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Bennett CerfBennett Cerf
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Session:         Page of 1029

the Ansonia Hotel, which is at Broadway and about Seventyfourth Street, a very nice residential hotel in those days (it's still there but the neighborhood has deteriorated) where Moss installed them in a suite, Mama and Papa Hart and young brother Bernie Hart. That was the start of a new life for Moss.

George has told many stories about Moss. When they were trying out in Atlantic City, for instance, he walked into Moss‘room in the hotel where they were working together, and Moss had his toilet articles in a cigar box. He was so poor that he had his razor and his toothpaste and everything, instead of in a leather case, in a cigar box. This impressed George very much.

Well, when the money started rolling in, it turned out that Moss could spend it just as fast as he got it. He got solid gold garters, and gold cigarette cases. If he saw a sweater that he liked, he'd buy it in eighteen different colors. All the rest of his life he was prodigal.

One big hit followed another. Moss became one of the most popular, successful, famous people in the entire theatrical world. Everybody loved and trusted him. He was a gay bachelor.

Q:

Did he ever marry?

Cerf:

He did.

One of the things that bothered Moss was that he went





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