The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-08-24
R u Listening?
= with CHARLES MANN.

| TX U Listening!
- with CHARLES MANN
1t isn't very pleasant occupa-
ton when your columnist has to
return from his most enjoyable
vacation to write two very un-
pleasant items: An obituary on the
late Billy Phelps, or to those who
didn't know him, DR.. William Lyon
Phelps, author, literary commenta-
tor and professor emeritus OF Eng
lish at Yale, the university Just
around the corner from Waterbury
... Phelps will never let us forget
the fact that he represented the
symbol of youth and the progress
sive arts of America. Yes, an old
man physically, but most youthful
wisdom. He was called Yales
We wouldn't say Yale's: We say
unofficial Ambassador at-large. :.
Americas. He didn't belong to Yale
alone-he belonged to all the people
who loved and cherished the arts
about which he wrote fondly. =.
We're trying to find out, at this
writing, whether he had accomplish
ed his last intended mission which
was to Scold via his pages in
Esquire Magazine the Hartford
dramatic critics for the manner in
which they have abused the legi-
innate theatre in that city .. We
spoke to him couple Of months
ago and he expressed his bitterness
against them in no uncertain terms,
declaring their talents vicious and
unfounded. j.. He was particularly
depressed because Hartford nom
professional theatrical productions
had improved so splendidly, yet died
financially because the local critics
had degenerated intellectually :.
We're particularly concerned about
this matter because Hartford has
been right along the most active
amateur theatrical city In the East
-. We hope there is another Billy
somewhere who can do something to
help this citys purpose survive the
spearheads thrust by unqualified
critics in Hartford.
The second Obituary" belongs to
that ambassador or nil, Burns
Mantle, or sometimes called by the
neophytes as the dramatic critic
of the Daily News, a New York
daily. We sigh with relief to think
that he has at last put his pen to
his resignation papers as drama
critic of the New York professional
theatre, since the man has in no
way contributed to it through his
criticisms, if you want to call them
that. The only item Mr.. Mantle
Is to be credited for is making an
astrological file Of professional
theatrical productions previewed on
Broadway during his years in the
aisle pew. He has been called by
your columnist 1.-The fence sitting
critic" because he had so seldom
written any decisive reviews of plays
he had seen. All we could imagine
was a heavily constructed man,
physically, sauntering from the II
Es AAAs SdA UdAAA w LAD uCSh dG tIlC
News, where he was to write his
comments on the play he had just
seen. On the average of one out
OF a hundred did he dare predict
1t would be a flop or success. He
foundered most of the time, rarely
giving his reading public any salts
faction. We are just as happy as
Mrs. Mantle to know that her hus-
band will take her home directly
after the show and not rush off
to the office to write a review.
MIR. Mantle had the lowest batting
average of all the critics when it
came to predicting which shows
would succeed or flop. John Mason
Brown, now a lieutenant in the
Navy, had the highest for the past
season. Others did well. Yes. Mr..
Mantle should have retired long
ago-or recapped, we don't know
which. Well, his Victory Garden
should keep him very, very busy.
Want to know how to lose weight?
Go overseas to entertain troops.
Jack Benny has already dropped
eight pounds getting around to the
various foreign bases.
You people who are still unde-
cided about Frankie Sinatra, may
be able to come to your own con-
illusions upon learning this: All
that ballyhood about the thousands
Of females hailing the swooner at
the railroad station in Hollywood
was highly paid Cor by Sinatra's
agent. So if you're one of those
persons who think you should like
him because it appears that every
body else is, you should be able to
make up your own mind by now.
The announcement of Frankie's
appearance in the Hollywood Bowl
had thrown Los Angeles high-brow
music lovers into self righteous
williwaw, Sinatra's fans at Pasa-
dena, where he got off the train,
into a squealing ecstasy of pre-
pubertic females. They weren't able
to do anything so his symphonic de-
but was like the calm after the
storm When the box-office re-
ceipts were added the orchestra
found that Sinatra had
drawn a $12,5O0 house. biggest of
the season. Said the Swoonatra
in a speech: I understand there
has been a controversy out there
over whether I should appear at
the Bowl at all. Those few people
who thought I shouldn't lost out in
a very big way" To which tough
army sergeant cracked: AFTER this,