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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 25, 1939)
Psychiatrist Writes 1,000 Self'Sonnets Dr. Merrill Moore Author of 'M' Poems And 50,000 Other 14-Line Verses The reading matter in a doctor's room has been the butt of more than one joke, but the medical profession seems to be trying to remedy that by writing its own books. Never before have doctors figured so prominently in book news, what with best-selling novels about doctors, famous surgeons' biographies and autobiographies. Now comes a new variation—Dr. Merrill Moore’s “M: 1000 Auto biographical Sonnets,” published recently by Harcourt, Brace and company. Merrill Moore is the most prodigious writer of sonnets wiicbj.li., ou cue ^uuusneis claim. At the age of 34, he has already written more sonnets (about 50,000 at the latest count) than any other man who ever lived; and this book of one thousand sonnets is, so far as his publishers know, the largest of its kind ever produced. Though the writing of poetry has always been of vital interest to him, it actually has been an avoca tion. The majority of hi? time and interest has been taken up by his vocation, medical work. He is assistant visiting neurologist at Boston City hospital, and has staff connections with other Boston hos pitals. Since 1935 he has been en gaged in private practice of psy chiatry. A member of the fugitive group, Merrill Moore is also the author of “The Noise that Makes" and "Six Sides to a Man.” TWO WHO WRITE The New York home of W. E. and Helen Woodward was a hive of industry for several months re cently, for both practice the writ ing trade and both have regularly scheduled books for publication. Mrs. Woodward’s “It’s an Art: Advertising and Advertised Pro ducts,” was published by Harcourt Brace, and Mr. Woodward’s “La fayette” was published by Farrar and Rinehart. ti LllllH LAST TIME TODAY “GANG BULLETS” with Robert Kent Anne Nagel • plus “WESTERN JAMBOREE” with Gene Autry Smiley Burnette Continuous Shows Daily from 12:45 ’til 12:00 Held Over “GUNGA DIN” DOOKS OPEN 6:30 aiajSE!2EiaiajsisiaMaia/aisjaMsiaiaiai5Q fe CHIU . . . . lOcl ® Best iu town ! Sandwiches, 5c and 10c Drinks BLUE BELL SANDWICH SHOP 9GG Oak Between 9th and 10th 1 S®ai3®sfi5/a/aj3tatat3iaEiajaiaiaiaiaMEls V ^ SEE BARKER AND SEE HIS FINE VIOLINS They are above average in tonal quali ties. Some are extra good, old and mcllow toned. The better ones arc priced at $50.00. $75.00, $100.00, $150.00, and $500. These arc left with me for sale. Also cheaper instruments from $5.00 to $55.00 S'rings and other fixtures for violins. I also do violin repairing. M. S. BARKER 760 Willamette Street ^NMPS-SB rnnirneB The Emerald Reader’s Page Editor: Glenn Hasselrooth Contributors: Joan Jenness Sally Mitchell Lloyd Tupling Slapstick and Subtleties Of George S. Kaufman Provide Varied Hilarity Chapter 5 on the Ingratiating Funnyman Who Is at Home Writing Sophisticated Patter or Broad Humorous Dialogue By LLOYD TI LLING Upon winning the 1932 Pulitzer prize with “Of Thee I Sing," Francis Ferguson, Bookman drama editor, said of George S. Kaufman, “If there is a growing point in the theater, Mr. Kaufman is at the tip of it. Mr. Kauffman works with his feet on the ground. He is the author of a string of hits, which are hits first, and good plays second, if at all. “When he sets out to crack the movies or remake musical comedy he brings his audience with him. He knows what the traffic will bear, he advances slowly and in gratiatingly; and he surrounds himself with excellent collabora tors.” Politics have more than once been the target for Kaufman wit. The current "I’d Rather Be Right,” which he co-authored with Moss Hart, carries the gentle lampoon ing of politics much farther than did “Of Thee I Sing.” In “I’d rath er Be Right,” which incidentally is the twenty-third Kaufman hit in 18 years of writing, they crack at Roosevelt, the cabinet, and the su preme court right out loud—but not too loud. Oh, You Frances! It will be a long time before I forget a certain remark passed by Madame Perkins when all the members of the cabinet were re hearsing a radio program with which they wish to swing a bit of public opinion behind New Deal legislation. It was the lot of the good Madame to give some of the latest Washington gossip. Madame Perkins: What U. S. Senator and someone else recently occupied a bed once occupied by J George Washington? What ex-* president, now residing in Califor nia, still owes the Washington hand laundry one dollar and