#Shubert brothers

[newyorkthegoldenage]

In the 1920s, Broadway actors were celebrities, even if they weren't well-known. Just appearing on a Broadway stage was enough. In this ad, from the March 24, 1928 issue of The New Yorker, Lux soap spotlights 14 of these actresses, all of whom were appearing on Broadway at the time. The Shubert brothers, who owned many theaters, claimed that Lux was the official soap of all their dressing rooms.

Some of the actresses pictured here include Judith Anderson, Claudette Colbert, Vivienne Segal, and Jeannette MacDonald.

Click/tap on each pic (there are two) to enlarge.

Photos: The New Yorker

[bestmusicalworldcup]

Swept Away opens on Broadway this fall at a Shubert theater.

Swept Away features music and lyrics by The Avett Brothers a book by John Logan and direction by Michael Mayer.

[artsychowroamer]

Our Town at The Barrymore Theatre

AUTHOR: ARTSY CHOW ROAMER

OUR TOWN

AT THE ETHEL BARRYMORE THEATRE

I love theatre and many of you may not know that I co-founded a community playhouse in my hometown in Tennessee where the local high school drama teacher could do her thing after retiring. It let me continue my interest and love for the behind-the-scenes kind of work that had thrilled me during my days in high school and college.

This led my husband and I to buy season tickets several times in Atlanta when Kenny Leon was still directing in our neck of the woods at the Alliance Theatre. If Kenny directed it, you would want to see it no matter what the play. That’s why I was excited to read that he will be bringing his version of the classic Thornton Wilder play Our Town to the historic Ethel Barrymore Theatre in New York City right in the heart of Broadway.

THE HISTORY

Named after the actress from the famous Barrymore family acting dynasty, Ethel was the it girl of her time when the theatre opened in December of 1928. Designed by Herbert J. Krapp in a combination of Mediterranean, Elizabethan and Adam styles, it is the last standing theatre built by the brothers, Lee and J.J. Shubert. It houses a large, beautiful stage with 1,058 seats. Run by the Shubert Organization to this day, the exterior is considered to be a New York City landmark in the heart of the theatre district in Manhattan.

Built from white bricks and rusticated terra cotta, the design was inspired by Roman baths with large arches and screens. The auditorium houses box seats at the balcony level with a coved ceiling and dome above. Roman arches and gold ornamental plasterwork abound along with a sloped orchestra level. An ornate lounge was located in the basement along with a now demolished stage house.

The Shubert brothers built the theatre in honor of Ethel when she agreed to have them handle her career and she stayed with them throughout performing in it the final time in 1940. It has remained a legitimate acting venue staging musicals and plays and is one of the few to have never been sold or renamed. It has been updated and refurbished both in the ‘80’s and early 2000.

THE WRITER

Thornton Niven Wilder was an American playwright and novelist winning the Pulitzer Prize three times for the novel The Bridge of San Luis Rey and two plays, Our Town and The Skin of our Teeth. He also won the U.S. National Book Award for his novel The Eighth Day. Born in 1897 in Madison, Wisconsin to parents, Amos and Isabella Wilder, his father was a newspaper editor and diplomat while his mother raised the family of five children. Thornton’s twin was stillborn.

The other siblings were writers with the older brother Amos becoming a noted poet at Harvard Divinity School and younger sisters Charlotte and Isabel becoming writers of note themselves. Said to be overly intellectual, Wilder would retreat to the library in school to escape the teasing and hide away from the humiliation of not fitting in. He would serve in both WWI and II rising to a lieutenant colonel status. He received his undergraduate degree from Yale University where he refined his writing skills and went on to earn his Master of Arts degree in French Literature from Princeton University.

After an eight-month residency in Italy, he published his first book, The Cabala, in 1926 followed by The Bridge of San Luis Rey in 1927 which brought him commercial success along with The Pulitzer Prize allowing him to quit his teaching job at The Lawrenceville School in order to write full time. In 1938, he would write the play Our Town and win his second Pulitzer and in 1940, The Skin of our Teeth would follow for the third prize.

THE PLAY

Our Town is a three-act play that playwright Edward Albee called “the greatest American play ever written”. It presents life in a fictional town called Grover’s Corners through the lives of its citizens between the years 1901 through 1913. Wilder uses metatheatrical devices setting the play in the actual theatre where it is being performed. A stage manager is the main character directly talking to the audience, fielding questions, playing some of the rolls and bringing in guest lecturers.

Left photo: Courtesy Historical Society of Princeton Right photo: Stage Publishing Company, Inc.; photograph by Alfredo Valente

The play is largely performed on a bare stage with no set while the performers mime actions without the use of props. The original stage manager was played by Frank Craven. In Act I, he introduces the audience to Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire and the people living there in 1901. We meet folks like the milkman, the boy who delivers the papers, the town doc, the Webb and Gibbs families and Professor Willard. Editor Webb will provide all the details about the town from socioeconomic status to the lack of culture and art while the stage manager leads you through pivotal moments throughout the day and evening. We meet the town drunk, the church ladies who gossip and the children of the Webb and Gibbs families who like each other very much.

Act II opens three years later and the kids are ready to get married. The stage manager takes us through their ups and downs together and how love works to get them to the altar. Act III opens nine years later and deals with death and eternity as the stage manager focuses on the cemetery in town where five people are buried since the wedding took place; some surprising and some not but one will teach us a lesson about appreciating the simple things in life.

THE CAST

It might surprise you to find out that Jim Parsons will be your Stage Manager for this run of the play. Parson’s, made famous by playing nerdy Sheldon Cooper in the Big Bang Theory, loves Broadway and can’t wait to get his chops around this more serious role. Katie Holms, the ex Mrs. Tom Cruise, will be making her come back as Mrs. Webb after sending her daughter off to college this year. Richard Thomas of The Waltons fame will be playing her husband while Zoey Deutch will play the doomed Emily Webb.

They lead a cast of 28 very talented actors including Ephraim Sykes as George Gibbs, Billy Eugene Jones as Dr. Gibbs and Michelle Wilson as Mrs. Gibbs. Julie Halston as Mrs. Soames and Donald Webber Jr. as Simon Stimson round out the main players in this wonderful version of the beloved play. You can bet Kenny Leon’s vision of the classic will be very different from any other you have seen before with this cast in place.

THE DIRECTOR

Last but not least, the talented Mr. Leon. While he may have been born in Florida, we like to claim him since he graduated from Clark Atlanta University. He gained prominence in 1990 when he became one of the few African Americans to head a major nonprofit theater as the artistic director for the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta. During his time there, the endowment rose for the company from $1 million to $5 million as he staged productions like Elton John and Tim Rice’s musical Aida that went on to Broadway and Alfred Uhry’s The Last Night in Ballyhoo.

He left in 2000 to pursue other projects including being a co-founder and artistic director for True Colors Theatre Company a group based in both Atlanta and Washington, D.C. He won a Tony Award for his direction of A Raisin in the Sun in 2014 and was nominated for his versions of Fences in 2010 and A Soldier’s Play in 2019. He received Emmy Award nominations for Hairspray Live! (2017), American Son (2019) and Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia (2021).

