AMERICA'S FIRST LADY OF THE STAGE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 172, 7 August 1937, Page 10

AMERICA'S FIRST LADY OF THE STAGE

When Katherine Cornell makes a toui of New Zealand nest year, playgoers will see a genuinely distinguished aetress in some of her finest roles. In Ameriea, Miss Cornell is recognised as standing at the head of her profession (writes Kenneth Wilson in the Sydney Morning Herald). My personal acquaintance with her work is limited to one play — "The Barretts of Wimpole-street. " But that experience alone was enough to convey the intimations of a brilliant artist. It was in New Tork, one foggy afternoon in 1932, "The Barretts" had then been running for nearly a year. I feared that what met my eye within the portals of the Empire Theatre would be a set of jaded actors, performing their motions in a dull routine. AlTeady in the previous October, Miss Cornell had had to close down the play for six weeks, in order to rest, so fatigued had she become by the exacting demands of Elizabeth Barrett's tender„but definitely expressed emotions. But the performance at that matinee glowed with lif e. The • aetress played her part with as mueh freshness and convietion as though she had learned it only a week before. This was an Elizabeth of really aristocratic mettle, generous, radiant, yet beautifully retieent in style. I much preferred it to Gwen Ef rangcon-Davis 's portrayal in the London production — an expression of the character which seemed to me persistently mannered and artificial. It had been quite an undertaking to obtain even one seat for Miss Cornell 's "Barretts," at short notice. After 12months season of the play, the demand for tickets was just as keen as it had been at flrst. "The Barretts of Wim-pole-street" was, in fact, a "smash hifi." Personally, as well as professionally, Katharine Cornell has won herself unbounded respect. She has acted unsympathetic characters on the stage — notably Iris March in ' e The Green Hat," and Leslie Crosbie in "The Letter" — but she says that they have all contributed to her development as an aetress. If another good play came along which offer ed her a sihistcr or un-moral role, she would have no hesitation in taking the part. Meanwhile, she represents sueh admirable people as J uliet, Bernard Shaw 's Candida, and the same writer's Saint Joan. The aetress never allows her name to be used to bolster up the committee lists of societies, no matter how laudable their object, unless she is actively associated with the project. Nor will she give testimonials for soaps and perfumes and motor cars. A manufacturer who once used her portrait without permission was swiftly brought to book, and had to pay damages. Miss Cornell gave the money to charity, When circumstances positively force her into writing correspondence, her handwriting is hardly legible. If she has to communicate with people at a distance, she usually does it by telephone. Hence. the bills are usually "ery^ large, indeed. She cliarges two shillings for an autograph, and gives ^Le money to the Actors' Fund. ; When she is acting !n New Yorlc, she and her husbabd, Mr. Guthrie MeClintic, live out of town, in a house on the Hudson River. The one person who directly alfects her acting is her husband ; for he is also her producer, and a renowned representative of this branch of theatrical art.