March 13, 1942

5

DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and the Legal Chronicle

Cafe Royal Is Rediscovered

By JACOB FISHMAN Dean of American-Jewish Editors

EDITOR'S NOTE—The most fashionable eating place in New York today is Cafe
Royal, made doubly famous by a Broadway play around it and by a recent
battle between Dorothy Thompson and a blonde anti-Semite who attacked
the famous columnist. Mr. Fishman, American's greatest Jewish editor a nd
one of the most famous of the restaurant's regular patrons, lifts the curtain
shrouding the past of this famous cafe. His amusing observations restore
a fascinating picture of New York Jewish life, long obscured by legend.

Rabbi Gold to Speak
At Sisters of Zion
Mizrachi Banquet

Musical Program Is Ar-
ranged by Julius Chajes,
Center's Musical Director

Rabbi Wolf Gold, chairman of
the World Executive of Mizrachi,
will be the guest speaker Sun-
day evening, March 16, at a
banquet tendered by the Sisters
of Zion Mizrachi and the
en's League for Sabbath Obsi, v-
ance at the Jewish Community
Center, Woodward and Holbrook,
in honor of merchants who have
closed their shops on Saturday.
The event climaxes the efforts
expended (luring the past several
months by the above and affili-
ated organizations in the direc-
tion of Sabbath observance by
Jewish businessmen.
Julius Chides, musical director
of the Jewish Community Cen-
ter, has arranged a program for
the evening which includes Can-
tor David Katzman, who will
render liturgical selections, and
Leo Holinstat, violinist, concert
master of Jewish Center Or-
chestra. Both will be accom-
panied by Miss Lucy Wolton,
pianist, of the same orchestra.
Rabbi Moses Fischer of Congre-
gation Bnai Moshe will deliver
greetings on behalf of the Coun-
cil of Detroit Rabbis. Rabbi Max
J. Wohlgelernter of Congrega-
tion Beth Tefilo Emanuel will
act as toastmaster.
Tickets, at $1.25 per plate,
may stil be had by calling Mrs.
Abraham Caplan, at To. 7-0869,
or the office of the Michigan
Synagogue Conference, Trinity
1-2934.

ORIENTAL EXPERTS

Albert Jay Nock, who wove
that curious theory that Ameri-
can Jews were Orientals, must

get strange satisfaction seeing
how many American Jews are
"experts" on the win in the
Orient. Latest is Maurice Hindus,
who's rushing to print for next
month a new opus called "Rus-
sia and Japan Must Fight". He's
prepared to go out on a limb
again, feeling pretty happy that
his last book, "Hitler Cannot
Conquer Russia," published when
everybody else was already pray-
ing Satlin's tomb, has been