A stellar reputation has gotten him gigs with some of the best in acting land such as Denzel Wahington, Phylicia Rashad, Audra McDonald, Blair Underwood, David Alan Grier and Viola Davis just to name a few. In 2015, Leon directed a musical version of The Wiz for NBC and partnered with Cirque du Soleil who plans on taking it to Broadway. In 2022, a return to his old stomping grounds brought Trading Places: the Musical! to the Alliance directed by Leon. In short, his range is unbelievable-second only to his massive talent.

CONCLUSION

As you can see, Kenny Leon’s version of a classic play, in a historic theatre, named after an acting family dynasty will not be one to miss. This cast will be bringing the street cred with them as they bring these characters to life and I imagine Kenny will be up for a load of awards next time at the Tony’s. I rather like that thought….don’t you? Home town boy makes very good. Break a leg Kenny.

If you liked what you read, you may also like other posts under Artful Ideal. There you will find posts on art, books, theaters and other artsy things you might be interested in. Until then…

Cheers,

ArtsyChowRoamer

Follow me on You Tube, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram & Twitter

[ticketstubs-and-pits]

Spamalot

@ Shubert Theater, NYC

guessing on the date - the nyc stop was part of an east coast college tour. we had nosebleed seats. i thought it was hilarious, of course, having watched monty python to death with my brother (even the awkward-as-a-teen meaning of life). this was during the original broadway run so i might have seen tim curry playing king arthur??

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spamalot#Broadway_(2005-09)

added 9/29/23

[memolands]

Broadhurst Theatre - The beautiful simple brick theater in New York

Broadhurst Theatre – The beautiful simple brick theater in New York

A Broadway theater at 235 West 44th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan. The theater was designed by Herbert J. Krapp and was built for the Shubert brothers. The Broadhurst Theatre is named for British-American theatrical producer George Broadhurst, who leased the theater before its opening. It has about 1,150 seats across two levels and is operated by The Shubert Organization.…

[thecontumacious]

halloooo sandrine~! it's me cookie anon ✨

oh wait, is it alright if i call you by your name? :0

anyway,, i kinda have an idea (a bit sad at the start but it has a happy resolution).

• you can totally skip this if you don't feel like doing it •

i was thinking if it'd be alright to request for shu this time because i learned that he was supposed to be part of the offline collab but wasn't able to due to conflicting schedules... ; - ;

so like, what if since he wasn't able to meet up with nijimilo...y/n surprises him with an offline collab of their own instead so he won't feel sad/lonely/left out ; w ;

no sad shubert, only happi shubert bc shu deserves all the happiness in the world ♡

(aka: cookie anon shu brainrot hours lmao)

thank you as always o7

- cookie anon 🍪✨

(Not) Alone

pairing: Shu Yamino x Streamer!GN!reader a/n: yes u may call me sandrine hehe ALSO FIRST TIME I READ THIS I JUST KNEW THIS AWE MAN POOR SHU :( i hope he can finally have some time to go to an offcollab with everyone as luxiem! while we wait for that, here's something to fill in that gap ;)

warning ahead: this is 4.3k words just so you know that this is not a quick read ^^

reminder that all my work and others in the fandom are purely fiction and intended to entertain, not to be projected irl. 

Shu Yamino [NIJISANJI EN]: sorry guys i can't come this time, schedules and all that :/ Nina Kosaka [NIJISANJI EN]: aweee that sucks a lot Mysta Rias [NIJISANJI EN]: NOOO BROTHER Vox Akuma [NIJISANJI EN]: luca can't come and shu too? Ike Eveland [NIJISANJI EN]: ahhh that's such a shame Y/N L/N [NIJISANJI EN]: i'm sorry to hear that you guys:(

and you knew from how shu had been talking to you privately how excited he was to see if he could fit himself between his schedules to meet up with everyone as nina had planned

you of course couldn't come just yet, but with shu being part of luxiem, it was really crucial that he came

the moment he came for his daily discord call with you that day, you can tell from his deflated voice that he was so disappointed

you sigh, leaning a bit closer to the mic, "it's okay, shu. next time, alright? there will definitely be a time where you can finally go. all as one team as luxiem!"

he chuckles, but the joy supposedly associated with the gesture was very faint. seemed like the sorcerer wasn't in his right spirits.

"i hope so. i was really looking forward to it too," shu mumbles

"hey come on, don't be so down. if you're so down, everyone else will be too. look at the bright side, shu! the longer they wait, the more exciting it'll become when you actually do come, right?" you attempt, however once more, that comes fruitless

shu sighs in response. "i guess so, and thank you, y/n, for trying to cheer me up. but i think i just... i need some time. that okay with you?"

hearing his breaking heart made your own shatter to pieces. shu was such a kind and talented person, there's nothing in this world he didn't deserve

at least that's what your biased heart would say

you nod, "mhm, totally fine. you go get some rest and try to take your mind off of it, alright?"

shu bids you goodbye for the day and you're left to your own devices, forced to get back to work and get some stream related things done

continuation utc!

it's pretty obvious how you and shu met

being under the same v-tuber brand, it was easy to meet up with yamino and because of your job, you guys met up often and there was no shortage of you collabing together on each other's channels

the fandom adores you two so much and luxiem loved your company, so it was as if written by fate that you two would connect

initially, you thought shu yamino was pretty cool. and he is!

but then it wasn't just a first impression thing. it was for all the impressions after.

he was humorous, intelligent and witty, absolutely kind and there are times where you just feel like putting your hands on the screen to pinch his cheeks from how cute he is

especially the times where he gets flustered or teased by the chat

did i mention you're the only one who lets you call him nerd without getting mad?

chat usually (jokingly) attacks you for getting that kind of privilege, but it becomes fuel to their fire of adoring you two

"it's just a crush. he's a coworker," you told yourself, catching yourself daydreaming about shu the nth time that week.

but again, like how the stars had scribbled it for you on the pages of your fate, they don't plan on letting you just to have a crush on the sorcerer

as times passes by, more frequent calls, more collabs, you can't help but just ache when shu excuses himself for the day, wishing you goodbye

though most times you dismiss him after that, you'd be lying if you said you wish you could stop him from disconnecting

when days were bad, you find yourself calling out to shu and it doesn't help that he immediately comes to your side without fail

shu became a safe space for you, one you didn't dare let go

a working wifi connection and a device was literally the only way to keep you interacting with shu

would anything change if you were physically there with shu...?

you hoped it would

what would it be like to hold his hand? did he have soft hands or more calloused? probably the former...

you slap yourself on the head, "stop it, y/n. he's your friend and co worker. how could you think like this?"

lady fate says otherwise as she keeps bringing you and shu together.

and today, she's just done it as nina went to private message you.

