Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 2 September 1951 — Page 16

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THE IN DIAN APOLIS TIMES

SUNDAY, SEPT, 2, ost 51

“Best Ma

"of “On: the Town,” Forward,” and “Look

to the time when Dewey

in bewilderment on what with his two motheriess girls. His wife and Myrtle Lawler had died him desolate marry again, and he . After Betty ‘Lou, 4 months was sent to live with mother on Long Island, only one solution for .then 8. As half the team of Mann, the vaudeville actor leaving for a capitals.

of dresses and a child's coat, and away they sailed. _ Time of Their Lives. ° “I had a wondgrful

Nancy Walker remembered.

dancing partner. and left He said he’d never never did. old, a grandthere was Nancy,

arto & _ Was tour of European ‘He asked Nancy to go along. So they bought a trunkiul coonskin

time on that trip excépt fom one thing," “We never found a restaurant wliere, I could have Cokes and crackers

with chili for breakfast. Pop was more fortunate. He likes pie and jce cream with his early coffee.

I'd settle for a roast beef sand-

wich on rye with beer.”

the show,

took -his little girl, Her father was extravagant on ny he'd tell her he was going

that trip. His agent sent them to places where a child wouldn't. be

Whether you pronounce. it theutoh. theayter or theater, it's = fascinating business—but only because of its fascinating people. Praminent among them are offspring of famous. theater folk who carved out niches for_themselves in their own right. This article tells their story—and the influence parent and child have exerted over each other through the years.

. By SALLY MacDOUGALL “Pop prepared me for living and for th I was a child he knew what I.needed, .I'm- a very happy woman now.’ This was Nancy Walker talking. Foot I'in Dancin’ ” skipped across the years Barfo, vaudeville headliner, was groping to do little

theater. and he

The

p———— A —— 2 2 om,

Hearing ‘mother tell of her glamorous ‘ Pierson<{above) to become an actress.

Dewey

the best hotels and he bought, mitted. her new clothes in all the big cit-|

ies, Paris, Berlin, Copenhagen.

“A dress I 11 always remember, “was peach colored silk trimmed with blue ribbons. I wore that when he'd take me to night clubs or to church. In in school, we'd be together day and night. I enjoyed watching four If we decided that I'd spend a day on my own; he'd give me $10 or

‘Nancy said,

most cities, when I wasn't

shows a day from the wings.

$20 and I'd save most of it.

museums.

eal midget and they'd serve me. guess I had an old face.

How To Be a Lady

“The places I like best were] 1 wasn’t quite 9 and I knew my way around Paris. They ‘Would stare at me in restaurants, then they'd decide I was a theatri-

,, recalled,

Paris and Berlin, where I spent

languages,

he wanted me to learn.

thought it would do me good to feel at east with strangers, espe-

‘cially®other children.”

+ On visits to night spots after

STOCK PASSENGER CAR

RACES

ERE TIE CHAMPIONS DRIVE

Children 25¢ Box Reseravtions BE-3316

16th $i. Speedway

cross From 500-Mile Track

back together, all the way ‘trip brought us very close. Years 1 after that I'd be with him on the taking care of him, We're still’ my adora wonderful little man,

road, great able Pop, “Pop’s agent found schools in just 3 The child who ‘grew up to be a week or two. It. wasn’t just hailed as a slapstick comedienne singing and dancing 2nd a skylarking clown, ag she He stomped

expert timing, realizes mow that Lou, my kid sister. She's terrific. movies, Until we cast her as a Has far more than I have. She comedienne in

‘act out of her basket and crawling onto the stage to be clasped in

“On one of those nights,” Nancy “I went to bed early, and ‘when I woke at 3 in the morning and dressed him. That was at the Eden Hotel in Berlin. mopping the lobby steps tried to meé from going out but I sv. eral Pop. “I'll never forget thegexpression lon his face when he saw me. He ‘was sweet and meek as we walked I gave him hell That

Pop wasn't home. ‘went looking

saw and

Lovely place.

places

to the hotel.

pals. He's

feet

through routines

the vaudevillian had a plan in this iunconvential life for his little girl.

