill couldn’t offer up some woe, then leave it to E.B. White of all people to supply reason for despair. In his 1982 review of a collection of White’s poems and sketches, Timothy Foote observed that White occasionally assumed the guise of Pessimist, “a desperate fellow who served as a one-man distant-early-warning system…”

For the Oct. 14 issue White bemoaned the loss of the American elm (of the 77 million elms in North America in 1930, more than 75 percent were lost to Dutch elm disease by 1989), the dangers of pesticide use, and other maladies. Excerpts:

APPLE OF HIS EYE…**E.B. White** had reason to be concerned about the widespread practice of spraying lead arsenic on fruit trees. This 1930 photograph shows an Oregon orchardist and his child spraying apple trees with the stuff. (oregonhistoryproject.org)

White’s New Yorker colleague John O’Hara raised some concerns of his own, namely the likelihood of another world war in this prescient piece titled “Dynamite is Like a Mill Pond.” Excerpts:

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE…**John O’Hara** pondered the likelihood of another world war and an unlikely bedfellow: Soviet Russia. Photo circa 1938. (AP via loa.org)

* * *

Pooh-Poohing Mr. Milne

In his review of A.A. Milne’s latest novel, The Red House Mystery, Clifton Fadiman seemed to recall Dorothy Parker’s own revulsion to Milne’s juvenile style (“Tonstant Weader Fwowed Up” Parker once wrote of The House at Pooh Corner). Excerpts:

* * *

From Our Advertisers

The makers of Camels took to the water to prove how their cigarettes supported “healthy nerves,” whether in the deep sea or on the high dive…

…with a name like “Spud” you really had to stretch to prove you were a choice of the smart set…here they claimed their product was “quite at home among royalty”…

…here’s another great example of class appropriation, a white-tie dinner featuring a couple of toffs eating canned soup…

…and we give our eyes a break with a bit of elegance from Lord & Taylor, featuring the art of modern living…

…on to our cartoons, we begin with James Thurber…

…curious to know Thurber’s favorite songs?—then check out this Thurber Thursday post from Michael Maslin’s Inkspill...

…we continue with William Steig’s look at a “Lady With Mirror”…

…and discover the calm after a storm in this domestic scene by Kemp Starrett…

…visit the Century of Progress World’s Fair in Chicago, with George Price…

…for reference, Price’s cartoon depicted the Federal Building at the Century of Progress…

…and is often the case with this blog, we give Peter Arno the last word…

Next Time: As Millions Cheer…

An Instant Star

George Cukor’s 1932 pre-Code film A Bill of Divorcement would make Katharine Hepburn an instant star in her screen debut…

… but New Yorker critic John Mosher seems to have missed the boat in spotting this new talent, who would go on to be—at least according to the American Film Institute, “the greatest female star of classic Hollywood cinema.” In A Bill of Divorcement, Hepburn portrays a young woman who fears she has inherited the same psychiatric problems that plague her father (John Barrymore). Mosher wrote:

A LOT ON HIS MIND…In *A Bill of Divorcement,* **John Barrymore** portrays a man who escapes from a mental hospital after 15 years of confinement, seeking to return to wife and family; his daughter, Sydney (**Katharine Hepburn**), fears she has inherited his psychiatric problems, while Sydney’s mother, Meg (**Billie Burke**) wants to start a new life with another man. (IMDB)

Although Mosher offered a rather tepid response to Hepburn’s debut role, critic Mordaunt Hall of The New York Times called the film “intelligent, restrained and often stirring.” Of Hepburn he wrote: “Miss Hepburn’s characterization is one of the finest seen on the screen and the producers have been wise in not minimizing the importance of her part because Mr. Barrymore is the star of the film.”

* * *

On Shaky Ground

E.B. White noted the sad state of the Pulitzer Fountain, which had stood at the Plaza since 1916. Although Joseph Pulitzer’s sons had put up funds to restore the landmark, the city had yet to act on a plan.

Fortunately the fountain still stands, thanks to restorations in 1933-35, 1971 and 1985-90. As to White’s concerns, the city finally accepted the Pulitzers’ offer, and after delays due to labor disputes it was completed in June 1935. The original limestone basin was rebuilt in Italian marble, and a limestone balustrade and columns that surrounded the fountain were demolished.

WHEN WE WERE YOUNG…The Pulitzer Fountain after it was completed in 1916. (New York Public Library)

White also mused about the nature of Long Island, soon to be transformed under Robert Moses’ system of parkways that would stretch across the island’s vast expanses.

