Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-04
words of George Bernard
Shaw, probably as expen-
sive in his own land as Cal

Shaw, probably as eXpen-
sive in his own land as Cal
vim Coolidge's are in ours,
usually stand as law. Sometimes
referred to as the Moses Of his
time, his verbal escutcheon is
more gayly festooned with wisdom
than many hoary sage of an
tiquity. So when he says (aS he
did recently in the preface to a
book of his correspondence with
Ellen Terry, IAN unnatural quie-
tude and delicacy is the trade
mark of the movie star" one is
meant to read and believe and
swallow and then digest.
This statement and the fact
that Eugene ONeill has been
quoted as saying that if he could
he would try to combine the
movies and the stage, are the
most debatable subjects Of the
week. But of the two-since Mr..
O'Neill has been known to approve
openly of the cinema for a long
time-the former is the more sur
prising.
AN unnatural quietude and
delicacy, ETC." How aStoniShed
many a Hollywood theSpian will
be when he has dug these words
out of Mr.. Shaw'S little essay
And this in contrast to what the
/ pink-cheeked, white-bearded sage
suggests as the uncommonly over
emotional histrionicS of the pres
ent-day stage. Is there really
quietude and delicacy to the act
ing of the stage stars? Would the
majority of audiences throughout
the country rise up and say yea
and give Mr.. Shaw ION this Score)
a great big hand?
Although perdition may follow
for saying such a thing, this state
ment is somehow unlikely. In
fact, when considering the sue
ceSSeS of the past year and the
stars who contributed most tt
these successes, Mr.. Shaw seems
downright wrong Where have
been the greatest triumphs there
has been turmoil and confusion
and the ladies and gentlemen in
them have turned themselves in
and out and done all sorts OF
things in the very opposite spirit
to "quietude."
THERE are, however, exceptions
to this. Sylvia Sidney is moth
ing if she isn't what Mr.. Shaw
says her trade mark is-and SC
are such gilded luminaries as Ann
Harding, Ruth Chatterton, Greta
Garbo-"unnatural quietude" fits
her like a glove-and the beau
tous and now silent Wilma Banky
But the others! There seem:
little to recommend such a phrase
for instance, about the Svelt Mis-!
Shearer, the pert Miss Davies, thu
grandly round and rollickinl
Marie DreSSler, or that decorative
spirit of modern youth, Joa1
Crawford. All these expensive
celebrities have shone bright,
throughout the past year. II
their hands the cinematic torcl
has waved high. Mr.. Shaw can
, not deny that they have playet
their parts with cheers on al
sides and are elegant exponent
of the star" class, if anybody is
They are, however, in direct op
position to the school in which
Mr.. Shaw would have them
Miss Shearer, highly competen
actress, who has a knack of sur
rounding herself with the beS
! talent in the industry, is distinctl
generous with her "emotings" an,
; far from being quiet when she ha
the opportunity of being other
+, wise. Her demands to be Above
to do little hySterical laughin
and to be not too delicate abou
; it skaters her ability to At int
) the "quietude" class. Miss Davies
a charming lady when she want