Broke Up an Act

Neither has forgotten that she was unpredictable ever since the ‘night she broke up her parents’ toppling in the -wings

in Philadelphia: by

her mother’s

When started then.

hilarious hoyden

Barto usually but occasion-

for

A man

past him. I looked in sevand finally I found

with

arms

Next re fo Indiana ns

ILLINOIS AND NEW YORK

Showing

a CONTINUOUS

" 11M presenting gut stonding

feature beavties—comics ond vedvil acts direct from Minskey's

ILL]

BLN:

DIRECT FROM MINSKEY'S

RRA [1

HOWLARIOUS SCREWBALL Ld LE

RTE

LATIN TEMPTRESS

LANG

PAIGE \[] 1.14

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el U LY BOB )

WELCOME EARL [TS

~ FAIR VISITORS!

SPECIAL

SHOW | \ Every SAT Nita sears RESO

Most Outstanding Adventure of Our Time Filmed While It MHoppened by the Men Who Lived It!

Most Fascinating Film in Town! ® Now' ® Exclusive Showing -@

AEA RARE AKARARAARAN

Nancy Walker’ S TEE Her Pop | I

Judith Abbott Too, Took

“Inspiration From- Father

days"

while the audience roared.

said that what the critics call Judith, after a few. flings on the timing wa’ picked up ,uncon- stage and in radio, in sciously, watching her father's pion Family,” got the job.

deft stepping and lines at of shows.

“He gave me the childhood that good she is,” Judy * Abbott told she said.

was right for me,’ was shy, afraid of ‘people. to get over that. every kind of lesson that be useful. “He'd call up and make

with me, polite as you please, ask if I'd like to have dinner with him and see a show, coaching me for door alone.

times when I might have a

On the ship we dressed for dinner. I wore chiffon. He'd treat me like responsible for any self-confidence I finally

a grown lady. He's

managed to sprout.

“When I was fired from all these jobs before George Abbot found me, Pop wasn’t worried, Or try home her husband. Richard said he wasn’t. He'd recall his 0Wn'cjark, a former actor is building apprenticeship, doing back-flips on 3¢ New Town, Conn.

is father's show wagon when all the family, aunts, were acrobats. “Amazing guy, my Pop! 1 to-do a show with him and

kills me!”

With her singing feacher huss comic.

band, David Craig (“He did so terrible moment for her when she much for my voice I just had to heard Dad howl with joy.’ marryshim”)sNancy Walker keeps

house .in a W.51 St.

way hotel.

Enter, Judith Abbot

From her first chore on Broad- — Judith Abbot, also schooled for the theater by her father, gave people something to

way,

about. Happily for chore brought her

both

to-face, a glaring spot on the big

EAE AAR AAR RR ARR RRRNRAERR TARR IRAN RRA RAR A ARR ARA

WESTLAK

1951 FAREWELL

WARNER BROS.

INDIANA. STATE FAIR

. Aug. 30 thru Sept. 1 $352,377 in cash premiums More Than 6000 Exhibitors

SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS IN .THE COLISEUM

The Dennis Day Show

with-an All-Star Supporting Cast Last Time Today at 12:30 P. M. $3, $2.40, $2.20, $1.80

The $50,000 Horse Show

with Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra Tonight thru Friday, 7 P. M (CST) $2.40, $1.80, $1.20, $

SPECIAL -ATTRACTIONS IN FRONT OF THE GRANDSTAND

Irish Horan's Lucky Hell Drivers

Last Time Today, 12:30 P.°M. (EST) $3, $2.40, $1.80, $1.20, $1

Harness Horse Races " Monday thru Friday 12:30 P.M. (CST) $3, $2.40, $1.80, $1.20, $1

State Fair Follies

Tonight Thru Friday, 7 P. M. (CST) - «

$3, $2.40, $1.80, $1.50, $1.20, $i...

