Evening star., 1941-08-19

Mr.. Ickes and the municipal gaso-
line conservator, people are driving
miles to see Nagel, who has been
out of the movies quite long enough
to be forgotten If the public were
the dirty migrate it is reputed to be.
THE Male Animal" to be sure, is
the perfect comedy dish for vaca-
tionists and genuine country people.
1t is light and airy, and when it is
too dangerously close to subtlety
line or a situation can be suitably
underscored by an actor, most of
whom obviously were born with an
antipathy for subtlety.
But just talk to the people who 60
to the theater and you will find out
they do not go to the theater to see
a comedy called The Male Animal"
written by whimsical wit named
James Thurber.
They go to see CONRAD NAGEL
in THE Male Animal" That is
what the billing of the play wants
them to do. They are obliging peo-
pie. In the foyerS later, they talk
first about Nagel and how young he
still looks, thinking perhaps how
George (who probably snores at
nights now) would have been more
romantic had he gone in for the
same form of self preservation.
Then perhaps they will get around
to discussing the play, much later.
The point is that they have not
forgotten Nagel.
On his part, Nagel returns the
compliment. Without apology for
it, he still likes to act. 1t is some
thing actors never recover from and
he makes no pretense about being
an exception. When you've been
out of it for years, there is a more
or less constant gnawing inside.
You want to go back and see if you
can do 1t again, to learn If you have
been forgotten.
The summer theater is a good
place to make the investigation.
That's why Nagel is here this sum-
mer. He is satisfied with the result.
He doesn't even mind the fact that
not all the values of comedy such
as THE Male Animal" are not real
lied in the sometimes Ight-hearted,
casual Interpretation plays get In
the meadows.
1t wasn't the money which
brought him back, although the
money has not been bad this year.
Nagel may not be in pictures
these days, but he is busy man.
In fact, he is so busy that 1t may
explain why he is not in the movies. !
He is tied up with radio, directing
two dramatic programs, one of them
the Silver Theater.
"I wouldn't mind acting" he ad-
mits, "but when would have time?
I keep thinking maybe I'll do some
thing, look for the right part, and
then I'm busy seven days a week on
my next two radio programs. You
know how radio is"
We said we did. Sort of.
One gathers that Nagel would pre-
fer to return to the stage, which
what actor wouldn't. He hasn't a
tremendous amount of hope, agree
ing with the general run of the
theater's best friends and severest
critics sometimes not the same per-
son at alb that something bad has
happened to today's playwriting.
That's very unencouraging to an
actor, even more than it is to the
customer.
One clue to Nagers deeper affec-
tion for the stage than for the
movies is his attitude toward his
daughters artistic ambitions. She
wants to be an actress.
But in the threaten" Nagel has
tens to explain.
The two acted together this sum-
mer. On the theory that father
might not make a properly qualified
critic, or through sheer thoughtless-
ness, we neglected to ask how well
she did. The part was that of the
18 Or 19 year old coed in "The
Male Animal"
Miss Nagel was just the right age
for it. Her father admitted it with |
out that touch of shyness which
afflicts most actors who once were |
too handsome not to trade on that |
quality as heavily as possible. 1t |
probably would have been a right |
thing to tell him he didn't lood old |
enough to have daughter that age. |
And even if he does, what the
H? Obviously he has not been for
pntfer hv his old audiences