The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-03-30
Players Go
to Pastures
Less Green
Work Ended on Negro Play;
Some Actors Little
Better Off.

HOLLYWOOD, March 30 (NEA)
They have finished filming The
Green Pastures and the black
angels and chocolate cherubs, the
magicians and the prophets and all
the rest, including de Lawd" him.
self. have scattered to pastures less
green.
Pretty nice while it lasted
working in the movies. Mighty
pleasant to drop into the dingy little
nighteries along Central-av of a
balmy evening and talk of the
screen and, in terms of nostalgia,
Harlem.
Right gratifying it was to be an
actor of such importance that ones
travelling expenses were paid clear
across the continent.
Their Money Gone
That's all over now. An immor-
tai play has been transferred to
deatnless celluloid. Some of the
players who have been little inn
provident with their Hollywood SAL
aries may rot get back at all. Only
Edna Harris, who played "Zeba,"
has a subsequent picture engage
ment.
Others have returned to inter-
rupted tasks. Pauline Myers is
back in her Lenox-av beauty parlor.
Bertha Wright, the Slender Angel.
has resumed her study of interior
decorating.
Lsnky Oscar Polk, who was Ga
briel, thankfully laid down his
trumpet of doom and hurried back
to de stage" Wasn't quite sure
what he'd do there.
Back as Porter.
Abraham Gleaves. the Archangel.
has turned in his wings and gone
back to Pullman portering. Gleaves
is SO and has been railroading so
years, although he always wanted to
be an actor.
Marc Connolly, author and co-di-
rector of The Green Pastures"
spotted the tall Negro on a crack
transcontinental flyer and offered
him the role. When his leave of
absence expired, Gleaves said:
Thank you, Mistuh Connolly, for
a very pleasant engagement"
Some of the final scenes deal
with the defense of Jerusalem
against an infield army. The dusky
Children of Israel we're in pretty
bad shape, and were fighting with
everything from razors to Spring.
field rifles and French ISIS.
Worried About Future
The head defender of Jerusalem
was a fellow called Hezdrel, an
apocryphal character invented by
Connolly. The actor was Rex In
gram, who also plays the role of
de Lawd"
Ingram was worried about what
he was going to do next. After
this taste of glory, following in the
distinguished footsteps of the late
Richard B. Harrison, he can't bear
to go back to Broadway and maybe
take some minor part in a musical
comedy.
What he hopes is that THE Green
Pastures" soon will be revived as a
stage play, and will resume its tour
of America. 1t has already been
produced in 203 cities.
de Lawd" Tangles With Law
de Lawd" has had rather a
tough time of it in Hollywood, be-
cause his salary has been tied up by
a lawsuit. So he has had to go
around borrowing money from Noah
and Moses and Joshua, and even
that sinful unbeliever, OF King
Phoraoh.
He manifests an almost childish
delight in the fleXibility of the
movies. In fact, his naivete got him
into trouble when he was attempt
ing to direct this picture; he fell SO
far behind that the Brothers War
ner assigned the experienced Will
liam Keighley as co-director.
Roark Bradford never did come
to Hollywood. And not much credit is
being saved hereabouts for the man
whose book, COZ Man Adam an His
Chillun," suggested the mood and
contained great deal of the actual
substance of the Connolly MASTER
piece, or adaptation, or whatever
you want to call it.