Daily News from New York, New York • 63

SMITTY a. 11 mm aw a a j- i i livvi ivui wi i s---ir. jV Mr. il fl L' Lu4 HA HUl "a- ir v- if sou oiDrVir kjsJOvj I'm 0 Of Ort- 3. kf- i i bored.

'Soinethinjr funnv will hap 'The Doctor's Wife' Takes a Hubby Mainly About Theatre: in Happy Birthday to the Young Vic By JOHN CHAPMAN It could be argued that there are the solo peformances running: on Broadway Tallulah Jlankhead in "Dear Charles" X) in Music." Miss Bankhead, yjr (I if LJ pen in every audience, he said. "And up to now knock wood I lu.ven't had one heckler." Makes Minor Changes Borjje, the nun, who relaxes while working, switches jokes whenever he thinks of a new joke, which is often. Basically, though, his routining is ahout the same as i it was on the opening: niuht. The mam difference between then and now is that now a poodle wanders onto the stage, sniffs Borge's trouser cuff while Victor is hammering the hinges off the piano, and saunters disdainfully off. This is a hilarious moment, anil it is the only thing in the show that Borge didn't think up.

Th poodle thought up this one all by himself. The dog's name is L'Amour (his brother, Toujours, was killed by a car). L'Amour is Borge's dog, and he has been at every performance. L'Amour came to the theatre with his master and was shut up in the dressing loom for many weeks. One night somelxxly Iri't the door open and L'Amour, lont--some, thought he'd see what the boss was doing.

The boss was playing a medley on the piano, working hard. L'Amour walked onstage and sniffed the right leg. Borge, laboring hard at his medley ami trying to keep from laughing (the audience was howling) paid the dog no heed, so pretty soon L'Amour walked off again. Now the pooch does it every night. At the right moment Tie is brought out of the dressing room.

And why does he always march on stage and sniff the leg? Elementary, my dear Watson. Tln ie is a cookie in the trouser cuff. :7 is quite different from the business of last Oct. 2. "I didn't have enough friends to fill the house on opening night," Victor recalled.

The house was almost all paper and it wasn't full. Then the reviews appeared and business zoomed. (If the theatre thinks it could get along without the critics, it's crazy.) Borge's bo office record is astonishing. He took a vacation the month of July spent it running his pheasant and guinea hen farm in Connecticut so he has worked only 11 months. In that time he has taken in $775,000, exclusive of government amusement tax.

On Oct. 2 he will play his 384th His average weekly gross is $21,000. Not all of this is his, by a long chalk, what with rent, seven idle stage hands, five standby musicians, a press agent and a poodle to support; but there is enough left. When an actor gets into a long run people are sure to ask him (a I isn't a long grind like that hard work, and (b) istk't he bored. Victor's answer to the first question is that "Comedy in Music" is the opposite of hard work.

He told me, "when I get on the stage is the only time I have to relax." As to the second question, he doesn't get Wheel Patricia Patricia Wheel. TV actress, married yesterday at the Central Presbyterian Church to industrial designer Kric Henry Alba Teran. The bride is the daughter of Mrs. Cecil Mont-Komery-Moore of St. (Jeorfte, Ber- 'and Victor Borjje in "Comedy however, only seems to be living' a solo performances.

There are other actors with her on the stage and a very pleasant and capable hunch, too: but she manages to dominate thorn and her audience and give the impression of being all by herself up there. But Borge is the champ, because he really is all alone up there all the time, except for a poodle which wander on for a moment. Victor cannot even dominate the poodle, 1- i i- .1., iri, aioue an audience, vt nai ne does is charm an audience. He does this so well that on Oct. 2 he will celebrate the first anni versary of his tenancy of the John uolden Theatre.

This is a new record for squatting. Didn't Eipect Much Borge came to town last year in his amiable mixture of piano-playing and joking, hopeful of a run of a few weeks. After that he would go on tour on the concert circuit, doing mostly one-night stands. Before he opened, I was doubtful that he could last long, for history was against him. Ethel Waters, Ruth Draper, Cornelia Otis Skinner and many others have tried the solo stunt in a Broadway house at Broadway prices and at best have managed nice little engagements.

When Borge lasted longer than he and I thought he could a couple of months I asked him how he felt about it. He said he was surprised and grateful, but wondering if he wasn't losing money. On a hit-and-run tour, he explained, he could play to bigger grosses in bigger houses. Last week he told nie he has chanted his mind. This New York run has become such a fabulous thing, and audiences have been so pleasant and so intelligent, that he won't quit here unil he runs out of customers.

S.R.O. Now According to box oifice might be here a year from now for this fall he has been playing to the biggest business yet, with standing room only at almost all performances. This VEKY rUNNV SHOW." Wa'rrr inrhtll MMIMtN ALU TV CAREY CARLISLE ANNIVERSARY WALTZ lit IIII.AHIOI MOMH' Mail 0rr Filled EM. M.UH. 2146 Ev.i t4 0.

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CI. at Mata. KU. A SAT. at Welfare Island Span Put Safely in Place On the second try within three months, the hue center span of the new Welfare Island vertical lift bridge was floated into position in a delicate, four-hour operation that ended at noon yesterday.

Kn hi -i nuxla, and the late Lester II. Wheel of New York and St. Louis. She has appeared on the stage and for two years had the title vole in the radio drama, "The Doctor's Wife." then were used to boost the span into place. Then the barges were flooded to sink them low enough into the water so they could be eased away.

Then the span was lowered to the supporting piers. Zurmuhlen said he expected the bridge to be ready for use by next spring. Balanchine Hired; Seat Sale Opens George Balanchine will do the dances for "House of Tickets go on sale at the 46th St. Theatre today for "On Your Toes," arriving Oct. 11.

"By the Beautiful Sea," moving to the Imperial next Monday, reaches its -OOth performance tonight The Hurtado de Cordoba Ballet a four-week stand at the 48th St. Theatre on Oct. 10. Friday and Saturday night lal cony seats for "Fanny," which doesn't open until Nov. 11.

are sold out until next March. The first attempt last July, near- ly ended in disaster when one of the supporting barges sank and the 1.000-ton span nearly feu into the East River. Commissioner Pleased Yesterday's operation, however, went smoothly and delighted Commissioner of Public Works Frederick H. Zurmuhlen, whose department is building the bridges to relieve traffic congestion on the Queensboro Bridge. The new bridge will connect the northern end of the island with Long Island City.

At resent, the only access to the is-and is by elevator from the Queensboro Bridge and by ferry, both operated at a combined cost about $450,000 a Might Drop Ferry The cost of operating the tridge, Zurmuhlen said, will be only about. a year and probably would permit closing down the elevators and ferry service. Two barges bearing the span were towed into position by seven tugs at 8 A. M. yesterday hydra lie IB iiroQaii.