The Era -- Day By Day

[Fading Fast]

...The big Sears store at Bedford and Beverly has a deal going on furniture -- rebuild and reupholster your current living room suite for $39. (That store is still a Sears, and still looks just as it did in 1939.)....

"The building was designated as an individual landmark on May 15, 2012."

https://www.brownstoner.com/archite...y-road-nimmons-carr-wright-art-deco-landmark/

 

[Fading Fast]

...A Woodside man facing attempted rape charges may be freed after a medical examination revealed that the "bearded lady" he assaulted is a man. 31 year old John Durkin was arrested earlier this week after charges brought by 26-year-old Frances Murphy of Manhattan. The victim, who performs as "The Gorilla Lady" at the World's Fair, was found by a medical examination to be physically male, although she considers herself a woman and attended the University of California for two years as such. The doctor also indicated that she has authorization from a California court to live as a female.[emphasis added]..

Once again, almost nothing we fight about today is new.

 

[LizzieMaine]

The Daily News, in covering the story, referred to Mr. Durkin as a "drunken subway masher." One of those vintage phrases you don't hear much anymore, alas.

 

[LizzieMaine]

International alliances are the focus of today's world news, with Turkey notifying Britain and France it will withdraw from mutual-assistance agreements with them if those nations go to war with the Soviet Union. Meanwhile, the idea of the United States serving as a neutral mediator in deciding the ultimate fate of Poland is unlikely to gain traction due to German and Russian distrust of President Roosevelt.

Hitler will address the Reichstag next week to lay out his future policies.

Pope Pius XII wept today while addressing an audience of sobbing Poles at the Vatican. The 2,500,000 Jews now living in the German-controlled sector of Poland are in fear after word reached them that all Jewish men of Polish ancestry living in Berlin have been sent to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp.

A prominent Boy Scout leader faces charges after confessing to setting a series of fires in Flatbush early this morning that laft three families displaced. 27 year old Ralph Kipp of East 23rd Street told police he went to a tavern after a Scout meeting at the Flatbush Presbyterian Church , and had "a few beers," which triggered an uncontrollable desire to set fires. The blazes on East 24th, 25th, and 36th Street all occured within a ninety-minute span, and were extinguished without casualties or unrepairable damage. Kipp also admitted to setting over a dozen additional fires in the neighborhood over the past two months.

Broadcasts of City Council meetings will continue over station WNYC thanks to the efforts of Brooklyn Councilwoman Genevieve B. Earl, a member of the City Fusion Party, whose efforts overcame a bloc led by Council Democratic Party Leader John Cashmore to ban the microphones from the Council chambers.

Doorstep milk prices in the city will go up one half cent a quart effective tomorrow according to officials of the two largest New York dairies. Borden and Sheffield Farms claim the increase is the result of the settlement Mayor LaGuardia negotiated to end the recent milk strike

A representative of the Parent-Teachers Association for PS 28 of Avenue Z and East 26th Street has announced her support for a sex education program in the city's elementary schools. Mrs. Helen Hoffman will represent her PTA at the monthly delegate assembly of the United Parents Association to be held next week at the Hotel Pennsylvania in Manhattan. 75 members of the PS 28 PTA voted in favor of the sex education program.

The Eagle editorial page endorses a WPA plan to plant 900 new trees along Brooklyn streets. Ocean Parkway is to be the largest beneficiary of the project, with 185 maples and 84 elms to be planted along three miles of streetfront.

Neighborhood residents in the Navy Yard district have taken over a vacant lot bounded by Front, York, Bridge, and Gold Streets and are transforming the desolate piece of land into a playground for the local kids. Residents are doing the heavy labor of grading and filling the property entirely with hand tools.

A 38-year-old taxicab driver from Glendale shot and killed himself today in full view of his family. Timothy Neville used his brother's service revolver to shoot himself in front of the two-family house on 78th Avenue where he lived with his parents, sister, and brother. Before firing the fatal shot, he shouted "Look!" Family members indicated that Neville had been "ill."

The Dodgers are back home today for the first of two season-ending doubleheaders against the Phillies. Currently a half a game behind the Cubs in the race for third place, the Dodgers split a pair against the Boston Bees yesterday to close out their final road trip of the year. Dodger attendance now stands at 981,179 for the season, putting the team 18,821 short of the coveted million mark. Rain is in the forecast today, which could put a damper on the expected festivities.

Cookie Lavagetto's fans plan to release a thousand balloons from the grandstand tomorrow in honor of their .300-hitting hero. Today Cookie will compete in a between-games footrace against Pete Coscarart and Mel Almeda, a race on which the three contestants are said to have substantial wagers riding.

The Century Theatre Circuit will show a special movie feature "Dodgers On Parade -- Champs of '40?" on their six Flatbush screens over the next three days, in addition to the regularly-scheduled features. The film promises action and thrills galore!

You can drive off in a nice dark green 1931 Chevrolet 4-door sedan for just $79 at Edjohn Motors, at Clarkson and New York Avenues. $249 will get you a seven-passenger 1935 Chrysler limousine from David Condon's, 60th St. at 13th Ave. There's got to be a story behind that.

George Bungle has taken matters with Cousin Elmer into direct hand, by punching him in the face. That'll go on well with the lawyers. And It looks like Apple Mary will follow Mr. Bungle's example if Leona Stockpool opens her sassy mouth just one more time.

 

[Radiospector]

Looked at today’s headline from 1920 and it is discussing the World series Black sox scandal. “Grand jury will go to the bottom of baseball scandal, Judge promises statement on hoyne charge giants willing to testify.”

 

[Tiki Tom]

Once again, almost nothing we fight about today is new.

From the front page of the Sunday, October 1, 1939 issue: "A bomb scare which originated in Jamaica late yesterday afternoon set scores of police scouring Grand Central Station in a fruitless search for the bomb."

