Evening star., 1940-07-01

finds a peculiar satisfaction in the
heroine of "Speakeasy." She likes
to see the sudden dawning on the
faces of her more SNUG listeners
that the female barf1y is not
funny, but a tragic figure.
The sketch, incidentally, has the
interesting history of being ad
libbed. Miss Barrett just got up and
did it one night, out Of a sense that
psychopathic messes like that par
ticular heroine deserved better
fate than the heartless mirth which
so often is their portion.
1t is the sort of thing that makes
you like her as person even more
than you do as an artist.
Speaking of Barrett material,
which is on display in wide array
at the Capitol Theater this week,
Miss Barrett creates it all herself.
And, although she has enough to
create a parade of characters that
would take days to pass a given
point, she keeps on adding to the
list. Her best friends, who include
other artists Severest critics, de-
clare it is not because audiences get
bored. Miss Barrett gets bored with
her funny creatures long before the
paying customers do.
1t may be one of the reasons why
less successful entertainers are less
successful.
Those fey flgments Of Walt Dis
ney's imagination are about to get
new companion. A human one,
too; sufficiently human to have been
critic than which there is no
but, why finish a sentence like that?
Flesh and blood's contribution to
the galaxy of Disney characters will
be Robert Benchley. The idea,
somewhat vague so far, is that
Benchley shall star In a feature
having its locale in the new Disney
studios: Benchley's character to be
that of a much befuddled new en-
ploye.
All we hope is that Donald Duck
Is allowed to write the review.
X
A note to this department saws
that after consulting Prank and
Wagnall," the pronunciation of the
Capitors next picture is "suff err
ee," with the accent strong on the
first syllable.
Wonder how Frank and Wagnall"
spell Funk & Wagnalls?
Wonders -will-never-cease depart
ment: OF all subjects upon which
the entertainment world has proved
itself sensitive, 1t least can stand a
reference to the sense Of smell. The
connotations of such a reference are
terrific, in reverse.
But, Is Harry Anger concerned
with that. Not at all. Mr.. Anger
Is going to take the tradition by the
neck this very Friday when the
Roxyettes dance their latest num-
Der, the Apple Blossom During
the dance the scent of apple blos-
som will be waited through the
house, bringing the olfactory sense
into use quite as definitely as those
OF sight and hearing.
Wonder who will be the first critic
to report:
"Conf1dentially, it's ambrosia."
Memo to authors writing books on
what every young girl ought to note:
Be sure to include Sara Allgood's
Prayer to st. Joseph" Miss ALL
good did it with at least dozen en-
cores for her fellow guests at Louise
Noonan Miller's party Saturday.
incidentally, later in the evening the
queen of the famous Abbey Theater
proved that these Irish do get
around by knowing all the words to
such veteran American chanteys as
casey JONES'" Home On the
Range" etc.
That war of words and music be-
tween Sam Jack kaufman and Art
Brown gets beyond words and music
Friday. The Capitol's maestro and
the corpulent genius of the console
are going to fight it out with bands
OF entertainers. Mr.. Kaufman's
group will compete with Mr.. Browns
group and when it is all over, the
world is supposed to have found the
ultimate wisdom as to which really
is the better at assembling stage
shows.