Evening star., 1936-12-13

Juliet" have carried it over the thresh
ural than that it should raid the safe
melancholy Dane real introductiont
to the people?
The above is not to be construed as
an intimation that one has inside in
formation as to some ones intention
to bring the Kleig lights to bear upon
Shakespeare's greatest tragedy.
1t Is merely an assumption based
upon q slight knowledge OF Holly
woods procedure in such matters.
For one thing FINLAND never has
missed a chance to cash in on pub
licity. Hamlet" has had more Of that
In the last few months than at any
other time in its long career. What
with riva, Hamlets playing in New
York, Broa dway columnists have had
q subject of almost infinite wise-crack-
cry. They have compared the Hamlet
of John Gielgud with the Hamlet OF
Leslie Howard until nearly every one
except the A students in English IA
has forgotten there ever was a Ham,
let of Shakespeare.
ONCE upon time the effect Of this
~ buffonery would have been purely
local. That. however, was before near
ly every newspaper in the land started
carving a daily New York column.
Now Broadways bon mot of last night
is being paraphrased today by wits,
full and fractional, all the way from
Calendar to Aqua Caliente. So the
story of the two Hamlets has gone
around and every one with pretense
to sophistication is more or less COM
pelled to see anything Hollywood may
choose to do with the subject.
Time was, Of course when the end
ing of Hamlet" would have been too
doleful for Hollywood to touch with
its longest range lens. Insanity ana
death. not to mention murderous IN
felicity between husband and wife,
were assumed then to be too strong
dose for the motion picture public TO
swallow. Life, however, moves along
and Hollywood has put bullets into
heroes who once ended up in the rlgnt
GIRLS arms 1t has not happened too
often. of course, and in the recent
.winterset" 1t was avoided to what
rnany regarded as the films loss, but II
has been done frequently enough TO
prove that the happy ending is not an
imperative.
There is room for endless conjec-
ture as to Just what would happen
to Hamlet in Hollywood. Tnat IL
would be colossal is one safe guess.
Instead of the hooks and crannles OF
Elsinore, which the public has been
seeing for centuries. the films pro-
ducer would build one that probably
rexas could not hold. The back
ground would fairly reek with fidelity
and the costumes with indescribaoie
lavishness.
THE Interpretation, Of course, would
- be the real point at issue. 1t is q
reasonably safe calculation that no
effort would be spared to give the
production high entertainment value.
Yes, even If 1t required treatment OF
the whole thing as downright melo-
drama-which lot Of renegades
from scholasticism think Shakespeare
meant It to be.
And the casting! What endless
publicity possibilities In letting the
public have a vote on that matter!
II its voice actually counted, 1t might
produce the most amazingly inept
cast in Hamlet" history. Or it might
produce one of the best. Garbo as
Ophelia, for instance. Bette Davis as
the queen. Name your own Hamlet.
These are just samples.)
After all, the whole thing is just
an idea An idea that seems to have
o great many possibilities If the right
people take it up!
1.-THE CHILDRENs HOUR" has
been scheduled for January
Ut the National Theater. 1t will be
the fifth play of the American Theater
Society's subscription season of six
plays. The same cast which played
"The Children's Hour" for IS weeks
on Broadway will be in the local pro-
duction, Herman Shumlin, its pro-
ducer, says. Included in the group
are Anne Revere, Katherine Emery,
Florence MCGEE, Katherine Emmet.
Edmonia Motley. Aline McDermott
and Blaine Cordner.
Briefly. If you don't already know
It, THE Children's Hour" Is a grand
play about q terrible brat.
IF KATHARINE BROWN, Wellesley
girl who combs the world for
talent for Gone With the Wind"
comes back to Washington, William
j. Shea, G. U. drama director, will be
waiting for her. While here a couple
Of weeks ago. Miss Brown intimated
she might come back and look over
some more talent. Since then, Shea's
g. U. boys have done yellow Jack"
and he has about 20 candidates he
would submit to Miss Browns read
ing tests.
H.