And I had naively thought that "bomb scares" were an invention of the 1980s. Wrong!

 

[LizzieMaine]

In 1940, a bomb will actually go off outside the British Pavillian at the World's Fair and kill two cops. Irish Republican supporters will be suspected, but the case will never be solved. You heard it here first.

Also in today's Eagle --

Hitler has summoned the Italian envoy to Berlin for a conference concerning the current state of German-Soviet relations. It doesn't appear there will be any Soviet representative present at that meeting. Meanwhile, preparations continue for the coming meeting of the Reichstag, before which the Fuehrer will lay out his future agenda.

Soviet leaders will meet today with the foreign minister of Rumania, with unofficial sources speculating that the discussion will focus on formerly Russian territories awarded to Rumania following the World War.

A Polish government-in-exile has officially formed in Paris. Legendary pianist Ignace Paderewski was offered the Presidency, but declined due to poor health. The job instead went to former Warsaw Senate president Wladyslaw Racziewycz.

Rain held down the crowds yesterday at Ebbets Field, as 9,431 fans saw the Dodgers sweep the Phillies in a doubleheader. With the Cubs falling to the Cardinals, Brooklyn clinches a third-place finish in the National League. Luke "Hot Potato" Hamlin notched his 20th win of the season in the opener, becoming the first Dodger to hit that mark since 1932. Yesterday was Leo Durocher Appreciation Day, in which the humble and gracious Dodger shortstop-manager took a bow as he rounds out his rookie season at the helm. The Dodgers close out the season today with another twinbill.

The new North Beach Airport, constructed by the WPA at a cost of $40,000,000 is nearing completion, and is expected to open in two weeks. The airport is the single largest project attempted by the WPA, and will serve as the hub of New York commercial air activity, with hangars the size of Madison Square Garden. (You know it today as LaGuardia Airport.)

With the World's Fair entering the final month of its 1939 season, James S. Anderson of Elmhurst holds the distinction of being the Fair's champion vistor, not having missed a single day since the World Of Tomorrow opened five months ago.
"I just love it, that's all," says he.

Analyzing the war is the latest hobby craze among the women of Hunter College, "taking the place of knitting and crocheting."

Helen Worth considers the case of a middle-aged woman who was suppressed by her parents, who refused to allow her to explore her talents, to finish school, to have boy friends, or to otherwise interact with the outside world, and who is now an uneducated, lonely woman keeping house for her still-controlling parents. This woman's friend, who brought the case to Helen's attention, thinks it serves her right for letting her parents control her, and if she starves she has nobody to blame but herself for not standing up for her rights. Helen admonishes the letter-writer for her harsh attitude, and says there's got to be something this poor woman can learn how to do that will allow her some independence. She also observes that the case should stand as a warning today to young women who allow themselves to be controlled by their parents.

The new 1940 cars get a look-see, especially the impressive 1940 Buick 8 to be given away this afternoon at Ebbets Field to the winner of the guess-the-Dodgers-attendance contest, courtesy of the Brooklyn Young Men's Chamber of Commerce. The new Studebaker Champion designed by the famous Raymond Loewy is cited for style points and its surprising alacrity in crowded traffic.

Clark Gable and Ginger Rogers are on the air tonight on the Gulf Screen Guild Theatre, with a "brilliant supporting cast." Tune in WABC at 730pm.

The bathing season is over at Atlantic City, as the horsey set moves in. Equestrian events now fill the resort's fall calendar.

New bodice-interest dresses for women who "bridge and lunch and tea fashionably" are on sale at Loesser's starting at 16.95. Also for women who believe in verbing nouns, apparently.

The "Trend" newsmagazine section of the Sunday Eagle is a snappy digest of the week's events, in precise duplication of the "Time" style. The feature article in this week's edition focuses on "Mister Enigma of the Kremlin," Comrade Josef Vissarinovich (Stalin) Djugazhvilli. Press photographers nickname him "The Scowler," but he is known to smile when it suits him. Every capital in the world would like to know what is going on in his head. A story circulates among his doctors that there are actually five Stalins, all with identical bartender's moustaches from the Gay Nineties, thick black pompadoured hair, and pasty complexions.

Trend also features a photo spread of the Yankees' manager preparing for the World Series, in which Joe McCarthy "aims to repulse Red invasion of N. Y." Wait a minute, what year is this again?

Scottish rhythm singer Ella Logan is the big hit in this year's edition of George White's Scandals, with her burred rendition of "Arrre Ye' Havin' Any Fun?" And a big new Kaufman and Hart show opens at the Music Box Theatre on October 10th, "The Man Who Came To Dinner."

Movies coming up in October offer a "diversified" slate, with Bing Crosby and Louise Campbell at the Brooklyn Paramount in "The Star Maker," William Powell in "Golden Boy" at the Fox, Myrna Loy and George Brent in "The Rains Came" at the Brooklyn Strand, and Judy Garland and company continuing at Loew's Metropolitan in "The Wizard of Oz."

The high school football season is underway, with Erasmus Hall knocking down Jamacia 12-0 before a crowd of 5,000 at Erasmus Field.

Today, yet another pro-football league, the American Pro Football Association, kicks off at Erasmus Field with the Brooklyn Eagles facing the Newark Bears. 200 Eagle newsboys will be guests of honor for the opening game.

You can buy a modern brand new house at the Franklin Square development on Long Island for just $3555 -- $355 down and $27 a month at 4 1/4 percent interest on an F. H. A. mortgage.

Today is "Trump Homes Day" at the World's Fair with 500 employees of Brooklyn developer Fred C. Trump touring the housing exhibits looking for inspiration. Trump is currently building a row of thirty brick houses fronting on Remsen Street to go with the 200 he already owns along Empire Boulevard and Utica Avenue.

The Old Timers page is one of the most engaging features of the Sunday Eagle, as old folks who grew up in bucolic 19th Century Brooklyn remember the Good Ole Days when they caught killies with a tin can and watched the animals being driven thru the streets to the Johnson Street slaughterhouse.

