1942-09-06 [P C-8]

Theaters ——' .. ." .— ■■..■■■■i ■ mmrnmrmmm—mmmmmmmMm—mmimmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. n n C~8_WASHINGTON, D. C., .SEPTEMBER 6, 1942. Orson Welles vs. Saroyan George M. Cohan’s Impress Stage Battle of Geniuses First Made Here in 1891 Modesty Retires to Rear Milestones of His Career As Arrive Bandwagons Captured by Hollywood With Claims of Rivals In ‘Yankee Doodle Dandy’ Ira Wolfert. By By ANDREW R. KELLEY. NEW YORK. Once upon a time this collector of star autographs and footlight Orson Welles is the original boy genius of the local scene, dating all trivia sent a photograph to George M. Cohan to be duly signatured. He the back to five and six way years ago. sent it back with an original verse and chorus dedicated to “Kelley." This to us notion has not occurred by coincidence or even accident. Though it never made the Hit Parade, is still among unpublished compo- It has been called to our attention. Mr. Welles has driven his own sitions. it is a Cohaniana souvenir to be cherished. back into town and is it bandwagon trundling from joint to joint looking Not many know that George M. Cohan wrote many of his success- for William It is said that he Saroyan. is trundling his bandwagon ful plays in a quiet retreat at Washington’s Hotel Willard. There, be- around from to m the ........ joint joint tween midnight and 6 a m., in the solitude that descends on this Potomac of William over. duly to have been included, but this hope running area after the witching hour, he worked out many a second and third one has been omitted William is, compared with Orson, and, we are aets. and perhaps the first. an in the boy business unimpeachably informed, the kid upstart genius n™ nisi mis genial screen di-i and. what is more, both his start is very sensitive on the got subject. ography has been carefully captured and his in the business while Well, the fact that William is a O’Neills “Ah. Wilderness,” which up and confined In Holy wood’s tin cans Orson was not Orson has writer has been would be In 1934. Then the looking. gnawing steadily as “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” fond friendly, been out of town somewhere the last on that Achilles heel, it, yea of the jabbing recollections spring up wherever affectionate, lampoon few and has allowed the giving it the old pepper, crossing it New "I'd Rather Be years up- show business and the Cohan legend Deal, Right,” him back here to with a it and water- roar about go to right, trampling has penetrated. These set down with George M. solving the Na- seed somewhat. ing it tenderly to make corns grow tion's troubles as F. D. R. in Central here are authenticated in George But, after a week or so of effort on it. But Orson has never so much Park. M.’s own handwriting, given day “Madam. Will You Walk?” Orson, the town is once more as given a single tell-tale wince. short-lived, and "Return of the by and date as appreciation for appear- to concede that it remembers And only the few writers who have willing ing with him in a radio interview. Vagabond” bring us up to date. him. This has to do with the band- worked for Orson and no outsiders "I never,” he said "had stage fright If George M. Cohan had a peeve drives on. at all so much as (1) That wagon Orson around It suspect: but I get scared to death when I look on Hollywood before the bright is a Welles can't write at all; (2) that he’s ponderously rollicking, gargan- at one of those things." He was chapters of his career promised sensitive about it. tuan, personally driven wagon by referring to the “mike,” which he lush days for Warner Bros., it dates and We came in on the middle of this Orson, personally powered pro- later was to conquer for some profit, back to the time when he appeared him. as well as battle for acclaim and will have to pelled by manned and and which long since has spread on the Paramount lot to make "The him and after dispense with When manipulated by being preliminaries. his songs and fame to far corners phantom President.” Some bright in the same with it for 10 we followed our chin into Orson's fur- joint of the earth. mind in the front office sent a pro- minutes, the least you are willing to lined cottage in Holywood a while duction Violin. executive to his dressing ago, both boys had taken their Really Played concede is that William is, if not room to gather professional details. stance and were letting the heavy Picture on the immediate left quite