Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-22

The case for Miss Roche, howe
standard definition of the+
phrase: Good pay with nothing
whatever to do.
She is standing-by until next
Saturday night in the role of
the mother in The Burning
Glass" the Charles Morgan play
at the National theater. Should
anything happen to Isobel Ell
som, Miss Roche would take
over the part. Technically. she is
the understudy. but only tech
,.nically.
Miss Roche, you see. created
the role, for which she received
her usual enthusiastic notices.
She took it over for her friend
Lucille Watson when the latter.
a beloved "a years old. decided
that she was hardly up to doing
two new plays in one season.
Miss Watson'S Late Love-" a
few weeks ago was quick fail
ure and she first thought to fol-
low up with another play. On
second thought. she decided
otherwise and Miss Roche took
over but only until Miss Elsom
was available.
This happened last Wednesday
night. That is when Miss Roche
settled into what might well
qualify as Washington's best job.
She reports to the theater before
every performance, finds out how
Miss ElSom is feeling, and then
does as she pleaSes. This is about
a Commute day. 1t gives Miss
Roche a preview of the Utopia l
for which the rest of us will have
to wait, say. another 100000
years.
She wears the distinction with
great credit.
= \ X
Miss Roche, who has been
playing distinguished mothers
and other great lady types for
a couple of decades now likes
not working in Washington. She
has been coming here for years.
but always to work. She finds
it a fine place in which not to
do anything. except enjoy (most-
" the late winter weather. take
walks with her 12-year-old scot
tie. Sally, and confirm what a
beautiful city she always knew
WASHINGTON to be.
Miss Roche, has a deep, quiet |
Zest for life. She finds it just |
as full of adventure as ever in |
Guiding two adventures which !
are acting in the movies and on
television. Neither will ever re-
place the theater in her affec-
tions, but they are stimulating, |
especially the movies.
Most actresses her age and |
so long at home in New York's
Royalton hotel "a time-stained !
edifice that also shelters George |
Jean Nathan), might not relish |
being tempted by Hollywood. In |
cidently, Miss Roche's busy tele- |
vision actress-daUghter, Philippa
Bevan, also lives at the Royalton
but on another floor so they can
have both a family and private
life.
Miss Roche has made two
pictures only, but she and Holly
wood made hit with each, other
on the first one.
IT guess" she says, cit was
my naivete, or I like to think, |
my candor. The film was 'Craig's |
Wife with Joan Crawford. We
got along splendidly and the |
second day. she asked me if I
would like to see the rushes. I
didn't know what rushes were,
but I could not admit that, so I
said yes"
Rushes, Of course, are those
flrst prints of movie sequences at
which directors, stars, and other
privileged workers look as soon
as they are ready.
Most Broadway players profess
to be shocked at the magnified
sight of themselves and the
mechanical voices they hear in
their first experience with rushes.
Well, not Miss Roche. She
turned to Miss Crawford, her
only companion in the screening
room and spoke right up:
Say. like that woman play
Ing me. Not her acting, neces-
sarily, but her personality. She
looks like person I could like,
quiet. sensible. and all that"
Miss Crawford was immensely
pleased.
You're the first Broadway act
ress who ever said that" she told
Miss Roche. Miss Roche has
been a Crawford, and movie. fan
ever since.
Miss Roche is not embarrassed
to find herself naive about
movies. She can tell about an
other time in the same picture
when she thought overwork, or
something. had upset Director
Vincent Sherman. Miss Roche
watched him get everything set
Tor scene that clearly repre-
sented. a complete memory
lapse on his part. Yet, when no
one else told him what was 60
ing on, she quietly went over to
him to say. But, Mr.. Sherman,
we just shot that scene"
Mr.. Sherman thought her
solicitude was wonderful. "But,
he said, I'VE keep shooting them