The Eagle Sunday comics section isn't as beefy as you get in the Daily News, but it has some interesting stuff. Red Ryder's on the front page, as Little Beaver tries to break up Red's wedding to the Chief's granddaughter White Fawn by leading angry Indians directly into the church. Grab some cake while you still can. Meanwhile the villanious Ace Hanlon of Devil's Hole awaits in the Painted Valley Saloon. Gonna be some reception, for sure.

There's a full page of George Lichty's panel feature "Grin and Bear It," which looks exactly as it did thirty years later.

Jane Arden, Girl Reporter just wrapped up a war-correspondent gig in the daily funnies, and is now preparing for a new adventure aboard a tramp steamer.

Dan Dunn, who is not Dick Tracy, and his sidekick Irwin, who is not Pat Patton, are trying to figure out a map that could solve a kidnapping case, by showing it to a blowsy old woman hooked up to a lie detector. I've been trying to figure out this storyline in the dailies, and the Sunday page isn't much help. There's a thug who is not Peter Lorre making threatening statements to the capitve woman who pleads with him not to hurt the little girl, but I still don't know what it's all about.

Josephine Bungle has something caught in her ear, something that's buzzing and crawling around, and George tries to dig it out with a pair of scissors. Jo is nonplussed by this and drives the scissors into George's hand. George is now convinced he is poisoned and calls the drugstore to beg for advice, while the buzzing in Jo's head continues unabated. Once again proving that "The Bungle Family" is by far the most realistic family comic strip ever.

I don't know what the deal is with "Hoosegow Herman." It seems to be something to do with a bumbling prison guard, and looks for all the world like it was drawn by Milt Gross, even though it's signed by someone called "Wally." Go figure.

And we close out with the Happy Timer's Junior Page, full of activities to keep the kids out from under your feet while you cook Sunday supper. We learn from Aunt Jean that Florence Chuchinosky of 1410 Lincoln Place is too ill to return to school, and has had a nervous breakdown. She'd like to hear from pen pals. Happy times.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Today's Eagle tells us that --

Prominent isolationist Senator William E. Borah of Idaho is warning that repeal of the arms embargo will lead to "a new A E F," obligating the US to "help the Allies in the hour of their greatest need." Borah's statement came in response to the charge by Senator Pittman of Nevada that the current embargo is "a discrimination in favor of Germany."

The American Federation of Labor has endorsed repeal of the embargo.

Secretary of State Cordell Hull today indicated that the US refuses to recognize the partition and dissolution of Poland. "The mere seizure of territory," Hull stated, "does not extinguish the existance of a government." Hull's statement comes as German and Soviet forces are consolidating their positions in Poland thru propaganda efforts toward the local populace.

Adolf Hitler has asked Benito Mussolini to make a "final offer" to Britain and France, and if rejected, indicates that he will deliver a "peace ultimatum" in his coming speech before the Reichstag. The Berlin press hints that the Fuehrer will also state that Italy and the Soviet Union will provide military aid to Germany if his offer is rejected.

Meanwhile, Hitler has received two votes in a municipal election in Philadelphia -- one for the Democratic Party nomination for a Supreme Court seat, and one for the Republican nomination for the office of Receiver of Taxes.

In the Far East, Japanese forces have annihilated 19 Chinese divisions in bloody fighting in Hunan Province.

The U. S. Army is ousting "physically unfit officers" at the rate of one per day.

A prominent Catholic prelate with ties to Brooklyn has died. George Cardinal Mundelein, Archbishop of Chicago who was mentioned as a possible future Pope, was a beloved figure in the local diosese for many years before assuming his final office.

Embattled Assistant DA Alexander Baldwin has ten days to answer corruption charges brought against him last week by an extraordinary grand jury.

That half-cent-a-quart increase in the price of doorstep milk announced last week is riling local consumers. The Milk Consumers Protective Committee will hold a meeting next week in Manhattan to protest the price hike, which raises the delivered cost of grades A and B milk to their highest levels since 1931.

Brooklyn's first enclosed indoor pushcart market opens today on 13th Street between 39th and 40th Streets, replacing the outdoor gathering place for street sellers at that location. Mayor LaGuardia will preside over the dedication of the $240,000 fireproof, heated, and air-conditioned structure.

Father Edward Lodge Curran, president of the International Catholic Truth Society and a close associate of Father Charles E. Coughlin, is demanding free radio time to state his organization's position in opposition to the proposed "cash and carry" system offered by the Roosevelt Administration as part of its plan to lift the arms embargo. Curran spoke before a rally of 2000 persons at Columbus Hall.

Two men were shot yesterday in separate robberies around the borough. 25 year old Leonard Malone of Cropsey Avenue was shot while resisting a stickup attempt on 18th Avenue. His assailants escaped, and Malone was treated for minor wounds at Harbor Hospital and released. And 38 year old Frank Simone of 17th Street was shot in the neck by Patrolman Gregory Sangemino as Simone and two accomplices attempted to rob a Stillwell Avenue candy store. Simone is in fair condition at Coney Island Hospital.

Women who have been resisting the trend toward tight corsetry in the new fall fashions will get the hard sell at Martin's tomorrow, with a Corset Fashion Show planned at 230pm. The store will announce the results of its Corset Survey in which women were asked for their opinions, pro or con, on the current trend.

Ever seen a Drive-In movie? There's still time to see Spencer Tracy and Loretta Young in "Man's Castle," with selected shorts, at the Sunrise Drive In in Valley Stream L. I. Continuous show starts at 730pm, rain or shine. Kids admitted free!

The Midwood Restaurant on Flatbush Avenue at Dorchester Road is now under the new management of Edward W. Butler, who promises genial hospitality and dinners starting at 60 cents. Children's Dinners a specialty!

