Evening star., 1936-09-20

ONCE has been good enough to give U
Shearer has obviously scored will in
sorrow. Here It's:
Acclaimed the greatest Juliet of her
time by many critics, Norma Shearer
has received the highest praise ever
accorded q motion picture star for her
performance in Romeo and Juliet"
Comparing the Juliet of Katharine
Cornell, whose stage performance was
hailed as the finest of the modern the
ater, with that of Miss Shearer, said
Richard Watts, jr., noted critic: IT
have q vast admiration for Miss Kath-
arine Cornell, and I know she Is q far
more distinguished actress than Miss
Norma Shearer, yet Miss Cornell's Ju-
het, both as q performance and as
show. was inferior to Miss Shearer's."
Wrote Whitney Bolton: Not only
am convinced that she is an elo-
quent, beautiful and completely ac-
ceptable Juliet, but that as an actress
she need not fear to stand with any
OF the first half-dozen Juliets avail
able to memory and experience"
And Regina Crewe said: There
have been Juliets for centuries. but
none lovelier. more beautiful, more
gracious, more appealing, more tai
ented than Norma Shearer."
Mildred Martin, PHILADELPHIA In.
qulrer, commented: Miss Shearer's
Juliet may fearlessly bear comparison
with any Of the theaters Juliets of
our day. not excepting those Of Kath-
>arine Cornell, Julia Marlowe and Jane
Cowl.'
Clark Rodenbach, Chicago Daily
News. said: Miss Shearer Is the
youngest and loveliest Juliet of our
recollection"
Douglas Gilbert, New York Tele-
gram, predicted: Norma Shearer's
performance will go down as the
Juliet Of the screen"
Louella Parson, Los Angeles Exam
aner: Norma has been voted the
greatest Juliet of our generation, not
only in Hollywood, but, by the New
York critics."
j. H. Keen, Philadelphia Pictorial:
miss Shearer climaxes q brilliant
acting career on this occasion and
shames some Of her sisters under the
grease paint who have essayed the
same exacting role"
Bob Reel, Chicago American: "As
Juliet, her loveliness must be en-
shrined securely In the memory of all
who see it as it was in the heart of
Romeo"
Harold Hefferman, Detroit News:
"She Is utterly irresistible, young,
fresh and charming as any maid Of
Verona who ever trod the boards
Katharine Cornell included"
Betty Hynes, Washington Herald:
AS Juliet, Norma Shearer Is q mir
acle OF youth and loveliness. In her
potion and death scenes she rises to
heights Of stirring tragedy that we
think no Juliet has ever surpassed"
Andrew r. Kelley, Washington
Times: Norma Shearer sparkles in
the most difficult assignment Of q dis
tinguished Hollywood career. She be-
comes, indeed, the First Lady Of
Hollywood, until further challenge"
No less high in their praise of
Miss Shearer's Juliet and Metro
Goldwyn-Mayer's perturbation of
6hakespeare's classic, has been the
flood Of kilograms from leading flg-
ures of the theatrical and social
world, since the premiere showing of
Romeo and Juliet" at the Astor The
ater, New York
Wired Gene Tunney, former world
heavyweight boxing champion, to
Miss Shearer: II was q bit afraid of
what the movies might do to one of
my favorite Shakespeare plays. I left
convinced that the movies can do
more for Shakespeare, and he for
them, than the stage. Your Juliet
was the most beautiful I have ever
seen, tender, lovely, pathetic and
dramatic. Every one should see your
miraculous production"
Morris Gest, stage impresario, wired:
"Bless you for q wonderful accom-
plishment. Thank Miss Shearer for
the privilege Of seeing her in q great
performance. Everything was en-
trancing and perfect. Bravo! Bravo!"
John Golden, playwright and pro-
ducer, wired: Congratulations to
Miss Shearer ON having accomplished
the impossible
Rupert Hughes, author, radio COM
inentator and playwright, and Mrs.
Hughes, Joined in congratulating pro-