The shot of a signpost for San Francisco's Jack Kerouac Street in So I Married an Axe Murderer conveys more than the scene's locale: Setting Charlie Mackenzie's poetry recitations there suggests that the beat icon is his inspiration. But do honorific signs really influence those who tread the sidewalk below? We pounded some New York streets named after entertainers and asked passersby to identify the names on the signs.
· Duke Ellington Place, named for the composer and bandleader
''He
was some guy from back in Shakespeare's time.'' — Annette Rufino, Manhattan
· Isaac Bashevis Singer Blvd., named for the author
''A rabbi.'' — Michael Lieberman, Manhattan
· W.C. Handy Place, named for the blues composer
''The guy that did
that movie with Mae West.'' — Peter L. Fenston, Manhattan
· George Balanchine Way, named for the choreographer
''A
politician.'' — John Scranton, San Diego
· Charlie Parker Place, named for the jazz saxophonist
''He was
this old Southern storyteller with this rooster who sat on his porch
and spun the best yarn in the East Village. You just listened; it was
poetry.'' — Suzanne Czervenyk, Manhattan
· Alvin Ailey Place, named for the choreographer ''He's the guy
that Madonna used to dance for.'' — Kathryn Zeilo, Manhattan
· Jelly Roll Walk, named for the composer Jelly Roll Morton
''He
was either a lazy actor or a fat rock & roll singer.'' — David Smits,
Brussels, Belgium
· Regis Philbin Avenue, named for the TV personality
''He's on a
talk show with Kathie Lee.'' — Joseph Spano, Brooklyn
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