twenty-four cents? In this production we see more straight satire and less of the mu-' sical style employed in “Of Thee I Sing.” Mr. Landon appears as the Roosevelts’ butler, Mother Roosevelt keeps bobbing in and i out bearing a large cake and al-1 ways headed for a celebration of F.D.R.’s birthday. All in all, “I'd Rather Be Right’’ is much more amusing and less nonsensical than its forerunner. In it the technique of the earlier pro- j duction is improved—the base is more concrete. In 1935 Kaufman collaborated with Katherine Dayton, noted stu dent of Washington society, in “hirst Lady, ’ a tale of teacup pol itics. It was based on what might have been the feud between Dolly Gann-and Alice Longworth which for more than a decade kept Wash ington tongues clacking. The play was straight comedy melodrama without the musical ac companiment of Kaufman’s other two political yarns. “First Lady” had no slapstick; it was sophisti cated and smooth. The wide divergence between the type of comedy in “First Lady" and that in “I’d Rather Be Right” might indicate a facile ability that can take any kind of comedy and make it click. I am inclined to accept the sec ond viewpoint, for in the three plays which Kaufman wrote alone —the comedy melodrama, “Butter And Egg Man," and the musicals, “The Cocoanuts” and “Strike Up the Band"—he proved his ability in both fields, although similar products have been improved by collaboration. Just as the political setting de scribed in “Of Thee I Sing" needed restating in the more recent “I’d Rather Be Right,” so did the theme of “Once In A Lifetime,” a crack 1-4 Lil Uil lil LJ LTJ LJ LJ LJ lii lij CJ cy dJ CJ1 Cy Ofj GiJ [UJ Qjj r.j I MORRIS OPTICAL COMPANY Custom styled eyewear ® EJ J GJ i Si EYES EXAMINED ® GLASSES FITTED 1 i LENSES DUPLICATED ® 1 & fe Credit if 'ou desire it ral g 107J Willamette at the movies written in 1930 when the celluloid was acquiring a voice, need restating in “Stage Door.” i “Once In A Lifetime” was filled with vitriol and derision against the work being done in the talkies. At the time neither Kaufman nor Moss Hart, his then unknown col labortaor, had worked in Holly wood. The play as an uninhabited burlesque of the extravagances and stupidity of picture making. In this play Kaufman did the only acting in his career, taking the part of Lawrence Vail, famous author who was hired to write movie scripts and became the for gotten man who was left waiting interminably in the reception room of the office of the Great Herman Glogauer. Jolson and Barrymore The conversations that passed in this reception room between Miss Leighton, the receptionist, and two film queens made up the spearhead for the Kaufman attack. Phyllis: Yes, Miss Leighton, we’ve been wondering about that. W hat the hell is the legitimate stage anyway? Miss Leighton: It’s what A1 Jol son was on before he got famous in pictures. Florabell: Do you know what someone told me at the party the other day? They said John Barry more used to be on the legitimate stage. Phyllis: I heard the same thing and I don’t believe it. Miss Leighton: My, you’d never know it from his acting, would you? Florabell: And that ain’t all. I’ve heard that since he’s made good, some sister of his is trying to get out here. Miss Leighton: Yes, Elsie Bar rymore ... It must have been kind of interesting, the legitimate stage. Of course, it was before my time, but my grandfather used to go to it. He was in the Civil War, too. Phyllis: The Civil War—didn’t D. W. Griffith make that? In 1937 the situation had changed and so had the Kaufman viewpoint. With the aid of Edna Ferber he shifted the scene from the movie magnate’s reception room to a boarding-house for as piring actresses. They told the story of the trials and tribulations of young actresses, two of which were singled out to carry the mes sage. One of the young ladies answers the call of Hollywood and its tin sel trimmings, the other stands by the stage. An inborn love for the footlights and what it can mean as art held her to the girl’s club and occasional bit parts. Discour agements pile up but her fortitude is constantly bolstered by a man of the theater who has sold his soul to the movies. . In "Stage Door,” the voice of David Kingsley takes the place of satirical conversations of “Once In A Lifetime's” reception room. Says he: “Go out there (to Hollywood) and let them do all those things to you? That lovely face. And for what? So that, a few years from now, they can throw you out on the ash-heap. The theater may he slow and heart-breaking, hut