Evening star., 1953-04-08

Granger is not unhappy. Why
should he be? He's an actor
with a job, and a pay check.
The only thing he lacks is work.
and making a personal appear
ance tour in behalf of Hans
Christian Anderson" is work,
come right down to 1t as Granger
has.
There are II cities on his itin-
erary and whisking from one to
the next. making personal ap-
pearanceS, can be lot harder
than acting. 1t is the exact op-
posite of the quiet life which is
the one Granger prefers, but
what does one do when there is
no acting to be done?
X X **
It was when the conversation
got around to this subject at
luncheon with the local drama
desks that Granger revealed he
has given the matter some
thought.
He is, he says, Stage-struck.
He would like to do play on
Broadway. In fact, he has
play in his possession that he is
considering seriouSly-if Gold
.wyn has no use for him, say in
picture or as a loanout to a
studio that might want him.
AS a contract player, which
fewer and fewer players are these
days, Granger cannot make bis
own decisions. That is why he
would not mind being a free
agent despite all the hazards re-
portedly lurking around every
corner for such actors.
Another thing that has crossed
Granger's mind, the luncheon
talk develops, is television. He
would not mind being television-
struck as we'll as stage-struck.
There is money in this, and ex-
perience. He merrily admits
being in the market for both.
Especially while Hollywood is in
a state of hiatus.
1t is a city, Granger says, that
Is caught between the devil (tele-
vision and the third-d dimension
DIS. It does not know which
dimension to turn to, a condi-
ton that cannot last but is pretty
disconcerting while it aff1ictS
the industry's master minds.
Changers acting so far has
been confined to the screen. He
had in mind getting some legiti-
mate experience in the La Jolla,
Calf, company started by Doro-
thy Mcclure, Gregory Peck, Mel
Ferrer and some other SUM-
tanned refugees from Broadway.
But I never did," he says. II
was always making a picture at
the time"
Would he, if given his free
dom by Goldwyn, sign another
long-term contract.
mo" he says, II think I
could. wouldn't care to. would
like to be free to take whatever
seems best. This is the way it is
going to be with actors from now
on. The studios are getting rid of
contract players. The old type
seven-year contract is dead. You
are signed for a picture at a
time, or for a short term"
Granger indicated that this
new arrangement is quite okay
with him.
Uppermost in his mind at the
moment is stage musical. He
has just seen Rosalind Russell'S
new hit, Wonderful Town." He
would like just one like it, but
he is far too sane a young man to
expect any such boon from fate.
In the meantime, he is the last
actor that Sam Goldwyn is down
to and not really depressed by
the distinction.
DREAMER: Basil Langton,
guest director of Arena Stages
next production, Arms and the
Man." used to have a wonderful
dream when he was on Catholic
University's summer drama fac
ulty several years ago.
He would walk down Ninth
street. take look at the Gayety
Theater then still immersed in
the aura of burlesque, and think
what a site it might be for a
great repertory theater. Mon
day night in the lobby of the
now converted and redesigned
house, LangSton ran across an
old friend. He had a question:
How's this house doing?
Fine" he was told.
"Ummmh," Langton ummmhed
just a little ruefully, land now
more than ever it would be per-
feet for that great American
repertory theater."
BULLETIN BOARD-Wash-
ington's dance season has not
ended. On Sunday May 8,
the Modern Dance Council of
Washington will present Jose
Limon and his company at Lis