Evening star., 1946-03-10
Tempest in a Teapot
Playwrights and Critics Are Involved ir
Another Day of Wrath
BY Joy Cormody

That quite between PLAYWRIGHT Maxwell Anderson pro-
oucers Ella Kazan and Harold Crman
during the past week The angry surprise
no one in the theater however why 1t
be that periodic outbus on the Dart Of
wrights and producers the theae This par
car outbreak OF it long
png up over several simply day. day
dwned when Kazan and Cuan producers Andesons Truck
line Cafe" took Times to call the critics in
competent and characters of low
1t merely had moved Anderson followed I'D
WIN anoher po-for blast In the Herald Tribune which pas
tered the reviewers with the label Jukes Journalism
Evening the day of wrath Paywrghts Company
co-poduces of Ikne Cafe purchased space to invite the public
see the play and judge for itself
author and sponsors of the DRAMA beted it right
out of the theater as of last night.
Gibbs he Last Word
he consensus OF those on the sdne enjoyed
hugely was that both sides were right the
play was as pad as the critics said and that the critics
to be the New Workers. critic Wocott wasp of man who
brushed off Anderson hand and with the other
observed his reviewing colleagues three men
viewing plays here who qualified anything" There
no ao man than Gibbs in the the simple decara
tive sentence His judgment disappointing largely the residual
suspense in which tried qualified men-he
ones VINO couo ~e apou something The guesses centered
Louis Kronenberger John Chapman any
one really cares Gibbs addesss 25 West
He was referring of course only the daily newspaper critics
That xempts such reviewers Brown Joseph
pays " nave ,ee names you aspire to an equivalent place
many controversy most of them bannv
roo boring to contemplate
Family Nam Are Missed
One that is not perhaps that the
beginning of the critics producers public alike
has acuey missed of the long daily news
splendid commentary upon esteem in which he is
universally held that the first ever
heard against Brooks Atkinson was when
he chose to quit criticism to become
his standards high Mr. Atkinson theaters
severest critics But in profession fairly
and heard
the man. Not at least until the him
believe world OF the heater
ncomprehendng then disagreed
have stayed and fought make the worthy good
men That something of high
Equally missed Mr.. Brown,
had entered the Navy distinguished
criticism not sound enough for those
on what ground they challenge mans decisions
They Refused to
At wars end, there tales of fabulous
resume his old daily critics job He chose instead
and equally profitable routine of doing weekly
odd moments with his lecture schedule
Another former avorite who of the
intention OF not returning his old reviewing
Lockidg Lockridge who had found
remuneration playwright fiction
could not find it his grind professional
nighting
Three other familiar disappeared during
the years: ..-.
Richard Watts left his Herald Tribune
Office of War information the beloved
call of retirement
Plays and death claimed of the brilliant journal
ism in John Anderson who also the popular
of the theater.
They have been soey missed limited field
which feel the affection
mostly honest who have been buted
in old teapot. ..,