Nina Kosaka [NIJISANJI EN]: hey y/n! Y/N L/N [NIJISANJI EN]: hey ninaa what's up? Nina Kosaka [NIJISANJI EN]: i couldn't help but think Nina Kosaka [NIJISANJI EN]: what if you and shu did an offcollab together? like just you two?

you wished you could kiss nina for that brilliant idea

Nina Kosaka [NIJISANJI EN]: i thought it was pretty unfair that shu couldn't come and since you and shu are pretty close, i thought i'd pitch that idea in with you if you aren't too bothered by it Y/N L/N [NIJISANJI EN]: NINA LEMME KISS YOU THAT'S SUCH A GOOD IDEA! Y/N L/N [NIJISANJI EN]: i have a bit of work left to do but once that's done, i can probably schedule a bit of time with shu!! Nina Kosaka [NIJISANJI EN]: oh that's great!! i'm so glad to hear that >w<

you smile upon the thought of meeting up with shu yamino in real life. a dream wasn't it? you imagine all the things you could do with him

probably a lot of streaming together obviously, trying new things, showing each other what they have in your local regions

but then you had a thought

shu was incredibly sad after he said goodbye to you today

what if

you met up with him as a surprise?

you go back onto discord, texting nina

Y/N L/N [NIJISANJI EN]: ninaur Nina Kosaka [NIJISANJI EN]: what's up honey Y/N L/N [NIJISANJI EN]: do u think management has shu's address? Nina Kosaka [NIJISANJI EN]: i think so yeah, why? why not just ask him? Y/N L/N [NIJISANJI EN]: i plan to make it a surprise actually Nina Kosaka [NIJISANJI EN]: OMG OMG OMG THATS SUCH A GOOD IDEA Y/NNNNN GO FOR IT MANAGEMENT HAS IT I THINK GOGOGO ASK

with nina's support, you immediately go contact management and indeed they did have his address. after hearing your request and reason behind it, they are more than happy to give it you and even wished you good luck

after that, you decided to pretty much speedrun your work while planning up your trip to see shu

book tickets, plan stream schedules, accommodation...

it sounds stressful, but to you, all that is shrouded under the idea of meeting up with shu

thinking that it was good idea to consult to his friends within luxiem first, you went to vox for advice

"hello?" he calls out from the other line

you smile, "hey, vox! sorry, do you have time? i have something to talk about with you."

"oh yeah, i'm free. what's up?"

you tell him of your plans and nina's initial involvement, laying out what your basic idea of what you'd been doing

"holy shit, that's such a good idea. and i could definitely tell shu was genuinely super upset he couldn't come with us this time," he agrees. "i'm sure he'd be really happy to see you, y/n. and are you sure you're here to just cheer him up?"

you could hear the mischief in his voice then and you turn a thousand shades red at what he's insinuating

to be exact, vox actually knew that you were emotionally attached to shu. from the way you behave around him, the way you talk to him, the way you treat him

the demon can definitely see that you have some sort of admiration towards the sorcerer

"oh hush, vox. i just want him to cheer up. when i talked to him today on call, he was so so sad. i couldn't bare to see him like that."

and that was true, this applied to vox as well

"you know, i've never seen anyone care so much about shu. of course, we all care about him, but yours is different, y/n. you know that right?" vox points out

you stay quiet, absorbing his words

perhaps he was correct and maybe it was time to admit so

"maybe. i just... want shu to be happy. i sound selfish but if i could do something about it, i would."

vox chuckles softly, "of course you would. and thank you, for continuing to care and worry about him for us in luxiem. also, y/n, would you consider maybe... confessing to him about this?"

huh??

"vox, no! i could never. he probably doesn't feel the same. he doesn't right?"

now you were just denying your heart's own wishes. of course you hoped shu would feel the same, but something else told you that he probably didn't.

and that maybe it was safer to stay quiet about things

you couldn't take such a risk with shu, one of your closest friends

vox hums, "not exactly my place to tell, love, but i have an inkling that it might be mutual."

"stop joking around, you sadist."

he laughs, "i'm a sadist yes, but no, i'm not joking. i seriously think he might have the same feelings. from the times i watched you and shu stream together, there's something so different about him. like, he... laughs more? he looks so much more like himself when he's around you. and i'm 400 years old so i have valid experience with this."

you roll your eyes, "why thank you, milord. anyway, it's still safer for me to say nothing about it."

vox sighs, "alright fine. but consider to do it one day, okay? you guys have been super close for a long time. i thought this one time you get to see him in person would be a good time to do it."

you see his point, you really do. and you would consider confessing to shu about how you feel if only it weren't because of your damned self esteem

days go by and shu has already started to get back up on his feet. the mention of not going to the offcollab tasted bitter on his tongue but he learned how to cope with it

you on the other hand couldn't wait to board that plane and drive up to his house, surprising him for an offcollab together like what he would've had with the luxiem boys and nina

"you know what, y/n? you seem to be in a very excited mood lately. has something happened that i didn't know of, huh?" shu asks you one day, feigning offense like you have been purposely neglecting to tell him something important

you merely giggle, the surprise hidden beneath your tongue, "you're overthinking things, shu. nothing much has happened. i've just been feeling super happy lately is all."

his momentary silence speaks to you in a way you catch that he's not sure to accept your answer

"okay, i'm glad for that..."

you laugh away at his comment, changing the subject quickly to avoid exposing yourself

and that's it!

today's the day you finally get to see shu!

with the rest of the luxiem boys informed of the wonderful surprise (and vox's never ending teases and encouragement), they send you all their support and you're off to see the sorcerer

you'd caught wind beforehand that today shu would be streaming by the time you got to his house, so you planned to show up at the end of his stream

the entire journey there, your stomach was doing flips and you simply couldn't take off the grin on your face

after reaching land, you catch a cab real quick and make yourself over to shu's address. you check your phone and shu is indeed still streaming, nearing the end of his two hour mark.

it felt as though every step you took was lighter, your heart also beat a lot faster the closer you got

phone in hand, you text shu

Y/N L/N [NIJISANJI EN]: yo shu, u still streaming? Shu Yamino [NIJISANJI EN]: yeah just about to end Y/N L/N [NIJISANJI EN]: good! Shu Yamino [NIJISANJI EN]: um okay???? why????

but you purposely don't answer him, leaving him confused and even on stream the last you checked it. it left you giggling and when you reach the destination the driver informed you of, you get off quickly

you then ring the doorbell

from the inside of the house, you don't really hear anyone. but after a few minutes, you hear some shuffling and rushed steps towards the door

just like the fast pace of their footsteps, your heart too thumps just as rapidly

there are a few clicks sounding from the door then it swings open

you see pale skin, dark hair adorned with its trademark yellow highlight at the top of his head

and then his purple eyes

you thought they were pretty online, never thought they were mesmerizing in real life though

"y-y/n?????" is the first thing shu says, seeing who it is at the door who dare disturb him during his work. his pointy mouth drops open and for a full minute he doesn't believe what his eyes are perceiving

you wave with the biggest grin on your face, "are you gonna say something, shu?"

he shakes his head out of his trance and without much to say, he lunges forward and squeezes you with all his might

you laugh out loud and hug him back, you were about to let him go when you realize that shu isn't letting go just yet

he keeps holding you and there was not a single opening where he was going to ease the pressure of his embrace

but you weren't complaining either

it was a full few minutes before you feel shu shift, "sorry, i was just... super happy you're here. you of all people."

wh-what did he mean by that?

you giggle nervously, patting his back, "i'm glad. i thought you were so upset you couldn't join the boys for the offcollab so, here i am. actually no, nina came up with idea. i couldn't leave you to be alone, could i?"

shu pulls away and gives you a smile you've never seen on him. or was it because you had never seen him smile in real life...?

whatever it was, the look in his eyes was just so gentle. like you were touching the soft fur of an animal. it brings you warmth. and safety.

"all that matters is that you're here now. thank you for making the time to come," his hold on you lingers, like he was reluctantly letting you go (or you wished it to be). shu gestures towards the inside of his house, "come in! i'll get you a drink. your trip was probably exhausting. you can sit on the sofa."

you nod and make yourself comfortable while shu sees to your beverage done

wow

shu yamino in the flesh

his warm hug from earlier left a pleasant burn on you. you wanted to feel it all over again

later, shu comes in with two glasses of iced water. he places one near you and the other near where he sits.

