Evening star., 1936-11-01


the exploits of the young women VIII
the theater there always looms omi-
nously the sinister figure of the mo-
tion picture; the evil, lecherous vii
Ian. with the fine ways and the city
clothes, who is plotting for the inno-
cent girls the fate worse than death
life as film star. 1t is hardly neces-
sary to point out that the drama under
discussion is Stage Door," by George
s. Kaufman and Edna Ferber, who
have done pretty well for themselves
in Hollywood, but refuse to be bought
off with California gold.
There may be, however, some rea-
son for noting bit of the incidental
irony that has crept into the brilliant
production Mr. Kaufman has given
his work. The most obvious is that
the authors of Stage Door," after
pointing with alarm at the way in
which the cinema ruins potential
talent. have selected for leading roles
Miss Margaret SULLIVAN, Miss Phyllis
Brooks and Onslow Stevens, all three
from the films, and that the Holly
wood refugees show no signs that
their talents have been injured. On
the contrary, Miss SULLIVAN, who has
been seen on the stage in these parts
before, is now decidedly more expert
actress than she was before she So
journed in Hollywood.
1t struck me as being a trif1e ironi-
cal, too, when Mr.. Kaufman and
Miss Ferber, after going out of their
way to mock young radical play
wrights for their propensity for over
stating their indictments against
their enemies, went to even more ex-
travagant extremes in their own bit
terness against the motion picture
AS matter of fact. it is the strange
fury of their propagandist method,
not the details of their attack. which
makes one wonder if Stage Door" is
exactly fair to Hollywood. Even
those of us who agree that the mo-
tion picture citadel provides a lotus
land which tends to weaken the
mental and emotional stamina of the
authors and actors who live there too
long, and that the superior awards in
money. comfort and frame of screen
over stage have injured the theater
considerably, are forced to come to the
aid of the maligned cinema. 1t can't,
We are made to feel, be as bad as the
overwrought authors say. That, as
Mr.. kaufman and Miss Ferber know,
is the beginning of failure for prop
agandist. OF course, I pass over with
scorn the contention of few mali
cious fellows that one indictment
which could well be brought against
the cinema is that it buys too many
of Miss Ferbers pot-boiling novels.
If "Stage Door" is an unconvinc-
ing editorial document, it is, never
theless. smart. lively and entertain
ing show and therefore deserves its
place as the second smash hit of a
somewhat woebegone dramatic sea-
son. As play it assuredly has its
faults, and they are not merely the
aforementioned ones of overstate-
ment. The story of the girl who
clings grimly to her determination 10
become an actress despite the bland
iShments of Hollywood provides a
rather frail sort of plot, and there are
couple of episodes, one dealing with
suicide and the other with a young
'Xor1an living in sin, that are more
embarrassing than impressive. 1t
happens, however, that Mr.. Kauf-
man. even when he mods as a play
wright, is always on the alert as a
Snowman and a stage director, and
that Stage Door" Is admirable both
as show and a piece of smooth and
expert stage direction. 1t would
have been wise, think, if Miss Lee
Patrick, the successor to Miss Jean
Dixon as the spokesman for Mr..
Kaufman'S more Sardonic outburStS,
had been given more to say, and if
the foolish satire on a radical play
wright turned Hollywood defender
had either been done away with or
written more expertly. But there Is
no denying the pleasure of watching
so suave and humorous and well
acted an evening of deft parlor vaude-
vile, even if it is interrupted by a
stump speech from time to time.
Not the least of the plays virtues
Is the result of Mr.. Kaufman's we'll
known talent for casting. The per-
formance of Miss SULLIVAN in the lead
ing role is complete delight. Before
she went to Hollywood Miss SULLIVAN
seemed to me just another attractive
ingenue. Now she is a deft and
knowing actress who not only faces
the limited demands made upon her
IN Stage Door" with charm, guile
and resource, but also suggests that
she Is player of the highest poten-
tialities. Obviously, she has a dis
tinguished future in the theater, and
It Is wisdom, not romantic loyalty,
that makes her want to stay in the
vicinity of Broadway. It is pleasant
to note, also, that despite the flight
of youth and beauty to Hollywood,
there still seem to be plenty of good
looking girls longing for theatrical
careers. There are more attractive
young women in "Stage Door" than
there are at the Winter Garden. I
certainly hesitate to pick among
them, but for performance in
small role that is likely to be neg
lected would recommend Miss Louise
Chaffee's minor but sharp characteri-
cation Of the boy-hating voung
esthete of the Footlights Club, in a
discussion of the Kaufman-F -Ferber
show it should be noted that, in addi-
ton to the glib showmanship of the
play, it is their real sentimental af-
lection for the theater, not the hys-
terical dislike of the screen, that is
the two playwrights' most winning
contribution to stage Door," But
perhaps their chief feat is that in
their last act they have actually
succeeded in libeling q motion-picture
producer.
n