The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-01-18

codnmB extinct2 In other years
there was always y spectacular gal
70 welcome Margaret SULLIVAN,
Margot Stevenson, Katherine Locke,
Nancy Kelly-but where Is this
years reason for missing the trains
back 10 Yale and Princeton?
The best juggling act was put
on by Press Agent r. Nancy, who
handled "6wingin' the Dream" and
the Maurice Evans Hamlet (full
length version) simultaneously. No
sooner would he getsthrough claim
ing how marvellous Shakespeare was
In the raw, unedlted state Of "Ham-
let" than he'd have to let loose
with the other side Of the argu.
ment-how Benny Goodman, Louis
Armstrong and others Of the brass
and woodwind section improved the
corny old author. p. s.: "Swingin'
the Dream" fell dead In the middle
Of picoolo solo and the nth Gen.
tury show mopped up.
margin for Error" Glare Boothe's
taunt to the Nazis was hooted be-
cause some thought the murder Of
the Hitler envoy was too fantastic.
While the dissenteds paused to
catch their breath, somebody &C.
tually did knock off an official
Heinie In Brooklyn And that
was all Of that line Of talk.
tsst~4
Not since the late Haywood Broun
was hauled Up for clubbing an &C.
tor the worst In the business has
o critic felt the law on his elbow,
Now John Anderson may face O Jury
Of his peers for making o big mouth
at "Foiies Bergere." Whatever the
verdict, It ought TO be q rich haul
OF nuggets for the paragraphers.
The playwrights' Theater, which
started life last season with three
snashes, ran Into an unshakeable
jinx. It began with the accidental
death Of Sidney Howard. Next his
show, after experimenting with sew
eral stars, expired when Geo. M
Conan decided II wasn't his dish Of
tea. The Jonah touched "Key
Largo" too when Harold Johns
rud, O major player, died In q
fire shortly after the opening.
During rehearsals OF 1.-THE Male
Animal co-author Thurber Dragged
that play.Writing was O puShoVer
method Of making money, His mates
tried TO tnuzgle him, warning that
kind OF talk was ink. But the
piece survived Thurber's pop-offs to
10 become the first hit Of 1910.
1.-THE Philadelphia Story" now
more than 40 weeks Of age, Is q
face -reddener TO the movie exhibs
who called x. Hepburn poison ct the
flicker windows. She has just
peddled the piece, say reports, for
i7bd's, plus O Job for herself. The
movies apparently feel It's good
poison at that price.
The click Of Life With Father"
seems to have smothered the Alger
yarn involving Its producer, Oscar
SeFlin. This newcomer was hand.
somely employed as o cinema exec,
but he no like. He scratched around
with his script, with coin hard to
find, until he located his present
lucky angels. He was as iiisolvent
ana obscure 90 Jed Harris with
Broadway" when the Lindsay
Grouse opus began TO bulge the En-
pire with customers.
"Chrlstmas I'VE" shocked the
town by exhibiting O childbirth on
the stage, which Is O quaint un-
Outstanding Of the word entertain.
inent". The baby lived only until
the following Saturday night.
Last September predictions were
made that the show-shop would
have It's best year since 1929. But
mid-year finds the Road doing
better than D'way. Most Of the SELL
out stars are trouping: H. Hayes, K
Cornell, M. Evans, r. Massey, 0ax.
ton q Moore. The road Is so hot
J. Barrymore was able TO freak II
profitably for nine months In Chi
The producers, busting with IDEAL.
Ism, are brain sweating out plan
10 protect the customers from the
ticket gyps. While the managers
huddied on O recent Saturday over
their ticket code, seven shows died
Of ticket-hunger. Proving the pub
lie needs projection like Joe Louis.