"man, it's so, so good to see you! you're shorter in real life," he grins

you slap his arm, "oh shut up. i'm not that different."

"hmm, nah."

"shu yamino! is this how you welcome a coworker who's gone overseas for you?"

he shakes his head while laughing, "that was your choice, y/n!"

the teasing aside, you were genuinely having a lovely time with shu around, the unnecessary butterflies flapping about in your stomach. but you didn't mind it this time.

you just had to make sure you'd never feel like this around shu, for his sake. even despite vox's encouragement.

...maybe

"look, i haven't set up next week's schedule yet but i kinda wanna plan our offcollabs together now. you okay with that?" the sorcerer grins, looking at you expectantly. you giggle as you nod. he smiles, "cool! so, where are you staying? a hotel?"

"yeah, it's not too far from here. actually, i should probably go check in--"

as you stood to grab your phone, shu suddenly grabs your wrist. your heart stops for the faintest second

almost as if not realizing what he had just done, he slowly lets go of your hand and looks away.

"sh-shu?" you call out

he clears his throat and offers you a courteous beam, "so-sorry! it's just that um... i thought you could just stay here in the guest room. hotels can be pricey, you know?"

he-

you internally inhale, looking away as your ears turn red.

why did he have to be so kind?

"we-well, i can just cancel my booking then, if you don't mind me staying here."

shu shakes his head rapidly. "no, of course not! i offered after all."

way, way too kind. no, wait he's just being polite... right?

after settling in, your stuff already organized and with shu loyally by your side to make sure you have everything ready. he asked if you needed more towels, any extra chargers, toothbrushes and the like...

your heart simply couldn't take it when he continued to fuss if you had everything you needed

"shu, i'm good. i promise. i properly packed my things," you touch shu's shoulder, giving him a reassuring smile in hopes he could finally calm down

he laughs, rubbing a spot at the back of his head, embarrassed. "sorry, it's just that it's been a while since i had someone over to stay. and it's you no less."

every time he said that like you were some special vip coming to his house made you feel like one, as much as your little crush on him said.

the first night at shu's house was mostly just staying in. with shu even cooking dinner for you

you never figured he was a decent cook, mentioning once that his go-to meal was instant noodles

that night, he also invited you to play together for the first time

sure, you two played a lot online but it's always different when you play games together in real life. as shu's eyes focus on the screen with much intensity, you couldn't help but giggle to yourself, catching his attention immediately

he raises an eyebrow at you, "hm? what's up with you?"

you pause, closing your mouth with your hands. it doesn't help that your face is bright red

well, shu just caught you giggling to yourself looking at him. why wouldn't you?

"no-nothing! just thought of something funny is all," you lie through your teeth. but knowing shu, he probably saw right through you

he stares at you head on and you start to feel antsy

"shu...?"

now it's his turn to change red?

stop beating so fast, heart.

for a full minute, you and shu swapped no words with each other, broken only by an incoming discord message from your phone

you look down and see it's from vox

Vox Akuma [NIJISANJI EN]: hey love how's it going with shu? met up with him okay?

you gulp, stealing a glance at the still red shu before deciding to message vox back

Y/N L/N [NIJISANJI EN]: yeah! he let me crash at his guest room instead of a hotel Vox Akuma [NIJISANJI EN]: oh he did, did he? i see:) Y/N L/N [NIJISANJI EN]: shut up vox he's in the same room as me rn Vox Akuma [NIJISANJI EN]: OH HE IS, IS HE? Vox Akuma [NIJISANJI EN]: y/n my dear do u kno how proud i am of you for progressing so far? Y/N L/N [NIJISANJI EN]: VOX U BETTER SHUT UP BEFORE I BLOCK U Vox Akuma [NIJISANJI EN]: hey now no need to play dirty with your long time buddy vox eh? anyway Vox Akuma [NIJISANJI EN]: have you finally considered actually confessing to him soon?

you blink and bite your lip.

the idea was scary, intimidating. all for the right reasons.

shu was your closest friend and one you wouldn't want to lose all because of your silly little crush on him.

okay not little but still

then again, if he was a good friend, he'd just gently reject you and still be friends anyway right? there was no way shu would slowly distance himself from you because of all that

"y/n?" the said man calls out to you, finally breaking the terribly uncomfortable silence. you hum, looking up at him. "you sort of just... zoned out there. you good?"

remembering again that you were still there with shu, you shake your head and slowly stood

"i'm alright, i promise," you reassure him, holding your phone to your stomach. "i'll be back in a minute okay? i gotta respond to this real quick."

without rly waiting for his response, you rush out of the room and into the far end of the hallway

Y/N L/N [NIJISANJI EN]: sorry i needed to get out of the room for a sec Vox Akuma [NIJISANJI EN]: and here i thought u actually confessed Y/N L/N [NIJISANJI EN]: vox istg Y/N L/N [NIJISANJI EN]: u kno what nvm serious talk Y/N L/N [NIJISANJI EN]: what would happen if he rejects me? Vox Akuma [NIJISANJI EN]: hmmm idk for sure but y/n i feel like he's gonna accept you. he probably has a crush on you too you know Vox Akuma [NIJISANJI EN]: like i said a few weeks back, i see the signs on him Y/N L/N [NIJISANJI EN]: just answer the question will you? i just wanna be sure Vox Akuma [NIJISANJI EN]: alright finee Vox Akuma [NIJISANJI EN]: in my opinion shu wouldn't be the type to suddenly not be friends with you anymore Vox Akuma [NIJISANJI EN]: he's a pretty chill guy and would never want to hurt anyone, especially you Y/N L/N [NIJISANJI EN]: you rly think so? Vox Akuma [NIJISANJI EN]: yep that's what i think

so, maybe... maybe it was actually okay to confess to him soon?

in the end, you were only afraid that you'd lose shu as a friend if things went awry

knowing that he'd still be there for you like before even after the confession made it seem less daunting

if only by a bit

you sigh, your head starting to feel heavy

Y/N L/N [NIJISANJI EN]: alright fine i'll think about it Vox Akuma [NIJISANJI EN]: for real?? Y/N L/N [NIJISANJI EN]: yeah just not today Vox Akuma [NIJISANJI EN]: okay if u say so love, take it easy Vox Akuma [NIJISANJI EN]: i believe in you and shu Y/N L/N [NIJISANJI EN]: thanks vox that means a lot

and you really did think about it for the next few days

when you went to bed the first night, your hands were sweaty at the thought of confessing to shu about how you feel

in the morning, your head pounded because of the lack of sleep but it soon washed away when you saw shu with a slight bedhead and only in his pajamas

it made you smile and your teeth rotten at the sweet sight

but this reminds you of what vox told you last night, thus now your head is filled with nothing but that

the first few streams went successful too! the yaminions and your own fandom were thrilled to see you having an offcollab as the other luxiem members had their own

to the chat, it seemed not too different from how you and shu would collab online

but to you?

you wished it could be like this for as long as the world let you

his smile, his jokes, his voice, the way sometimes his hand would brush against yours, the way he taught you patiently about a game you could not get the hang of

geez

it all toppled over inside you, your feelings

until you simply couldn't handle it anymore

shu noticed this unfortunately, touching your shoulder to catch your attention as you two sit casually to rest after a stream

you turn to him. "yeah?"

