davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1938-03-27

can quite avoid pondering today, no
matter how firmly he may be con-
vinced that the theater is an austere
institution which should stand aloofiy
dignified above the petty world of
everyday events. I do not think it is
possible for any one who makes what
is approximately profession of writ
ing about the drama to glance at a
newspaper any of these mornings and
contemplate merely the headlines
without giving some pretty earnest
consideration to the importance, the
position and the duties of the theater
IN one of the most perilous periods in
world history since the Dark Ages.
There can be no doubt that the
conscientious dramatic critic, no mat
ter what his other faults may be,
sincerely loves the theater, if only for
the selfish reason that it provides him
with comfortable and pleasant living.
AS lover Of the theater, he must be
jealous of its value and its prestige
and he cannot remain content when
the drama is, as an institution, looked
down upon with patronizing contempt.
It is claim frequently made that
the stage is merely place for shallow
and frivolous amusement, that it
should be satisfied to help troubled
people to keep their minds off more
important matters, and that it
shouldn't worry its pretty head over
serious concerns. That amusement
and forgetfulness are among the
amiable opiates that it can supply is
obviously true, and there is no reason
why any one connected with the
drama should be ashamed of this i'm
portant function. But to insist that
this is all the theater can and should
achieve, to say that the drama is
merely an opiate and nothing more,
Is to insult it cruelty, and the critic,
as its jealous defender, must resent
any such attack upon it.
THE theater of escape can be anus
= ing and charming and entirely
delightful, and any one who Is scorn-
full of it when it is being any of these
things cannot evade the charge of
inexcusable priggishness. But drama
can be employed to heighten, subli-
mate or clarity human experience,
as well as to render us fortgetful of
it, and suspect that it would be q
bit fantastic to deny that the former
function is the loftier one. That, Of
course, does not mean that plays must
invariably deal with current social
and political topics to be important,
and only the most fatuous Of fanatics
would expect them to do any such
thing. Human experience Is certain
Evening star., 1938-03-27
By Richard Watts. Jr.

urpr hoe 'h~ae, ~ san,at,,;ra t
rather desultory about the
fashion in which this depart
Il ment has, in its last few
pastoral letters, contemplated the mat
ter Of the escapist drama. I fear that
I have tended to creep up on the topic
timidly, reach out for it tentatively.
stroke it once or twice furtively and
then sheer off apologetically. Per-
init me. however, to try it just once
more, after promising you that, fol-
lowing this final excursion into a COM
plex field, I will stay away from it
for quite while. It is, must insist,
most tempting subject for inquiry,
and it is one that no dramatic critic
Evening star., 1938-03-27

\A/ write about the Hollywood
w press agent can always
turn to his favorite yarn
the one about how good a. star is to
his mother, or his sister, or maybe
his wife's mother-in-la by a pre-
vious marriage.
Ordinarily the good deed" story
won't be thrown back in his teeth,
but on isolated occasions relatives
suddenly have been known to rise from
oblivion to confuse famous screen per-
sonages and their paid praisers. A
year ago headlines across the Nations S
press screamed, ."Grandfather of
handsome movie hero on relief" And
not so long back, Father of screen
heroine. in want. sues for support"
But such cases are rare, indeed
and usually there are extenuating
circumstances behind the scenes,
which unfortunately for the star in
volved no one bothers to emphasize.
Taken by and large, the average
Hollywood celebrity is a good pro-
wider for "the folks"-mother, father,
sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, cousins,
nephews and all the in-laws they in
volve. Plenty of these relatives offer
practically nothing in return for sup
port rendered by the screen star, but
many others contribute much.
An outstanding case of family serv-
ice to star is the relationship between
(See HEFFERNAN, Page F-2D
Evening star., 1938-03-27
Some Notes on the 'Escapist' Drama
Playwrights Find World Full of Stirring Events
Competing With Their Make. Believe

