Gourmet Shops of New York: Markets, Foods, Recipes

Billy Rose had mastered the technique of serving brilliant spectacles to the masses at prices they could afford in depression times. From Jumbo in 1935, he'd gone to the fabulous Casa Manana show at Ft. Worth in the Texas Centennial Fair in 1936 which won him the Cleveland assignment and opened the door to still greater triumphs to come. The Cleveland show was both a milestone and an unforgettable innovation in the history of show business. The Austin Sisters barely made the cast by virtue of the fact they were both beautiful and could swim elegantly. Without Texas Bunny, their singing was strictly of the show business average variety. Phil came in off the road to try out for the big extravaganza, and looked up both Maddy and Flair. The two young women gave him the distinct cold shoulder, so he left Cleveland without even an audition. After the show, George and the two girls headed for Buffalo where Flair's father, Vic, had recently bought a radio station. The West had not agreed with the New Jersey ex-bootlegger. "Not enough people," he groused. "Not enough audience for a real radio station." His goal was to buy into the New York market, but so far Buffalo was as close as he could get ...»