The Eagle editorial page endorses a generous salary increase for Leo Durocher upon completion of a fine season.

The Dodgers achieved their goal yesterday, despite a soaking rain that turned Ebbets Field into a mud flat. Final attendance tally for the year clocked in at 1,000,762 as 17,152 turned out to sit in the rain and watch the Dodgers sweep the Phillies in the closing doubleheader. The brand new 1940 Buick goes to Harry Meisfeldt of 1750 Coleman Street, who was drawn out of Larry MacPhail's hat as one of 11 fans to guess 1,.007,777. Runner-up Patsy Alongi of 2751 Coney Avenue received a pass to all future Brooklyn games. While the figures are as yet unofficial, it's expected the Dodgers will lead the major leagues in attendance for 1939.

Cookie Lavagetto finished the season as the Dodgers' top hitter, closing out the year at an even .300. Dolph Camilli placed second among the regulars at .295, and led the club with 26 home runs.

The Yankees, meanwhile, closed out their season with 106 wins, and expect to thoroughly intimidate the Reds, who finished the season with 97 wins, and have arrived in New York to begin the World Series October 4th.

The Football Dodgers don't like mud, as wet weather in Philadelphia hampered their attack. It didn't help the Eagles much either, leading to final score of 0-0. Brooklyn is now 2-1-1 in the NFL campaign, with their next game in Washington.

The rain also called an early end to the American Soccer League game at Celtic Park, with the St. Mary's Celtics and Philadelphia F. C. leaving the field at half time with the score tied 2-2.

If you know any painters who need work, have them apply at 1375 Flatbush Avenue. Must supply own brushes.

If you own a television set, Helen Twelvetrees will make her video debut tomorrow night over W2XBS in the George Kaufman comedy "The Butter and Egg Man." There will also be a demonstration of how to make crepes Suzette by Chef Maurice of the Park Lane Hotel.

George Bungle is beating the living snot out of Cousin Elmer, which leads said cousin to reconsider his long-term residency plans.

Apple Mary's strip now bears the subtitle "Mary Worth's Family," as Leona Stockpool continues to loll around the farmhouse annoying Mary with her snobby ways. Demanding to be shown to her bath, Leona is upset to be pointed to a kettle heating on the kitchen stove. "And don't keep the tub too long," says Mary. "This is wash day!"

Dan Dunn has figured out from the lie detector tape that Kay and Babs are being held in a brick farmhouse beside the river! All that from just a jiggly line on a graph -- and the woman didn't even say anything! Science sure is swell. And if Irwin doesn't put out that cigar pretty soon, he's going to blister his lips. Meanwhile, that Peter Lorre goon is intimidating Kay by telling her to dry up with her drivel about kind hearts and stuff. He seems to be twisting her arm behind her back as he does so, but it's hard to tell from the artwork -- he might also be trying to get her into a jitterbug spin.

 

[Fading Fast]

T...Ever seen a Drive-In movie? There's still time to see Spencer Tracy and Loretta Young in "Man's Castle," with selected shorts, at the Sunrise Drive In in Valley Stream L. I. Continuous show starts at 730pm, rain or shine. Kids admitted free!....

Surprised I've never heard of "Man's Castle -" it's pre-code and stars two of my favorite actors. Maybe I've missed it, but it definitely isn't one that TCM runs often. As we've chatted about, there are still a lot of old movies that don't get shown regularly or, maybe, at all.

You're reading the Eagle from '39 - right?

 

[LizzieMaine]

Yep. There was quite a bit of reissuing of old films going on in the late thirties as a way of keeping up with the demand created by the double-feature craze, and this particular 1933 picture was rereleased in 1938 -- with about twenty minutes cut courtesty of Mr. Breen. It was a Columbia picture, which is probably why it doesn't turn up on TCM -- they've leased various Columbia packages over the years, but don't have anywhere near the access that they have with the stuff they own.

A lot of the reissues sat around in local film exchanges for years after they were re-released, available as cheap rentals for neighborhood theatres and drive-ins. Columbia was a borderline poverty-row operation in the 30s, and a lot of their stuff ended up going such a route.

I was interested to learn that the Sunrise was the first drive-in in New York State -- and apparently the *only* one as of 1939. It stayed open until the late '70s.

 

[scotrace]

Senator Borah, of Alice Roosevelt Longworth fame. They had a child together, though her husband was Speaker of the House Nicholas Longworth of Ohio.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Sen. Borah was convinced there wouldn't have been a war if he'd only had the chance to sit down and talk with Hitler. Unfortunately, he'd never spoken with Neville Chamberlain.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Speaking of Mr. Chamberlain, he's the big headline in today's Eagle, as the Prime Minister declares that Britain will "examine and test" any peace proposals put forward by Hitler, but will accept "no mere assurances" from the Reich Government. The remarks came in response to David Lloyd George's plea not to be quick in rejecting any peace initiatives for fear of alienating Italy and Russia.

Informed sources in Italy, meanwhile, suggest that it's unlikely the Italian Government will act as a mediator in the current crisis, despite the Italian foreign minister's conversations with the Fuehrer. Count Ciano met today with Premier Mussolini upon his return from Berlin.

Sixteen survivors of a British steamer sunk by a German warship arrived today in Chile. The "Clement" is believed to have been destoryed by the German vessel "Admiral Scheer." The sinking comes as the US receives a warning from Germany that American vessels should in their own interest avoid "suspicious behavior" while in British or French waters.

The American Federation of Labor may soon announce its position on a potential third term for President Roosevelt. The AFL convention underway in Cincinnati revealed a split of opinion among its leadership on this issue. AFL President William Green made a strong statement of support for the repeal of the Arms Embargo, declaring that the United States should be prepared to act as a "peacemaker" in the European War while at the same time remaining aloof from the actual conflict.