"you seem to be distracted lately. are you actually okay?" his brows furrow with concern and the beating of your heart quickens more than usual

it felt like vox's words were tugging at you, urging you to tell shu how much you wish you could be more than friends, how you wish you could protect his smile and be the selfish reason you make him so happy

if shu wasn't here, it would honestly make you cry at the reality those were not real

you take a long deep breath in and take shu's hand off your shoulder, your fingers enjoying the momentary smooth skin of shu (a quality of his you had discovered yesterday) before placing it down on his lap.

you smile and began, "shu, i have to tell you something."

sensing this was no joke, shu put away his phone and properly faced you.

he returns your smile, nodding at you expectantly

"okay," you whisper to yourself. then you look him in the eye, "shu yamino. i... i've been crushing on you for a long time."

then the smile on the sorcerer falters

confidence -1

but you decide to pull through. "si-since a few months after we met. i thought it was just admiration. i tried to control it because you were a coworker. but i just couldn't. i kept falling and it wasn't until a couple weeks before i left to come here that vox encouraged me to confess."

shu still wasn't saying anything.

confidence -5

"on the first night staying here, vox actually texted me about it. that's when i thought, 'fine, i'll do it.' so... yeah, here i am," you squeeze your eyes shut for a bit, then open them back while hoping that shu was finally going to say something

but still, much to your heart's dismay, his lips are sealed shut

honestly, you didn't know what else to say either

sh-should you just give him time to find an answer?

you gulp, reaching out to shu, "hey--"

"sorry."

you pause

"i-i don't think i feel the same."

part 2 here!

Masterlist!

[outoftowninac]

FIXING SISTER

1916

Fixing Sister is a four-act play by Lawrence Whitman (aka William Hodge). It was originally produced by Lee Shubert starring Mr. Hodge. 

‘Fixing Sister’ tells how a devoted brother outwits a headstrong sister who has been carried away by the temptations of luxury, title-hunting, and bridge whist gambling, in the midst of the gay society life of the metropolitan rich. As a result of her foreign travels, she has almost annexed a foreign nobleman of untested lineage. Her brother. John Otis, a representative American of a shrewd and humorous sort,  learning of his sister’s peril, hastens to New York from Kansas City. It Is his native common sense and shrewdness which effect a not sudden, but finally very effective, cure, including staging a police raid at her bridge party. He also rescues his own sweetheart, a tantalizingly Independent sort of American girl, from the wiles and the guiles of New York society and foreign nobility.

All four acts take place in New York City.

Bridge whist is a card game popular in the early 20th century. It was derived from whist with the additional rules that the players would take turns as dummy and that the trump suit would be deliberately chosen (including the option not to have one) on each deal rather than random. 

"Next Thursday night will be ‘police night' at Maxine Elliott's Theater, when the members of the police department gambling squad will attend in a body to see the performance of William Hodge in ‘Fixing Sister,' in order to enjoy the spectacular police raid of a gambling party, which furnishes an exciting climax to the third act.” ~ EVENING STAR

The somewhat odd title was one of a dozen considered by Hodge. It was originally announced as The Social Climbers, but that seemed too similar to Clyde Fitch’s 1901 play The Climbers.  

Fixing Sister opened in Atlantic City at Nixon’s Apollo Theatre on January 16, 1916. From there, it traveled to Wilmington DE, Altoona PA, Pittsburgh PA, and Boston MA.    

After Beantown (Boston), Hodge and company went to the Motor City (Detroit) before returning to Boston’s Majestic, where business was brisk.

“As an indication of the volume of business being done, it was necessary, on Ash Wednesday, to place the orchestra on the stage and sell seats in the pit usually occupied by the musicians.”

In mid-March 1916, Hodge made a formal announcement confirming the rumors that he was indeed playwright Lawrence Whitman. At the end of March, Hodge took on a second play in his downtime: Hobson’s Choice at the Wilbur. He requested that Mr. Shubert cancel one of his Fixing Sister matinees so that he might perform in Hobson’s, but Shubert declined. Instead, he arranged a special benefit of Hobson’s at an alternate time. 

Although the above item appears to be an article, it is actually a paid advertisement! Do not send Miss Maxwell-Conover stray cats!

The Boston engagement finally came to an end on April 22, 1916. Although Broadway seemed the next logical step, the play moved to Maine through the end of the month. Hodge then retired to his summer home on Long Island to be with his wife and three small children, looking forward to bringing the play to Broadway in the new season. 

Getting the play back on its feet, Hodge chose Pittsburgh, returning to the Alvin, where the play initially enjoyed a brief stay. 

Fixing Sister opened on Broadway at Maxine Elliott’s Theatre (109 West 39th Street) on October 4, 1916.

“Early in the play the audience is let into the secret. The onlooker is taken into the confidence of the leading character and the game is won. The audience plays the rest of the piece. The interest and enthusiasm is so alive that it comes in waves to me across the footlights. Such a play is bound to be a delight to both the folk who play it and those who are entertained by it.” ~ WILLIAM HODGE

“Mr. Whitman’s play dramatizes the yellow journal idea of society life in Manhattan.” ~ BROOKLYN DAILY EAGLE

“When will Missouri stop ‘showing’ us New York?” ~ CHARLES DARNTON

Hodge’s character, John Otis, is from Kansas City, Missouri (aka the ‘Show Me’ State)

“Interest is sustained as long as [Hodge] is on the stage, making droll remarks about everything in general in his inimitable manner, but it lags perceptibly when the other characters are depended upon to keep things going.” ~ BROOKLYN LIFE

In early November, the production cleverly addressed rumors that Hodge would close the New York production and tour. A week later, the play was extended, selling advance tickets for as far ahead as New Year’s. 

Despite this, Hodge packed his tents and moved the play to Chicago a week before Christmas. It ran on Broadway for 85 performances.

[alatismeni-theitsa]

The Greek behind 20th Century Fox

Spyros Panagiotis Skouras was born in Skourochori, Greece to a family whose father was a sheep herder. Together with his brothers Charles and George Skouras, he emigrated to the United States in 1910.

Living frugally on wages as busboys and bartenders in downtown hotels, by 1914 the brothers had savings of $3,500. In partnership with two other Greeks, the Skourases constructed a modest nickelodeon at 1420 Market Street. They called their theater the Olympia, and soon acquired other theaters.

The brothers incorporated in 1924 with $400,000 capital stock. By then more than thirty local theaters belonged to the Skouras Brothers Co. of St. Louis.

In 1926 they opened the $5.5 million Ambassador Theatre Building. In 1929, following the Stock Market Crash, the triumvirate sold out their interest to Warner Brothers and moved east, gaining executive places in the industry.

From 1929 to 1931 during the Great Depression, Spyros Skouras worked as a general manager of the Warner Brothers Theater Circuit in the United States. During these hard years, he eliminated losses and eventually quadrupled the profits of the chain. Later he left the company and worked as a manager for Paramount.

In 1932, the Skouras Brothers (Charles, Spyros and George) took over the management of the Fox West Coast Theater chain, with more than 500 theaters.

In May 1935 Spyros Skouras took the initiative for the merging of Fox Studios with Twentieth Century Pictures. He served as president of the merged company 20th Century Fox from 1942 to 1962. Skouras was also a major stockholder of 20th Century Fox.