Tickets on sale now at the Ross Babeoek Agency tn the Claypool Hotel Lobby

‘and at the Indiana State Fairerounds

PRESENT

inspired Nancy

He gave me

including five that audition,”

apartment, went to stay with an aunt and while Dewey Barto and Betty Lou uncle in Rochester, and her life

live a few blocks away in a Broad- there, until after high school, was

face-to-face with Nancy Walker. Hardly facefor Nancy was alone in

SEASON FINAL» DANCE TONIGHT

AERA AF ARR ARERR TAT RANA AAAI ARIA ATR RNR R RRR r ARRAS

Eo TA SI Agen

5 aE 8 |

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The inimitable Nancy Walker, daughter of the old-time vaude- * ville headliner, Dewey Barto, who'll always be her "adorable %p."

“Though he was here and I was in Rochester, I was closer to my father than most girls are,’ she said. “I was an only child. I was fortunate in living in my +—aunt’s home, for that was a happy | i place with six children and there was ‘a community theater where Si] I could do things. On holidays and’ on vacations I'd visit Dad in New York. He took me ‘to all the plays! he produced, and he'd talk to‘me about them. After high school I came home-and went to the New doing her stuff at an.‘audition, York Academy of Dramatic Art. while- Judith was out in-front in. vv hen the time came to work with “the dark theater with her pro- MY father he gave me a chance. ducer father, George Abbott, {With nim you have your job, and . Destiny that was to catapult YOU are left alone to do it.” ong to fame brought together Ihat’show Judith Abbott came the two girls with Similar griefs to have about the Jast word on] in their past. They were the same Who should play in “A Tree Grows age. The mothers of both had in Brooklyn,” for which she picked died when they were 8, and fathers/thé unknown - starlet, lovely became the controlling guides and Marcia Van Dyke—also the casts inspiration in two young lives. for. “Best Foot Forward, ? “Fin jan’s Rainbow,” “Kiss and Tell”

George Abbott's charming daughter, Judith, now his ace casting director.”

Childhood was ended. Both and “On the Town.” Were starting careers. Mr. -Ab- Now meet Nancy Pierson. “My bott’s = casting director, Ezra ; hg re ta

mother's day was the time to be!

She Stone, had left for the Army, and who

in the theater,” said Nancy, was in “Where's Charlie?” | other musicals. “The theater had glamour then. I guess my father was-a stage-door Johnny in a top hat when he met her. They had a great romancé. They had a wonderful life together, and they gave us children a happy time.” The name of her mother, the former Louise Huff, a Southern belle type, now Mrs. Edmund Stillman, reappeared recently in theatrical news, pictured with/ cdavinced that the Jack ‘Pickford in the 1916 silent audition had ended in another Him “Seventeen,” in which Valen-| p. : tino was an extra. She was in the] movie with George |

“The Ald-

years ° «ghe’s wonderful, terrific.

Daddy. She's She doesn’t know how

I her father

after “Bounce Me I had grother”

soared seriously on to 1 its final note. And George Abcould ptt cheered by -what he had| antes heard and seen, laughed so hard that Nancy Walker's heart sank as she stepped from the light on the big stage and out the back

beau.

As Judith Abbott recalled the first “Disraeli” scene in her East Side duplex, the Arliss and in the stage plays, “Ben Hur,” “Graustark” and

green room was gay with lengths, of bright chintz from which the casting director was making slipcovers for chairs in the new coun-

“Mary the Third.

of her glamourous days that made me want to be an actress,” Nancy Pierson said, ‘These nights we

don’t see much glamour except for the top stars. When I get a good! part I think of it as just another job, but I wouldn't describe it that way to my mother.”

at 6, “There was an odd thing about

she remembered. “We didn't know who Nancy d like walker was. We supposed we were Betty hearing Helen Walker, now in the

‘Best. Foot Forward’ Nancy didn’t know she was It must have been a

After her mother’s death Judith

enlivened with frequent tripsygo her father in New York.

i Hy : o., Paige:Binnie Barnes

and -

Mr. Parr Has Other Fish to Fry

By CARI, HENN

F YOU like fish, ‘here's your man. Grover Parr — Grov er"

Cleveland Parr, that is—

has fried more fish in ‘the last -25-years-than-you-ecan-shake a catchup bottle at.

