Evening star., 1937-11-14

in the important developments on the
American stage. At least they provide
impressive evidence that the theater in
these parts still Is q vital and exciting
medium, . fact that those Of us who
are fond Of the drama like to have i'm
pressed upon US from time to time.
or THE three works, Clifford Odets'
Golden Boy" strikes me as the
most arresting and makes me most un-
happy that I didn't admire 1t more
completely. When 1t is good it is so
excellent as to remind us that, in his
stride, Mr.. Odets can write just about
the most stirring stun that is being
written for the American theater these
days, and that those Of us who have
been cheering for him have not over
rated his ability. Yet he remains, I
fear, an unfulfilled playwright, with
his remarkable talent still somehow
undisciplined. do not think he has
yet developed q critical sense about his
work, with the result that he tosses
the good and the bad almost indis-
criminately into his plays. Fortunately,
he is SO naturally gifted that the good
almost always predominates. In Col
den Boy" he Is writing Of the rise and
fall of sad and sensitive little Italian
boy, who gives up his ambition to be-
come q violinist to make an unhappy
O.. e. ri orA int hic
tale Mr.. Odets puts scenes and speeches
and characters that are not far from
perfection. Then he will turn around
and write a scene, a speech or even q
word that is both hollow and preten-
tious
A great part Of Golden Boy" is so
good that it might seem both captious
and ungrateful to emphasize the plays
weaknesses Yet when so great
talent remains in such undisciplined
shape that 1t cannot extract the ut
most from its possessor's gifts and
make what should be completely
satisfying play vaguely disappointing.
I think it is only fair to every one
concerned, including the author. to
say so. must report, therefore, that,
while Mr.. Odets' account of the home
life of his young fighter. with the de-
lightful circle of friends surrounding
his household, is superbly managed,
his report on the activities of the prize
ring set Is far from persuasive. You
feel that he knows the former group
and has discovered the latter chiefly
from hearsay.
I think, also, that it would have
been better if he had gone in less for
plot and had concentrated more on
his brilliant characterizations. for his
taxi driver, his old Italian father and
his family kibitzer are magnificent.
Finally, wish that the man who can
write such racy. pungent. realistic and
shyly poetic dialogue would not let
himself fall into pseudo-literary
speeches that make you momentarily
doubt both his ear and his observa-
ton. Yet 1 am being even more in
articulate than usual If 1 do not make
clear the fact that Golden Boy" is not
to be missed by any one concerned
with the progress of American play
writing and that the performances of
Luther Adler, Morris Carnovsky, Jules
Garfield and Miss Frances Farmer are
Of the first rank.
IF YOU have read anything at all
about the theater this year you
will know that "Amphitryon 38" has
been adapted by the witty and urbane
s. N. Behrman from what Jean
Giraudoux. its author, regards as the
thirty-eighth retelling of how Jupiter
wooed a woman of the earth by dis