The miserable weather this week isn't putting a damper on the gate at the World's Fair. Despite biting temperatures and howling winds, 22,438 visitors passed thru the gates as of 1pm today. Attendance does seem to be down at Fair exhibits where patrons usually wait on long lines, with the Futurama especially hard hit.

A 17 year old Clinton Street girl told a Federal magistrate today that she's learned that Crime Doesn't Pay. Angelina Quarto appeared before Judge Grover M. Moskowitz on a charge that she stole a letter containing a $34 government check addressed to another resident of her house, and declared that she learned that lesson from listening to "The Shadow" on the radio. Judge Moskowitz, upon learning that the young woman lives in a three room house with seven other people, declared society the real criminal in this case, and sentenced Miss Quarto to remain on probation until the age of 21.

A State Senate hearing on the removal of senior Kings County District Court Judge George M. Martin on corruption charges dissolved into debate over who will be responsible for paying the costs of the investigation. Judge Martin was charged last spring with accepting a $1000 bribe to dismiss an abortion indictment against a Brooklyn doctor, but was exonerated. Martin has declared that he will not resign, and will fight the case every inch of the way.

8-year-old Dorothy Lewis, the Hinton Street girl who lost a leg last week to bone cancer, has gained four pounds and is looking forward to going home. She is able now to walk on crutches, and hopes one day to own her own candy store, while living in a house in the country with a cow and a collie dog.

Joe DiMaggio of the Yankees and Bucky Walters of the Reds are "Friendly Enemies" on the diamond -- but they agree that the fine long-burning tobacco found in Camels gives you five extra smokes per pack.

Latest thing in hairstyles? The "Neutrality Coiffure" -- it's a compromise between a high upsweep and a low bob.

An East 102nd Street man with an extensive police record dating back to 1912 is being held on a bigamy charge. 42 year old William Hubbard, a WPA worker, is accused of marrying 29 year old Caroline Ralston of Walcott Street in April of this year, while still married to Johenna C. Maloney of Manhattan, whom he wed in 1923. Hubbard has several prior convictions on robbery, assault, and disorderly conduct. He is being held in lieu of $2500 bail.

The assets of "N. T. G's Congress of Beauty," popular girlie show at the World's Fair, were sold today at auction to meet a claim of unpaid bills lodged by E. Kalloch, Inc, plumbers. The attraction closed on August 12th. Items dispersed at the auction included a large tent, musical instruments, and costumes. (This was perhaps the most notorious of the nude shows at the Fair, with its "sun worshipers colony" paying bored Hunter College students $35 a week to wander around in a fake tropical glade with their clothes off.)

Mayor LaGuardia, in person, lent a hand today in battling a four-alarm Coney Island fire that threatened a large section of the boardwalk. Fanned by high winds, the blaze destroyed a large brick-and-frame house between Stillwell Avenue and Henderson's Walk, a building that had housed a bath house, an amusement game, and a restaurant. Damages are estimated at $100,000. The Mayor raced to the fire from his home in Manhattan, and assisted in laying hoses. Several firefighters were overcome by smoke, but only one required hospital treatment.

A French film denounced as a moral threat by the New York Board of Film Censors is screening at the World Theatre. Eagle film critic Herbert Cohn finds the film, "Harvest," to be tame and pleasant. The disputatious content involves a young woman who flees her possible-husband in favor of a congenial night with a farmer. Cohn observes the incident is so insignificant to the overall point of the film that it might not have been noticed at all had the Censors not pointed it out.

Ray Tucker believes that Alf Landon might take a run for the Republican nomination next year, noting that Landon himself seems to think he's the most qualified candidate.

The Eagle gives the back of its hand to flagpole-sitting stuntman Alvin "Shipwreck" Kelly. An editorial criticizes Kelly's plan to spend eight days atop a pole on the roof of a Times Square hotel, noting that with the world the way it is right now, this is no time for shenanigans.

Quite a sale going on at Abraham & Straus: imported Dutch tulip bulbs, premium canned soup, fine wallpaper, Mt. Vernon dining room sets, and scissors. Something for everyone.

Sports columnist Tommy Holmes thinks the Yankees are more vulnerable in the World Series than they look, observing that the Reds have a better chance than the Cubs had last year, or the Giants in '37 and '36. He expects pitching to be the deciding factor, and believes that all in all, the Reds, paced by Paul Derringer and Bucky Walters, have the advantage while both Red Ruffing and Lefty Gomez have had recent arm problems and appear to be past their peaks.

Sports editor Jimmy Wood disagrees, expecting the Reds will fare no better than the Cubs did. "No one seriously expects the Reds to win."

Ever ready with the Dodger angle, the Eagle points out that the pennant-winning Reds team was built by Larry MacPhail. Just saying.

Left-handed kegler Charlie Schmitt has rolled the first perfect game of the Brooklyn Eagle Big Pins Bowling League season.

The Socialist Party will state its views on the current debate over the Neutrality Act when Norman Thomas speaks tonight over WABC at 1045pm.

Aunt Jean is very concerned that little Bernice Winthrop refuses to eat her spinach and is getting pale and thin. Although Aunt Jean herself doesn't especially care for spinach, she assures all the Junior Eagles that after a few bites it really isn't that bad.

Things are going from bad to worse for the Bungle Family. No sooner have Cousin Elmer and his wife left the premises -- wearing George and Jo's good clothes -- than a letter arrives advising that due to some kind of insurance issue the Bungles do not, in fact, own their house. I'll be very disappointed if this new storyline doesn't end with George beating up an insurance agent.

Apple Mary's grandson Dennie doesn't think much of Leona Stockpool, but Mary thinks even less of her for trying to send the boy into town to buy her cigarettes. Look how Mary's clenching her fist there. George Bungle would be proud.

The Peter Lorre goon has morphed into some kind of weird fish-face monster as he hustles Kay to an office where Babs is being held. "The kill-crazy butcher of the madam's mob!" Wait, there's a madam involved? Exactly what kind of work is Kay involved in? Meanwhile Dan Dunn and Irwin race to intercept, guns drawn. "If anyone tries to stop you LET THEM HAVE IT."