an imposter, at least an "Have you ever.” he queried, “done stuff go. Said Orson: “What kind shows him with a violin tucked un- arriviste. anything in the theater?” The of a fellow is Said me: der his arm. Master Cohan Orson Has Iron Nerves. Saroyan?” actually writer FROM EARLY SPRING TO AUTUMN—When M. Cohan shows and producer of 85 plays and The competition between Orson "I don’t know.” This was true. I George President Roosevelt presenting the decoration. The mile- played that fiddle. In 1886. when he 10 composer of more than 500 pub- and William for only know w'hat he pretends to be was years old he could play the piano standing on his head, stones in the Cohan career have been was only 8 years old he toured as outstanding boy interesting captured by lished songs, hasn't recovered from in the business has been and what he thinks he is. Said and did, in the vaudeville act of the Four Cohans. Even then in “Yankee Doodle in which second violinist in "Daniel Boone genius Hollywood Dandy," James Cagney that one yet. Orson: “It’s very embarrassing to he had tunes in his and in- on the Trail.” spirited. William has the advantage system the germ of his first play was plays the nimble-footed Picture His first this Broadway jack-of-all-trades. published song was “Why in years. Also there is a bit of first- me. Wherever Saroyan goes in World War be- Reverting to the local angle, cubating. Twenty years after I, Congress gave will have its Washington premiere at the Earle Theater Sep- Did Nellie Leave Her Home?” a title class creation in his work which is country, they ask him what he lated to the Washington first saw George M. Co- recognition playwright-composer for his stirring tember 11. which suggests something lachry- in Orson's. Orson has been thinks of me. ‘Wonderful,’ he says, han in 1891 when the 13-year-old lacking march songs, “Over There" and "It's a Grand Old Flag." Photo mose. This was turned out, words working under the handicap of hav- 'marvelous, a genius.’ Wherever I prodigy created the mischief in and music, in 1893 when he was 15 no first-class creative at go. they ask me what I think of him. "Peck’s Bad Boy.” They still call ing ability years old. Though “Over There” all. his talents being of the second- Since he told the truth about me, him that at the Lambs Club, says him brought him a congressional medal class kind required by interpreters I have to tell the truth about Broken Ankle George M. A Which and became the marching song of and actors of the creations of others. and it’s very embarrassing because School Bells Are Play He came back in 1894 with Gus Ringing World War he calls stinks.” I, "Venus, My However, this never embarrassed I think his stuff Williams in a piece called "April for Round Two. Proved Benefit Shining Star,” written in his nor Priming Kids the AWCS Fool.” “We didn’t fool any one 1894, Orson publicly did William's : favorite modest allotment of creative As far as we were concerned, that with that one,” he avers, an indica- ability For Children His Favorite was the first round. The battle has Hollywood’s was a Song. embarrass him. Neither boy seems To This Skater tion he bit of a critic. So ever since. Visits National A to want to be a genius, concentrating been ding-dong During he continues: fabulous fellow, this George M. it a kind of cli- on to be ac- this week reached By Wide World. Roddy McDowell Is “In 1895 I was back with Hyde’s Cohan. Some day a book will be exclusively desiring Among Frank from the max. William has just flopped Mandel, fugitive the female written about him that claimed as one. What with Sonja Henie produc- Comedians. Helen Mora, will em- on his face out in Those Broadway stage these past eight In the clutch, Orson has proved grotesquely right ice shows in Rockefeller Center, Attending Regularly i baritone was the star. Baritones phasize more than song and dance. of his ing years, will bring "Vickie.” a new a man nerves. public with two plays having were as a hit in those days as He Just can’t resist an from himself to be of iron Dorothy Lewis prancing across the farce i big appeal been one and all. Orson Classrooms of the Studios by S. M. Herzig, to the Na- Contrary to popular impression, he panned by frozen surface of several New York ! the Barrymores of today. any one in the theater who has hasn’t done too well either, hts tional for a week's engagement on fallen has an Achilles heel.

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