Still Another Question Could It Be That ‘Iceman’ Audiences Expect

Too Much of O’Neill? By Jay Carmody

It seems an extraordinarily wise decision by Eugene O’Neill that he shall live, think, suffer and write on an inaccessible island off the Georgia coast, in a penthouse in Manhattan, or at some similarly aloof address.

There are so many people with so many questions they would like to ask of the author of “The Iceman Cometh.”

In a way, this is an incredible and fascinating thing. O’Neill put years into the creation of the play at the National Theater. To say what he wanted to say forced him, once again, to violate all rules and conventions as to running time. Instead of the normal slightly more

than two hours, his play consumes almost four. He did not think to be ruthless or reckless of other people’s time. On the contrary, he felt he had something important to say and that to express it with power and clarity, he had no other choice of form.

What Price Eloquence? Moreover, O’Neill is ranked first among American playwrights

for his gift of eloquent speech, as well as the breadth and depth of his

perception. Every condition, therefore, would seem to work toward making

“The Iceman Cometh" a play that every theatergoer can understand, at least to the extent of getting its message and coming to his personal decision as to whether it is good or bad.

Yet, no play in years has evoked so many questions in both in- stant and remote retrospect.

To the extent that there are so many inquiries, O’Neill’s failure as a playwright is indicated. And not only his failure, but that of scores of reviewers, critics and interpreters who have followed up what he had to say in “The Iceman Cometh” with what they have had to say about it. No play in two decades has beep so challenging to

commentators, learned faculty men, journalism’s giants and the critics who presumably have at least mastered the simple declarative sentence.

They, too, have left all the questions, if actually they have not

raised others. The desperation comment of one of these is illuminating: “After having written a four-hour' play," he says, “I sometimes

think O’Neill should at least have added a few simple sentences

explaining what the play was about.”

And Where Now Is O’Neill? This comment is not meant unkindly. Its author is a great O’Neill

enthusiast who feels, and not at all arrogantly, that he discerned real and deep meaning in “The Iceman Cometh.” If he is disquieted. It is because he is handy for questioners, and that they, in consequence, deluge him with demands while O’Neill remains out of reach.

There has been general agreement among the professional com-

mentators on O’Neill’s work as to just what he is saying In those four hours. They concur in a basic assumption that he is saying two specific things:

First, that man is sustained by his illusions, his pipe dreams, his forelom faith that both he and the world will be better tomorrow.

Second, that in the presence of death (symbolized by Hickey) the most sodden of dreamers can be stirred out of his alcoholic, amoral

lethargy to do something desperate about making a better life, if only for himself.

And, by implication at least, the author is regarded as adding the observation that if man does live by dreams, why in the name of life itself, can he not find higher, nobler and better dreams?

Those who think that this is the message of "The Iceman Cometh” have said so as tersely as they know how. Because some of them found O'Neill’s writing fuzzy, they took especial pains to make them- selves clear, even though their conclusions might be wrong. Too much lucidity in an interpreter of the obscure is one of the great occupational hazards of interpretation or criticism.

And the Question of Questions. If after O’Neill's own torrent of words—interrupted by as little

action as even an O’Neill play can withstand—and the uncounted other words of analysis, “The Iceman” still remains obscure, well, that raises still another question. It could be the most unanswerable of all.

The question (in question) is: Is O’Neill’s reputation as a play- wright, philosopher and poet so great that theatergoers look to him for some kind of ultimate revelation of truth?

Certainly, he can never be let off, or forgiven, for faults and the inadequacies of any other contemporary playwright. He is the Olympian of whom not a play, but a revelation, is expected. When he writes a play, he must excel all other playwrights, possibly to such an extreme that he must create the highest of comedy asides in his deepest of tragedies.

On the face of it, this seems absurd. But, any harrassed and tormented little enthusiast for O’Neill’s

work, might offer this question on the man's reputation and what is expected of him, as the answer to all those other questions.

There is such a thing as expecting too much, even of O'Neill.

Better Than Their Plays By Jack O'Brian

NEW YORK Two exciting theatrical personal-

ities in their widely disparate grooves arrived on Broadway in the last few days in dramatic vehicles which seemed to be moving along on some dilatory underpinning which, according to legitimate stage standards, probably antedated the invention of the wheel.