 

[LizzieMaine]

The Yankees are off to an early lead in the World Series, stopping the Reds 2 to 1 in the first game, played today under chilly cloudy skies at Yankee Stadium. The Reds opened the scoring with a single run in the 4th, but the Yankees matched it in the fifth and the game continued deadlocked on the back of strong pitching by Paul Derringer and Red Ruffing. The Yanks seized the moment in the bottom of the ninth when with one out Charlie Keller slammed a triple into center field, and, after a walk to Joe DiMaggio, Bill Dickey brought Keller home with a base hit.

Both starting pitchers went the distance.

Mayor LaGuardia was joined at the Stadium by Cincinnati mayor James Stewart. Other dignitaries in the crowd included Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis and league Presidents Ford Frick and Will Harridge. Babe Ruth arrived for the game and took his seat unnoticed by the crowd. 72-year-old Noodles Hahn, who pitched a no-hitter for the Reds 39 years ago, was in uniform for good luck on the Cincinnati bench.

A Reds fan who had traveled from Cincinnati to see today's game collapsed and died while waiting in line for bleacher tickets. Louis Edmund Christina was fifty years old. He was pronounced dead at the scene and taken to the Bronx morgue as the line of 1500 fans moved on without him.

In non-Series news, Republican Senator Arthur Vandenburg of Michigan today denounced the President's "Un-neutrality Act," calling it a step on the road to war. Democratic Senator John Connoly of Texas took the floor in support of the bill. warning that unless action is taken to approve the plan, Germany will soon begin sinking American ships. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Cordell Hull today issues a new warning intended to keep American merchant vessels out of war zones.

In London, Viscount Halifax declared that, while Britain would join with Germany in any work of "real reconstruction" in Europe, words of assurance from the Nazi Government aren't enough to establish peace.

The Soviet Union has no intention of respecting the Nazi trade blockade against England, and intends to rent space aboard Norwegian ships following a sub-Arctic route to continue commerce with the Allies. Negotiations are underway for similar arrangements with Sweden and Denmark.

Closer to home, the impeachment investigation of Kings County Judge George Martin will hear any and all evidence available, regardless of how old it is. The State Senate determined that there will be no time limit in examing corruption charges against Martin, with some of the evidence expected to be up to fifteen years old.

German-American Bund leader Fritz Kuhn failed today in a bid for bail reduction. Kuhn remains held in lieu of $50,000 bond.

A wide-ranging stock swindle based in Manhattan netted over a million dollars from victims ranging from businessmen to domestics. A 53-year-old Manhattan widow, Lydia B. Koch of 825 5th Avenue, is accused of selling stock in two paper-goods firms under her control on the false basis of a claim that England, Russia, and China were about to become her "fiscal agents" in connection with the Bank of England. Several Brooklyn residents are reported to be among her victims.

Kids who played hookey to attend a Police Department abandoned-property auction which featured a number of bicycles came away disappointed, as all the bikes went to bids as high as $12.50 each.

Larger women know the slenderizing magic of the $10 Adaptolettes, now on sale at $7.95, this week only at Lane Bryant. See corset stylist Wilma Moon for a personal consultation.

A fawn-colored Spitz dog named Bob is on trial for his life after biting his third victim. Under current city sanitary codes, a dog is automatically condemned to death upon biting three people, but Bob's legal advocate, City Councilman Abner C. Surpless, argues that the current regulation was not imposed until after Bob's third bite. Surpless calls the whole matter a case of the "bureaucracy that has overrun the city," noting that the Council itself had no say in any such code, and criticizing the Sanitation Department as "a law unto itself." Bob is owned by Mrs. Helene Brown of 809 Ditmas Avenue.

In other canine news around the borough, Engine Company 271 of 392 Himrod Street is mourning the loss of its firehouse dalmatian Pal, who died today at the age of eight, a victim of uremic poisoning.

The Flatlands Civic Association is demanding improvements at the IRT subway station at Flatbush and Nostrand Avenues, where the current two stairways are deemed inadequate and insufficient.

Former State Motor Vehicle Commissioner Charles A. Hartnett is in the prison wing at Bellevue Hospital for tests to determine his sanity. Hartnett is accused of accepting more than $67,000 in bribes in connection with his former position. Hartnett left his post eight months ago after a "breakdown."

Mail-order cigarettes for $1.20 a carton for leading 15 cent brands, from the National Tobacco Distributors in Hoboken. 10 cent brands just 95 cents a carton.

John Barrymore is refusing to drop his divorce suit against Elaine Barrie. "I want a divorce as soon as I can get it," declares the actor, "and the sooner the better."

25-year-old Ann Kennedy of Woodside is accused of picking the pocket of a motorist who gave her a ride during Monday's rainstorm. Complainant Charles Rizzo of Ozone Park claims he gave Miss Kennedy a lift in Manhattan, and afterwards discovered he was missing his wallet, which had contained $67.

If you're looking for high-class entertainment tonight, head for the Century Patio Theatre, Flatbush Ave. at Midwood St., and take in a double bill of "The Gracie Allen Murder Case" and "Blondie Takes A Vacation." Ah, 1939 -- Hollywood's Greatest Year.

Gay Nineties stage star Fay Templeton has died at the age of 74. Her career began when she was 3 years old, and she was still touring as recently as 1935.

Miss Bertha Robinson will be the American Labor Party's nominee for the State Supreme Court. The 41-year-old attorney has practiced law in Brooklyn and Manhattan since 1923, and says that her nomination is "a progressive step. And it took a progressive party to do it."

