Evening star., 1954-08-22
MOUNTAINOUS, Ps

MoUNTAINHoME, Pa.
"This is it." proclaimed
Gloria Vanderbilt, as she sat
in her dressing room packed
with kilograms and flowers,
talking of the hectic week that
spun her into the theatrical
world--a star in her debut,
even at beginners wages.
She gives you the feeling that
she'd willingly trade her place
in high society. and even a
chunk of her $4.5 million for
tune, If necessary for stage
fame.
I mentioned her theatrical
whirl.
"This isn't a whirl." she said
severely, with a hint Of the
stubbornness which distin-
guished great-great-grandfa-
ther Cornelius Vanderbilt, the
commodore and railroad titan.
1.-THE theater has always been
my greatest ambition artistic
ally" she continued.
"I wanted to be an actress
because I feel that the thea
ter is the most demanding of
all artistic mediums. I'm very
serious about this and want to
devote as much of my time to
it as possible.
In the Shadow
In all her 80 years. the will
lowy. brown-eyed Gloria has
had little opportunity for self
expression. She was in the
shadow of the Vanderbilt name
through her girlhood and in
the shadow Of her husbands
name since she married the
maestro. Leopold Stokowski.
True, she had expressed her
self with q book and a one
woman exhibit Of modernistic
painting, but those are limited
fields.
This is the theater, and it's
plain to see that she's looking
ahead to vast new vistas.
She is both timid and eager,
hesitant and resolute and Just
q mite superstitious about
what's happened to her since
she made her debut last week
on the stage of Pocono Play
house in a revival of Ferenc
Molnar's princess charade,
1.-THE Swan"
Most critics agreed that
script and leading lady were
beautifully matched.
Gilbert Miller. veteran
Broadway impresario and an
old family friend, suggested
some months ago she do the
Molnar play.
No Big Solory
Until she talked it over with
Stokowski "who has been with
me in this all the way" and
decided to take the plunge, she
had never had any dramatic
lessons or voice instruction.
Richard Bender, a long time
Miller associate and veteran
of the summer theater circuit,
took over direction of the
project. He coached Gloria in
New York and then here for
two weeks before the open
ing.
None of her inheritance is
in the production. And al
though she has star billing
above the many Broadway
professionals with whom she
is appearing, Miss Vanderbilt
is not getting anywhere like
the usual stipend paid big
names who lure the customers
on the barnyard route.
"A very modest arrangement
on the salary" Is all the play
house operator, Rowena Stew
ems. will disclose.
That could be apprentice
peanuts-sometimes as low as
$35 q week.
Trouper's Spirit
Other performers say Miss
Vanderbilt has pitched in at
rehearsals with a true troup-
er's spirit. She also has turned
out to have native acting
talent.
This is how the trade paper,
Variety. summed up reviewers
comments:
Miss Vanderbilt reveals a
personal theatricalism that is
lovely to see. Her poise, savvy,
expressive beauty, as well as
her dignity and reserve all add
up to a new personality to be
reckoned with"
She said she hasn't looked at
what a single critic said of her
performance. 81 never read
the notices."
Then she burst into girlish
laughter and admitted friends
have told her all about them.
To Do 1t Again
After rehearsals during the
next seven days she will re-
peat ''The Swan" for q week
at the Falmouth (Mass.) Play
house.
At Falmouth, Stokowski for
ma M n