to be clarified far more by psyche
logical study embedded in an ancient
melodrama-all right, mean Ham
let'-than by play about strike
in steel mill. and it certainly is not
necessary to mention the rape Of Spain
or China by savage invaders to cause
your play to take on the quality of
actual life. But, as have said until
you are no doubt weary of hearing
it, plays may be written in ivory
towers, but they are not acted in them,
and every drama is seen by audiences
that bring with them to the theater
their memories of a very real and
very dramatic outside world. In fact,
that outside world is so intensely dra-
matte that it tends to provide the
most strenuous sort of competition
for the playwright. There has, for
example, been nothing new in the
theater in recent weeks as tragically
dramatic as the newspaper account Of
a day and night of Barcelona air
raids by Herbert L. Matthews. the
finest Of contemporary war CORE
spondents.
Certainly, after even a casual read
ing of the newspapers, your inclina-
ton is to climb right into the nearest
ivory tower and pull the trap door up
after you. This is assuredly the time
to find you a Noah and get into his
ark with him. But you will recall
that even Noah had to take a rather
large part of the outside world into
his floating ivory tower. Things can
not be shut out that simply. I sup
pose that the most complete and sat-
isfying example Of the escapist mood
achieved since the new Dark Ages
began to descend upon us Is Disneys
Incompatible Snow White and the
Seven Dwarfs." Yet I doubt If even
in this case was any one able to at
tend the enchanting film without
taking the world outside his window
into the theater with him. The re-
suit was that the film was not an
escape SO much as medium for re-
fueling the soul for further battle.
You came from the picture feeling
that, despite such horrors as Fascism
and its works, there still was some
reason for believing in the essential
kindliness Of the human spirit, and
you could face the world with a conf
dence you did not feel after reading
Of the air raids on Barcelona.
IF THAT were what the escapist
drama meant, there would not only
be every reason for applauding it, but
also for changing its name. The monks
who retired to their monasteries in the
Dark Ages and somehow managed to
Evening star., 1938-03-27

keep the light Of culture burning in
their humble cells could certainly not
be accused of running away from life.
On the contrary, they were saving all
that was best and most beautiful in
existence, and it could be said with
much truth that only they we're living
while those in the outside world we're
merely dying. This kind of "escapist," !"
the man who stands aloof from the
horrors and homicides of q maddened
universe and protects all of the worlds
finest spiritual treasures from the on
{See WAITS PAGE Eol
Evening star., 1938-03-27
Stars Do Well
By All Their
Relatives
Most of Players
Known as Good
Providers.
BY Harold Hefernam.
HOLLYWQ(

w YHEN there's nothing else tc
M write about the Hollywood
wv press agent can always
Evening star., 1938-03-27

DUNG fancies the
love in the spring Hywoods
we hasten to add in different
Evening star., 1938-03-27
Coming Attractions

tSee WATTS, Page F-2.)
Evening star., 1938-03-27

(See HEFFERNAN, Page F-2.
Evening star., 1938-03-27
Youth Seems a Crime
In Hollywood Today
Story of the Younger Players Is a
Sad Tale of Sad Roles
In Glass B Pictures.
By Sheilah Graham.
By SheiIah Graham.
HOLLYWOOD.

oLLYWOOD Is not doing right by its
"e-estabished odmers sitting pretty
PICTURES lucky
4 front ranking productions
Take the Weaver "Second
onmoon when she stole the
Evening star., 1938-06-19

leave trace of benefits to any COM
munity in America" the Senator
charged.
Roosevelt has increased the debt
from % billions to 38 billions. but
10 billions will be repaid and Is be-
ing repaid by the countless industries
which have borrowed it and by count
less communities which have taken
advantage of an opportunity never
before afforded to secure needed i'm
provements in the enjoyments OF
their local lives.
THE net increase of the debt oi
the United States Treasury brought
about by this administration, there.
fore, amounts to but little more thar
five billion dollars. But during these
five years we have doubled the income
OF agriculture, and we have added
$4,000, 100000 year to the net
income of the American people.
The net increase in national debt
can be paid today with one-fourth
of the net increase in the income Of
the American people in the year
1887"
Cites Efforts for Veterans.
Mr.. Barkley made a pointed refer
ence to his deviation from the Presi-
dents wishes on occasion-referring
to his vote to override the Presidents
veto of the soldiers bonus and declar-
ing he had actively supported" vet
erans' "just claims" since the World
War.
Climaxing his recital of public i'm
provement works constructed with
Federal money, the Senator made
what apparently was a counter-offense
allusion to some remarks attributed
to Gov. Chandler.
"Those who have appealed to WASH
Evening star., 1938-06-19