if you build solidly you’ve got some thing at the end of seven years and twenty-seven.” It is hard to say what Mr. Kauf man must have felt when he saw the emasculated, Hollywood ver sion of “Stage Door,” a play that made no mention of the Broadway versus Hollywood issue, and more than that made a morat issue out of the heart-breaking disappoint ments in climbing the stage lad der. It is even more difficult to say what he must have felt when the majority of New York critics laud ed the Hollywood "Stage Door” as an improvement over the Broad way product. Uo be cjitcluJtdj Breaks Ground Starting construction prelimin aries for the first newsprint mill in the south is E. L. Kurth, president of the $6,000,000 project at Lufkin, Texas. Southern publishers, con ! tracting for the mill’s entire pa I per output over a five-year period, sight a step toward breaking for | eign domination of the American j newsprint market. ---- Gestalt Psychology Simplified in Source Book of Articles Of interest to followers of Ges talt is the recently-published “A Source Book of Gestalt Psychol ogy,” which condenses and simpli fies for English readers the essen tial contents of the 35 most im portant articles published in Ger many between 1920 and 1929 by the leading exponents of Gestalt psychology (Koffka, Wertheimer, Koeiiler) and their associates. Vital though this source mater ial is to students, its several thou sand pages of scientific German and the inaccessibility of many of the original publications have pre viously kept English - speaking readers from becoming properly acquainted with it. Willis D. Ellis of the University ■of Arizona has prepared the book, and Professor Kurt Koffka has written a special introduction. Taking Notes ? Maybe Henry Kannee, above, the president’s stenographer, was merely drawing circles and squares. Senator Bennett Chump Clark, Missouri, says Kannee was taking notes. <M«M»»I«MIIIiMIIIIIMI,IMI i HUM.■ «<—ff Street Scene A. VIGNETTE By SALLY MITCHELL She was delicate and tiny anc grey, and it seemed, as she hurried down the cold deserted street, that a single gust of wind could actual ly blow her away. As her nimble little legs carried her hurriedly on her way, feminine intuition prompted her to glance over her shoulder, and for a mo ment her heart stood still. She gasped. That brute! He was after her again! She must hurry, hurry! He mustn’t catch her on these desert ed streets alone. It would mean her life, and she had so much to live for. Those little babies. They need ed her so. She must run, faster— faster—. Presently she chanced another glance backward. He was gaining on her. Oh! Why must he torment her so? Why must he make life so miserable? What had she done, that she must live in a world of constant fear? These and hun dreds of other questions raced through her mind as she ran. Suddenly, an alleyway. She dart ed swiftly down it and into the first opening she could find. Ah, now she was safe! He couldn’t find her here. And so, once again, the insignifi cant little mouse had outwitted Tabby, the cat. SECRET TO BE TOLD Esther Forbes, author of “The General’s Lady," is co-author, with Seth Kling, of a new play which will open on Broadway soon. Called “What Every Woman Wants,” it will star Francine Larrimore and be produced by Lee Shubert. Newspaperwoman Writes Second Popular Novel Mildred Gilman's new novel, “Divide by Two,” is the story of a child of a divorced couple, of the many problems and unhappinesses that result from separation of the child's parents. Mildred Gilman is that news paper woman, now retired, whose fame as a. sob sister in the twen ties is still bright. She it was who covered murders and stalked hid den diaries. Her first assignment was going to sea. to interview the survivors of the ill-fated Vcstris. fine of her last was in Germany at the time of the Reichstag arson trials, when she interviewed Goer mg who was, she relates, dressed in blue velvet robes and attended by a lioness, emulating the ancient conqueror Julius Caesar. Fox Studios made a picture from “Sob Sister,” a fictionizcd account of her journalistic experiences. Miss Gilman, who now lives in Connecticut and has throe sons, is married to Robert Wohlfoilh, sec retary to the LaFollette committee for the investigation of the sup pression of civil liberties. NEUTRALITY AND I'EACE A. Whitney Griswold’s "The Far Eastern Policy of the United States, 1898-1938" discusses the problem of neutrality. It is an au thoritative study of forty years Jt American diplomacy in the Far