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Bennett CerfBennett Cerf
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Session:         Page of 1029

deal younger than I am, about sixteen years, seventeen years. It's a good long time.

Q:

You're young at heart, anyway.

Cerf:

Well, it's been glorious, just about perfect. Then, of course, Lela Rogers jumped in and said that she had to give an engagement party for us. Ginger was making a picture then called Lucky Partners so, of course, Lela, always with an eye for publicity, had the party she gave for us tied up with Lucky Partners and she had partners who had become famous together. At the Stork Club this was, and of course Ross was sort of the guest of honor. He had been the architect of this thing. What I remember about this party that was particularly amusing is that in the middle of the party, Billingsley kicked Ross out of the Club. Winchell triggered this. Winchell hated Ross because the New Yorker had done a six-part article on him, destroying him, by St. Clair McKelway. The Stork Club was really ruled by Winchell at that time.

Q:

Walter Winchell?

Cerf:

Walter Winchell. His column then was very powerful, and if he didn't want somebody at the Stork he made Billingsley kick him out.

He saw Ross and sent word that he was to be evicted. So the note was given to Ross. He had to get out. That's when





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