Esther & George 2
This is a “salute” written by Al Hirschfeld in “Don Freeman’s Newsstand” in PM Magazin from July 18, 1943 titled: “The Real McCoy is in the Army now”. The text reads:
“George (The Real) McCoy, whose middle monicker is Braidwood, came through the African campaign O.K. This startling piece of good news came to me by V-mail from the great man himself. I pass it along to you as an important war news item because gents of the McCoy stature don’t happen every day.
Almost a graduate of PS 132, Mac started his career with a borrowed umbrella. On rainy nights he would use this umbrella to escort stranded subway passengers from the 181st Street station to their homes. From Mac’s point of view this was not work because he liked to walk in the rain. And so it has been ever thus with McCoy. He uses up all of his energy in living, never seemingly to find the leisure for work. Endowed with a life saver’s physique, a policeman’s face, an allergy to money, a great capacity for friendship and an insatiable appetite, Mac has managed to invent a unique life for himself where all these qualities are given free expression. From life guard at Coney Island to Al Smith’s bodyguard on his presidential tour, from salesman for the Chick-Chick Easter Egg Dye Co. to New York’s accredited No. I gate-crasher, from Broadway interviewer for Station WEAF to overaged Pvt. G. B. McCoy in North Africa, is 20th century America.
Way back when automobiles were as common as ration books, Mac would start his day with a free demonstration in one of the more expensive models as a sort of pick-me-up. He explored this town of ours and discovered among other things music stores where the world’s treasure of music was being sold but could be heard for nothing. And the Waldorf-Astoria, at cocktail hour, where the generous management offered cigarettes and delicious little snacks free of charge. And the Automat where a free lemonade may be had for a minimum of effort. The iced tea glasses. with lemon slices decorating their rims merely needed a bit of free sugar from an joining table and fresh ice water.
The City of New York seemed to be organized to keep McCoy happy. He discovered conventions artd other public dinners at hotels where overzealous press agents would foist their releases on him in the mistaken idea that he was a newspaperman. The dinner. brandy and cigars at these public .gatherings were considered reasonable pay.
Mac was probably the only man in New York who had never seen the first act of a performance but had seen the second act of every show in town. This was due to his discovery that door checks were no longer issued at intermissions in the Broadway theaters.
The World’s Fair was adopted by McCoy and became his home for the duration. A school teacher at the head of the line of children unwittingly led Mac into the Fair. Mac was at the end of the line yelling at the kids to keep in line and before you could say Pantelleria Mac was having a free shave at the Barbasol exhibit. He lived at the Fair for some months sleeping at night in the private suite of The Royal Scot. The Royal Scot was a crack train shipped over here from the British Isles for the railroad exhibition at the Fair. Breakfast foods, candies, milk, swimming pools, massages, haircuts, shaves, cigarets, band concerts, fireworks, lectures, wine and beer samples were all there free for Mac to enjoy.
It was at the Fair that Mac’s education was completed. He came out of there a man of the world, traveled, informed and with a wonderful curiosity about people. Having spoken to everyone from everywhere he was ready for his career as a sidewalk interviewer. His first job with WEVD almost got away from him. He asked a Marine recently returned from the Orient, “Is it true what they say about Chinese women, that they are up in the trenches fighting with the men?” The second half of his query never had a chance. The studio cut him off. He managed to survive this insanity somehow and made his way to the major networks. One evening outside the Astor Hotel, where Mac usually held forth for WEAF, an unprepossessing stranger ambled up to the microphone. He was asked the usual questions, Name?, Where do you live?, etc. Mac then asked him, “What do you do to amuse yourself, brother?” Greeted by a hesitant reply, Mac pursued his prey further with, “Well, what for instance, did you do this evening for amusement?” The unforgettable reply was “I had my hat cleaned.”
Unpredictable product of a free America. Mac enlisted and was accepted for overseas duty. It is indeed wonderful to hear he came through Africa. O.K.”
