Evening star., 1932-01-17


~ during the week, beseech-
ing tender consideration
for "the current theater in it's
hour of sorest trial" The writer,
discouraged, perhaps, but not de-
feated, feels that I'VE are doing
the best possible under the cir
cumStanceS." And maybe she is
right. And yet, it seems hard to
believe it. What with George
Whites Scandals" lamenting that
"The Thrill Is Gone; THE
Cat and the Fiddle" watching
''The Love Parade Going By;
''Everybody's Welcome" explain
ing that You Must Remember
This, a Kiss Is Still a Kiss" and
the colossal hit of the year trans
ferring its singing from Our
Country" to "Of Thee I Sing.
Baby" earnest effort appears to
be doing something, if not
"our best" The theater prob
ably is discouraged. Perhaps
that is why Crosby Gaige is
not going in just now for Chan
ming Poilocks wake Up Amer
ica!" but turns, rather Slgnlh-
cantly. to THE Police Inspector"
instead, while Jed Harris is look
ing after Michael Morton'S "Alibi
and Maxwell Anderson is being
urged to revise his Payment De.
ferred." This merry tumble OF
varied entertainments, however,
must be left to New York, where
they are brewing and SteWlng,
that Washington'S prospects may
have their due attention.
X
REFORE passing up the lot TO
~ the graybeardS Of Gotham,
however, it seems a duty to clear
up a doubt about Katherine Cor
nellS announcement that she is
to appear in Sidney Howard'S lat
est, "Alien Corn" Lest the Sus-
picious should infer, from the
stages recent tendency to climb
into politics, that it is continuing
its efforts in that direction, it
should be plainly and emphati--
cally understood that the corn
in Mr.. HoWard'S new play is the
corn poetic, not the corn political.
Ray Henderson, poet, playwright,
play-doctOr and press representa-
tive incompatible, pauSing for a
moment, even neglecting Ethel
Barrymore and Suspendlng the
exploitation of Katherine Corneil,
hastily ruSheS forward to explain
that the biblical story OF Ruth
and Boaz was in mind when Mr..
Howard conceived his latest
drama and that its suspicious
title was really plucked from a
line of Keats lode to a Night
ingale," instead of from anything
dealt with by the Volstead act.
In order that everybody may be
happy, why not pass this incident
along with the other levitles OF
the day to world that longs to
smile?
NOV that Washington has seen
"the greatest drama Of mod
ern times" meanin. of course,
''Mourning Becomes Electra" )" the
rampant tide of enthusiastic COM
rnerdst.or that has flowed from
the gifted critics in New York may
find an Obstruction in variant
opinions in the National Capital:
Not that it alters the eternal
yerities at all, but simply that II
establishes the sad fact that all
folks do not think alike. Vagrant
comments caught up in the Ioo-
bieS were interesting. IhoSe Who
had enjoyed the advantages OF a
thorough talking picture training
agreed-and at once-that 'the
play is 0verpadded and far toe
long and tiresome." Others de-
clared "the whole thing just
awful." Those who know all
shout such things admitted that
what some called "a psyChiatrlc
syiiogiSm solved dramatically" is
indeed "a modern tragedy de-
veloped with ancient technique" "
Many of the elders who still affect
to nurse the proprietieS with their
souvenirs felt that more cheerful
amusement is preferable to the
cold comfort of the library
classics. But there was a con-
sensuS of opinion that curiosity
will be the most ardent patron of
Mr.. ONeill's newest work. One
emphatic amateur dramatist went
so far as boldly to express the
opinion that Mr.. ONeill had bet
ter be careful, or he will lose his
laurels to some modern genius