EAT ME…Hundreds of truck farms dotted Long Island in the early 20th century, especially known for their potatoes. (Newsday)

…and we have more from White, also serving as the magazine’s theater critic and taking in the latest installment of Earl Carroll’s Vanities…I include this mainly to note the young vaudevillian Milton Berle’s first appearance on a big stage…

BEFORE UNCLE MILTIE…**Milton Berle** (1908–2002) made his first appearance on a big stage with **Earl Carroll’s** 1932 *Vanities.* It is also noteworthy that in that same year Chicago native **Vincente Minnelli** (see program cover) was getting his first breaks on Broadway as a stage and costume designer. (tralfaz.blogspot.com/Playbill)

* * *

Delirious Nights

Although Lois Long was primarily focused on her fashion column, she continued to file an occasional “Tables for Two” that gave readers a glimpse into New York nightlife, including the star-studded (Walter Chrysler, Howard Hughes, among others) opening of the Pierrette Club in the Waldorf-Astoria’s Sert Room…

DANCING WITH THE STARS…**Lois Long** reported on the star-studded opening of the Pierrette Club in the Waldorf-Astoria’s Sert Room, which featured a series of Saturday night supper dances; images of the Sert Room left and right; at center, *The* *New York Times’* account of the club’s opening, Oct. 2, 1932. (geographicguide.com/The New York Times/jstor.org)

* * *

From Our Advertisers

Simon & Schuster promoted George Gershwin’s Song Book, illustrated by New Yorker regular Constantin Alajalov…

…signed first editions go for up to $8000 these days…

…meanwhile, Farrar & Rinehart trumpeted the release of Evelyn Waugh’s latest novel (his third)…Black Mischief satirized the ways Europeans attempted to impose their customs and beliefs on other cultures…

…Squibb helped The New Yorker’s bottom line with three separate ads scattered throughout the magazine…back in the day the Squibb brand was associated with everything from toothpaste…

…to aspirin and shaving cream…founded in 1858, it merged with Bristol Meyers in 1989 to form one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies, Bristol Myers Squibb, which today is mostly known for manufacturing dozens of prescription pharmaceuticals and biologics…

…Squibb & Sons were the primary tenant (the top 12 floors) of New York’s landmark Squibb Building when it opened its doors in 1930…

…moving on, here are a couple of ads that show us one thing that has definitely changed in the past 89 years…when was the last time you wore a fur coat to a football game?…

…cigarette manufacturers had plenty of money to advertise during the depths of the Depression, but apparently so did the folks at Wamsutta Mills…Wamsutta sheets are no longer made in New Bedford—part of the circa 1847 mill complex is now loft-style housing…however, the Wamsutta brand still exists in the U.S. through Bed, Bath & Beyond and internationally as part of a Brazilian textile conglomerate…

…Micarta was a substance developed by Westinghouse in the early 20th century for use with electrical equipment…produced from a combination of linen, canvas, paper, fiberglass and other materials processed under heat and pressure, Westinghouse found a new use for this laminate — serving trays designed by George Switzer…you can read more about Micarta trays at Driving for Deco…reader Chris notes that Micarta is “still available in a wide range of grades and designer colors and is popular with hobbyists and craftsmen the world over”…

…in the Oct. 29 issue, E.B. White made this observation about Micarta trays…

…on to our cartoons, William Steig’s “Small Fry” learned about the birds and the bees…

…Gardner Rea visited some tobacco researchers challenged to keep pace with advertising claims…

…Barbara Shermund looked into the love lives of the modern woman…

…and Peter Arno got playful at the pipe organ…

…on to our Oct. 15, 1932 issue…

…where we check in on John O’Hara (1905–1970), who defined the short story at The New Yorker (and contributed more shorts to the magazine than any other writer). For the Oct. 15 issue O’Hara submitted a profile titled “Of Thee I Sing, Baby.” The profile is unusual because it is told as a story rather than as a biography, and the subject, a chorus girl, is not identified by her real name. A brief excerpt:

WRITING MACHINE…**John O’Hara** (pictured here in 1945) contributed more short stories to *The* *New Yorker* than any other writer. (Library of Congress)

* * *

…William Steig (1907–2003) was both a writer and illustrator, and every bit as prolific as O’Hara, publishing more than 50 books during his long life and career, including his very first, which received this mention at the end of the Oct. 15 book review section:

…on to our Oct. 15 advertisers, we have the makers of Chesterfields pairing their product with the sophistication of Paris fashions…

…Carl “Eric” Erickson illustrated a number of ads for R.J. Reynolds’ Camel cigarettes in the late 1920s and early 1930s…here he employed his signature sophisticated style for the French Line…

…RCA promoted the next great advance in radio technology—”bi-acoustic” sound that added “two more octaves” to radio broadcasts…it would take thirty more years to roll out something we take for granted today—stereo…

…on to our cartoons, Robert Day joined a misdirected fox hunt…

…Richard Decker gave us one man’s simple solution to a perilous situation…

…and we close with a classic from James Thurber…

Next Time: City On a Hill…

Prelude to a Crash

Although two months remained in the decade, The New Yorker of the Roaring Twenties effectively ended with this issue, just days before a massive market crash sent the nation spiraling into the Great Depression.

