Verhovayak Lapja, 1941. július-december (24. évfolyam, 27-52. szám)

1941-09-11 / 37. szám

Page S

September 11,194 L ________________VerhoVCtyClk Ldpjd

Hungary.” frequented by those movie stars who have had the good fortune of tasting the delicious Hungarian dishes, but when we arrived it was closed. We drove back and stopped at one of the many drive-in-service eating houses, so' popular in Los Angeles. The Steinmetzes had one of California’s favorites, “Chicken in the Rough.”

I stuck to old reliable, “Ham and Eggs.” Car-hops, by the way, are usually fancily dressed in California. Then we went to beautiful Westlake Park and took pictures. There are many attractions at Westlake Park, and the lake -is filled with hired out motor boats and canoes.

One afternoon Mrs. Steinmetz, Manci and I went to Exposition Park and there spent a goodly part of the day seeing the Los Angeles County Museum and the Art Gallery. /

I had the pleasure of meeting Zoltán Szabados on three occasions, and his very charming wife. Mr. Szabados. you know, is publisher-editor of “California Hungarians,” one of the finest weekly Hungarian publications in the country. Had I been able to stay but a week longer, Mr. Szabados would have successfully arranged to take me to five studios, the homes of some of the Hungarian actors, etc. He was very kind and affable.

Twice I was at the Magyar House, located on Washington Boulevard, the picture of which was published in the last issue. It is amazing that the Lo? Angeles Hungarians, who are so widely scattered, have been able to pull together to such an extent as to have the beautiful Magyar House. The terrace of the Magyar House resembles one in old Budapest, the people eating and drinking while listening to the melodious strains of Magyar music as interpreted by the gypsies. I met the president of the Magyar House, Stephen Arch, who is the father-* in-law of,Bela Lugosi, the famous Hungarian movie star. In addition I saw Hungarian actors and actresses there. And just as with the Baptist group, it was there that I met many Verhovay members, almost all of whom, upon finding out that I am employed at the Home Office, barraged me with the one question: WHEN WILL VERHOVAY ESTABLISH BRANCHES IN LOS ANGELES AND OTHER MAGYAR POPULATED SECTIONS OF CALIFORNIA? I could not give them much satisfaction, of course, but I tried to soothe them. Some of these members were personally acquainted with our supreme officers, and asked that I extend their greetings * to them. The Magyar House is indeed a credit to the Los Angeles Hungarians.

I was taken through the famous Wilshire district with its fine and magnificent stores, which is the ’’Fifth Avenue of the West.”

One night Albert and I attended a play given in Hollywood Bowl, in which Lionel Barrymore starred. Hollywood Bowl is the world’s largest outdoor auditorium.

The night we went to the Mexican quarter, near downtown, is one night I’ll never forget. There was everything that is Spanish and Mexican, and 'I almost thought for a while that I had been shanghaied over the Mexican border. That evening a California association called the Tip-Toppers Club, composed of very tall young men and women, were there, and Albert and I, although far from being short, looked like midgets beside them. However, they didn’t attract too much attention, for I suppose they’re well known in those parts. I talked to one of them, and he was very courteous to me. I found very fine looking couples among them. Perhaps some of you have read of the Tip-Toppers Club in California.

The day before I left, Mrs. Steinmetz, Manci and I went to Gay’s Lion Farm, mention of which, among others, was made in an earlier article of Albert Steinmetz’ “Sunkist Southern California” series. Under my influence, Mrs, Steinmetz and I kidded Manci about male lions acquiring their rich growth of mane from eating seven and a half year old girls with curls, in which category Manci just fits. Manci showed some anxiety about the matter but was willing to take the chance. I suppose she was just too smart for us, this younger geneiation being too, too sophisticated for us oldsters. Gay’s Lion Farm raises lions for the movies, circuses, zoos and amusement parks. Very interesting.

Los Angeles is a very large city, both in population and in area.

The climate of Southern California is ideal. It is summer weather all year round, and winter is practically unknown. No matter how hot the days may be the evenings are inyariably cool, so cool that one sleeps under covers. The heat of the day, however, is a dry heat, not

the sticky, humid and uncomfortable heat that we experience in the East. Consequently one hardly perspires at all. Actually, the temperature is not much higher than in the East, sometimes even lower, but certainly more comfortable.

Concerning the rainy weather which The Silhouette inquired about in the last issue, I can do no better than quote a pertinent paragraph from the first of Albert Steinmetz’ “Sunkist Southern California” series, issue of

December 12, 1940:

’

Although winter is the so-called rainy season, the average year has eleven days with sunshine at some time, only fifteen days when more than a quarter of an inch of rain falls, and two hundred sixty days during which the sun shines from morning till night. There is virtually no rain-from June to September...