James Mason, who has somehow won favor with the ladies of America's cinema audiences, chose a play about King David in which to make his unfortunate Broadway debut: Tallulah Bankhead, an older hand at picking her spots, also fell upon a pretty discouraging bit of gloom — "The Eagle Has Two Heads.” The combined result is a

pair of plays which together would not be worthy of performance under amateur circumstances.

Mason’s groaning vehicle is “Bathsheba.” by Jacques Deval, in which the Britisher with the hand- somely dour features and constantly angry acting style plays King David. The story' concerns David’s attention to the wife of his most faithful warrior, and like ancient Greek tragedy it presumes toward high theater.

Rises Above Vehicle. Deval has written a play which

snails along at an uneven literary pace, without the excitement of action, implied or actual, nor of the stimulation of words put together in master arrangement. It is the sort of play which needs far greater literary stature than Deval pro- vided, and its net result is a sub- merged and dejected imitation of the real thing.

Mason nevertheless manages the feat of forcing his ability and per- sonality to rise above the leaden literary blur. Perhaps “Bathsheba" will be able to turtle along to a

happy fiscal statement despite the

fact that it is one of the dullest items of the season.

Tallulah Bankhead, a gusty and tried stage talent which also de- serves nicer dramatic greens on

which to gambol, took herself an

acting Job that easily might buckle Atlas to his knees. Her play is “The Eagle Has Two Heads,” and the critics used their sharpest com-

ment in as disastrous a set of review* as have been handed a new play- in months.

Dies Acrobatically. The admirable Tallulah, however,

managed to come off with nice no-

tices, although almost all the critics, this one included, took the talented Taloo to task for wasting her as-

sured ability on such a tired omelet. I Briefly, it’s about a queen who falls in love with a fellow who arrives to assassinate her but in the end commits suicide and shoots her royal highness in the back, a feat which the author, Jean Cocteau, seemed to have accomplished on physically harmless artistic ground somewhat earlier in the evening.

The play was notable in my mind for one fact: Ten years ago in “Antony and Cleopatra,” in which Taloo starred with her then hus- band, John Emery, the single excit- ing moment came at the very end of the play when Miss Bankhead clutched an asp to her bosom and died, thereupon taking a dive off her throne which won hands down 1937's dry land swandive title.

The other evening, also at the ; very end of “The Eagle Has Two : Heads,” Miss Bankhead managed a similarly acrobatic death scene,

| falling halfway down a stairway : after her leading man, Helmut Dan- | tine, had sniped her between the shoulders, thereby winning another leg on her waterless theatrical aquatic championship. Otherwise, the play is, or was, a complete dud.

Sons Follow Star Fathers In Pictures

By Harold Heffernan HOLLYWOOD.

It looks, from this seat, as though the famous names of movieland won’t be missing from theater mar- quees for a long time to come. If you're still around 50 years hence, just imagine trying to decide be- tween a film starring Bing Crosby and one with perhaps an Alan Hale heading the cast.

That situation is not so improb- able as it sounds. In case you haven’t noticed, the offspring of the screen great—especially the males— are doing a pretty durable job these days of following in the footsteps of their illustrious dads.

Alan Hale, one of the finest char- acter actors in this business, a man with a screen-service record ex- ceeded by only half a dozen others, was taking note of this as he stodd on a Monogram studio stage watch- ing his son, Alan, jr„ acting in his first starring movie. It was a mod- est, low-budgeted little number called “Sarge Goes to College,” something of the type this company whips out in 14 days or less. But it is a starring start nevertheless. And Papa Hale was visibly proud that his son was following in the old footsteps.

The senior Hale called attention tc a peculiar circumstance in connec- tion with these Hollywood second- generation actors. Sons, it would appear, are all for following up their dad’s careers, while the daughters, with few exceptions, are inclined to show not nearly so much interest in film acting.

"Heavy’s” Son a “Heavy.” Another fast-moving junior these

days is Harry Carey, whose father, a

veteran of close to 50 years before the cameras, is taking an enthusi- astic interest in furthering the

young man’s film hopes. Young Carey has made a dozen films of the western type and he and his father are being discussed as a co-

starring combination in' a produc- tion at Warners. The two Careys are excellent showmen, appearing together in radio skits and at public functions around Hollywood in order to further the boy’s career.

Noah Beery, jr., is rapidly cross-

ing a path similar to that followed by his famous father, who died a

few years ago. Young Beery’s uncle, Wallace, helped him greatly in getting started, but for the past five years, Noah has been doing pretty well by himself. He is always in demand for western character parts and now is branching out* into sinister “heavies” of the brand portrayed so powerfully by his dad.

