Wilson recalls big show biz moments

By Earl Wilson

New York-How about some replays of Great Show Business Moments of

1973?

Starting with Charlton Heston. Dressed in black tie for the big Oscar party, he gets a flat tire on the freeway. Arriving out of breath, 40 seconds late, he chugs upstairs, hearing the voice of Clint Eastwood giving his speech.

Another replay stars Carol Burnett, Fashionably gowned, she's accepting her Entertainer of the Year award from the Friars at the Waldorf. Without warning, Harvey Korman hits her squarely in the face with a pie.

Don Rickles, appearing at the Copacabana last year, blasts out, "Alan King's over there and he's so happy I don't want to break the news to him that McGovern lost."

Dean Martin, opening the Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, says his ex-partner Jerry Lewis is directing now, and adds: “He couldn't direct traffic."

The Sunday night in May when Toots Shor gave himself a 70th birthday party charging guests $100, raising about $32,000... Another night a few months later when Bob Considine and I watched, as Toots-who was closing next day-ordered hisbartender to throw out one of the five remaining customers.

Another replay I'd enjoy would be of the April night scene when Vice President

.

Spiro Agnew, his wife and his daughter, enthusiastically applauded black star Ethel Ennis's songs at the Plaza Persian Room-except one-about growing marijuana.

How about the Gay Libs tipping me they were invading the Rainbow Grill? Getting up to dance, the usual way, they then switched, man with man, woman with woman, a homosexual breakthrough, they said. History being made and the other customers just smiled.

Mamie Van Doren dinner-partnering at the White House with Henry' Kissinger. The future sec-. retary of state showing her Nixon's office and desk, Mamie gasping, "Doesn't he keep his desk clean!" (Nobody thought to say, "He erased it.").

Glamour nights... Debbie Reynolds and soon-tobe ex-husband Harry Karl sweeping into Sardi's after "Irene" opened the new Minskoff Theater thence to Raffles where Debbie basked in the smiles of Mayor Lindsay while her daughter Carrie, 16, fabricated an announcement of her "engagement.

Two weeks later Debbie valiantly arrived at Americana party after the Tony awards to congratulate

Glynis Johns of “Little Night Music" who beat her for Best Actress.

There should be a replay of Mayor Lindsay going on stage for several minutes for look-alike Ken Howard in "Seesaw" and for the mayor's recent bowout party when he sang and danced... of Liza Minelli and Joel Grey sweeping up Oscars ... and Bob Fosse sweeping up everything, an Oscar, a Tony, an Emmy, and yes, a Joey (Heatherton, that is).

These are just happy recollections. As Hermione Gingold said when she didn't win, "-the awards." It was she also who said, "Nobody should get married till they're 35 and then only with the consent of their children."

Carol Burnett