Siren's Stunt

To snake her way through a radiobroadcast love scene, Theda Bara, 52, siren of the early silents, emerged from 20-odd years of retirement. Her victim was goggle-eyed Groucho Marx. The studio audience found the famed vamp about 30 Ib. heavier than in her salad days, but still trim in the legs, hypnotic in the eyes. They also found her afflicted with stage fright. The ex-siren told reporters she did the stunt as a favor to friends, had no idea of trying a comeback, then returned to the curio-cluttered mansion where she has long been one of Hollywood's most diligent and lavish hostesses.

Visitors

To launch the "Quint Fleet" of five freighters at Superior, Wis., the Dionne Quintuplets made their first trip to the U.S. Crowds jammed the station platforms along the way, some 15,000 turned up at the shipyard. There, during three and a half hours of oratorical and musical whoop-te-do, the five eight-year-olds sat on a lofty platform, at 45-minute intervals marched to a ship and smashed a pint of Niagara River water on a bow. Lefthanded Emilie, whose possible performance had caused a little worry, did beautifully with a masterly righthanded smack. Biggest applause of the day was given to Papa Dionne, who took a bow.

Back in Manhattan for another visit were the Duke & Duchess of Windsor, who came to town with a manservant, a maid and a secretary. The Governor of the Bahamas said that it was both a personal and a business visit, that the matter of the Bahamas' war-torn economic situation would be taken up in Washington. "I want to see what's in the stores," said the Duchess. Said the yellow-carnation-boutonniered Duke: "I'm afraid there won't be much shopping. We haven't many dollars."

Incidentally

Manhattan's Mrs. Harrison Williams,

many-time "world's best-dressed woman," also famed for her grey hair, dyed it brown.

A pair of Sally Rand's old fans were installed in the museum of the Chicago Historical Society.

Flashed from Hollywood were two newsy items: 1) before entering Naval flying school, Robert Taylor will shave off his mustache; 2) Martha Scott likes to cook scrambled eggs with peanut butter.

Politicks & Ventilation

Aired in Manhattan after nearly half a century in a bank vault were some of Benjamin Franklin's thoughts on fresh air, some of Thomas Jefferson's and John Adams' thoughts on each other. The Founding Fathers' thoughts had been confided to Fellow-Declaration-of-Independence-Signer Benjamin Rush.

> Of Jefferson, Adams wrote to Rush: "I am bold to say I was his preceptor in politicks and taught him everything that has been good and solid in his whole political conduct." Three years later Adams was "shuddering" at "the calamities which I fear his conduct is preparing for his country."

> Of Adams, Jefferson wrote next year: ". . . With the commonplace topic of politics we do not meddle. When there are so many others on which we agree why should we introduce the only one on which we differ?"

>Wrote ahead-of-his-time Ben Franklin: "I hope that after having discovered the benefits of fresh and cool Air apply'd to the Sick, People will begin to suspect that possibly it may do no Harm to the Well."

Fortunes of War

From the "Eight Ball II" on an Antwerp sweep, Army Air Forces Captain Clark Gable got his first Fortress-eye look at Europe, manned no guns but "learned a lot." He also nearly froze his hands, having nullified the protection of electrically heated gloves by wearing a leather pair underneath. Captain Gable is the gunnery officer of a new Fortress group expected to start operational flights soon.

On his 28th birthday Orson Welles unstrapped himself from a brace that keeps one of his vertebrae in line, tried to touch his toes for examining Army doctors, got as far ("Ouch!") as his knees, presently went home a 4-F.

Booster

Hungry Topeka Rotarians wondered what had happened to the speaker of the evening. The speaker, Governor Andrew F. Schoeppel, was stalled between floors in an elevator. After 20 stalled minutes he boosted his fellow passengers out through an opening between the elevator ceiling and the shaft door, human-fly'd his own way out.

What Is an Optimist, Pop?

On the eve of the Anti-Saloon League's 50th anniversary, 87-year-old co-founder Dr. Howard Hyde Russell clung fast to his optimism: "This country will be dry by 1950--and I will live to see it."

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