The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-05-23
In New York
By PAUL HARRISON

New k-Notes backstage:
Broadway's most popular portrayer
of idiot roles II one Of the best
educated actors in the American
theater. Eric Wol1encott was an
English professor at the Sorbonne
few years ago, but now, as an
actor, he's cast as mental de-
fective. Had three such parts this
season. Says its driving him
crazy.
Ray DooIey. the Coincidence
who has played rompered, cry
baby roles for SO many years, says
she has definitely given them up
because they embarrass her own
baby, Eddie Bowling, Jr. Eddie Is
FL. a graduate Of Notre Dame 80.
After seven months of perfor-
mances, "The Great Waltz" still
goes into rehearsal on one after
noon each week. And the dance
routines are changed to keep the
girls from getting rusty Spring
planting has been finished on the
stage where Tobacco Road" is
rounding out It's nineteenth month.
Members of the cast have started
turnips, onions and radishes in the
rich soil that's heaped behind the
footlights.
Double Roles.
That play. incidentally, was on
the verge of closing at the end
of it's second week. Now, appar-
emily, 1t will go on forever. And
a second company is playing It in
California. -. While hundreds of
actors can't get jobs at all. Ella
Kazan and Burgess Meredith have
two apiece. Their roles happen to
be so timed that it's just possible
for them to rush from one theater
to another, changing their make
up enroute. Meredith hires a pri-
vate ambulance to buck the rialto
traffic.
Five six-month options were
sold on "Petticoat Fever" before
the play fell into the hands of a
producer who dared put 1t behind
the footlights. Now it's one OF
Broadway's most successful come
dies :. Lots Of really famous plays
however, Jared even worse in man
uscript form. 'Street Scene" was
turned down nineteen times before
william A. Brady took the plunge
with 1t. I've reported before how
many managers declined to have
ANYTHING to do with 1.-THE Green
Pastures" which has just ended,
temporarily, a run of more than
five years.
| Stages Comeback.
Margaret Dale is back at the
I,old Empire theater for the first
time in 2S years. There, for sew
eral seasons. she was John Draws
| leading lady. Now she's sprighIiy
old woman in 'AThe Old Maid"
And thus she has rounded out a
cycle of triumphs, for 1.-The Old
Maid" has won the Pulitzer Prize
for 1895.
Miss Dale was one Of the Chan
| les Frohnian ''giamor girls" Like
Maude Adams, she never allowed
herself to be seen by the public
except when she was on the stage.
Went heavily yelled on the streets.
and wouldn't have dreamed or
visiting q cabaret, as modern ac-
tresses do. Frohman actresses were
definitely ordered never even 70
dine In public restaurants. She still
believes 1t was q good idea, and
\ she still clings to the tradition OF
mystery.
Emptying Seats.
A visit to the animated cartoon
theater on Forty-hfth street re-
veals that M. Mouse and his friends
are doing all right. In fact they're
such an attractive that the thea
ter's biggest problem 10 persuading
children TO leave.
| Virtually ell young customers
see q program ut least twice, and
some come in Saturdays and stay
all day. A Mr.. Teldman, the man
ager, tells me he has discovered
that most kids dislike travel Pic
lures. 80 nc the end OF each pro-
gram OF cartoons he runs In the
duiiost traveiogue he can nnd'
That gets them out eventually.
| veldman carefully censors ~
the animated cartoons, and insists
| that they require n. Too muck
horror stun, such a. skeleions ane
olosa-ups Ok threatening Monsteffs
elves hide Nightmares he teiioys1i