Evening star., 1947-04-23

Unlike his predecessor, Leopold
the spirit of Hollywood, Mr.. Orr
mandy is impressively unimpressed
by his decision.
Eyes" he told this inquisitor, Il
am going to Hollywood"
"No," he added hastily, II have
never been there. I have no pre-
conceived notions about 1t.
Did he know anything about the
picture?
mot much" he said. Not who is
In 1t. Not what 1t Is about. In
fact. In a pleasantly amused way
Mr.. Ormandy guessed he knew as
little about his picture as anyone
ever knew about picture.
"I have not seen a script" he
admits unblushingly. 1--WE have
already recorded the music am to
conduct. do not have to act, which
I could not do. All do is stand on
q podium and go through the mo-
tions of leading an orchestra.
have done that and since I am play
ing myself, a character named Or
mandy, do not think 1t makes
much difference whether / can act
which I can't"
without having seen a script, Mr..
Ormandy thinks he already knows
his dialogue.
In selling him the idea, as the
trade saving goes, that he should
appear in the movie, the studio as
gured him he would not have to read
sides, or lines.
"I think" he reflects aloud, that
all I have to say, to the feminine
star of the picture, Is something
like Good luck
As the most unmovie- struck hu-
man in America, which Mr.. Ormandy
almost certainly is, there is virtually
nothing he would not rather talk
about than Hollywood and its pro-
hferous art.
He would not want anyone to get
the impression that he has anything
against the movies, anything per-
sonal or impersonal.
"It's just that I don't know much
about them" he says. Il do not
have time to go to the theater," he
explains.
The time aspects of conductors S
life, he thinks, are understood only
by conductors. He Is not greatly
concerned about this, does not feel
that any one need bother to correct
q false impression. But he agrees
readily that any impression which
assumes that a conductor has spare
time is flagrantly false.
1--WE are always busy with music" "
he says. 1.-THE orchestra, for ex-
ample, plays anywhere from 80 to
40 new compositions year. These
must be selected from hundreds
which are submitted. An actress
has to look for only one play, or a
producer In the theater. But con-
ductor must look for many times
that number. He spends all his time
looking"
On Sunday, for instance, before
his opening concert here Monday
night Mr.. Ormandy found himself
with what the average person could
call a day off. There were no re-
.hearsals, no concerts, and no social
engagements.
But I worked until o'clock Mon
day morning." he says.
A drama critics somewhat logical
interest in whether a great SYM
phony conductor ever is interested
. In the little music Of the modern
theater leads him to the quick dis
covery that such is not the case. If
Mr.. Ormandy ever has been within
earshot Of the music of such cur
rent operetta hits as "Carousel,"
~Ffnian's Rainbow" or the like-and
1t seems impossible to avoid it-he
has been immune to 1t.
Mercifully immune, one gathers.
X
Mr.. Ormandy would like a rest,
or a reprieve, from so much music,
but he does not seem to find it
despite few safeguards he prac-
tices. One of these is avoiding
summer engagements which he feels
can, and should, be left to younger
conductors.
They need the experience, I feel"
he says, "and we older ones need the