Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1942-11-27
Nell DOdSOn
On Broadway
And Harlem

A~NN W SSg a WIN ~ oSl Wv
darned if l didn't. Last week in
commenting upon the fact that
Native Son had been put on the
wholly objectionable" list of
Broadway shows named by the
Catholic Theater Movement, l
stated that more than likely the
Questionable" elements in the
play were the scenes involving
Canada Lee and the white leading
lady. Sundays New York Times
carried the following opinions Of
various theatre managers on Ma
tive Son:
after all, the boys admitted Ma
tive Son DOES have a scene in
which a rich white girl almost Sc
duces a Negro man, and when they
are intruded upon, is murdered by
the colored man for her rashness.
NEVER MIND WHETHER IT IS
DRAMA OR NOT. It's in the play.
And furthermore, the colored man
is openly living with a girl of his
own. And when he's cornered he's
pretty violently anti-social about
matters. That these scenes were
unanimously considered to have all
the tragic, desperate quality of the
classic Russian writers apparently
had no effect on the disturbed
Catholic Theater Movement. Such
scenes, this group contends, are
scarcely moral lessons" END of
quote, brother.)
Whoever said Native Son is sup
posed to perform a Sunday School
lesson for Little Willie? It's so
Geological and psychological, and
it's strictly for mentally mature
adults.
Dance instructor-producer Mary
Bruce wired me to come over to her
studio last Wednesday night be-
cause she had something very spe-
cial to show me. She's been read
ing my constant harangues about
the need for a topnotch chorus line
in uptown niteries, and bless me,
if all this time the girl hasn't been
silently training some of her
youngsters as miniature models of
the famous Radio City Rockettes.
l saw the kids, all under the night
club age, and one about eight years
old, go through some routines that
were positively amazing. Frankly,
partner, they can show up most of
the professional chorines now
working in Harlem.
Mary sums it up like this: 81 en-
counter from time to time OBJ
stacles unbefevably difficult. The
atrical seers and prophets con-
stantly remind me that my efforts
are futile. First, they point out,
colored girls will never make pre-
cision dancers because of their
great desire to 'show-off.' They see
in a line of 16 or more colored
girls, 16 OR MORE DISTINCT
SOLOS all done at the same time,
a SAD SPECTACLE. Secondly
they remind me of how difficult it
is to keep a girl in training; a fact
am already all too we'll acquaint-
ed with. As soon as a girl LEARNS
A FEW STEPS, and if she should
be considered good-looking, she is
soon lured away by ofttimes third
rate producers, many times to in
ferior night spots, and in many
cases to actual Joints l assure
you l won't ever stop trying; it is
a thing l believe can be done and
must be done for Negro show
business"
I've seen a lot of funny things in
my life, but l believe the sight of
comedian Joe Byrd shuffling into a
Seventh ave tavern a few days
ago with a large ak slung over his
back, capped EN- all. He was minus
his blackface makeup, but Joe's
bad dawgs dragged disconsolately
along, and the ak, which was al
most as tall as he, hung over one
shoulder. Where he was going or
where he had been remains a
mystery, but it was a howl.
Blackface comics, offstage, are
pretty nice guys, come to think of
it. John Mason and Johnny Lee
can carry you through some very
sensible conversations about show
business, and I've already men
toned that Pigmeat Markham is
not short on grey matter. Tim
Moore, the big half of the Moore