The Washington times., 1938-07-20

to stay in Hollywood much
longer that he would go mad
and that he would fly from the
coast If I located a suitable We
hicle for him" Needless to say
I am trying to find that vehicle.
The audience, in turn, needs
the actor to see, hear, feel, and
applaud. The human equation
is the vital spark, and no make
believe substitute will ever fill
the bill.
LURED STAGE TALENT
With the advent of talking
pictures it was very noticeable
that the silent picture actor
quickly passed on. The imme-
date need was for the legitimate
stage actor who was fully equip
ped with the fundamentals Of
his art as the talking picture de-
manded perfect diction syncro-
lied with good poiSe and panto-
mime.
To meet this demand Holly
wood producers with their un-
limited capital drew under their
banner practically all of the
stage stars of the time and
would lure the talented young
theSpians as soon as the legiti-
mate stage producers developed
them. Just as big league base
ball scouts the minor leagues
the movie producers secuted the
legitimate stage and its feeder"
the stock companies.
The inroads were so great
that the theater fell upon gloomy
days and where 22O stock COM
panies existed in the cities at
that time not one remains to-
day. Then, too, mounting costs
OF production mitigated against
the stock company in the cities,
so they moved to the country.
Today Stage Magazine lists
nearly a hundred first class sum.
mer theaterS. throughout the
United States.
My new Olney Theater in
Maryland, which opens next
Monday night, inaugurateS the
professional summer theater in
the South. Then, too, the little
theater movement with thei~
nonprofessional acting compa-
nies are making the public "thea-
ter conscious" and are providing
training ground needed by the
youngsters in order to pass on
to acting Importance.
CREDIT TO AMATEURS
Right here in Washington, I
feel that great credit is due the
efforts of such organizations as
the Civic Theater, the Black
friarS. the Pierce Hall Players,
the Roadside and Cross Roads
amateur summer theaterS. They
have kept alive the fire and
vitality that are essential to the
maintenance Of great actors,
great plays, great theater.
While some of the local anna
teur efforts have been lacking
in polish and distinction, there
have risen from their ranks such
stars as Helen Hayes, Ina Claire,
Mary Eaton, Wilton Lackaye,
AL Jolson. From my own Ma
tional Academy Of Stage Train
ing I have sent forth to the pro.
fessional stage at least IS asplr-
ing thespianS, including Helen
Shields, now with the Theater
Guild, George Calvert, who
toured with Personal Appear.
ance," Sheila Barrett and my
little Hollywood protege, Peggy
Ann Garner.
The legitimate theater. con.
trary to all pessimiStic predic.
tlons, is moving ahead, revitaliz-
ing itself today, just as it has
always done in the past, as far
back as the days Of the Greeks.
MOVIES HELPING OUT
A vast amount of financial
support now comes to the speak
ing stage from motion picture
sources. Paramount Twentieth
Century-Fox, Warner Brothers
Metro -Goldwyn- n-Mayer-all these
gigantic organizations are pro-
V1ding backing for Broadway
productions, and it appears that
today the parent theater and
the pictures are linked together
in a common bond-the devel-
opment of talent and its appli-
cation to the presentation of
the best in entertainment.
Where, in the past, opposition
existed a natural unity has now
sprung up, bringing them to-
gether into a new understand
ing.
Picture stars take time from
the studios to appear in the sum-
mer "straw-hat" theaterS- often
to brush up on their audience
appeal; legitimate broadway
stars spend vacations making a
picture, only to return to the
white way for a new production
in afRw months. On every hand
we can see that the legitimate
theater has something that is
so much part of our lives that
Hollywood has made it, in turn,
a part Of theirS-it is something
that is inherent, it cannot be
killed oFF oy divarkad