Evening star., 1940-03-25

4ucTc Is Ilc case VI jim FTOCC(
the local drama desks about "Heav-
enly Express" and who went to
Princeton Saturday night to see
the play open. At quiet shindig
up at the Carlton yesterday aft
ernoon Mr.. Proctor allowed as how
he saw a miracle Saturday night
and everybody thought it was a
very fine omen for Heavenly Ex-
press"
I'm the play" said Mr.. Proctor,
"there is mention one time of it
showing while the stars are shining
brightly. And, would you believe it,
that is just what happened at
Princeton Saturday night. The
sky was full of stars shining brightly
and all of a sudden 1t showed, with
the stars still there"
Needless to say. several shrugs
of a shoulder and several raised
left eyebrows met Mr.. Proctor's
statement. Questioned, Harry Carey,
one of the important players in
Heavenly Express said he hadn't
seen it snow with the stars out, but
then he hadn't been with Mr.. Proc
tor.
Then Miss Aline Mcmahon came
in and in four minutes she was tell
ing about a miracle she witnessed
Saturday night which was an ex-
cellent omen for Heavenly Ex-
press
In the play" said Miss Mcmahon,
"there is mention one time of it
showing while the stars are shining
brightly. And, would you believe
it, that is just what happened at
Princeton Saturday night. The
sky was full of stars shining brightly
and all of a sudden it showed, with
the stars still there"
Mr.. Carey shrugged again. "All
I know" said he, "is that wish I
could play guitar so I could go
back to Western pictures. Besides
I do not know if Miss Mcmahon
and Mr.. Proctor got together on that
story because I was riding in the
engine cab all the way down here
and one time we went 81 miles an
hour"
John Garfield, who had come in
by that time, said he was in the
cab. too, and it didn't snow there
At any rate, if tonight you find the
stars beaming upon gently falling
snow, be not alarmed. 1t will just
be an omen signifying that "Heav-
enly Express" is opening at the
National.
If rhythm is, as many who should
know agree, the soul of all art. then
the Catholic University speech and
drama departments production of
Murder in the Cathedral is art.
There is rhythm in every bit of it
in its speech, in the flow of its ac-
ton and even in its lighting. The
rhythm. which stems from T. S.
Eliot's poetic lines, may defeat its
purpose at times, of course, may
draw your attention away from his
meaning to his rhyming and his
timing But on the other hand we
finally had the feeling that this was
something which could be under
stood in essence by one who knew
not the first word of English.
That's the kind of music which
these people out at Catholic Uni
versity read from the Eliot drama
about the archbishop who became a
martyr because he woud not bow to
King Henry II. 1t is more a song
than play, which emerges from
the Eliot script under the direction
of Walter F. Kerr and DR.. Jose
phine McGarry Callan but it is a
dramatic song. Robert Speaight's
Thomas a Beckett is as sure as
would be expected from one who has
played the role more than TOO times
professionally and as fresh and
warm as if it were a new inspira-
ton to him. And some of the other
people among them Charles Grun-
well and Alfred Loritsch, are every
inch up to the standard Mr..
Speaight sets.
Altogether it is fine perform
ance, of an intriguing theatrical
work
Hollywood is always sending along
little paragraphs of news which
would startle the wits out of any
one not Injured to the little para
graphs Of news Hollywood sends
along Item: Last week Walter
Wanger began production on the
film version of Vincent Sheean's
Personal History" announcing that
the title would be changed. Now it
is not unusual for film producers
to buy book for the title alone or
to buy book for the story alone.
giving it a new title. But recent
events in Europe tas Mr.. Hitlers
affairs are politely called have
ruined the narrative of Personal
History" for picture purposes, it
seems. So Mr.. Wanger is filming
Personal History" under a differ
ent title because he is not using
the story.
President Roosevelt is a fan OF
Walter Huston's, it might be I'M
agined-he's seen him at the Ma