A salute to Army
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No big deal. Just another day of my seven years in the L.A. office, or around 1/8th the number of years Army has been filing his column, "Just for Variety," which ends today.
"Army," I said worshipfully, because I am always worshipful around genuine Hollywood icons, "last night you talked about covering Hollywood in the late 1940s, just after you got out of the Service. You were on the 'Supper Club' beat. It sounded amazing."
"Steve," said Army seriously, because Army takes every question, fact, quote, scoop, deadline (well, not every one), phone number, medical report, film launch, marriage crash, newborn babe and departing soul real damn seriously, "you have no idea."
He was right, of course.
And I'm willing to guess that 90% of the folks reading this newspaper today have no idea.
Without a time machine to zap us back to Chasen's or Ciro's, the Copa, Perrino's, the Mocambo or the studios when Giants walked the soundstages, or the patios, lounges, pool decks, rumpus rooms and banquet halls of the kings, queens, clown princes and royal scoundrels who ruled the Dream Factory roost, how could we?
Since there's no sign that G.M. has plans to start manufacturing H.G. Wells' famous vehicle, we've assembled a small, but choice, selection from Army's 52 years of daily encounters on the showbiz beat. Just take a stroll through a few of Army's most fascinating toe-to-toes with the Hollywood pros and I think you might just start to get the idea.
(Steven Gaydos is Variety's Executive Editor, Features.)