spite Nahant's famed sea breeZes.
The crowds who visited the rocky little
peninsula felt the heat as they stood
10 deep around the church or tennis
club. where the reception was held.
Conferring for the last fortnight
with Col. Edward w. Startling, head
of, the secret service who set up head
quarters at the new ocean house,
Swampscott, while here, and Harry
Barker, New England chief Of the F..
B. l., police officials had made plans
to handle crowd Of zoe, 1000 If neces-
sary.
Because the little church has no
center aisle, the professional was un-
usual. First came the ushers, up the
left-hand aisle. two by two. in cut
away, striped gray trousers and white
spats, soft turnover collars and gray
four-in-hand ties. with white carna-
tions in their buttonholes.
Because John Clark is rowing with
the Harvard crew at Red Top training
quarters, James Roosevelt marched
alone as the thirteenth usher.
Next came Miss Nancy Cassels and
Mrs. Charles r. L. Sturgis; Miss Ledlie
Laughlin and Miss Betsy Jaques; Mrs.
John Boettiger and Mrs. James Roose-
welt, all in hyacinth-blue net gowns,
poke bonnets of natural straw, from
which hyacinth- wells floated to
their shoulders. carrying great sheaves
OF blue delphinium mingled with april
cot and peach-colored gerbera.
Ten-year-old Joan Clark, flower
girl, walked alone. demure as a young
cherubim, heflr blue gown and bonnet
a diminutive reproduction of the
bridespaids, her bouquet an old-fash-
ioned posy of pale-blue deiphinium
and tiny pink roses. Later at the re-
ception, Joan was to relax into her
customary sprightliness, Turing her
new cousin. Eleanor Dali. into joining
IN the big apple on the dance floor.
The Maid Of Honor.
Sally Clark, her dark beauty set
of by the peach-colored maid of hon.
ors gown and hat, walked with the
1.-the grace learned in her dancing
studies in New York. She took the
wedding hard, tense in the process
Evening star., 1938-06-19

sional, chattering earnestly about de-
tails to Franklin, jr., the best man
on the way out Of the church, burst
ing into tears as Anne and John drove
of at the end OF the day.
The little bride, on the arm Of her
uncle, Russell Sturgis, of Sumter, S
c.. had her face hidden by floating
clouds of tulle until the end Of the
marriage ceremony.
The simple ring ceremony was used
the ring being a plain hoop of gold
engraved inside with Anne's and
Johns initials and the date. 4
According to the revised service oi
the Episcopal Church, Anne and John
both promised to 'love, honor and
cherish till death do. us part" the
word "obey" having been deleted from
the ritual
The brides mother, last person to
be seated in the church before the
wedding party entered, was escorted
to her place several minutes after
the President had arrived and the
church was nearly filled. She wore a
gown Of sheer gray roma crepe, with
floating draperies, orchid belt, gloves
and sandals, and dusty orchid ostrich
plumes in her large gray hat. Vivid
purple orchids made a corsage on her
shoulder.
Evening star., 1938-06-19
Copyright A. P. Wirephot

Chief Charles Leavitt, who doubles
as caretaker Of the Nahant church
wore his red helmet to the church
door just in case an alarm should
come in.
The ceremony was carried out with
deep religious decorum. John did not
kiss his bride in the church, but watt
ed until they had reached the club,
where Steward James ]. Scully waited
with bumpers Of champagne for them.
ITO you," said bride and bride
groom simultaneously. lifting the COB
lets. and then 6-foot-4 John bent to
kiss the diminutive bride.
There was a pleasant air of sim
plicity about the whole affair. Guests
in the church came Informally
dressed, the women in prints or " h.te
linen, the men in white flannels.
President Roosevelt wore white fan
nels and dark blue tropical-weaye
coat.
The entire church audience rose
spontaneously when the President en-
tered the church. Then, as Mrs.
Franklin Roosevelt swept up the aisle,
In her stunning navy sheer over a
light blue slip with jacket OF light blue
chantilly lace, and the other mem
bers of the family folio wed. men md
women remained standing respect
fully until the President, leaning on
the arm of his son Elliott, had walked
to the right-hand front pew and seat
ed himself.
Presidents Mother Present.
Next to the President sat his aunt,
Mrs. Price Collier, in flowered print;
then Mrs. Sara Delano Roosevelt, 83-
year-old grandmother of the BRIDE
groom, in a black sheer dress pat
termed with large white flowers and a
small black hat with purple lilacs;
then the Presidents wife and his
uncle. Frederic Delano Of Washington.
Immediately behind sat Mrs.
Franklin Roosevelt, jr ethel du
Pont) in navy blue with a flowered
print bolero and huge blue straw nat
with lilies of the valley on the brinl.
Mrs. Elliott Roosevelt, N Chocolate
brown sheer with brown hat and yel-
low rose. and Miss Barbara Gushing
were with her, Miss Gushing in q
cartwheel hat of natural straw.
In the third pew on the right were
Eleanor and Curtis Dali, President
Roosevelt's grandchildren - the little
girl in turquois frock and the boy in
white linen. Their mother, Mrs. John
Boettiger, was one Of the brides at
tendants and turned several times
during the ceremony to smile assur-
ingly at her wide-eyed children.
The professional to the altar to
Lohengrin's bridal chorus began at
1908; Bishop Henry Knox Sherrlll
began, the Dearly beloved-We are
gathered here =" DR.. Endicott Pea
body took up the solemn words Of the
matrimonial service; Franklin. jr, the
best man, produced the ring and
Evening star., 1938-06-19
Crowd Of $4,000 Present.

