Evening star., 1936-04-19


While the chamber has been packed
during the last few months and the
eyes Of the world have been centered
on the court as never before in It's
history. these young people have been
concentrating, not upon the mo-
mentous decisions being read, but
rather upon the justices themselves.
Their characteristic postures, move
ments of their hands, their every atti-
tude while hearing the N. r. A, the
A. A. A. and the T. v. A and other
important cases during the last few
months have come under the close
scrutiny of the nine youthful mines.
And the result is a rare personal
study Of these men whose judicial
supremacy cannot be challenged any
where in the world.
If the Chief Justice and his associate
| Justices would like to see themselves
as others see them, they might attend
the dance concert being presented by
Marion Chace's group at the National
Theater on May 3. at which time the
ballet, Mine Earnest Men," will be
| the feature attraction.
Wearing masks of the justices. SO
there will be no mistake about each
character portrayed. they will make
| their entrance in long purple robes and
white periwigs and present the results
of their study in dance and panto-
mime.
After sitting in the court chamber
day after day for many weeks, the
young dancers have become jealous of
the character each will portray in the
ballet.
MARY WILLIAMS is quite convinced
that Justice Cardoza is the most
interesting of the nine earnest men.
And when any of her fellow dancers
declare that her favorite justice looks
like he is asleep most of the time, Miss
Williams brown eyes flash and she will
explain, little angrily, that Mr.. Car
doza 'is the most intense listener on
! the bench; that he merely appears to
be asleep.
"Just watch him become suddenly
alert when an important point is being
discussed and you will know he is not
missing thing" she points out. He
has the finest head of them allan
inspiration, think"
Long famed for his brilliant style
and apt phrasing, Justice Cardoza
really has become an ideal to the 1.-the
brunette dancer.
For several weeks Leonard Levenson
has been trying to discover Justice
Louis D. Brandeis' barber. For his
Is the most interesting haircut in the |
group, Levenson points out. Brandeis. |
who has the face any artist would |
| find inspiring, has one outstanding
trait. He places his forefnger against
his nose, first to one side, then the |
other. Thirty-seven times he did this
in one day, according to young
Mello's count. OF all the justices, he
| is nearest to the juridical philosopher.
| And he looks the part, too. He is 79
years old; his voice is clear and force
| full.
To Florence Musy, Justice Harlan
Fiske Stone is obviously bored while in
session, and she doesn't blame him.
He is such an active-looking per-
son, compared to the others on the
bench. Whenever watch him keep
wishing that the session would hurry
and adjourn so he could get out and
walk or be with a crowd. I imagine
he enjoys being around people" are
Miss Musy's observations.
And right she is, for Justice Stone,
generally well-liked, enjoys social
| functions and company. He is one of
the stanchest of the liberal bloc.
TN THE ballet. the minority, rightly
consisting of Justices Cardoza,
Brandeis and Stone, listen intently
to the opposition lawyers, who rave
and rant and tear their hair before the
austere old men in hopes of winning
their point. But when the other law
yers come before the bench, the mi
nority obviously mods.
With the exception of Jack Wilson,
who will depict Justice Willis Vande-
vanter in the ballet, each Of the par
ticipants has been impressed by the
bored air" of the court as it sits
in session. Especially is this gen.
eraI characteristic noticed when de-
cision is being read, they say. In the
ballet there is yawning scene when
the Chief Justice reads the decision.
After studying his severe subject
for many hours, Wilson has become a
strong admirer of Vandevanter and
declares that he is the most positive
and most attentive Of the justices. He
has been on the highest bench for Is
years, having a longer record of ju-
dicial experience than any other JUS
tice.
Petite and blond Polly Weihe says
that 73-year- Justice George Suth-
erland "has more poise during a court
session than any of his associates"
Just as she has noticed him stroke his
vandyke beard and run his fingers
through his white hair, so will Miss
| Weihe mimic him in Nine Earnest
Men"
st expect Justice Sutherland to
break into fluent French at almost any
time, so much is he my idea of what
a French school teacher looks like"
the dancer declared after observing
the court in session.
Justice Roberts would have made a
splendid actor, is Ann Calhoun Ames'
oeinion of the baby Justice Of the
Supreme Court. She believes the Co.
year-old Justice is more interested in
his audience than his associates and
she has accused him of even playing
I'D to this audience. His voice Is his
most commanding trait. It is cod and
clear. When he stands, he tops six
feet. It Is said he frequently comes
to work from his home in Georgetown
on a street car.
HELEN HoYEN'S auburn curls will
L bob under white wig during the
ballet as she throws her head back
time and time again to stare at the
ceiling. This characteristic of Justice
Buffers is the most noticeable, she has