The Dodgers made no selections in the annual minor-league baseball draft, held yesterday at the Hotel Commodore. Last year's big pick, pitcher Hugh Casey, was a major factor in the Brooklyn team's success this past season, but this year's available pool found no players of interest left once the Dodgers' turn came around. The Giants raised a few eyebrows with their choice of Paul (Daffy) Dean, former Cardinal star, off the roster of the Columbus A. A. club. Former Dodger pitcher Johnny Babich was plucked off the Kansas City A. A. roster by the Philadelpha Athletics. Players selected in the draft cost $6000 each.

College football star Byron "Whizzer" White has announced his retirement from sports. He will enter Yale Law School, rejecting numerous offers from professional footbal teams.

Dial WEather 6-1212 for announcements on possible cancellation of World Series games in New York, a courtesy of the New York Telephone Company.

Fred Allen and company are back on the air tonight over WEAF at 9pm. The Allen hour returns for the new season with a new format -- no longer "Town Hall Tonight," the program is now "The New Fred Allen Show." Vocalist Wynn Murray, a recent hit in "The Boys From Syracuse," joins the regular cast. The program will now feature guest stars, opening with Hollywood sourpuss Ned Sparks.

The Bungles are not too upset about losing their house -- since it means they're also losing their obnoxious tenants. "No more bowing and scraping to the snippy women who live here!" exults Jo.

Apple Mary finally lets Leona have it: "You're a pampered, overbearing, poisonous brat who needs a lesson in good manners administered with an oak paddle!" And she shakes a wooden spoon at her to emphasize the point.

Kill-Crazy Gunman points his revolver at Kay, but an enormous pit-bull-type dog leaps from the shadows and rips his throat out. Said dog is wearing a police badge on his collar. Who needs Dan Dunn anyway?

 

[Fading Fast]

...John Barrymore is refusing to drop his divorce suit against Elaine Barrie. "I want a divorce as soon as I can get it," declares the actor, "and the sooner the better."...

That was wife #4 for "The Great Profile," when you're getting up to those numbers, you have to question your own actions.

...If you're looking for high-class entertainment tonight, head for the Century Patio Theatre, Flatbush Ave. at Midwood St., and take in a double bill of "The Gracie Allen Murder Case" and "Blondie Takes A Vacation." Ah, 1939 -- Hollywood's Greatest Year....

I believe I've seen both of them. And, yes, not '39's finest offerings.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Yep, the Barrymore-Barrie marriage was one of the most notorious romances of the decade -- she was, basically, an obsessed teenage fan who stalked Barrymore and then flattered the old boy's vanity until she got him to marry her. The gossip columnists learned that they called each other "Ariel" and "Caliban," as in the characters from "The Tempest," and that revelation led to endless hilarity in animated celebrity-caricature cartoons where they were portrayed as such.

Barrymore was sinking pretty deep into alcoholism by this point in his life, and one has to wonder just how far from a mental breakdown he was. In another year he'd be reduced to a clowning self-parody stooging it up in Kay Kyser movies.

For a neighborhood house, the Patio was a pretty impressive piece of architecture.

With a full-size fountain in the lobby, yet --

 

[Fading Fast]

⇧ Even some of the rinky dink towns around where I grew up had pretty impressive old movie "palaces" still going in the '70s. They were beat up, but the grandeur was still there to see.

It sounds as if Barrymore's character in '33's Dinner at Eight foreshadowed his life a bit.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Disappointing to see that the Patio is long gone. Nothing at that address now but a couple of bristly-looking 60s-style apartment buildings.

It's hard to watch a lot of the stuff Barrymore did in the '30s -- there's a palpable self-loathing oozing out of the kind of characters he tended to to play. Today he'd have been hospitalized for depression, but the only cure he had came from the liquor store.

 

[LizzieMaine]

The World Series continues to push the European War down the page today. The Yankees are off to a two-game lead over the Reds after smacking them around 4 to 0 this afternoon at the Stadium. A five-hit eruption in the third inning accounted for three of the runs, with Babe Dahlgren kicking off the attack with a ground-rule double off Reds hurler Bucky Walters. Yankee pitcher Monte Pearson sacrificed Dahlgren to third, and Dahlgren scored when Frankie Crosetti grounded to Buddy Myers, who bobbled the ball and lost any chance for a play at the plate. Red Rolfe then singled, and Charlie Keller slammed a long hit that left fielder Wally Berger couldn't get his hands on, turning it into a double and sending Rolfe home with the second run. Joe DiMaggio beat out an infield hit, and Dickey singled to right, scoring Keller. The fourth run came around in the following inning when Dahlgren plunked a home run into the left field stands, the first circuit clout of the Series.

Despite the rough third inning, Walters threw a good game, with the Yankees annoyed by his powerful sinker.

In spite of all that, the rest of the world is more concerned by doings in Europe. Chancellor Adolf Hitler today arrived in Warsaw to greet Nazi troops who took control of the capital city and to meet with top Nazi brass who were already in Poland surveying the scene. At the same time, reports indicate that the Belgian government is nervous over the possibility of German voiding its neutrality agreement with that nation if Allied planes are allowed to cross Belgian air space.

In Washington, Senator Gerald Nye, a leader in the Senate isolationist block, is proposing an alternative to full repeal of the arms embargo that would permit a limited amount of cash-and-carry sales. Nye endorsed Senator Borah's argument earlier this week that repeal would inevitably lead to US entry into the war.

Around home, three were injured today in a motor vehicle pileup at Greene and Classon Avenues, triggered by a car fire at the corner of Cumberland Street and Atlantic Avenues. A Police Department emergency truck on its way to the scene of the fire swerved to avoid a butter-and-egg truck that failed to yield on Greene Street, and hit the sidewalk, slamming into the front of Albert Cooper's tailoring shop at 376 Classon Ave. The butter-and-egg truck then smashed into a moving van operated by John McCormack. The driver of the butter-and-egg truck fled the scene on foot, and his helpe, 42 year old Lowell Cox, was reported to be too confused to tell police the name of his boss. Patrolman Francis Kelly and Sgt. Fred Reiff were injured when their emergency truck hit the shopfront. Mrs. Dorothy Cooper, wife of the tailor shop's proprietor, fainted from shock as the truck crashed into the front of the store. The storefront was completely demolished in the collision. McCormack and his two helpers were not hurt. No word on what happened with the car fire.

