Evening star., 1944-07-30
Origins Of a Playwright
By Jay Carm ody.

tsOIISIllo u a 1 ldyWIlSlll
By Jay Carmody
We sat down to luncheon in The Stars cafeteria with
colleagues the other day held forth solid
feet OF Walter Kerr the Catholic University professor
who has just sold the musical Sing Out Sweet Land the
heate Guild At the end of the dissertation felt pretty good
about being a subject
that long. But the feeling not allowed to last
IF sitting story. you're
babberng about the most interesting being
interesting human being Why don't write that about
Kerr Lord write about his nothing
in ever suggested to me that he human being
Totally Self -Oblvous.
The migrate left then before chance explain
was not our fault that we have not written about Walter HIM
self in all these It's Walters fault He
nitey natures masterpieces une consciousness that
gets you feeling obous only your mind
you outspoken colleague you realize
about coorfu writer who charmed the
Theaer Guild way many great
their you write about
feel that all there it. You don't read much instance
about Spencer acy in the most pbicized comuny in the
world Robert Sherwood Eugene ONel 1t be that
people like that capable of creating their
expressing themselves that rather foolish thinking that
any human, however that they
and became what through the operation of time
Walter Kerr that both elements in his life were completely
commonplace.
Looking back now, pleasant say
that he always knew he wanted to become writer The
fortunate truth that he writer before he knew it,
Began His Career Actor.
urge self-expression which the beginning
every writer quick first took the form of
acting when he 13yearo old in high
school in Chicago He had his way through
being all conscious of the fact that he also
deal of writing provide himself and his colleagues
with material
kind of reputation possibly
busy with other things he called
upon to direct
He positive by prodigy thinks instead
pushover who could find else to
Chicagos emergently artistic young.
to who offered that kind Of
assignment he THE that found myself
working for such churches schools YMcAs American
Legion posts and every other sometimes several Of
them at one time
These three forms of identity
enough Walters interest in
could such limitation Throughout his high
also acted movie critic the Evanston l
landed simply by submitting specimen Of
thought should be from the standpoint
The paper took him on it, but made him
critic not only for its junior readers elders we'll He
says he think funny that until a
couple but those who have more objective slant
IN his work Of that period saw it was fine pungent witty
good at all funny IN the sense Walter reels must nave
been.
First Real Job With Movie Exchange.
association with the theater occupied
his years Paul. and Jagged for the oeest moment
askew and he was forced to drop
of school and get a job
He was not and particular what kind Of job
turned to have faint favor Of the drama
favor that went with being bookkeepr al
the Fox Film Exchange of Chicago
He doing enough with receipts and disbursements
but when things began to look up or tne hr 1a
year later began think Of going back to school,
didn't know l it, but wanted to 90 TO
after had thought virtually other OF them
feasible day that had whole tr1nkul OF
musical skits similar items in trunk dd not
even know how to go selling them tried the direct
of going publishers and asking if they didn't want to
buy sketch today
Unlike the publishers in movie musicals
the basket the Chicago bought
$500 worth of Kerr in single week With that
Northwestern Wees could have been
encntng greeted Those of writing acting directing
obsesson knowing everything that had
happened Aeschyus established him
university doubling its
a Gag Writer.
scholarships eowshps instructors jobs anything could
lay Walter going until he had earned
degree meantime of the
gag would trust the
himself Mccarthy when
the job that landed him
Valees which he made of the
certainly the richest comebacks in the history Of the
heaer.
When Bergen went to HOLLYWOOD he for taking
along but by that time the latter beginning
wanted
because it would give me plenty of time to write"
he written
musical Count Me n to the Shuberts drama
Dust to Michael Myeberg, this summer umphanty
of the lot Sing Out, Sweet Land" Guild
Lawrence Langner and Teresa Helbun guild
convinced that his the
theaer that they decided shall
But after he has directed it will
job Teaching and writing life
busy affords him but eccentcy getting
hair Well