Another up-and-coming scion of the western is Tim Holt, son of Jack. Tim saw the war as a bom- bardier in the Air Corps, but he came right back to step into oppor- tune roles, latest of which was a star part in RKO’s “Under the Tonto Rim.” Tim has a sister, Jen- nifer, but while she is pretty and talented she has made only spo-

Constitufion Hall, Next Tues. Eve., 8:30 ELEANOR

*STEBER* Lovely American Soprano. Met. Opera In Recital—$1.20, $1.80, $2.40, $3.00 Mrs. Dorsey's, 1108 G (Compbell's)

NA. 7151

T want to say to Gregory Peck that THE YEARLING’ is the best thing he has ever done, and I believe that the audiences ot this nation wib share my opinion writes well known author Mac Kin lav Kan tor

1947 is the year ot “The 1 earling”, starring Gregory Peck and Jane Wyman. A Clarence Brown Production, with Claude Jarman, Jr., as “Jody”. Based on Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings’ novel. Photographed in Technicolor. Directed by Clarence Brown. Produced by Sidney Franklin.

H-6-rs PRIZE PICTURE is coming tfl loew’s palace-

A NOVEL COMES TO THE SCREEN—MGM has lavished Tech- nicolor, expense and care upon the translation to celluloid of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings’ popular story of a young Florida boy and his pet fawn, “The Yearling.” Above: Mother (Jane Wyman), son (Claude Jarman, jr.) and father (Gregory Peck) ruefully survey the damage the pet yearling deer has done to a precious setting of tobacco plants on their meager Florida farm. Below: Young Mr. Jarman and one of the several fawns that played the role of Flag. The picture will be along soon at Loeiv’s Palace.

radic attempts to carve a niche for herself in the film hall of fame.

Lon Chaney, jr, of course, has been a stand-by for nearly 10 years. Son of the actor whose specialty was grotesque make-ups for equally fantastic roles, Chaney had perhaps the toughest row of all the second- generation upstarts to hoe. He met only mediocre success for a long time, but a sudden stroke of genius —changing his name from Creigh- ton to Lon Chaney, jr., and a sensa- tional performance in “Of Mice and Men" sent him on his way—in a

hurry. He's still in the big money as a Universal star.

Most renowned of the juniors is Douglas Fairbanks, who looks and acts so much like his bounding, acrobatic father—famous for “The Three Musketeers" and other great

silent-day hits—that old-timers get a start when they see and hear him talk. Doug came back with an

excellent war record and, after doing a couple of starring pictures

| for RKO, is now financially inter- ested in his own movie-making company. He’s polished and shrewd and probably will go just as far as his father.

Other famous offspring who un-

doubtedly will perpetuate the great names, in whole or in part, are the j boys of Bing Crosby and Andy De- j vine. Bing has four youngsters who i

have appeared with him in three pictures. All are "hams,” Bing says, determined to be movie actors. De- vine’s two boys recently scored heavily with him in "Canyon Pas-

(See HEFFERNAN, Page C-7.)

NATIANA1 -LAST 8 TIMES-

IW I IUNHL ® EVES. 7i30, MATS. 2 P.M. SHARP!

Tickets sold by this Theatre are not transferable, and are sold subject to compliance with the known policy ot the Theatre as to persons entitled to j admission. If presented by any person not conforming to that poliey, 1

admission will be refused and no refund made.

EUGENE ONE ILL'S »

ft

Cnitil bti< i on REID t. G. fciMrtariAU NICHOLAS JOY FRANK TWEDDELL

Oirecttd b, CDDII DOWUNft Production dongnod ond lightod ky ROBERT EDMOND JONES

"BRINGS SEASON TO PEAK WOVE ITS TRAGIC SPELL OVER A PACKED HOUSE" Nelson Bell, Pest.

"THE PRODUCTION IS A BRILLIANT WELDING OF SUPERB STAGING, DIRECT- ING AND PERFORMANCE” Don Cnlt, Times-Herald.

"THE DRAMA OF THE SEASON A MEMORABLE REFLECTION OF O'NEILL’S j GENIUS” Jot Csrmody. St»r.

ONE m*K ONLY Beg. Mon., April 7 “A WALLOPING GOOD SHOW”-£S.