In the 1950s he, together with his brothers, controlled 20th Century Fox, National Theaters, Fox West Coast Theaters, United Artists Theaters, Skouras Theaters, Magna Corp, and Todd AO. Skouras' assets in 1952 amounted to $108,000,000, greater than any other theater or movie mogul, including the Schencks, Warners, Shuberts, or his countryman Alexander Pantages.

Skouras oversaw the production of such classics as Don't Bother to Knock, The Seven Year Itch, The Hustler, The King and I, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, The Robe and Cleopatra.

He signed a young model named Norma Jean Baker to 20th Century Fox who, after changing her name to Marilyn Monroe, rose to fame as the most famous Hollywood sex symbol of the 20th century. Monroe developed a special relationship with Skouras, and sometimes called him "Papa Skouras".

[oldshowbiz]

Kliph Nesteroff: You did a special called The NBC Follies of 1965. 

George Schlatter: That became the Steve Lawrence Show. The pilot was called The NBC Follies and it featured Steve Lawrence, Jill St. John, Juliet Prowse, Nipsey Russell and Dick Shawn. It got picked up and we did one season from New York. 

It was the last black and white series on CBS and, as such, was doomed to fail. All the big variety programs on television at the time - The Andy Williams Show, the Dean Martin Show, Perry Como’s Kraft Music Hall - were already broadcasting in vibrant color. Then came the Steve Lawrence Show in black and white. It looked like an anachronism. 

CBS thought they were hiring a romantic balladeer, but Steve Lawrence was basically a comedian who sang. He was one of the funniest guys ever – truly. All the comedians loved being around Steve because he was hilarious offstage. We had guest stars like Frankie Avalon, Lucille Ball, Bobby Darin, Phyllis Diller and Sammy Davis Jr, but we initially had trouble getting guests. Everyone felt they were too big to be on a show hosted by some young lounge singer. 

Most episodes of the Steve Lawrence Show opened with a filmed location sequence. ENG cameras were coming into use for the first time. Prior to that it was a pain to shoot on location because the cameras were huge and weighed a ton. We used two young cameramen that were at the forefront of the new technique - David and Albert Maysles. The Maysles Brothers had made a great documentary about the Beatles coming to America. It was done in a minimalist, cinema verite style and it was extremely effective. I figured we could use that technique to make up for the fact that the Steve Lawrence Show had no budget and no color. 

For each sequence we filmed Steve and his guests taking some offbeat mode of transportation. We had Louis Prima on a gondola in Little Italy, Liberace and Phyllis Diller zooming through traffic on a rickshaw. We did a Nashville themed episode with Grandpa Jones, Minnie Pearl and Johnny Cash riding a stagecoach down Broadway. On another episode the Maysles followed Jackie Gleason on a train ride from Manhattan to Miami. We fastened cameras on the back of the train and filmed it speeding down the track. We see footage of Gleason eating and drinking and carrying on. A Dixieland band played festive music while the June Taylor Dancers danced up and down the aisle. CBS complained about it. They said the sequence was too sexy. We had Frank Fontaine getting drunk and Steve Lawrence asking Gleason about his favorite comedians. 

To kick off the first episode we had Lucille Ball and Steve riding an elephant through Shubert Alley. The city scheduled us to film at two in the morning so that the streets would be empty. We were setting up our equipment at midnight and then all the theaters emptied out and there was this massive crowd. I thought, “This would look great on camera. To hell with it - let’s shoot it now.”

 Steve and Lucy got on the elephant and we shot them singing “Together.” We got the film, but the police shut us down. It was a mob scene with hundreds of people all around us. The cops made us sit inside Sardi’s until they sorted out the charges. The NYPD ticketed us for unlawful assembly. The next morning the new CBS president arrived in town and saw it mentioned on the front page of the paper. He was furious. “I hired Steve Lawrence to be a romantic balladeer and you’re turning him into a low burlesque comic! Why is our biggest fucking star riding an elephant?”

[timeless-hollywood-classics]

Margaret Brooke Sullavan (May 16, 1909 – January 1, 1960) was an American actress of stage and film.

Sullavan began her career onstage in 1929. In 1933 she caught the attention of movie director John M. Stahl and had her debut on the screen that same year in Only Yesterday.

Sullavan preferred working on the stage and made only 16 movies, four of which were opposite James Stewart in a popular partnership that included The Mortal Storm and The Shop Around the Corner. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in Three Comrades (1938). She retired from the screen in the early 1940s, but returned in 1950 to make her last film, No Sad Songs for Me, in which she played a woman who was dying of cancer. For the rest of her career she would appear only on the stage.

Sullavan experienced increasing hearing problems, depression, and mental frailty in the 1950s. She died of an overdose of barbiturates, which was ruled accidental, on January 1, 1960, at the age of 50.

Sullavan was born in Norfolk, Virginia, the daughter of a wealthy stockbroker, Cornelius Sullavan, and his wife, Garland Councill Sullavan. She had a younger brother, Cornelius, and a half-sister, Louise Gregory. The first years of her childhood were spent isolated from other children. She suffered from a painful muscular weakness in the legs that prevented her from walking, so that she was unable to socialize with other children until the age of six. After her recovery she emerged as an adventurous and tomboyish child who preferred playing with the children from the poorer neighborhood, much to the disapproval of her class-conscious parents.

She attended boarding school at Chatham Episcopal Institute (now Chatham Hall), where she was president of the student body and delivered the salutatory oration in 1927. She moved to Boston and lived with her half-sister, Weedie, while she studied dance at the Boston Denishawn studio and (against her parents' wishes) drama at the Copley Theatre. When her parents cut her allowance to a minimum, Sullavan defiantly paid her way by working as a clerk in the Harvard Cooperative Bookstore (The Coop), located in Harvard Square, Cambridge.

Sullavan succeeded in getting a chorus part in the Harvard Dramatic Society 1929 spring production Close Up, a musical written by Harvard senior Bernard Hanighen, who was later a composer for Broadway and Hollywood.

The President of the Harvard Dramatic Society, Charles Leatherbee, along with the President of Princeton's Theatre Intime, Bretaigne Windust, who together had established the University Players on Cape Cod the summer before, persuaded Sullavan to join them for their second summer season. Another member of the University Players was Henry Fonda, who had the comic lead in Close Up.

In the summer of 1929 Sullavan appeared opposite Fonda in The Devil in the Cheese, her debut on the professional stage. She returned for most of the University Players' 1930 season. In 1931, she squeezed in one production with the University Players between the closing of the Broadway production of A Modern Virgin in July and its tour in September. She rejoined the University Players for most of their 18-week 1930–31 winter season in Baltimore.

Sullavan's parents did not approve of her choice of career. She played the lead in Strictly Dishonorable (1930) by Preston Sturges, which her parents attended. Confronted with her evident talent, their objections ceased. "To my deep relief", Sullavan later recalled. "I thought I'd have to put up with their yappings on the subject forever."

A Shubert scout saw her in that play as well and eventually she met Lee Shubert himself. At the time, Sullavan was suffering from a bad case of laryngitis and her voice was huskier than usual. Shubert loved it. In subsequent years Sullavan would joke that she cultivated that "laryngitis" into a permanent hoarseness by standing in every available draft.

Sullavan made her debut on Broadway in A Modern Virgin (a comedy by Elmer Harris), on May 20, 1931.

