Glamor Not Preferred

By HAROLD STERN On Sunday, Februany 21, Melvyn Douglas appears as Mark Twain in an “Our American Heritage” drama, “Shadow of a Soldier,” based I on the life of Ulysses S. Grant. This purports ¦sr % to be historically accurate. Currently, and full time, Mr. Douglas stars ¦ *

as Griffith P. Hastings iwho everyone knows is really Warren G. Harding i in the Broadway hit, "The Gang's All Here.” This play does not claim to be historically accurate, but it has a frighten-

ing ring of authenticity about it as it delves into one of the most disgraceful periods in our Nation’s history. In the play, Melvyn Douglas gives a stun- ningly brilliant performance, which after all is what we've come to expect of him in any

role. There's no reason to believe his interpre- tation of Mark Twain < which has already been taped by NBC i will be anything less than perfect. According to Douglas, "The Gang's All Here”

isn't an historical play, “it's a play about an inept man who became President. “It’s a play about the size of the presidency,” he went on. "And the tragic consequences which can happen when the feet that fill the shoes aren't big enough. The potential of the situa- tion applies to all offices--people filling impor- tant jobs without knowing what’s going on about them and unable to control the people they work with. “I prefer a play or a movie that is in some HISTORICAL GAMUT—Melvyn Doug- way a comment," Douglas continued. “Itdoesn’t las, who goes from President Griffith P have to be a political comment, but I find that Hastings on Broadway to TV's Mark my attention isn’t immediately engaged by a Twain, prefers a part and a play that play that has nothing to say .” has something to say. Changed Directions

During recent years, Douglas has starred in “Inherit the to do series, you start working in such plays as his current one, you agree a differently if I were Wind" (in which he played Clarence Darrow the factory. I might feel but not at age! and on TV in such meaty items as “The Plot considerably younger, my to Kill Stalin" and “The Nuremberg Trials.” Sponsors Too Sensitive Considering the string of dramas with a social he went hit. conscience in which he’s appeared, it’s difficult “On a one-shot.” on. “you can fast and make an On series, to remember that at one point his work was hard and impact. a on it’s confined primarily to light comedy. He credits you don't dare. Even one-shots, impos- restric- “Inherit the Wind" with affording him the sible to be really creative under the silly tions much of TV opportunity to change career directions. imposes. I “1 have never done a TV show.” he said “But once I appeared in that play, began “which didn't have something getting offers to play old lawyers or old diplo- emphatically, which had to be cut changed be- mats. Now I suppose I'll be getting offers to dropped or or of The most ridiculous play Presidents. It's funny the way the minds cause sponsor sensitivity. in The Trials,’ where the word of those people run. Look at what's happened was Nuremberg with Hitler’s chambers' to Ralph Bellamy. Since ‘Sunrise at Campo- gas (in connection gas deleted because (a com- bello,’ all he gets are offers to play Presidents.” was our sponsor gas didn’t want reference to which Douglas, who some time ago appeared in a pany any gas but benevolent. series called “Hollywood Offbeat,” claims it would made it look any way in television are take an awful lot of considering before he'd “The worst people sponsors be who afraid of offending anybody or any- appear in another. “It would have to damned are makes int resting before I’d put myself into bondage thing! Their hypersensitivity everyone and often works against them.” fo’ hree or five years," he said. “The moment uneasy