MICHAEL TOOD

MAURICE EVANS M ms TRIUMPHANT NEW MOOfCTSON Of

HAMLET prtct vm m itcffi ortAKiof new Ton ugipaw

—BOX OFFICE SEAT SALE TOMORROW—

Today’s Schedules CAPITOL—"Swell Guy,” 1:55,

4:35; 7:20 and9:55 p.m. Stage shows, 1, 3:40, 6:25 and 9 p.m.

COLUMBIA—“Boomerang,” 1, 2:50, 4:35, 6:25, 8:10 and 10 p.m.

EARLE — “Johnny O’clock,” 1:15, 3:20, 5:25, 7:35 and 9:40 p.m.

HIPPODROME—"Les Misera- bles,” 2:05, 4:05, 6, 8 and 9:55 p.m.

KEITH’S—“The Best Years of Our Lives,” 12:20, 3:25, 6:30 and 9:35 pm. V

LITTLE—“Henry the Fifth,” 3 and 8:30 pm.

METROPOLITAN — “Framed,” 1:40, 3:40, 5:40, 7:40 and 9:40 pm.

PALACE—“My Favorite Bru- nette,” 1:35, 3:35, 5:40, 7:45 and 9:45 pm.

PIX—“Love Letters,” 1:10, 4:10, 7:10 and 9:55 pm.

TRANS-LUX—News and shorts. Continuous from 1 p.m.

Somebody’s Smart By the Associated Press

HOLLYWOOD. Zachary Scott was telling Director

Vince Sherman what a w'onderful woman is Mrs. Scott:

(,"She’s a lot smarter than I am, too,” Scott was saying. “Smart enough not to show how smart she is in front of me. But I’m smarter than she thinks I am, because I’ve figured it out.”

f dick nA / POWELl^M I In Columbia's s

\ Evelyn'KEYES /

See Them First at Warner Bros.'

SST DOORS OPtN 12 JO P.M. WOW eFIRST SHOW 1 P.M.

* GLENN FORD f In Columbia's Smash

framed Introducing a Sew Star

CARTER LS/tO^I

W0l| TODAY Dun Opin 12:19 || Hollywood Glamour Retuel

flll ON STAGE II IlfSHOWTIMEof 1947

■ Slarriny I j Ji THE SLATE BROTHERS ■FI 10 Suikisl Baaatiat ■ I 12 Sfactaealar Scaaaa

w\ 50 -

^a^ On Screen In SONNY TUFTS M ANN BLYTH in "SWELL GUY" Wm P-THURSDAY- 7 k Dunni Durbin—Tim Ornkt

"111 BE YOURS” /j Cl\ Oa PAUL REGAH /J » %^s»ap TERRY LAWLORjy

TODAY D®*r« 0»t» 1130 |

Bob's A Private Eye Who Gets Crossed By A Brunette!

BOB HOPE DOROTHY

LAMOUR “MY

FAVORITE BRUNETTE”

-—THURSDAY- w FRANK flRATAA- MHRYN CMYSON i K “IT HAPPBIEB / ^ III MOMLYir Uf

W TODAY 0»r* 0;M 1*30 I

I DANA ANDREWS I rooomerang I JANE WYATT

Man With a New Hobby Atwater Kent’s Diversion Is Bigger and

Better Hollywood Parties By Sheilah Graham

» HOLLYWOOD. Atwater Kent retired with $46,-

000,000 in 1932. He’s spending most of it now, giving the biggest and best parties in Hollywood. He gives a party at least twice a week and a

super-duper affair at least once a

month. He runs his parties the way he used to nm his radio business.

Perhaps that’s why they are bet- ter than the parties sponsored by Mrs. Basil Rathbone when she was the No. 1 party-giver in Hollywood. I wasn’t there when Douglas Fair- banks, sr., and Mary Pickford were the social arbiters of Hollywood. Therefore, I wouldn’t know how At- water Kent compares with them as a

host. But they must have been good if they were the equal of the 73-year-old Hollywood host of 1947.

With Atwater it used to be houses. He had a palace In Palm Beach that required 18 indoor servants to run. He had another place in Newport, R. I, a big town house in Philadel- phia and a huge home in Bar Har- bor, Me. It was his custom to spend three months a year only in each house, then move on to the next.

But since coming to California in 1939, the farthest Atwater has tra- veled is to Palm Springs. And he only went once, because he didn't like it.

Still Likes Autos. Then there was the yachting

phase of Mr. Kent’s luxurious life. All told he’s owned 30 boats—includ- ing a floating hotel that had sleep- ing accommodations for 50.

