Evening star., 1951-12-09

"a terrible StaUe Oh CHASSIS.
Now. as every one knows,
"chassis" is an unhappy condi-
tion for anything to be in. Never
theless it is an exciting state. 1t
focuses attention upon itself and
wherever attention is centered,
there is likely to be reading and
writing.
There has been a lot of both in
the field of the drama in the year
of Our Lord and television, 1851.
The printing presses have fairly
spewed books on all phases of
entertainment as if authors, book
buyers and publishers all had
agreed simultaneously with Irving
Berlin's old song, There's No
Business Like Show Business" In
deed. number of the more popu-
lar volumes drew their titles from
Berlin's sentimental reflection on
the profession he has graced for
so many decades.
One of these was Show Biz"
the work of Variety men Abel
Green and Joe Laurie, jr. The
New York Times Harry Hirsh-
field, the stages ace illustrator,
added another, "Show Business
Is No Business" and Maurice
Lolotow came up with a third,
mo People Like Show People"
Thus. by implication, Berlin
merely f1ecked the surface of a
titillating truth with his cozy
tune. How far it all will go,
knows only Heaven. Three books
In one year, however. suggest
that exhaustion of the subject is
remote. The deservedly popular
success OF each of these and many
other volumes also encourages
the belief that writer's will not
drop the subject until readers
show positive signs Of doing so.
1t Seems That Everybody
Got Into the Act
Everybody got into the writing
act in the field of drama litera-
ture. or so it seemed to the occu-
pants Of drama desks. The play
wrights were represented by far
more published volumes than is
usually the case. The teachers of
drama came through, and not
with the dryly lit'ry works which
are associated with that branch of
the art Of the theater. And, as
usual. the critics and drama COL
umniStS bulwarked their daily
stints with summaries of not
merely their duties but even of
their lives and times.
There was even a book by a
movie producer. Dore Schary,
executive head Of MGM, who
has converted that mammoth or
ganization into what is known as
a writer's studio" Schary, who
started in Hollywood as a film
author. came up with a novel
work, THE Case History of a
Movie" This is the story of
unique film. THE Next Voice You
Hear" whose hero was a small,
average American type who heard
the voice of God on his radio.
Such an unusual production,
Schary thought. merited an ex-
HAffAA0oAoAA aAAo AlC Wdo dCCOI duo
enough in this judgment that his
Case History" found itself being
used in several universities as a
textbook. It was, incidentally,
quite a readable book. a kind of
"Alice in Wonderland" guided
tour through the labyrinth of a
film from the birth of the idea to
its delivery to the projection
booth.
Giving the Theater Guild
Cause for Pride
Books Of reminiscence were
fewer than usual. but Lawrence
Langner, o-administrator of the
Theater Guild, made up for the
lack of quantity here by deliver
ing a quality work, 1.-The Magic
Curtain" Unlike so many con-
tributors to this corner of the
drama library. Langner is pro-
fessional writer. The Theater
Guild, which has been so vital a
factor in goth century threater in
America. can be proud of him as
a historian with a discerning taste
and a cheerful style.
Being peopled as it is by hu-