The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-10-21

up about with
 Broadway's first hit of the season. Gertrude Lawrence in "Skylark'' Often, it is the cary bird in the theatrical season who gets the worrn-wood from the critics. Not so MT. Golden. When he reused the morning after "Skylark" open- ed, he found himself with quite a promising gold mine on his hands.
 For Gertie. Lawrence in almost any play would attract the play
 goers from all over town; the
 Park Avenue carriage trade, the Rialto hoi polloi and the Brook lynites. What Katharine Cornell
 is to weighty drama, Garbo to the movies, King Georges Ger tie has become to smart drawing room comedy.
 But "Skylark" is the spark which touches off the First Night ing fireflies at this time of year, Now's the time society columns reveal in printed whisper what
 Genevieve Stotesboro said to Gwendolyn Statesbury out in the lobby, how Iow-cut Mrs. Pokave- nue's gown was, Who sat with Whom.
 ALL EYES
 ON CRITICS
 It is the time panting autograph hounds and celebrity hunters emerge from summer hiding and stalk the first nights, with drip ping fountain pens and creased albums, waiting for their prey out on the pavement.
 It is the time traffic becomes hopelessly snarled in the theater belt and policemen detailed to the sector lose their tempers.
 And taxi drivers start playing automotive soccer in their vieing for fares.
 1.-The old faithfuls have flocked back to their theatrical pews with the devotion of parishioners. A Mrs. Katzenberg, who never has permitted herself to be inter- viewed and who has not missed a first night from her front row seat, center, for ten years, has re- sumed her premiering, but the Jules Brulatours (she is the flax en-haired Hope Hapmton) are conspicuously absent. They'll be back soon, they promise.
 The Critics Circle is back on the Death Watch. Upon them the producers, actors and audience turn anxious eyes, appraise their smiles, frowns, restless crossing of legs, downward glances, loud laughter, animation, drowsiness in terms of failure or success.
 If snowman observes a critic who looks as though he would be. q, happier in the arms of Morpheus, he sees thousands of dollars flying out the window. For upon the critical mood hangs the public re- sponse to a Broadway play. All- powerful or nearly so, they tell John Q. Public what to pay to see, what to avoid and save their money.
 POLITE"
 SOCIETY
 First Nights bring out the worst in people, and this season is no exception. The rudeness of first nighters already has been ex- pressed at the inaugural gala opening. In the first place, the curtain rose fifteen minutes after its scheduled time. Then the late- corners streamed in with non- chalance, and blandly treSpassed on the toes of folk who had been polite enough to be prompt.
 The unpaid claques kept the play from progressing by un- appreciated applause for this friend or that who happened to be in the cast, and during inter- missions, the stampede up the aisle resembled dollar day in bargain basement. Polite manners. are adjourned on first night among sophisticated New Workers and among unsophisticated ones as well.
 The season is on. At this very moment, the opening nighters are still a-giggle over George s. Kauf- man and Moss Hart's "The Man Who Came to Dinner" comedy of insult supposed to be all about that fabulous raconteur, Alexan- der Woollcott; pleased with Helen Hayes portrayal of jury wom- an, and disappointed in the au- thors' work in Ben Hecht and Charles McArthur's play, Ladies and Gentlemen"
 Those rendered hors de combat will not be around next week. Meanwhile, they are running riot!