The Washington times., 1936-12-30

reer as q dramatic critic was IN
the Sunday dramatic pages of the
New York Herald Tribune where
some by-line busybody took the
trouble to make research in Eng
land, with the object of deter
mining the exact age of Miss Lynn
Fontanne. I think Lynn would
have been justified in horse-whip-
ping this meddler. Most women
of 40 would be delighted to look
like Lynn Fontanne and know her
precious secrets for retaining al
lure in lovely middle age.
Hollywood, in providing bio
graphical data on feminine stars,
gives only the month and date.
The year is generally missing. It
keeps peace in the publicity family
and prevents quarrels among the
fan public. AS a matter of fact
there is a cold judicial ruling that
justifies women in quibbling over
their age. 1t came from the halls
of Justice presided over by Judge
Lucius P. Green, of Los Angeles,
Calf. He denied an annulment
Of marriage to a complaining huS-
band who based his plea that his
actress wife said she was IS when
the records proved she was 33.
Judge Green decreed that the
right of a woman to disguise her
age is as old as civilization itself
and mere man may not inquire
too deeply into secrets by which
she accompliSheS the disguise" !"
He further ruled:
"By her dress and manner
and the art of makeup a woman
may appear to be much younger
than she actually is, but that
certainly is her right. If a man
preSumes that she is a certain
age by reason of her commend
able ability to appear youthful,
and then discovers that he is
wrong, I fail to see how he can
plead fraud or miSrepreSenta.
tiOn."
Here, say the Hollywood stars,
is a Solomon of today, and long
may he rule and prosper.
Why Shaw Refuses
That the playwright must pre-
pare his own scenarios just as he
prepares his own prompt copies
for the theater" is the blunt
declaration of George Bernard
Shaw in. an exclusive interview
published in "FSme-the Box Of
flee Check-Up," Quigley Publica-
tions' annual audit of personalities
and productions in the province
of entertainment, out this week.
Asked why he has refused pro
posals to film his plays, the fiery
dramatist asserts that he has de-
clined only "offerS for the use of
my name to attract audiences to
demonstrations cf how some crude
and nameless amateur thinks my
plays ought to have been written" !"
To the suggestion that film
studios might remedy existing con-
ditionS by employing as adaptor
playwright of his own calibre
the response is, "They could not
find one"
MIR. Shaw compares the adaptor
to the bell boy whose vision of
life is a continual arriving in
motor cars and going upstairs and
disappearing through doors that
Immediately close and leave life
blank. The film firms" he con-
tinues, have therefore made a
rule that 95 per cent of a film
must consist of going up and
down stairs and getting in and out
of motor cars. Not even the sue
cess of Chaplin has taught them
that Staircases are not interesting
unless the hero falls down them.
My plays do not depend on stair
cases for their interest. I am
therefore told that I do not under
stand the art of the screen"
A CHAMP CRITIC
FILM DAILY want to know If
any movie critic can SurpaSs Bar.
ney Oldfield of the Lincoln, Ne
braSka Journal, who reviewed 373
pictures in 1896 up to December /.
None in the Washington jurisdic-
ton, I answer, and Mr.. Oldfield
will get no competition for his title
here. Instead I'll pitch in and buy
him a medal for patience =.