restaurant is located. But never a word of regre
Cafe Royal has. been rediscovered again. The
or a whimper came from the stolid Sigmund. iIt
discovery and rediscovery of this bizarre and
did his work efficiently and evaded all attempt:,
exotic caravansery in the midst of Peter Stuyve-
to draw him into a conversation about his foolish
sant's historic section of New York has been a
favorite pastime of writers and guide-book pub- act. Oscar, in turn, treated him well. Sigmund
retired only a few years ago.
lishers during the last three decades of its
But it seems that success came to Oscar a little
checkered career.
too late to enjoy. Though only in his late forties,
Cafe Royal is perhaps the last surviving citadel
he developed heart trouble. He made yearly
of the nostalgic Central and Eastern European
trips to Bad Nauheim, Carlsbad and other spas; he
Cafe habitue. It has been a curious combination
Buda-
s most of the summer in his beloved Buda-
of such world-famed "institutions" as the Re- spent
pest and Vienna. And then, one day, about six
ivanisches Cafe in pre-Hitler Berlin, the Imperial
sud-
seven years ago, Oscar passed away .sud-
and Bayer cafes in old Vienna, and the Dom anti
Cupole cafes in prewar Paris. While it drew its denly, at the peak of his prosperity. His widow
major patronage from the local literati and Yid- continues the business in the old spirit and tra-
ditions.
dish thespians, it competed rather strongly with
WINDOW SHADES
That, in brief, is the saga of the Royal.
the "Village" as a spot for sightseers and epi-
MADE TO ORDER
What of its habitues and patrons?
cureans of the goulash and paprikash variety.
Cafe
Royal
has
been
the
shrine
of
such
famous
Cleaned
and Repaired
Let it be said at the very outset that Cafe Royal's
actors as Jacob P. Adler and Boris Thomashefsky,
food has always been more attractive and whole-
LINOLEUM
as well as a host of literary men and critics who,
some than its surroundings.
also, are no more. The renowned music critic of
Inlaid and Battleship
The latest discovery of Cafe Royal has been the Staats Zeitung, Dr. Halperson, used to write
•
• reviews
Rugs and Furniture
effected by the stage. Listen to the couples lean-
his
in Cafe Royal. In the good old days
ing the current play "Cafe Crown" in a midtown it was also a mecca for the lower-grade art
VENETIAN BLINDS
New York theater and you will most likely hear dealers and collectors. One might have picked up
Drapery Hardware
the following dialogue: there a candlestick purported to have come from
Oct Our Prices and Save
"But Clarence, do you mean to tell me that Crown Prince Rudolph's palace, or first editions
Free Estimates Furnished
there is actually such a cafe in New York? If so, of Schnitzler's works, from itinerant art dealers
then why don't you take me there?"
and collectors.
8625 LINWOOD
"You said it, Ginger, darling, and that's where
Most of these figures have now passed away,
CALL TYLER 5-1230
we're going right now. Hey, taxi, Cafe Royal!" as well as a great number of actors and writers.
And so, Cafe Royal is at present enjoying a The latest grievous loss to the Royal is the re-
wave of prosperity which is the envy of many nowned Dr. Solomon Neumann, who had been a
more glamorous night spots in New York. I am stamm-gast of the Cafe for the greatest part of
told that the famous "21" cafe is beginning to its existence. Dr. Neumann not only was a scholar
feel the competition. Who knows—perhaps there of the type that is continually adding to his
is a dark plot being manipulated to spirit away knowledge and reading, but one who spent prac-
the now famous Herman, the bus-boy—Hymie in tically all his savings in collecting etchings and
the play—to the Gay White Way? antiques. He loved to discuss Shakespeare and
The present rediscovery of Cafe Royal has Wagner. His table was always the center of
come as a godsend to its proprietress, the widow lively talks. No one who visited the Royal for
Szatmarie. It needed a revival badly. The local the first time failed to notice and admire the man Fray and Braggiotti
patronage had been falling away by leaps and with the patriarchal head, with the bushy hair At Fisher Town Hall
bounds. What with three darkened theaters on and receding forehead, who invariably was finger-
Jacques Fray and Mario Brag-
Second Avenue within a radius of a half mile, ing some old edition of the masters, or a pocket
and with the continual encroachment upon its Bible. Dr, Neumann is missed by thousands of giotti, famous duo-pianists, com-
posers, entertainers and parodists,
gastronomic offerings by Rumanian eating places, frequenters of the Cafe Royal.
Apartment Hotel
plus zithers and multilingual offerings by numer-
The main characteristic of Cafe Royal in normal will close the Detroit Town Hall
ous dairy restaurants, the Cafe Royal in recent times is, I should say, the crowding together of season in the Fisher Theater next
Collingwood at Third
years was becoming a shadow of its old self. It as many as ten persons around a table meant for Wednesday, March 18, at 11 a. in.
This internationally renowned
is reported of many jobless actors that upon
four. It was a common sight in those days to
to 4 room suites,
leaving Cafe Royal after a "kibbitzing session"
find two or three tables crowded with about 30 team were such a hit in their
furnished or unfurnished,
of five or six hours, they solemnly leave word with or 40 "patrons," while the rest of the tables were Town Hall program last year that
H o t el service optional,
they were immediately re-engaged.
"Hymie" that they may be found in Geffner's deserted.
dining room, garage in
Certain privileged people have their steady They will present a new program,
dairy restaurant in case anyone should phone or
connection.
ask for them. In accordance with the old tradi- places. They needn't be customers. Toward the including some of their famous
back of the Cafe, between the entrances to the musical caricatures.
tion of the Royal, this gives no offense.
TOWNSEND 8.2680
Tickets are on sale at Grin-
washrooms for both sexes, is a small table for
In its three decades of existence, Cafe Royal
has seen many changes all around it. In fact, two, which is inviolable. It is reserved for the nell's, Ra. 1124.
manager of the Hebrew Actor's Union, who us-
only Cafe Royal fought valiantly against any