The houses in Los Angeles and other parts of California are usually of one story, not the barnlike dwellings we have in the East, many of which are three stories. Although small, these homes seem to have almost the same number of conveniences our Eastern “hotel” homes do, and besides there’s not so much work in them for the women folk, consequently, they seem to hold their years well. Why I saw many a middle aged woman there whom I should not have hesitated to take out. Yes, I suppose they were so fresh locking because they don’t have to climb two or three stories and clean eight or nine rooms. The men in California probably don’t believe in “killing” their women with a lot of unnecessary work, and that is why they build them small, one story dwellings. I myself believe in the emancipation of woman— the right kind of emancipation, not barroom “emancipation,” smoking, night clubbing, and all those other foolish things.

The homes have no cellars to them, with the exception of apartment houses and hotels. Cellars are usually built to house furnaces and coal, keep vegetables in during the cold winter months, etc. But in Southern California the climate makes all that unnecessary. In the winter, when it is rather cool at night, small gas or electric heaters are used to take off the chill, or furnace and cooking system combinations are built in, in new houses, in wall closets or under the floors. Of course apartment houses and hotels have both furnaces and cellars. In California small private houses are built, and the people don’t build for income.

But please don’t think of Los Angeles in too heavenlike terms, for, like that of any other large American city, thq downtown of Los Angeles is a hustle and bustle, and you will not find palm trees there. As a matter of fact, part of the downtown and near downtown of Los Angeles is actually slummy. However, go out of the downtown and into the residential sections and outskirts and you will thrill at seeing the gorgeous palm trees along the beautiful broad boulevards, and there is much other semi-tropical vegetation. Many families have fig trees in their yards. The figs were not yet ripe when I got to the Steinmetzes, but the other day Albert wrote me telling me that his figs are already ripe, and invited me to go out there to eat of them! But I leave the superb beauties of California to your imaginations. I don’t think you can exaggerate too much.

Now I know you girls, and possibly some of you men, are eager to know something about Hollywood. Hollywood, girls, is really Los Angeles, but has the separate name to identify the vast movie industry that is located and concentrated there. It is actually Los Angeles proper and not a suburb.

You want to know how many actors and actresses I saw, and how many studios? Well, I saw only one actor, Lionel Barrymore, and just a few small studios, none of the main ones—somehow or other we just didn’t get around to them. Had I been able to stay a week longer, Mr. Zoltán Szabados can have, as I told you earlier, arranged for my visit to several studios and to the homes of some Hungarian actors. Disappointed? Perhaps I should have told you that I met Clark Gable and the other handsome male stars, or you fellows that I met Hedy Lamarr and the rest, of her lovely ilk. Blit being an honest American of Hungarian extraction, I would not feel right if I lied to you. Right now, due to sound pictures and other things, it is very difficult to get into a studio, and unless one has the “pull” one can not “invade” the studios. Why I didn’t even get to see my dream girl, Zazu Pitts!

On the night of July 18th I vigorously shook the hands of Albert Steinmetz and said good-by to him, for (Continued on Page 11)

THE 376 HERALD

(Prop, and Ed., JOHN “DIRK” FULOP)’

THE FIRST EPISTLE OF ‘ DIRK” TO THE VERHOVAYANS:

And it came to pass that on the eve of the Sabbath, the twelfth after the Great Feast, the two disciples of Verhovay, John the Saboian, and Albert of the family of Jozik, were making themselves in readiness for a long journey. With them were many of their followers. ALL believers in Verhovay. Most of them were of a place called McKeesport, and there were a chosen few from the great and illustrious city of Pittsburgh, one of whom was this humble scribe. All of them were preparing for a pilgrimage to Dearborn and Detroit.

And as they commenced to leave, those that*stood about to bid them farewell became saddened, and many tears were shed, and some cried, and some wept, and all were grief stricken and offered offerings of burnt tobacco. And among those that stood about were one of the faithful, Lorant Gyorffy by name, and the Goydanian Alex. And after the ceremony of departure, which consisted of much crying and ardent embracing, they got on ,their way, and the long itinerary went its way out into the wilderness and across the desert of Ohio.

They wandered throughput the long night in the desett, and as they journeyed they spake, sang, sight-saw, slept and snored.

Then they drew nigh unto the walls of the city of Detroit, and they rejoiced within themselves for they knew that soon their long sojourn would be at an end. And entering in by the gates of the city, they were met by many of the faithful who were awaiting them.

And among those that were there to greet the sojourners was the disciple Ferret who cometh of the Branch of 429. And beholding her “Dirk” said unto himself: Yea, verily, and hot dog! this is a woman -;f much beauty and comeliness and hospitality, but she hath already taken unto herself a spouse, but he is a man among men and a Vc.rhovayan besides.

And even as “Dirk” spake thusly, the local citizenry who belongeth to the fold guided them out of the city to a place called Dearborn which is hard by to the north. And reaching that

(Continued on Page 11)