New-York tribune., 1921-11-13
Merry Miss Croody
Smiles as Happily
On Stage and Off

OHe WHO mas seen LOuASo GfooQy,
the graceful little dancer who has the
central role in musical comedy's young
est aspirant for box Office honors, "Good
Morning, Dearie," now at the Globe
Theater, can never again think Of her
without thinking Of her smile. She
plays with such evident zest, she seems
so thoroughly happy while on the stage,
that one has notion she ts en-
joying the play fully a. much as.
If not more than. her audience. Every
bit Of business, every song and esne-
cially every dance. seems to give her
pleasure.
This French-1rish bit Of vivacity-she
is hardly more than four and q half
feet tall-has not one smile for the the
ater and another for her off-stage
hours. Those who feel that her happy
mien is forced and overdone on the
stage would have but to meet her
to be disillusioned. Louise Groody
simply brings to the theater her nat
ural CHEEKY outlook on life, and it is
intensified under the glare uf the foot
lights.
Miss Groody makes light Of her sing
ing. She declines to take it seriously.
"Those who sit through my singing
and permit me to go on, do it, l sup
pose, because they know will soon
break into dance," she said, with a
merry twinkle in her eyes. II know
can't sing and I am frightened almost
to death when / have to do it. Oh,
how relieved am when can dancei
once tried to take singing seriously. I
went to voice teachers and they told
ME they could make prima donna out
of me. That was, for $40 lesson they
would do it. And laughed to myself.
knew they were wrong. When did
take lessons ] forgot to laugh to my
self and laughed right out, so that
ended it. If the audiences can stand
my singing ! guess I can"
Miss Groody has been dancing ever
since her childhood days in Philadel-
phia, to which city her parents came
from her birthplace in Texas. She
! took few lessons, but it was not
until she had actually entered upon
stage work that she determined to look
into the technique of dancing.
~ danced and knew practically every
form of dancing, but I didn't know
why. So decided to find out. No, /
did not spend most of my time with
I think it is better to spend a little
time with each. In Fact, l have prac-
tice clothes in four or five studios in
New York"
"Good Morning, Dearie," Miss Groody
pointed out, amid seriesaof light and
cherry remarks about suffrage, mar
riage, good times and ambitions, is
made up Of three plays. Mr.. Dilling-
ham, she said, planned the play orig
inally for her, and it was to be a small
intimate affair. He also planned .
play for Oscar Shaw and also one fo1
Ada Lewis, Harland Dixon and William
Kent. When he looked the theatrical
situation over he became trifle eau
tious and decided it would be a good
plan u nut them all into one produc.
tion, ana accordingly "Good Morning
Dearie," was enlarged.
/ "And am glad it was" she said. ~
don't think play should center en-.
tirely around ono person, and that its
success should depend on this person
II like cast to be strong and l think
we have such a cast in our play"
! When the proper comedy role offers
itself Miss Groody will temporarily put
aside her dancing equipment and try it
But she will eventually come back to hel
dancing, and for this theatergoers
should rejoice, for her graceful fitting
on the boards could hardly be spared
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