will be asked also to furnish lists Of
all contributors to their campaign
funds. The chairman also warned all
Government agencies to keep out Of
primary and general election CAM
paigns of senatorial candidates, threat
ening to prosecute violators of the
Federal or State corrupt practices laws.
Barkley Opens Campaign.
Meanwhile Majority Leader Barkley
opened his campaign for denomination
in Lexington, KY, his keynote speech
being discussion of the accomplish
ments of the Roosevelt administra-
ton. He declared, the Associated Press
reported, he would stand on his own
record, and the record of the Demo-
cratic administration, in his fight
against Gov. A. B. (Happy) Chandler,
who is opposing him.
Senator Barkley said he would
waste no time on puny trivialities nor
descend into the basement in search of
political skeletons" Gov. Chandler
and his campaign manager have
charged that the w. P. A. organization
in Kentucky was being used to ad-
vance Senator Barkley's campaign.
Senator Barkley's detailed analysis
of the accomplishments of the Con-
gress which just closed served as q
keynote for the New Deal campaign,
much as Representative SHELLS rep
resented the Republican views. As
yet, there has been no general CAM
paign pronouncement from Demo-
cratic Senators who opposed Presi-
dent Roosevelt's Supreme Court re-
organization plan, the third element
in the tangled political battle.
Points to Farm Benefits.
Pointing to what he said was bene-
fetal legislation for the farmers, la
Dor, business and the common man
in general, Senator Barkley said he
had no patience with those who
harped on the increase in the ma
tional debt. He said every bit of this
increase had gone into public bene-
fits that have enriched the whole
country.
Hoover (former President Hoover)
increased the debt from 16 billions to
% billions in four years and did not
Evening star., 1938-06-19
ONE At NAHANT
RELW|ED THEPAST
James Grandmother Was
Able to Contrast Three
Roosevelt Weddings.
BY MARY ELIZABETH PLUMMER

by mAhx EAlLhbETh FLDmMEh,
Associated Press Stan writer.
L NAHANT, Mass, June 18.-Fifty-
eight years ago. the late James Roose-
velt and his bride drove away after
their wedding in Victoria drawn by
Meg and Pet, the Delano horses, for
4, honeymoon at Hyde Park.
Today from front pew in Nahant's
little vine-clad Union Church, the
bride Of that day-Mrs. Sara Delano
Roosevelt, 83-year-old mother Of the
President-was privileged to see her
youngest grandson John married, to
Anne Lindsay Clark Of Boston. AS she
watched, she could recall the flight
Of years, envisoning the weddings of
three generations.
It was the Presidents white haired
mother who saw the complete picture
better than any Of the other 800 guests
In the village church-she and the
Rev. Endicott Peabody, 81, feadmaster
Of Groton School, who helped perform
the ceremony as he did at the mar
riage of the President and of the
Presidents other boys.
Contrast Of Generations.
The contrasts Of three generations
1880, 1905 and 1888.
The Presidents mother wore q
little round black bonnet over her
curled bangs-a high style In 1890
when she left on her wedding trip
Half way to Hyde Park, the bride
groom's T-cart was waiting.
The coachman who had piloted the
Victoria climbed into the high seat
at the back, Roosevelt took the reins.
and drove his bride home by way of
the Poughkeepsie ferry.
1905-Franknn Delano Roosevelt
and his fifth cousin. Eleanor were
married in New York town house
at chancel formed by a shower bou-
quet Of $50 pink roses with a back
ground Of palms. Among the guests
sat the wife of President Teddy"
Roosevelt. wearing a blue brocade
Evening star., 1938-06-19