Oct. 26, 1929 cover by **Theodore Haupt.** Wonderful rendering of The New York Central Building, with shades of **Georgia O’Keeffe.**

Not a soul at The New Yorker had an inkling of the bleakness that lay ahead — rampant unemployment, the rise of the Nazi party, the Dust Bowl, Busby Berkeley musicals…

E.B. White, in “Notes & Comment,” was concerned with little more than the changing countryside…

MADE YOU LOOK…Examples of roadside vernacular architecture from the 1920s included the Airplane Cafe in in the San Fernando Valley (1924) and a 1927 Wadham’s gas station in West Allis, Illinois, now on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. More than 100 of Wadham’s “pagodas” were built, but like much of roadside America, few examples remain. At top, right, a 1920s billboard advertising *Moxie* soft drinks. (last1onthebus.com/Pinterest/Wikipedia)

THE DUCK STOPS HERE…The Big Duck in Flanders, New York, was built in 1930-31 by Long Island duck farmer Martin Maurer to sell duck and duck eggs to passing motorists. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. (Google Maps)

…and further on in “The Talk of the Town,” White shared these observations regarding the popularity of shirts worn by French actor Maurice Chevalier…

THAT’S SHA-VAHL-YEY…**Claudette Colbert** and **Maurice Chevalier** in 1930’s *The Big Pond.* (IMDB)

* * *

Born to Be

The book review featured an autobiography, Born to Be, written by Taylor Gordon (1893-1971), a famed singer of the Harlem Renaissance, that traced his life journey from Montana to New York. The book included ten full-page illustrations by Mexican artist Miguel Covarrubias, and forwards by Carl Van Vechten and Muriel Draper.

FROM MONTANA TO HARLEM…First edition of Taylor Gordon’s *Born to Be,* and illustrations from the book by **Miguel Covarrubias** (including cover image). The image at bottom left features patron of the Harlem Renaissance **Carl Van Vechten**, with Gordon. (qbbooks.com/klinebooks.com/Pinterest)

* * *

Little Narcissus

Although today she is known mostly as Errol Flynn’s first wife, the tempestuous French actress Lily Damita (1904-1994) knew how to light up New York and get noticed in Hollywood when she made her American debut in 1929. Henry F. Pringle looked in on Damita’s daily life in the Oct. 26 “Profile.” A brief excerpt:

**Lily Damita** in a 1931 publicity photo. (Flickr)

DEBUT FILM…**Lily Damita** and **Ronald Coleman** in 1929’s *The Rescue,* Damita’s first Hollywood film. (Dr. Macro)

* * *

A Master Achievement

Architecture critic George Chappell gazed upward in admiration for the new Master Building on Riverside Drive. It was one of the city’s first mixed-use structures and the first New York skyscraper to feature corner windows. The apartment building originally housed a museum, a school of the fine and performing arts, and an international art center on its first three floors. The building fell into decline in the late 1960s, but today it thrives as a housing co-operative. The Master was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016.

…on to our advertisements, we find another art deco landmark, the 1930 Squibb building, designed Ely Jacques Kahn…

The Squibb Building at 745 5th Avenue, circa 1930. (Museum of the City of New York)

…Halloween was just around the corner and although it wasn’t a huge holiday as it is today, its presence still permeated the pages of The New Yorker, including a humorous piece by John O’Hara on the challenges of planning a Halloween party…

From left, excerpt from **John O’Hara’s** piece; an ad from Doubleday featuring a jack-o-lantern; an ad from Breyer’s ice cream that employed the older spelling of the holiday; at bottom, a filler illustration by Julian De Miskey.

…the makers of Marmon autos offered this lovely autumn scene…

…here is an unusual ad from a milliner named Mercedes who bid adieu to former clients in this hand-written, full-page entry…

…the name Michael Arlen no doubt caught many a reader’s eye in the Oct. 26 issue. The comings-and-goings of this hugely popular author of thrillers such as The Green Hat (1924) provided much-needed fodder for readers of the first issues of the fledging New Yorker. In this ad, Arlen’s wife, the Countess Atalanta Mercati, shills for Cutex nail polish…

The Countess Atalanta Mercati of Greece and author Michael Arlen were married in France in 1928. (Conde Nast/insiderguide.me)

…and we have more of the torch singer Helen Morgan, this time in an ad for Lux Toilet Soap…

…a couple of back page ads…the now ubiquitous metal folding table (and chairs) was something of a novelty in 1929…the ad on the right from Brunswick Records offers up the latest schmaltz from Al Jolson (I know it’s 1929, but come on Al, really?)…

…and since this is the last edition before the big market crash, here’s a collection of images clipped from various ads in the Oct. 26 issue…featuring high-living folks who should appear a bit less smug after they lose their mink coats and boiled shirts to the Depression…