The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-09-07

" V II D. tkdkiC
 time to close
 the playhouses,
 darken the
 sl lsS screens and
 -A'A1 bring down the curtains. A strike would have brought down upon the heads of both opponents the resentment and wrath of public opinion, not sympathy or interest.
 And 1t is another evidence of the bigness of the folk In the entertainment world, because from indisputable sources, your correspondent Is informed that the strike was averted only for the public veal. Both factions recognized a strike now would have been a disservice to all the war-harried folk of the United States, while cannon roar and bombs fall overseas.
 And even personal mud-sling- ing was ended in the signing of the peace. The venom that had been directed from the actors camp toward Sophie Tucker, around whom the strike storm centered, has vanished.
 For weeks the actors at Ralph's, where theatrical folk gather, had kept Sophie's photograph in the restaurants art gallery turned to the wall. This was symbol of her banishment from their affec- tion. But with the calling of permanent truce, Sophie's likeness faces forward again, smiling ma formally down upon her younger colleagues in the show world.
 So the live theater will continue to district war-harassed folk from intermittent bulletins of air raids and slaughter. New York - and the rest of the country-needs monumental plays like "Abe Lin- coin in Illinois" in these perilous times
 LINCOLN'S WORDS
 SIGNIFICANT NOW
 And, indeed, when in the final scene of this stirring democratic plea, Richard Gaines, who now is portraying Lincoln, repeats the soft, sage words of the Great Emancipator, deeper hush than usual follows these days. This is the speech and this seems an ap- propriate moment to repeat it:
 i've heard of an eastern monarch who once charged his wise men to invent him sentence which should be true and appropriate at all times and in all situations.
 'They presented him with the words, And this, too, shall pass away. That is a com- forting thought in times of af- fiiction-'Apd this, too, shall pass away
 And yet let us believe 1t is not true. Let us live to prove that we can cultivate the nat ural world around us and the intellectual and moral world within us, and secure an indi- vidual, social and political pros endures, shall not pass away" forward and, while this earth perity whose course shall be
 Those words of Lincoln seem Sorely needed now.
 MOST OF SHOWS
 ARE FROTHY
 It is lucky that most of the other entertainments on Broad way during this crucial period should be ht-hearted pot-pour- ris. George White chose this time to resume his musical Scandals, replete with hotcha humor, women and song. Olsen and Johnson and their crazy cohorts are shutting out the bullet-ridden and radio raddled world with "HellzApop- pin," making chiefly for abdomi- nal laughter. Streets of Paris" the sordid news of the day and is another musical, oblivious to cheerfully dispensing pulchritude and punch-lines. Nor is 1t apol- ogizing for the fact that the streets of Paris these days are not as gay as they are represent ed on the stage.
 Katharine Cornell still is carry ing on in her first light comedy which ironically is called "No Time for Comedy" She seems to be enjoying 1t and the audience leaves no doubts. Katharine Hepburn remains one of the toasts of the town in "Philadel- phia Story" which does not con- cern itself with the weightier side of life and the musical show, "Yokel Boy" is offering gay dis fractions to folk who want TO GET AWAY FROM IT ALL.
 Now that the actors and the stage hands have kissed and made up, Sophie Tucker has resumed her role in yet another musical show, Leave It to Me-" "The American Way" still is offering its patriotic message to Ameri- cans and Tallulah Bankhead is urdiminishingly dramatic in the drama, "The Little Foxes" And, oh yes, Tobacco Road" shows not a sign of disappearing from the scene.
 This country and this town needs the make-b believers more than ever now. The public is not ungrateful that the warning fac- tions in the entertainment world swallowed their respective brides