East. CHEVALIER VISITS Haakon Chevalier, translator of Louis Aragon's recent novel, "Residential Quarter,” is visiting New York. He reports that Aragon ivill be attending the International Writers’ congress which is to bo held either in Mexico or New York this spring. The total tidal shoreline of the United {States in statute miles, in cluding mainland and islands, is 21,802 miles. ihc first watches with coiled springs came into use in the 17th century. TOMHILL’S Try our famous Hot- « Hogs on your next ^ I rv 1rip north. K^ClJLw J.LL ■UHlWliliaiHUDJMiult JUiilUtfUjlflNMUflMi 697 N. Capital St. The Many and The Man By JOHN MASEFIELD Poet Laureate of England The brick and prosperous and clever people, The educated and the ruling class, Unanimously said, “He is an ass; Bees in his bonnet; jackdaws in his steeple." The doctors said, “He isn’t mad; but odd." Societies for Birds and Beasts, though loath, Summoned him up. for cruelties to both. The Church deplored his attitude to God. With pity and contempt men stopped to look; With missiles and abuse boys stayed to mock; But still the vessel prospered in the dock. As Noah, plank by plank, the gopher took. The weather-prophets said, "He isn't sane." The Herd, as ever, pressed upon its Man . . . And then, a. month after the rain began, Wisdom approved him ... it began to RAIN. Reprinted by special permission of the editors of Survey Graphic. 'Sailor on Horseback’ Held Lively Reading Irving Stone's Biography of Jack London Tells of Novelist's Rise From High School In Oakland, California, to World Fame By JOAN JENNESS In 1875 San Francisco rocked with the news printed in the Chron icle that Professor W. H. Chaney, well known Irish astrologer, had driven his wife Flora from their home because she had refused to destroy her unborn infant. This child became known to millions as Jack London, author, sailor, adventurer. Several days after the article had appeared in print Flora Wellman confessed that she and Professor Chaney had never been married. Professor Chaney never admitted that he was the father of Jack London as so many people thought. Flora supported her son by holding psychic seances in her home until she married John London, a farmer from New England, who gave Jack his name and a good home for several years. Flora was a woman completely without affection, and she found little time to spend with her son. The only love that Jack ever re membered was given to him by Mammy Jenny, his colored nurse end Eliza London his step sister. Sundays Spent <'ramming At the age of 14 John London's I health failed and Jack becanie the I sole support of his family. He worked in factories and mills carn ! ing a few cents each day. The hours w'ere long and he had to walk several miles to and from the factory, but he always managed to read several chapters of his fa vorite books in what spare time he had. His Sundays were spent in libraries cramming into his head all of the knowledge that he could drain from the works of the fam ous authors of that time. The sea always had a fatal fas cination for London; when only a small boy he sailed into the San Francisco bay in a small fishing boat. He would have chosen to be a sailor instead of a writer if Flora had not insisted that he bring in a steady income. Irving Stone seems to delight in bringing out the rowdy side of London’s character and then point ing out to the reader that with a little pressure or urging London could change from a drunken, ir responsible boy to a steady one, who could stop in and take over the responsibilities of his depen dents. London was 17 years of age when he finally realized that if he wanted to be a successful writer he must concentrate solely on his stories and forget the poverty which surrounded him. First Article $5 Returning from an adventure in Alaska he became a postman in Oakland, but after a couple of weeks he wearied of the job and give it up to retire to his small attic room where he was able to write the stories that were most vivid in his mind. Weekly he pawned his treasures to buy food for his mother and the small John nie Miller, who was living with them at that time, until his first article sold for .'jib. From that time on Jack London wrote a thousand words every day, and he had nearly every publish ing house in the country waiting for him to put the last finishing touches on his books so they could get them to press and satisy the demands of the reading public. His books netted him close to a mil lion dollars but he died a pauper because he never could