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car for 27 years - he deserved it for Leave Her to Heaven and for House of Wax.") They also spend a great deal of time discussing who's inside and who is expected. "If you've never got them, Fernando Lamas and Esther Williams are here tonight."

"Esther Williams. How is she these days?"

"Fernando's the one. He's losing his looks. But Esther's holding up fabulously.

[[image: black and white photo of David Lefkowitz getting an autograph from Reginald Gardiner]]
[[caption]] David Lefkowitz stops Reginald Gardiner for an autograph. [[/caption]]

Naturally, such full-time fans are on a first-name basis with the famous almost immediately, but one of the things that makes the game rewarding is that sometimes the compliment is returned. David, for example, counts as a high point the night Jack Douglas took him to a restaurant on 48th Street and bought him a sandwich, and Celia cherishes a blouse Maureen Stapleton gave her that once belonged to Marilyn Monroe - "It's a size 34."

With this kind of semifamiliar relationship to the stars, it comes as no surprise that the sidewalk experts have their favorites ("Bette Davis looked great tonight. Tons of wrinkles, but a face.") and their enemies ("Barbra Streisand, who I always knew would make it big, was nice when I Can Get It for You Wholesale was on, but she changed with Funny Girl.") Some of the celebs, who get a low rating, are predictable - like Greta Garbo, who never signs. But Katharine Hepburn, Kay Francis, Richard Widmark, Groucho Marx and Jerry Lewis are also unpopular. One of the troupe's fondest memories is the night Jerry Lewis made faces at them. Celia returned the compliment by sticking out her tongue and yelling "If it wasn't for us, you'd still be pushing cookies."

Because the autograph band has been at it for so long, they have, over the years, built up an internal star system of their own, complete with a pantheon of heros and a grand dame. The latter is named Rose Kaplan and she has reportedly been making the rounds for 45 years, though she is seen only on special occasions these days. Jack Custer and Al English are two other respected veterans; English, particularly, because he holds a rare autograph of W. C. Fields. 

In spite of the long-standing nature of the club, the gang at Sardi's Outside is certainly not exclusive. Anyone is welcome to join, either for an evening's observation or a long run. Take the case of Cliff Major, for example. Cliff, an otherwise conservative optical-equipment salesman from New Haven, is in New York on business one week out of each month and four nights of that week are spent in front of Sardi's.

Major, unlike most of the autograph seekers, often goes to a Broadway show in the evening and actually goes inside Sardi's for an after-theatre drink. "Somehow, though, about 11:30 I always find myself standing outside on the sidewalk. I never bother any celebrities. I just watch the others get autographs. Some get them in a quiet way, some are forceful, some are far out. For my money, they put on one of the best shows in town."

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[[image: black and white photo of Angela Lansbury wearing a fur coat but with her bare shoulders exposed]]

ALEXANDER H. Cohen 
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ANGELA LANSBURY
in the new musical
DEAR WORLD

Music and Lyrics by JERRY HERMAN

Book by JEROME LAWRENCE and 
ROBERT E. LEE

Based on a play by
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Choreography by DONALD SADDLER

Directed by LUCIA VICTOR

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