Last summer Mr. Parr wielded a sautee scepter over more than | a ton of fish . . . crisp, golden chunks of cod or ocean perch, hot on the outside and #*warm bed of flaky white flesh within. By his estimate, Mr. Parr

" week long, he's prowling aboul

fried 4300 pounds of fish in

week-end evenings over a five month pé&tod, officiating at fish

|. feasts given by churches, lodges, carnivals-and other organizations . | =» n ”

“A LADY asked me, ‘Don’t you ‘get tired of frying fish?”

| Mr. Parr said.

. “I told her, ‘No, I don't. It's

| become a habif, just like wash- |

ing my face.” His reputation has grown to the point where Mr. Parr has

| twice as many invitations to

fry as he can accept. He gets appeals from out, of town, as far-as Lafayette. But he prefers to accept calls from groups for which he has fried in years past.

Don’t think his chief oecu-

pation. is standing over a. hot stove. No, sir. : yw

MR. PARR happens

to be

BEST LEG FORWARD—Six

# Kaas

production numbers during the six-day appearance of the ' “It was. hearing my mother telt| 8 p.m. at-the Indiana State Fair Grandstand. The show, which runs Hrsugh Friday, Sept. 7

offer 10 variety acts.

night in summer, it's time to tie on the white,apron, get out a sharp knife and start chopping half-frozen fish into frysizg pieces. While the temperature of the shortening is climbing to the necessary heat level (350. degrees), Mr. Parr dips the fish “in his secret recipe batter and rolls it «in dry bread crumbs. Times Amusement ’ ie Clock . “THE SECRET of frying CIRCLE fish,” Mr. Parr confided, “is to bread .it properly—just like putting the right icing on a at 1:05, 4:05, 7 and 9:55.

“Fugitive Lady,” with Janis Paige, cake. 3% 2:40, 5:35 abd 8:30, . _ “That's where my batter

comes in. I. make it out of fresh eggs and milk, and some other ingredients, but I keep it thin. Some places make it

health inspector for the Marion County Board - of Health. All

the perimeter of Indianapolis, checking complaints and warning vielators to clean up their

prefaises, . Come Thursday or Fridag

hare

“Meet Me After the Show,” with Betty Grable and MacDonald Carey,

ESQUIRE

“Kon-Tiki” at 2:35. 4.25, 6:15 and

INDIANA

the Groom,” with

“Here Comes ; : : . Bing Crosby. Jane Wyman, Alexis thick, like pancake batter. Smith and Franchot Tone, at 12:30, That's no good. :

3:35, 6:45 and 9:50. “Varieties on Parade” at 5:30 and 8:40. ae EEE

Last step before serving is to pop the fish into the shert- —

ening and deep-fry it 133 to 2

“2:30,

minutes. Then out, onto a “That's My Boy.” with Dean Mar- i r a moment, and tin and Jerry Lewis, at L 4, 7.05 drain grill fo ’ and. 10:05. into a bun. “Two Gals and » Guy,’ i 2:45, a 7 » 5:50 and 8:55.

MMM-M-M-M-M.

. LOEW ; “ You like tartar sauce? Ketchgoers Tounle Austuat Mura’ sith | yp Relish? Piekle or anion? Lynn ahd John*'Hodiak, at '1.° 4 Baken beans, potato . salad, 7:05 Bhat JON ir with Jon Hoh cole slaw? These are fitting al. 2:40, Sis ond 84S. sidelights for a noble. experi- : s ence—the Hoosier fish fry. LYRIC And there's still time left.

“I Was An American Spy." Ahn Dvorak, at 1:40, 4:25. and 10. “Let's Ge Navy,” with the Gorcey' and the Bowery Boys, at 12: 3s, 3:15, 8 and 8:50.

