Evening star., 1937-03-20
By Robert B. Phillips, Jr.

never been in the American
theater or read Variety's box
Il office reports, it would seem
appealingly obvious that the easiest
subject matter for his debut as a
dramatist would be either the diplo-
mats, the international bankers or
big politicians who had brushed the
hayseed from their hair and become
potent fellows in shaping international
policy. Diplomats are supposed to be
suave and clever, international bank
ers such powerful citizens that their
characters would automatically be-
come exciting on the stage, and poll
ticians. practical men whose earthly
visions would make earnest theater.
The mere fact that he happened to
know little or nothing about the work.
ings Of the minds of these individuals
would not in any way deter our young
chap. 1t never yet has stopped play
wright from speaking his piece on
any class or creed that popped into his
head, and = neophyte would be less
intimidated than a veteran. The pay
oA3 WObAA SOAAiC WlCll Vic WllGCl oLo-
covered that the customary audience
reaction to charades concerning diplo-
macy, war loans, treaties and oratory
Is vast, concerted yawn.
None Of the stub holders will deny
that our enmassed fates are largely
dominated by ambassadors, big-shot
money lenders and our foremost politi-
cal leaders, but for some reason that
fact does not seem to enable them to
thrill us when they are initiated on
the stage. A hundred years afterward,
yes. Today, decidedly no. In mod
ern dress the only moguls able to stir
our lethargies are the munitions max
ers, who are always good sneering ma
terial. The rest of the international
boys leave us cold, unless they are
wisely presented in q rip-roaring melo-
drama, complete with two beautiful
spies Zone of them a vllainess), sew
erAl tall, black-haired gentlemen $50
per cent Of them cads) and a sage old
baron, who has been through the mill
and sits around hurting bon mots into
the teeth of his enemies.
SOMEWHAT belatedly I might ex-
plain that the above reflections
were prompted by recent presence Of
Mr.. Leslie Reade's His Excellency''
at the Belasco Theater, and the fuss,
furor and argument it aroused among
critics. In general the consensus was
that Mr.. Reade had nothing very I'M
portant to say and only occasionally
said 1t in bright words. A few people
also noted that the presence of great
many over dressed ladies or gentlemen
or both on 4 stage does not necessarily
convert the theater into . glamour
mart.
This leads vs. to another observation
Il. O., only . few classifications Of
human beings get regular workouts
in the dramas that lean heavily on
the glamour stuff, and the funny
part about 1t is that the types Sc
lected for fancy glorification are
usually in real life anything from
commonplace to dull. In the current
theater and cinema, for example, the
favorite objects Of the brightest OF
script gags are actors and actresses
newspaper people and crooks. Some
times-as in THE Royal Family
"Once in q Lifetime" and Boy Meets
Girl"-the theater folk are taken for
big ride, and again, as in Reflected
Glory and Stage Door," they are
given more or less legitimate treat
ment. In either event, the plays
built around them somehow manage
to be amusing, although 1t is 4 well
known fact that the average thespian
takes himself seriously to the point
OF obsession, and possesses . CLAM
orous personality" that is one-tenth
absorbed from good directors and
good plays, the other nine -tenths in
vented by publicity agent.
WITHOUT intending any insult TO
w the practitioners Of my own
racket, I ask them fairly how many
in their ranks resemble the play
boys Of "The Front Page" or "Libeled
Lady" or Clear All Wires" 1t would
also be interesting to discover just
how many newspaper men in the past
10 years have been relieved from
worry about the swindle sheet by
heiresses who came gaIloping after
them, swooning with passion. This
is the inevitable fate prescribed for
scribes represented in Hollywood
dramas (and even on the stage). For
some reason the public seems to be
willing to accept 1t ad infinitum,
whereas . story that had an heiress
chasing and marrying a diplomat be-
tween treaty conferences would be
greeted with . firm 80 what?" by
every audience In the land. Since
90 diplomats marry wealthy young
ladies In every year that scribbler
leads 1 to the altar, you will have
to work out for yourself the psychology
Of the crowds who prefer to believe
otherwise. Maybe the story q too