Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-14
BY SHEILAH GRAHAM

HOLLYWOOD, Aug. IA
Ten years of marriage for
Deborah Kerr and Tony Bart
ley or convincing some Doubt
ing Thomases in Hollywood
that two people can make a go
of marriage even if they live
apart six months out of the
year.
Debbie. on the stage C"Tea
and Sympathy and in movies
("Proud and Profane~ and
Tony, producer of television
film programs for CHS, are al
ways travelling somewhere
mostly in opposite directions.
often We don't see each other
for months and even then it's
just hurried waves from planes
passing over the middle Of the
Atlantic Ocean," Deb told me
gayly.
I'VE knew this problem
would come up when we de-
cided to marry soon after
World War II, but we talked it
out. considered it from every
possible angle and finally de-
cided that we could orient our
selves so as to minimize the
harmful effects. 1t was quite a
challenge then E. and now.
"Of course, we were encour-
aged by the fact that English
families have had to face this
problem for over 400 years"
she continued. For centuries
Britain's empire status has
resulted in having the men
leave home for all parts of the
world.
Had 10 Learn
$50 many husbands were in
volveo in the foreign service,
the navy and commercial con-
Germs abroad that the British
simply had to build up pat
tern of marriage and attitudes
toward marriage that would
allow che institutions of the
family and the empire to con-
tinue to exist.
Both Tony and I come from
families whove had this prob
lem for generations"
But Miss Kerr's situation is
considerably more complicated
than that of the old empire.
The other British families al
ways had a stationary home
base. The wives remained be-
hind to keep the home fires
burning and all that sort of
thing.
L am unable to do this. I
travel nearly as much as Tony
and so the only really sta
tionary and permanent things
about our marriage have been
our love and what l like to
think is an intelligent APP
proach to it.
Reunions Are Fine
But I have to admit" Deb
confided, that during the last
two years our schedules of
travel have been more difficult
than ever before. When I
opened on Broadway in Tea
and Sympathy about two
years ago, Tony tried to re-
main in New York with me as
long as he could. but business
needs started to pile up and
he found himself committing
between England and Holly
wood most of the time.
Then spent several
months in England doing End
of the Affair with Van john
son, and Tony was able to
spend part of the time in Lon
don. But let me tell you what
happened when I returned to
the United States to tour with
the Playwright's Company Of
Tea and Sympathy
TONY was involved in pro-
duction work for CHS in Spain
and at one time a period Of
over four months went by
without our seeing each other.
This can cause a lot Of worry
and heartache, believe me, but
the telephone helped and Tony
and I wrote letters at least
once a day.
The only good thing about
being apart" said Debbie. ARE
the reunions. When / arrived
in Los Angeles to complete the
final leg of our tour with Tea.
I was surprised at the airport
by Tony and the children ME
LAME, 7, and Francesa, 81. 1t
was the biggest thrill of my
life because l thought Tony
was still in England. He had
flown in only a half hour be-
fore"
Debbie believes that when
people are forced to be apart
they appreciate each other
more when they can be to-
gether. And I try to keep the
children with me as much as
possible. But the strain of