The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-12-04
Stallings at Top OF,
Sunny Side of 80
Author of what Price Glory
Reaches Far Goal Still
in His Youth

K1ondike days. these, for the
young playwright. Broadway is
fairly clutter with him and the
current season win go down in
somebody's memo book as the
heyday nf Babes in Showland.
Michael Arlen. Milton Chopper.
Noel Coward, Phillip Barry, Laur-
ence Stallings-there' five Of them
who stampeded out Of the moldy
garrets. so favored of cartocnists
as the habitat of young authors,
down three flights and over to the
Ritz where life is soft and luxuri-
Gus and last nights box office
statement accompanies the break
fast tray. Not one OF these is be-
yord the early thirties.
Laurence Stallings, author. OF
What Price Glory which comes
to town next week, and who bears
the distinction Of having had one
play CIR another on Broadway con-
tinuously for the last two years is
just facing thirty and with utmost
reluctance. likely, for into his
twenties were crowded things: that
don't encompass the ninety-nine
lifetimes- inspiriting romance, roar
Ing adventure. with its dozen
threats of death on the bakflefields,
book. "Plumes," another rung up,
ward as co-author OF the greatest
war play and. finally over that
goal-Iine of most human endeavor--i
wealth.
A Priceless Book
Pretty good for a youngster Of
thirty. Superlatively good when it
is remembered that four years ago
any number of witnesses caught
the young man, propped on pillows
at the Naval Hospital, enfranced
by the possibilities of ceEtair.
volume entitled, How to Market.
Manuscripts. A priceless volume,
that
If, for instance, you knew joke
about a goat, this handy manual
Informed you that the Goat-Herder'
Journal was in the market for such
pungent humor and it told, also,
how much you would get for it.
Between baths of ether and du-
bious looks from "sawbones,D Stall
ings achieved a stupendous budget
of jokes for as colorful and varied
a public as any man ever spoke to.
Subscribers to the Timers Gazette,
the Hoof and Mouth Echo, Lathers'
pit and Pew and countless other
mirrors of this economic costume of
ours. were pelted With gusto and,
for the main, reminiscent humor.
The resourceful Stallings wrote
many. but originated few, he haV-
ing early learned that one joke
covered a multitude of editors by
the mere expedient of employing
Pat and Mike in endeavors catered
to by the purchasing magazine.
Came Back to The Times
Out of the hospital, boyishly
proud of the new artificial leg with
It's straps, buckles, sockets, joints
and high-brown polish, he returned
to The Washington TIMES as as
sistant city editor, thence to the
copy desk and finally to the Sun
day department.
Later to New York, totally un-
known, but conscious that there
was something in him that only
the metropolis could elucidate. His
start was slow and humble but
from the day he wrote a prize
winning headline on the New York
World. he streaked It for fame
and fortune with the speed of a
whippet.
..Airplanes, shipshape. speeding
down to Rio with the dawn" he
captioned a picture showing a
fleet of planes ready for one of
Uncle SANS first long distance
flights. More prize winning cap
tions followed. Betimes, contribu-
tions to other departments of the
paper. StalIings was selling" him
self to his new employers.
StaIIings Filled In
Haywood Broun went on a va
cation. Stallings substituted. F. p.
A. rested Stallings did THE Con-
ming Tower" Maxwell Anderson
paused from the labors of edi-
torial writing. Stallings filled in
and there met his collaboration for
What Price Glory" He had the
idea. Anderson had the technique,