eight minutes later, at 1911, DR.. Pea
body was saying: II pronounce you
man and wife"
Waves of opulent perfume were
waited through the tiny church as
the bride passed up the aisle, and
down again after the ceremony, from
her huge bouquet of lilies of the valley
and rare white orchids, odontcglos-
sum crispum and cattleia. She smiled
happily as she came down the aisle,
darting a sisterly wink at James
Roosevelt as she passed him. but her
sea-blue eyes were also misty with
tears.
The century-old church by the sea
was dusky, even at high noon, with
its interior Of dark slate-green, and
the 200 Easter lilies that banked altar
and chancel cleaned like stars against
a background of pale 1,athery GYM
bodium ferns.
Nowhere perhaps but In the old
Boston Church" at Nahant could
Anne Clark have married a Presi-
dents son in a churcl. eating only
300 people, with not a taper, not an
electric bulb 70 tighten the dim twi.
light Of the tiny fvy-covered edifice.
Tne chancel was so small that the
ushers had to stand during the serv-
Ice IN the front transept pews to right
and left, and the best man and BRIDE
groom had to wait eight long min
utes In the boxlike robin room"
where Bishop Sheriff. was putting
on his lawn sleeves and the 81-year-
old head Of Groton School, DR.. Pea
body, was donning his red cassock
and white surplice
Tall, spare, white-haired DR.. Pea
body-the venerable rector" of thou
sands Of boys in 50-odd years at
Groton School-headmaste to the
President and his four sons in their
turn. not only had in turn married
the President and Mrs. Roosevelt and
Mrs. Clark and the late F. Haven
Clark, parents of the bride. but all
John Roosevelt's three brothers and
his sister. And he solemnized the
marriage Of John and Anne on the
SD anniversary Of his own marriage
to the former Fannie Peabody of
Danvers.
The bridegroom was the first to
recognize this, calling on the guests
at the reception to drink a toast to
DR.. Peabody:
Because today is the SD wedding
anniversary of the man who married
Anne and l."
Pass Over Lapse In Grammer.
The rector" passed over the lapse
in grammar Of his former pupil with a
beaming smile, but the little bride
glanced up quickly as though to utter
her first wifely correction. Then she
closed her lips and was silent.
Perfect June Day.
Anne and John had perfect June
day for their marriage, though the
thermometer climbed to the 90s, de-
Evening star., 1938-06-19
Congress
Continued From First Page.)

so depressed that, as recorded on the
Federal Reserve Board index, it has
reached point lower than May, 1888,
and is only II points above the aver
age for 1882, the year in which the
1929-1932 depression touched bottom.
The great textile. steel. automobile
and bituminous coal mining industries
are in state of paralysis.
I'VE see the Nations railroads, our
most vital economic arteries, tottering
on the brink of disaster as the result
of five years of New Deal procrasti-
nation. jeopardizing the livelihood of
100000 workers and their families,
as we'll as the savings of countless
thousands of investors, bank depositors
and insurance policyholders. Yet the
President has permitted Congress to
adjourn without lifting finger to
ease this grave situation"
The Smell speech made it clear that
the aim of the Republican opposition
will be to make campaign issue Of
the depression, just as the Democrats
made 1t their issue in 1882.
In Position to Spend Billions.
Under existing conditions, however,
the Democratic administration is in q
position-which the Republicans six
years ago were MOTTO spend billions
of dollars for relief of the unemployed
The expenditures for relief cannot fail
to have political effect, regardless of
whether any w. P A. workers engage
In politics.
The Senate Campaign Expenditures
Committee. headed by Senator Shep-
pard of Texas, gave further notice
yesterday, through its chairman, Of
its intention to see that relief funds
are not used either directly or indi-
rectly, to coerce voters in the coming
senatorial primary and general elec-
tions.
Senator Sheppard said every candi-
date for the Senate would be asked by
his committee to furnish the names of
any Federal Government official con-
nected with his campaign. Candidates