His first hobby was cars. He bought his first automobile in 1903 and was arrested for scorching at 15 miles an hour! There was a time when 32 cars inhabited the Kent garages. Now he has a mere half dozen. But heaven help you if you come to his house in a new car.

He’s likely to race it around the block, “just to see how the car runs!’’

Now, the No. 1 hobby is parties with a capital “P.” To do justice to them, Atwater bought 12 acres on top of a Beverly Hills Moun- tain, crowned—as we say in Holly- wood—with a huge castle-like, three-story mansion called, “Capo di Monte,” which means “top of the mountain.” There are tennis courts in profusion; a 60 by 80 tur- quoise, tiled swimming pool, and a

glass house next to it where At- water retires when he' wants to get away from people. This isn’t often. “I can see all of Hollywood from there,” says Atwater. “I sit; there and imagine I’m going yacht- ing. It’s milch less expensive.”

All his expenses, apart from his numerous charities, are reserved for parties. A moderate estimate of the money spent on the lavish affairs is somewhere between $150,- 000 and $200,000 a year. When you add the $300,000 to $40Q,000 given to charities every year, you can see he’s a busy boy.

Subdivided Guests. Like the good businessman he Is,

he has a system for the parties. He has four “lists"—each one con-1 taining subdivisions. One list is! the social one—a big social list! and a little social list. All the local | 400 come to the big one. The little i

list is more exclusive and made up of groups of 20. Then he has a great big "movie list," and a cor-

responding little one.

List No. 3 is the musical and art group. Kent has a fabulous gallery' of -old masters on the top floor of his house with Gainsboroughs, Reynolds and Hogarths. The No. 4 list is reserved for British, French, Italian and Russian circles—with a heavy leaning toward the diplomatic service.

Sometimes for fun, Atwater mixes all the groups together. Then the people who like music can see how the movie world lives. Ditto the society and diplomatic worlds.

Practically everything can excite Atwater into giving a party. For instance, when Jerome Courtland came home seriously wounded from the war, some one heard him com- plain that he didn't know any girls. When Atwater was Informed, he said to Jerome, “I’ll give a party so you can meet some girls.” In addition to all the beautiful debs in Pasadena, Shirley Temple was invited and so was Diana Lynn. Last reports were that Jerome is not complaining about not knowing any girls!

Loves to Dance. Last Christmas 150 blind people

were given a super-duper party in the Atwater home. Just as much care was taken to make this party a success as the more frivolous soirees.

Every Christmas there is the At- water Christmas Carol shindig, with Meredith Wilson leading guests and host in Christmas carols for one hour. Atwater, by the way, loves to sing. He is now being given singing lessons twice a week by Mme. Yeat- man Griffith!

He also loves to dance. At a recent party I watched him doing a rumba and a samba with June Havoc that was really something. At his fancy- dress parties, Atwater invariably ap- pears as Beau Brummel.

After each party, Atwater has a staff meeting to discuss the good or bad aspects of the evening. It usually winds up with the boss saying, "Now that was a very good party.” And so, I would like to add, is Atwater. (Released by North American Newspaper

Alliance. Inc >

Style Center By the Associated Press

HOLLYWOOD. Proof that Hollywood influence

reaches to distant parts of the globe was received by Greer Garson.

The ladies of Penang in the Malay Straits want the pattern for the black evening gown she wore in "Random Harvest." Twenty women signed the note, which said Greer's dress would be their latest style at evening functions. Although the film was made in 1942, it only re- cently reached Penang.

Radcliffe Club Presents HARVARD

GLEE CLUB CONCERT

Tues., April 1—8:30 p.m. HOTEL STATLER

.. Price: $3.60 Snow Concert Bureau. 1108 G St. N.W.

(Campbell Music Co.), RE.. 4433.

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Two WASHINGTON CRITICS give you an ADVANCE REVIEW

of

TERESA WRIGHTuo ROBERT MITCHUM HtAD A WOTOWUl CAS>'

PRODUCED BY UNITED STATES PICTURES FOR WARNERS

“Pursued” is a picture with a rare dis- tinction--that of finding dramatic power in the dark human heart instead of the gaudy exteriors of its actors.

JAY CARMODY. Star N

“And now cofties the psychological West- ern--horse opera’s hottest idea since the singing cowboy.”

DON CRAIG. Times Herald

rfuMnlu • WARNERERBI E THURSDAY bros EAKLt

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