The Washington times., 1934-10-03

moned me to Connecticut, so I
present her to you through the
eyes Of a theatrical gentleman
known as Sam Ledner, who told
me about her and whose dra-
matte mind was impressed that,
Of all people, she should be here
this evening to watc.A a play
which starts with a gentleman
ut the pinnacle Of success and
drags him back, step by step, to
his start to the period when he
had lofty ideals and ambitions.
Because 1 was not there 1
must borrow the impression of
our own Mr.. John Anderson to
give you an idea of the Kauf-
man-Hart tale before 1 can go
on with my own story.
Their first scene sho1Ds Broad
tpGy'S most successful play
wright, Richard Niles, on his
Long Island estate, assisting
Nth a party OF friends the more
or less inevitable cheers in the
press for his latest play. He is
surrounded BY SycophGntS; he
has Just taken place at Antilles
tor the nert summer, and ne IS
making his 1Ointer plans for st.
Moritz. He is hGDing his little
affair Nth his le1oeSt star, and
tt Is his tortieth birthday. From
the 11orldly point OF 0ie10, Which
he accepts, he is a success, but,
BY turning him upon their rack
of clockt0ore and letting the
years roll past in reverSe, the
authors ShotO him for a k1lGUe
and q cheat, q man 1Oho be-
trGyed his friends and his talents
and his ideals, and, worse of all,
himself.
They track him down the
years like the hound Of heaven
and show him selling his birth
right for a mess Of pottage, and
they wind up with his youthful
dreams at college, delivering
himself of pretty valedictory,
and uttering for the devastating
line Of the show Polonius' First
of all, to thine own self be true,
then it must follow, etc."
Flo ZiegfeId
So she sat there, this stout
and wealthy woman, and per-
haps as the author took their
characters back through the
years, she, too, took herself back
some Is years when she was
among the most beautiful Of all
the butterfly maidens assembled
by Florence Ziegfeld for his gay
roof atop the Amsterdam. Per-
haps vague memories tainted
her of q slim, curly-haired boy
who had written a song, dedi-
Gated to her and their love.
Perhaps she shuddered inwardly
as she recalled (if she recalled
at all) the night they found his
body in that little SecOnd-flOOr
room, his hand still clutching a
small bottle with the label bear
ing the telltaIe legend, poison"
She had elOped the day before
with a middle-aged merchant Of
considerable wealth.
Slim and loUely she lDdS in
those days, and slim and lovely
tUere the others lOho today
(thoSe OF them 1Uho are GliUe)
could trGUel back, too, to that
OlGmorous night on the ne1o
Amsterdam Roof, tDhen the
Great GlorJier ziegteld stood
In the Dings and tretted and
smiled, in turn, as the first per-
torrance got under 1DGy. Per-
hGps Ballard Macdonald, the
author, and Harry Carroll, the
composer, and Joseph Urban,
the designer of the sets, stood
1Dith him and matched and 10or-
fied.
Out there in front, the young
and old gentlemen sighed and
shifted in their seats as the
beauties Of the day trotted out.
Billie Dove, Betty Morton,
Avonne Taylor, Emily Orange,
Perle Germonde, Gladys LOTUS,
Alta King, Lillian Woods, Pearl
Eaton, Marie Wallace, Pearl
Sheppard.
The ladies in front sighed,
too, perhaps as John Steele,
stalwart and handsome tenor,
sang Rose Of MY Heart" and
giggled as william and Gordon
DOOley twisted and knocked
about in their terrifying apache
dance. I wonder if she recalled
Ben Ali Haggin'S much dis
cussed trOusseau number-they
thought 1t too daring those
days-Or the spicy puff, Puff,
Puff" sung by Teddy Gerard.
I am not quite sure that her
beauty SerDed in the Midnight
Frolic preceding (staged By Ned
WGybnrn and 11ritten by Gene
Buck, 1Dhen EUGn BURROWS Fon-
tGine SQuirmed through q
$corchy East Indian dance and
the rGviShing beauty Lillian Lor.
TGine sang when MY Sweetie
Comes Back to Me-" She man
haze gtggled Nth the other girls
as the slim, comicdl Fannie
Brice chGnted animated caricu.
ture and Bessie Mccoy Davis
SANG II LoDe to Raise the
Dickens" and envied, perhaps,
the graceful body of Bee Palmer,
billed as the original Simee-Shu.
- IL