The Washington times., 1936-08-27


AUTHOR WILL DIRECT
Some months ago Hollywood &C
quired the movie rights to the
Sinclair Lewis book and went
through all the preliminaries OF
immediate production. Then it
was suddenly announced that the
plans had been abandoned and
Author Lewis blamed it on the Will
Hays office.
Statements flew back and forth
and after the type cyclone had
blown over it turned out that
Hollywood blew cold on the prop
osition because the picture, if
made, would have aroused politi-
cal opposition abroad, inimical,
they thought, to the picture in
duStry.
Now "It Can't Happen Here"
will come to the stage. Not only
will it be presented in some Is
cities, but Author Lewis will take
a very active part in seeing that
his brain child is put properly
before theater audiences.
In concluding arrangements
with WPA, Sinclair Lewis said:
"In spite of commercial Of
fers for the dramatizatiOn of
"It Can't Happen Here" l pre-
fer to give it to the Federal
Theater for two reasons: First,
because of my tremendous en-
thusiaSm for its work, and, sec
Ond, because 1 know l can de-
pend upon the Federal The
ater for nOnpartisan point of
View."
So, it comes to pass that Bos
ton, Newark, Los Angeles, San
Francisco, Denver, Chicago, New
York, New Orleans, Cleveland,
Dallas, acoma, indianapolis
Syracuse, Detroit and either Jack
sonville or Miami will see the play
and I hope they like it.
Sinclair Lewis further says.
II will give completely of my
time and work in aiding the
casting, writing and rewriting,
ETC., with the New York city
project, and will personally
supervise the New York presen-
tation."
All of which comes down to
the fact that Washington is
being signally ignored by the
Federal Theater. We have no:
seen Murder in the Cathedral .
Triple A Plowed Under" Of
the colored Macbeth" produc.
tions which really won high
praise.
PLAN MISCARRIED
One of Mrs. Halle Flanagan's
strong right arms is, I under
stand, Mr.. William Farnsworth
In the spring Mr.. Farnsworth
intimated that Washington would
have a chance to see what Uncle
Sam was doing for the unem
ployed actors, stage hands anG
musicians.
But a plan to take over tht
Belasco Theater for week or tive
never reached the contracts
signed stage.
Let us hope that before 1T Can
Happen Here" becomes history fol
the Billboard, Washington will
have an opportunity to look upor
the Federal Theater project a!
something alive and vital in thu
new season. I know Bill Farms
worth, as graduate stock impres
sario and Broadway producer
has overcome greater obstacle
than the problem of giving Wash
ington a look at the Uncle San
theater it is supporting so gen
erouSly.
VIRGINIANS AS GUESTS
There will be quite a delegation
from Virginia up for "The Col
geous HusSy" opening tonight, in
Guiding descendants of Randolph
Of Roanoke, who figured so promi
nently in the new Joan Crawford
picture.
From Richmond will come SOM
half dozen descendants of Senate
John Randolph of Roanoke. Thes
Randolph kin are DR.. Beverly Ran
dolph Tucker, the Rev. Beverly D
Tucker, Edmund Randolph viii
liams, j. Randolph Tucker, Johr
Stuart Bryan, now publisher O.
the Richmond News-Leader, ant
Elizabeth r dolph Copeland
drama editor of that newspaper.
Two grand-nieceS of Presiden
Andrew Jackson will also be amon|
the first-night gathering. They ar
Mrs. Virginia Woodhall and Mis-!
Elizabeth Jackson. From the 1884,
White House will come Steve Earl
as the official representative O
the Administration.
THEY WRECK THINGS
The world-famous Britton band
which will headline the stage bill
at Loew's Capitol on Friday, is j.;
very entertaining organization
and a very destructive one.
Tn fart they're SO destructive