ually conducts his business with the actors be-
change in its interior decorations as well as in
tween the hours of 11 P. M. and 2 A. M. The
its cuisine. Thirty years ago Cafe Royal was one
chair opposite the manager's has been dubbed
of a string of European-style cafes on Second
the "electric chair" by some actors, because of
Avenue. There was the Cosmopolitan with its
the slim chance of getting an engagement in
card room and newspaper files, the Monopol with
the present declining days of the Yiddish theater.
its chess room, where champions played exhibition
Then there is the perenniel Herman Gold,
The utmost care is exercised in planning our
games for a dollar a throw, and the Boulevard
with its famous terrace, which was long the the poet, childish-looking with his jet-black beard.
menus to insure sufficient variety to please the
retreat of the medical fraternity and other pro- There is a story about Gold's beard. It is said
most exacting taste.
that he decided to grow the beard some years
fessionals.
Lower Second Avenue was then nicknamed ago in protest because his only son refused to
VISIT OUR COCKTAIL LOUNGE
talk Yiddish. The beard is supposed to have
"Little Germany," from Houston to 14th Streets.
shamed the young son for slighting the language
Your favorite drink mixed by experts
Further North it was a hospital and institutional
in which his father writes really good children's
mecca. Sturdy trees lined the street on both
poems. And, of course, there is "our own" Chone
sides, giving it the aspect of a promenade.
der Bewuster. There is the former queen of the
With the onrush of the Eastern European im-
migration, the character of Second Ave. changed Yiddish stage, Sarah Adler, who seems to have
discovered the fountain of youth. At 80 or
rapidly. The German element retreated to York-
so, she is sprightlier and more vivacious than
ville. The former "Little Germany" is now popu-
many younger ones half her age. There is the
12TH and HAZELWOOD
larly known as "Knish Boulevard," a tribute to
PHONE TRINITY 2-9366
usual run of actors, musicians, box-office men,
the scores of dairy restaurants featuring this
doughy morsel along with dozens of other dairy with little to say, entrepeneurs, playwrights,
dishes, herrings, borscht, Schtchav, blintzes and chorus girls, scene shifters, theatrical brokers, etc.
The Yiddish writers are only rarely to be found
such.
The Royal alone held out. Its menu today is there now. Most of them have become home-
"THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A LONDON"
bodies.
no different than it has been for thirty years.
However, these cosmopolitan frequenters of
The only concession to public opinion the Royal
the Royal find themselves crowded out now by
Delicatessen
has made in three decades has been to consent
to serve tea and coffee in a glass instead of a the onrush of the sightseers who come to com-
Featuring WILNO KOSHER PRODUCTS
pare Cafe Royal with Cafe Crown of the stage.
cup, when requested.
All Kinds of Sandwiches
It has happened recently that the sightseers and
The saga of the Royal is wrapped in romantic
Be Entertained with Sweet Music While You Eat
slummers had the place to themselves and ex-
and curious episodes. I can personally vouch for
MEET YOUR FRIENDS AT LONDON'S
amined each other, while the real "attractions"
one of them, having to do with the transfer of
12133 LINWOOD
TO. 8-0545
sought refuge in near-by cafeterias.
that now famous cafe to the Szatmaries.
Beer & Wine to take out and served - - We Deliver
Ordinarily Cafe Royal is no respecter of
That goes back to the pre-World War I period.
persons. Such guests as David Sarnoff, Sam Ro-
At that time Cafe Royal was a poor business
se, George Sokolsky and others can spend a
enterprise. It was one of a few of its kind, and
quiet hour in the Royal without being pestered
there wasn't enough patronage to go around.
by celebrity seekers. The arrival of movie stars
Its then owner, a tall stately Hungarian—
such as Claudette Colbert or Boris Karloff causes
let's call him Sigmund—had been worrying con-
scarcely a ripple in the Cafe Royal. In fact,
tinually how to balance his budget, let alone
I am told that some movie stars resent the fact
profits. In order to forget his worries, he in-
that they are left alone by autograph seekers. An
dulged in the late evening hours in the Hungarian
anecdote is told about a famous movie star who
card game known as Klaberyass with his star
mistook for an autograph seeker a woman wno
waiter, Oscar Szatmarie. But Sigmund was just
tried to sell her a ticket for a non-existent old
as unlucky in Klaberyass as in business. One eve-
folks h
. The movie star eagerly grabbed the
ning, after a run of extremely bad luck, he di.s-
covered that he was in debt to Oscar for no less proffered ticket and autographed it. Then there
was a comedy of errors. The women waited for
We invite your mortgage business.
than 46 dollars.
h quarter, and when informed that she ought
her
"Now, Oscar," said Sigmund despairingly, "you
It will receive our careful considera-
know as well as I that there is no chance of my to be satisfied with the autograph, cried out:
tion from inception to completion.
paying back the $46. So here is what I propose. "Otegraphs, shmotegraphs, who cares for such
foolishness?"
Let's play one more game for the entire $46. If
In the play, the leading character of Cafe
I win, then we are quits, and I will give up the
Royal is "Hymie," the busboy, with his quaint
game. If I lose, you take the cafe, lock, stock
and barrel, and I will work for you as a waiter." ow. n-ma de language, his voracity for tips and
Oscar must have had a premonition of what his private usury business. But of him enough
was coming, a nd he assented to the gamble. He has been written and said "Hymie" or Herman,
is entirely oblivious to the literature he has in-
won the game and the restaurant. For years
spired. His philosophy in life is: "What I care
after Sigmund, stalwart and dignified, worked
1605 Barium Tower
for naikies they call me, so long as I the nickels
as the star waiter. He lived to see business
get."
booming uncannily, due to the closing of its
Cafe Royal has its high tide just now.
rivals, and Oscar buying the house in -.vhich the

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