The Old Howard had become an increasingly tawdry burlesque establishment. Irene Dunne elevates a tawdry encounter to something justifiably pure or blameless. In the end we discover Hildegard's rather tawdry past and motives. I would test others by him and find them unbelievably sham and tawdry. Edwin McFee at "Hot Press" called the song "tawdry" and "stale". Seeing no need for a comparatively tawdry can, he chases the Road Runner. In the 19th century the monument was dismissed as tawdry. Noel's attorney is Glenn Kurtz, and Tucker's is Stanley Tawdry, Jr..