refuse a friend and none of his friends coulcl ever help him. Copied ? Several critics have accused Ir ving Stone of copying entire pas sages from London's book, “John Barleycorn." If this is true I think that Stone should at least be given credit for not attempting to change any of the famous passages that London wrote to characterize him self. Jack London readily admit ted that he was an illegitimate child, he took all of the blame for the trouble between him and his first wife. He seldom spoke of oth ers’ faults because his own were so prominent in his mind. He had a very even temper but often he would sink into spells of melancholy when he talked about committing suicide. Once did he show his disgust for his eventful but sorrowful life and lie said, “I have never had the things that my heart wanted." CHAN CHEW CHINESE HERB CO. Herb Specialist Definite relief afalnsl all disease! and ebroi.lt male, female, and ebll dren ailments. *0 yr. ei. perlenre In Ibis work. ■ I'rif'A rpoantinkln /'.II Ifor free I ft p. m. 935 Oak reformation. Hr*. 10 a. m. to weekdays. Sun. 10-J2 noon. Street Upstairs Gas Co. He Rarely Makes A Mistake The man with clear, accurate vision s a v e a lime and costly mis takes. COMPETENT SERVICE a § a a ■d a a a A a Dr. Ella C. Meade OPTOMETRIST Plume oSU 14 West 8t,li Laughton Biography Sophisticated Elsa Lanchester Relates Anecdotes In Gay Life of 'Captain Bligh' In “Charles Laughton and I,” Elsa Lanchester's memoirs of the I careers of this world-famous pair, | the early life of Charles Laughton j is sketched by his wife. His first [ theatrical efforts, which ne pur [ sued diligently despite his family’s efforts to get him into the hotel business, were with an amateur group in England. He now believes, according to his wife, "that he must have been very unpromising in these productions. . . . Nobody made any particular comment to the effect that he was even ade quate.’’ 1-le persisted, however, and at tended the Royal Academy of Dra matic Art “where thinking about act;tig ceased to be a crime and became a cardinal virtue,” Charles Laughton and Elsa I.an che&ter married in 1929, and from there on Mrs. Laughton’s book tells an intimate story of their life together—of chasing ants fiom their country cottage, of Charles’ terror of Vesuvius, of dieting to get thin in Hollywood, of acting in the Comedie Francaise, and of the new British motion picture com pany in which Laughton is co-part nei, director, star actor, and (says liis wife) chief bookkeeper “Charles Laughton and I" is copiously illustrated with photo graphs from the stage careers of its two principals, informal snaps taken by Mrs. Laughton, and lino cuts also by Mrs. Laughton. Ads Phone 3300 Local 354 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING RATES Hrst day ...2c per word Subsequent days.lc per word Three consecutive times 4c per word and a fourth time FREE with cash pay ment. Minimum ad ten words. Ada will be taken over the telephone >n a charge basis if the advertiser is a lubscriber to the phoue. Mailed advertisements must have auf icicrt remittance enclosed to cover defi nite number of insertions. Ads must ho in Emerald business of *c® not later than 6:00 p.m. prior to the lay of insertion. Arrangement* for monthly rates will ie made upon application. • Student Service FELLOWS: Bring your car to Jim Smith Richfield Station at 13th and Willamette for A-l service. • Barber Shops IT PAYS to look well. For your next haircut try the Eugene Hotel Barber Shop. • Picture Framing PICTURE framing for all kinds of pictures and certificates. Ori ental Art Shop, 122 E. Broad way. •For Rent FOUR possible vacancies next term. Well-lighted, single, com fortable rooms. Private home. Two adults. Mrs. Lloyd Dcnslow. 1652-W. • Found Ml found nils will he published h'KKE this department. A minimum cbarirc >f 5c will he made claimants upon the return of the lost article. Call for lost articles at the University Depot lost anil found department. The following articles have been turned in during the week to the lost and found department: Text books: Writing and Thinking British Poetry and Prose First Principles of Speech and Training Handbook of Business Corrc spondense Introduction to Chemistry IuterpretivQ Reporting Political Problems Logic and Scientific Method 2 umbrellas If you have a claim to any of those articles call for them at the University Depot. • Plumbing EXPERT PLUMBlNU-’chaSc Co. numbers. Repairs and installa tions of all kinds. Servicemen ai v,a>s ready. Phone 54s. 9ot» Qafc,