At one point in 1932 she starred in four Broadway flops in a row (If Love Were All, Happy Landing, Chrysalis (with Humphrey Bogart) and Bad Manners), but the critics praised Sullavan for her performances in all of them. In March 1933, Sullavan replaced another actor in Dinner at Eight in New York. Movie director John M. Stahl happened to be watching the play and was intrigued by Sullavan. He decided she would be perfect for a picture he was planning, Only Yesterday.

At that time Sullavan had already turned down offers for five-year contracts from Paramount and Columbia. Sullavan was offered a three-year, two-pictures-a-year contract at $1,200 a week. She accepted it and had a clause put in her contract that allowed her to return to the stage on occasion. Later on in her career, Sullavan would sign only short-term contracts because she did not want to be "owned" by any studio.

Sullavan arrived in Hollywood on May 16, 1933, her 24th birthday. Her film debut came that same year in Only Yesterday. She chose her scripts carefully. She was dissatisfied with her performance in Only Yesterday. When she saw herself in the early rushes, she was so appalled that she tried to buy out her contract for $2,500, but Universal refused.

In his November 10, 1933, review in The New York Herald Tribune, Richard Watts, Jr. wrote that Sullavan "plays the tragic and lovelorn heroine of this shrewdly sentimental orgy with such forthright sympathy, wise reticence and honest feeling that she establishes herself with some definiteness as one of the cinema people to be watched".[11] She followed that role with one in Little Man, What Now? (1934), about a couple struggling to survive in impoverished post–World War I Germany.

Originally, Universal was reluctant to make a movie about unemployment, starvation and homelessness, but Little Man was an important project to Sullavan. After Only Yesterday she wanted to try "the real thing". She later said that it was one of the few things she did in Hollywood that gave her a great measure of satisfaction. The Good Fairy (1935) was a comedy that Sullavan chose to illustrate her versatility. During the production, she married its director, William Wyler.

King Vidor's So Red the Rose (1935) dealt with people in the South in the aftermath of the Civil War. It preceded by one year the publication of Margaret Mitchell's bestselling novel Gone With the Wind, and the novel's film adaptation by four years; the latter became a blockbuster. Sullavan played a childish Southern belle who matures into a responsible woman. The film also dealt with the situation of characters who were freed black slaves.

In Next Time We Love (1936), Sullavan plays opposite the then-unknown James Stewart. She had been campaigning for Stewart to be her leading man and the studio complied for fear that she would stage a threatened strike. The film dealt with a married couple who had grown apart over the years. The plot was unconvincing and simple, but the gentle interplay between Sullavan and Stewart saves the movie from being a soapy and sappy experience. Next Time We Love was the first of four films made by Sullavan and Stewart.

In the comedy The Moon's Our Home (1936), Sullavan played opposite her ex-husband Henry Fonda. The original script was rather pallid, and Dorothy Parker and Alan Campbell were brought in to punch up the dialogue, reportedly at Sullavan's insistence. Sullavan and Fonda play a newly married couple, and the movie is a cavalcade of insults and quips. Her seventh film, Three Comrades (1938), is a drama set in post–World War I Germany. Three returning German soldiers meet Sullavan who joins them and eventually marries one of them. She gained an Oscar nomination for her role and was named the year's best actress by the New York Film Critics Circle.

Sullavan reunited with Stewart in The Shopworn Angel (1938). Stewart played a sweet, naive Texan soldier on his way to Europe (World War I) who marries Sullavan on the way. Her ninth film was the rather soapy The Shining Hour (1938), playing the suicidal sister-in-law to Joan Crawford. In The Shop Around the Corner (1940), Sullavan and Stewart worked together again, playing colleagues who do not get along at work, but have both responded to a lonely-hearts ad and are (without knowing it) exchanging letters with each other.

The Mortal Storm (1940) was the last movie Sullavan and Stewart did together. Sullavan played a young German girl engaged in 1933 to a confirmed Nazi (Robert Young). When she realizes the true nature of his political views, she breaks the engagement and turns her attention to anti-Nazi Stewart. Later, trying to flee the Nazi regime, Sullavan and Stewart attempt to ski across the border to safety in Austria. Sullavan is gunned down by the Nazis (under orders from her ex-fiance). Stewart, at her request, picks up the dying Sullavan and takes her by skis into Austria, so she can die in what was still a free country.

Back Street (1941) was lauded as one of the best performances of Sullavan's Hollywood career. She wanted Charles Boyer to play opposite her so much that she agreed to surrender top billing to him. Boyer plays a selfish and married banker and Sullavan his long-suffering mistress. Although he loves Sullavan, he is unwilling to leave his wife and family in favour of her. So Ends Our Night (1941) was another wartime drama. Sullavan (on loan for a one-picture deal from Universal) plays a Jewish girl perpetually on the move with falsified passport and identification papers and always fearing that the officials will discover her. On her way across Europe, she meets up with a young Jewish man (Glenn Ford) and the two fall in love.

A 1940 court decision obligated Sullavan to fulfill her original 1933 agreement with Universal, requiring her to make two more films for them. Back Street (1941) came first. The light comedy, Appointment for Love (1941), was Sullavan's last picture with that company. In the film, Sullavan appeared with Boyer again. Boyer's character marries Sullavan, who tells him that his past affairs mean nothing to her. She insists that each must have an apartment in the same building and that they meet only once a day, at seven o'clock in the morning.

Cry 'Havoc' (1943) is a World War II drama and a rare all-female film. Sullavan played the strong mother figure who keeps a crew of nurses in line in a dugout in Bataan, while they are awaiting the advance of Japanese soldiers who are about to take over. It was the last film Sullavan made with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. After its completion, she was free of all film commitments. She had often referred to MGM and Universal as "jails". When her husband, Leland Hayward, tried to read her the good reviews of Cry 'Havoc', she responded with usual bluntness: "You read them, use them for toilet paper. I had enough hell with that damned picture while making it – I don't want to read about it now!"

Sullavan's co-starring roles with James Stewart are among the highlights of their early careers. In 1935, Sullavan had decided on doing Next Time We Love. She had strong reservations about the story, but had to "work off the damned contract". The script contained a role she thought might be ideal for Stewart, who was best friends with Sullavan's first husband, actor Henry Fonda. Years earlier, during a casual conversation with some fellow actors on Broadway, Sullavan predicted Stewart would become a major Hollywood star.

By 1936, Stewart was a contract player at MGM but getting only small parts in B-movies. At that time Sullavan worked for Universal and when she brought up Stewart's name, they were puzzled. The Universal casting people had never heard of him. At Sullavan's suggestion Universal agreed to test him for her leading man and eventually he was borrowed from a willing MGM to star with Sullavan in Next Time We Love.

Stewart had been nervous and unsure of himself during the early stages of production. At that time he had only had two minor MGM parts which had not given him much camera experience. The director, Edward H. Griffith, began bullying Stewart. "Maggie, he's wet behind the ears," Griffith told Sullavan. "He's going to make a mess of things."

She believed in Stewart and spent evenings coaching him and helping him scale down his awkward mannerisms and hesitant speech that were soon to be famous around the world. "It was Margaret Sullavan who made James Stewart a star," director Griffith later said. "And she did, too," Bill Grady from MGM agreed. "That boy came back from Universal so changed I hardly recognized him." Gossip in Hollywood at that time (1935–36) was that William Wyler, Sullavan's then-husband, was suspicious about his wife's and Stewart's private rehearsing together.

