The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-03-08


nm CRITICS VS. THE sH0WAEEN
Cor The Bore War;
me current war between the
author, manager and stager Of Max
well Anderson's new show. TRUCK
line Cafe" Cat the Belasco Theater),
and the New York drama review-
arS brought this comment from Q
magazines aisle-sitter: There are
about three competent critics in
New York" To which Robert
Garland, the sentinel OF the jour-
nah American, inquired: VINO are
The other twop"
Tha RiTst.nighters' battle with
the second-guessers has It's anus
ing aspects, "Truckline Cafe" pro-
Queer Harold Clurman tossed hay
makers at all the drama critics.
Apparently II slipped his mind-but
the reviewer for magazine is the
same Harold ClVrTnan, who once
turned down Maxwell Anderson's
''Winterset"-which won the N. Y,
Critics prize as the best play Of
the yearl
When he accepted that prize
author Anderson said: Except for
the theater critics Of New York, nc
body Of men In the country Is quali-
fled by training, education and pro-
fessional experience to render judy
ment on the seasons plays. The
critics know very definitely what
they are for and why they are for II
and whatever their faults Of judy
lnent may be, they EARN their
knowledge Of the plays offered dur
ing any year by an undertaking at
tention TO what can be seen ano
heard from the aisle seats OF Man
haitian playhouses, an attention
which amounts on some occasions
to sheer martyrdom,"
In "The Assassin" (due soon ir
book form) playwright Irwin Shaw
devotes Q 30-page preface Con his
opinions OF critics., In which III
notes "three Of them can close 9
show" Mr.. shaw neglected tt
mention the critic Who Can Keer
One Going We mean the first
nighter who (via the microphonC
and newspapers) has saved severa
''crphans" from the Broadway quick.
sands "EIellzapoppin" to name
one. Il was greeted with obituary
notices, but after several shots 81
Winchellicillin crossed 100000 ir
five years.
CratiC-balting 10 an ancient sport
Rub sensitive ego the wrong way
and you're bound to ignite an ex'
ploSion But few performers
have been gifted with Paderewski'I
wisdom and tolerance. After the
great pianist's first recital in thi!
country, several critics PANIED him
An editor graciously offered the col
unrs Of his newspaper 50 that Pad
erewskt could reply. But the enin
! ent musician turned down the offer
saying: 1T Is best that they writ
against me-and I play agains
them" The acclaim he receiveC
from the American public provet
he was right. In short, the beS
answer to q bad notice Is q gooG
performance.
Sir Irving Hoffman, the Holly
wood Reporters First Knight, In
forms that the current controvers
reminds him OF the schmope VIII
drew sour notice from critic an
beefed TO a chum about It.
"Oh, that guy" said the frienc
III wouldn't take any notice Of hin
He doesn't think for himself. II
merely repeats what EVERYBOD!
else Is sayingl"
WIlen Haywood Broom was In tn
flrst-night foxholes, embryo critic
frequently came to him for advice
He c0unseled: "You are part Of
hazardous occupation. Let us sup
pose that you 60 into q theate
which contains 800 persons. o
these 300, 200 must know who 70
are. OF the 200 who know who yo
are, Is must try to shake your hanc
OF the rs who shake your hand, q
least SO must be your mortal enc
miles,"
Many George Jean Nathan ella
pigeons have pounced on him wit
the cry that he Is q destructive cri
tic. Yet George has encouraged an