Mr. Parr is booked to fry every week-end until the middle of October. ; Come and get it!

stmt

chorines of the 30- member chorus that is being featured in four opening tonight at

' wl

‘State Fair Follies,"

2 ROUGH, TOUGH, WILD, WIDE OPEN Thrill Adventures!

DREAM BARN

9600 E. . WASH. ST.

" DANCING

MUSIC BY THE METRONOMES Every Saturday, ® P. M.—1 A, M. Every Sunday, 8 P. M.—12 A. M. All Ages Invited

elem.

GOOD FRIED CHICKEN

ENTERTAINMENT

THE BAN-DEE

talk that

It's the gal with the Hoochy-Koochy dance

750 Virginia Ave. FR-9570 THE U. 8. 8 BAN- DEE stage, Igarenswood BR-5294 that rocked the great

Chicago World's Fairl N. HIGHSCHOOL RD. : :

Juice

ONIGHT HARRY McCRADY

AND HIS ORCH:

wick Nancy GUILD - Charles DRAKE

STARTS THURSDAY

STARTS WEDNESDAY

WASHINGTON AT ILLINOIS

Stock Car

'SPEEDR OME STOCK CAR RACING

' Gates Open. bx30—Quatifications 71st Race 8:30

Indianapolis Speedrome

Dustless Asphalt Track—Free. Parking—Lighted and Supervised © 6600 East on U gs. 52 at Kitley Avenue (Eastside Track) f “For Reservations BL-8380— Adm. Adults $100: Tax Pid : Tu

Racing At Its Best!

STEVENS FLEMING J) A141:

CO-SIARRNG

DIANA

LHD

eet

ATA

ORSA a .

STARTS

WEDNESDAY

“pICKUP” ~-STARRING— Joy Migs

A JOHN-DEREK - “4 "MASK OF THE | 0 ; AVENGER" i

e DOORS OPEN 12 NOON o “I WAS AN AMERICAN SPY” at 1:40, 4:25, 7:15, 10:00

Janis Paige—Robert Alda “TWO GALS AND A GUY"

THAR RAIA AAAI AAAI RAR AAI AAAI IA FARIA RAIA AAA AT

_ GATHER ROUND, EVERYONE... ./ AND SHARE: T THE FUN OF 7 Et

TODAY

The Laughs °

WASHINGTON. AT ILLINOIS

“vaARETEs ON PARADE")

12:30, 3:40, > 60 Minutes of Star-Studed En ARADY

HL All Your Favorite udevin le Sta;

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"HOLL? vinced telev: one else, I s looking for

My grievan fact these we; have been .cr home life fo vears. My w and I have a ly. likeable 6Until this ct TV and weste the scene, Pef fathe ship. » AND 1. W, un.il we got sion sat. Th myself compe western stars son's eyes, . The picture have rarely bi type, lately. 1 an actor and with Rita Keves, Bétte

HORSES Vocalist for his orchestra music for # Show, is Pa show will of State Fair this evening tinue nightl, Sept. 7.

Open Hou About to

Miss Janet will enter the cis convent Oldenburg, w be guest of h or at a recept

given by | parents, Mr. ¢ Mrs, Jose

Brognan, 3 W. Michigan

The open ho be from 8 r- m. to 10 p. m. Thursc

at the home. A graduate Anthony's Mary's ac: r the conve!

+ ofr de ee

smh

; DRIVE Kentucky 4 OPEN 7:04

David Wawyn

208000... A.D br

Mickey Roe

"HE'S A €C

* * » » ++ * + * + * + »* »* * + *

DRIVE

Between Cler U.S, Hwy, 136 Fox Office Of

Fartey Gr:

"OUR

John Trela:

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CROSS

, ACROSS’

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20390 Ove.

«+ 15=The sweets

16—Boundary 38—Doctor (abl 19—Free of 20—Rain and } 2! —Cravat 22—Teutonle de 23—Charts 24—Coarse chaf of grain -35—Dekrades ~Adm . 28 —Direction