The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-01-16
Boston Bans Another ':Treligious Drama
"Within the Gates" Is Now Running in Philadelphia Ran Months in N. Y.-Priests, Ministers Objected

Boston, Jan. 1G-(UP) -- Puri- tanical Boston has turned thumbs down on Sean O'Casey's new play, within the Gates" scheduled to open weeks run here Monday night.
 l O'Casey's four-act drama, now playing in Philadelphia after clos- ing three-month run in New York Saturday night, was officially banned from the city last night by | Mayor Frederick w. Mansfield fol- lowing numerous complaints by Catholic, Methodist and Universal lst clergymer that the play was definitely anti-religious.
 | The ban-was the first of import ance here snce Eugene O'Neills Strange JnterIude" was ruled un- fit for Boston audiences in Septem Der, 1929. O'Ncill's play subse- quently was moved to suburban | Quincy, where 1t played before packed houses.
 Mayor Charles A. Ross of Quincy told the Unted Press that "If the play is banned in Boston, it will absolutely be banned here. .. Anything that's too bad for Boston is too bad for Quincy" Mayor Ross explained he had not seen the play, but said he understood there was some question about it's morals"
 Mayor Mansfield asked the Shu- bert theater management to cancel , the one-week engagement, after a long conference with Manager A. G. Munro of the theater and Charles F.. Cook. representing the producers.
 The theater and producers, George Bushar and John Tuerk, have the right to appeal to the Boston board of censors, compris- ing the mayor, the police commis- Boston municipal court.
 Shubcrt officials announced, however, there would be m appeal from the mayors ban but that they and the producers would bring joint suit against the city of Bos- ton to recover all moneys expend- ed for advertising, seat sale and other items.
 Criticism of Mayor Mansfeld's ban was heard from Harvard, where Arthur Colby Sprague. pro- lessor of English and chairman of the board of tutors in the depart ment of English, said he believed the decision to keep O'Casey's dra- ma out of Boston was incredible and quite as stupid as the banning of Strange Interlude'."
 Another membe- of the Harvard English department, Horace Rey- holds, freshman instructor. said he felt "very bad about Mayor ManJ- fields decision. attended the opening performance of the play in New York, and could sec noth- ing objectionable about it. I con- sider it q work of art, and think it would have been a privilege for educated Boston to see it."
 Meanwhile. Shubert officials an- nounced receipt of telegram from John Tuerk, co-producer of the play, asserting that "once again Boston politicians have made damned fools out of Boston cit lingering hope that Boston was still dispelled." Tuerk said charges that the play was irreligious and ob- scene were "absurd and ridiculoes." The attack on within the Gates" was launched last Friday by the Rev Russell M. Sullivan, $. J.. representing the Catholic Action society of Boston college.
 Father Sullivan, active locally in the, Legion of Decency, told the mato.' of the play, whose principal | characters include a bishop and a | fallen women (played by Lillian | Gish), was an attempt to show the futility of all religion.
 After hearing the plot outlined, 1 Mayor Mansfield was inclined to | agree, but. before taking action, he read the book version of the drama and sent City Censor Her bert l.. McNary to New York to view the shows final performance there. The censor's official report was ought not to be shown" al- though he was quoted as saying in- formally that it was mot bad at all"
 Shubert officials said that at a conference q week ago, the city censor merely had suggested dele ton of certain allegedly vulgar words They argued that the play Il York and Philadelphia without protest. that the book version has been on sale here for six months and that there was definite de- mand for it in Boston as evidenced by mail orders for 5000 seats. Many of the seat applications, they said, were from college professors and students, including a Harvard faculty group.
 It also was pointed out that a large number of actors, stage hands, musicians and theater em- ployes will lose work as result of the decision.
 Mayor Mansfield had hoped that, by certain deletions, the play might bc made acceptable, but Father Sullivan and the Rev Ter renee Connolly, s. J., of Boston college, dramatic critic of the