A 72-year-old Brooklyn printer took the stand today in Albany as State Senate hearings on the impeachment of Kings County Judge George Martin continued. Jacob Schafer of 792 Flushing Avenue told Assistant Attorney General Amen that Judge Martin was responsible for his loss of $26,500 in investments with companies in which Martin was involved, and that the Judge made corrupt use of his position to promote questionable speculations.

The desertion trial of Grover C. Bergdoff is now in the hands of the court-martial, with testimony concluding today. The defense called no witnesses, and the prosecution called Bergdoff's conduct a "clear case of conspiracy," noting that Bergdoff paid his chauffeur $1000 to drive him into Canada after he escaped from military guards in 1920.

Mayor LaGuardia says he'll stake his reputation on the future of the new North Beach Airport, as expanded and updated by the WPA, and states that the facility will stand as a monument to the city and to the workers who built it. Dedication ceremonies for the new field are scheduled for October 15.

Learn to play trumpet the Bunny Berigan way -- with the Bunny Berigan Student Model Trumpet by Wurlitzer. Get the horn, private lessons, and practice space for just $1 a week. Mail the coupon or sign up in person at Wurlitzer's store, 47 Flatbush Avenue.

Factional conflict is roiling the American Labor Party, which is debating the withdrawal of its endorsement of Bronx City Councilman Michael Quill over Quill's reputed ties to the Communist Party. Anti-Red factions in the ALP by an overwhelming vote denounced the CP as part of a resolution endorsing the President's proposed repeal of the Arms Embargo. Councilman Quill, who is head of the Transport Workers Union, was not present to defend his positions. ALP member Irving Potash, manager of the Furriers Union, in remarks evidently aimed at State Party Secretary Alex Rose, who had called for the expulsion of ALP members who opposed the resolution, warned that a party fighting for civil rights must also respect the civil rights of Communists. Potash's remarks were greeted by derisive cries of "Heil Hitler" from the rank and file as he noted that the ALP issued no such resolution when Austria, Spain, and Ethiopia were in turmoil, and warned against a "hysterical resolution" to the world situation.

13,000 WPA workers in the city will see wage cuts. The pay reductions affect those working in clerical fields, who will see their wages cut by amounts from $5.20 to $20.80 a month.

Maybe *you're* driving an ice wagon! Get your car ready for winter now at your Good Gulf dealer.

Extra Fancy Fresh-Killed Chickens at your neighborhood self-service A&P store, just 23 cents a pound.

Coeds and Football Stars Debunk Idea that Tea's a Sissy Drink!

With cold weather on the way, pork can please most any purse or palate. Try this recipe for pork chops with celery stuffing.

An unidentified laborer is dead following a fight at the 111th Street IRT station, and a 43-year-old Woodside man faces a homicide charge. Bartholomew Flynn tried to intervene in a quarrel between the laborer and a subway guard, after the laborer missed his stop by falling asleep. Flynn and the laborer then came to blows, and the laborer struck his head on the concrete floor of the station. He was pronounced dead at Queens Center Hospital. Flynn will be arraigned today in Ridgewood Felony Court.

Lustrous simulated pearls, on sale at Abraham & Straus for $1.59. Look better than the kind you get at Woolworths.

Larry Clinton and his Orchestra head the vaudeville bill at the Flatbush Theatre this week, joined by comedian Pinky Lee and other great stars. On the screen, Frankie Darro in a Monogram potboiler, "Boys' Reformatory." I guess the only way a house can keep up a vaudeville policy these days is to skimp on the movies. But hey, Larry Clinton for 40 cents. That's almost worth putting up with Pinky Lee.

Not knowing that the Bungles no longer own the house, a bald-headed potato-nosed tenant in ridiculous checkered pants confronts George about a problem with his bathtub. George listens patiently, and the two negotiate a reasonable settlement of the situation. No, I lie. George punches the guy in the face.

Apple Mary Worth may be about to see her whole life upended as Leona's father confronts her. Mary is defensive, but Mr. Stockpool -- who looks a bit like actor Jerome Cowan -- has had his lawyers looking into her past, and he has a PROPOSITION for her. Hmmmm.

Irwin arrives as the dog is snacking on Kill Crazy Gunman's face, and pulls the animal off, the better to beat the gore-splattered but still conscious gunman senseless. Kay has had about enough at this point, but there isn't much she can do but say "Irwin! PLEASE!" And what about Babs? Did the dog go looking for dessert? And where is Dan Dunn while all this is going on? Did he stop to buy a cheese knish for lunch?

 

[Fading Fast]

...Around home, three were injured today in a motor vehicle pileup at Greene and Classon Avenues, triggered by a car fire at the corner of Cumberland Street and Atlantic Avenues. A Police Department emergency truck on its way to the scene of the fire swerved to avoid a butter-and-egg truck that failed to yield on Greene Street, and hit the sidewalk, slamming into the front of Albert Cooper's tailoring shop at 376 Classon Ave. The butter-and-egg truck then smashed into a moving van operated by John McCormack. The driver of the butter-and-egg truck fled the scene on foot, and his helpe, 42 year old Lowell Cox, was reported to be too confused to tell police the name of his boss. Patrolman Francis Kelly and Sgt. Fred Reiff were injured when their emergency truck hit the shopfront. Mrs. Dorothy Cooper, wife of the tailor shop's proprietor, fainted from shock as the truck crashed into the front of the store. The storefront was completely demolished in the collision. McCormack and his two helpers were not hurt. No word on what happened with the car fire....

There's a butter-and-egg man joke in there somewhere.