THE JOHN O'HARA SOCIETY

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                                One of the Hagedorn and Brownmiller series

On March 30, 1929 publication of "Fifteen-Minutes-For Efficiency." The New Yorker.

A "fifteen-minutes-for-efficiency" meeting at he famous Hagedorn & Brownmiller, Incorporated, " ... the best and second largest manufacturers of paints and varnishes in the Yorkville section ... the oldest, and our goal right now is to be the largest manufacturers not only in the Yorkville section but in the whole island of Manhattan itself! Now to achieve that aim is why we have these meetings; it's why we're here."

"Oh, here you are, Mr. Cleary. I was a little afraid you forgot about our meeting. Not that I wish to be a - martinet or anything like that, going around enforcing discipline down everybody's throats, but I wish when we say we're going to meet at four-thirty-five, we'd all make a special effort to get here at four-thirty-five."

A satirical insight into our culture by the John O'Hara who in those years would sleep late, only to awaken  hungover. In March 1929 the economy was at full speed. Six months later (less one day) the stock market crashed.

                                                         Pal Joey

On March 30, 1940 publication of "Joey and the Calcutta Club." The New Yorker. Pal Joey. Pipe Night.

The fourteen Pal Joey stories were John O'Hara's big ticket to money and fame. They became the book Pal Joey (October 1940). After that the Rodgers and Hart Broadway Musical, and then the film, starring Frank Sinatra.

Joey Evans, who describes himself as the "poor man's Bing Crosby," is performing at a Chicago nightclub, where he meets Jean Benedict. "The 1st nite all she did was to say why didn't I call her up at her flat and drop in for a gin and "it." I said the "it" was o.k. with me if we were talking about the same thing ... " That's not exactly what does happen. The young woman turns out to be a con artist. The story's a good laugh.