When Sullavan divorced Wyler in 1936 and married Leland Hayward that same year, they moved to a colonial house just a block down from Stewart.[22] Stewart's frequent visits to the Sullavan/Hayward home soon restoked the rumors of his romantic feelings for Sullavan. Sullavan and Stewart's second movie together was The Shopworn Angel (1938). "Why, they're red-hot when they get in front of a camera," Louis B. Mayer said about their onscreen chemistry. "I don't know what the hell it is, but it sure jumps off the screen."

Walter Pidgeon, who was part of the triangle in The Shopworn Angel later recalled: "I really felt like the odd-man-out in that one. It was really all Jimmy and Maggie ... It was so obvious he was in love with her. He came absolutely alive in his scenes with her, playing with a conviction and a sincerity I never knew him to summon away from her." Eventually the duo made four movies together between 1936 and 1940 (Next Time We Love, The Shopworn Angel, The Shop Around the Corner, and The Mortal Storm).

Sullavan took a break from films from 1943-50. Throughout her career, Sullavan seemed to prefer the stage to the movies. She felt that only on the stage could she improve her skills as an actor. "When I really learn to act, I may take what I have learned back to Hollywood and display it on the screen", she said in an interview in October 1936 (when she was doing Stage Door on Broadway between movies). "But as long as the flesh-and-blood theatre will have me, it is to the flesh-and-blood theatre I'll belong. I really am stage-struck. And if that be treason, Hollywood will have to make the most of it".

Another reason for her early retirement from the screen (1943) was that she wanted to spend more time with her children, Brooke, Bridget and Bill (then 6, 4 and 2 years old). She felt that she had been neglecting them and felt guilty about it.[25] Sullavan would still do stage work on occasion. From 1943–44 she played the sexually inexperienced but curious Sally Middleton in The Voice of the Turtle (by John Van Druten) on Broadway and later in London (1947). After her short return to the screen in 1950 with No Sad Songs for Me, she did not return to the stage until 1952.

Her choice then was as the suicidal Hester Collyer, who meets a fellow sufferer, Mr. Miller (played by Herbert Berghof), in Terence Rattigan's The Deep Blue Sea. In 1953 she agreed to appear in Sabrina Fair by Samuel Taylor.

She came back to the screen in 1950 to do one last picture, No Sad Songs for Me. She played a suburban housewife and mother who learns that she will die of cancer within a year and who then determines to find a "second" wife for her soon-to-be-widower husband (Wendell Corey). Natalie Wood, then eleven, plays their daughter.

After No Sad Songs for Me and its favorable reviews, Sullavan had a number of offers for other films, but she decided to concentrate on the stage for the rest of her career.

In 1955–56 Sullavan appeared in Janus, a comedy by playwright Carolyn Green. Sullavan played the part of Jessica who writes under the pen name Janus, and Robert Preston played her husband. The play ran for 251 performances from November 1955 to June 1956.

In the late 1950s Sullavan's hearing and depression were getting worse. However, in 1959 she agreed to do Sweet Love Remembered by playwright Ruth Goetz. It was to be Sullavan's first Broadway appearance in four years. Rehearsals began on December 1, 1959. She had mixed emotions about a return to acting and her depression soon became clear to everyone: "I loathe acting", she said on the very day she started rehearsals. "I loathe what it does to my life. It cancels you out. You cannot live while you are working. You are a person surrounded by an unbreachable wall".

On December 18, 1955, Sullavan appeared as the mystery guest on the TV panel show What's My Line?.

Sullavan had a reputation for being both temperamental and straightforward. On one occasion Henry Fonda had decided to take up a collection for a 4th of July fireworks display. After Sullavan refused to make a contribution, Fonda complained loudly to a fellow actor. Then Sullavan rose from her seat and doused Fonda from head to foot with a pitcher of ice water. Fonda made a stately exit, and Sullavan, composed and unconcerned, returned to her table and ate heartily. Another of her blowups almost killed Sam Wood, one of the founders of the Motion Picture Alliance. Wood was a keen anti-Communist. He dropped dead from a heart attack shortly after a raging argument with Sullavan, who had refused to fire a writer on a proposed film on account of his left-wing views. Louis B. Mayer always seemed wary and nervous in her presence. "She was the only player who outbullied Mayer", Eddie Mannix of MGM later said of Sullavan. "She gave him the willies".

Sullavan was married four times. She married actor Henry Fonda on December 25, 1931, while both were performing with the University Players in its 18-week winter season in Baltimore at the Congress Hotel Ballroom on West Franklin Street near North Howard St. Sullavan and Fonda separated after two months and divorced in 1933.

After separating from Fonda, Sullavan began a relationship with Broadway producer Jed Harris. She later began a relationship with William Wyler, the director of her next movie, The Good Fairy (1935). They were married in November 1934, and divorced in March 1936.

Sullavan's third marriage was to agent and producer Leland Hayward. Hayward had been Sullavan's agent since 1931. They married on November 15, 1936. At the time of the marriage, Sullavan was pregnant with the couple's first child. Their daughter, Brooke, was born in 1937 and later became an actress. The couple had two more children, Bridget (1939 – October 17, 1960) and William III "Bill" (1941–2008), who became a film producer and attorney. In 1947, Sullavan filed for divorce after discovering that Hayward was having an affair with socialite Slim Keith. Their divorce became final on April 20, 1948.

In 1950, Sullavan married for a fourth and final time to English investment banker Kenneth Wagg. They remained married until her death in 1960.

Sullavan’s children, in particular Bridget and Bill, often proved rebellious and contrary. As a result of the divorce from Hayward, the family fell apart. Sullavan felt that Hayward was trying to alienate their children from her. When the children went to California to visit their father they were so spoiled with expensive gifts that, when they returned to their mother in Connecticut, they were deeply discontented with what they saw as a staid lifestyle.

By 1955, when Sullavan's two younger children told their mother that they preferred to stay with their father permanently, she suffered a nervous breakdown. Sullavan's eldest daughter, Brooke, later wrote about the breakdown in her 1977 autobiography Haywire: Sullavan had humiliated herself by begging her son to stay with her. He remained adamant and his mother had started to cry. "This time she couldn't stop. Even from my room the sound was so painful I went into my bathroom and put my hands on my ears". In another scene from the book, a friend of the family (Millicent Osborne) had been alarmed by the sound of whimpering from the bedroom: "She walked in and found mother under the bed, huddled in a foetal position. Kenneth was trying to get her out. The more authoritative his tone of voice, the farther under she crawled. Millicent Osborne took him aside and urged him to speak gently, to let her stay there until she came out of her own accord". Eventually Sullavan agreed to spend some time (two and a half months) in a private mental institution. Her two younger children, Bridget and Bill, also spent time in various institutions. Bridget died of a drug overdose in October 1960, while Bill died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in March 2008.

Sullavan suffered from the congenital hearing defect otosclerosis that worsened as she aged, making her more and more hearing impaired. Her voice had developed a throatiness because she could hear low tones better than high ones. From early 1957, Sullavan's hearing declined so much that she was becoming depressed and sleepless and often wandered about all night. She would often go to bed and stay there for days, her only words: "Just let me be, please". Sullavan had kept her hearing problem largely hidden. On January 8, 1960 (one week after Sullavan's death), The New York Post reporter Nancy Seely wrote: "The thunderous applause of a delighted audience—was it only a dim murmur over the years to Margaret Sullavan? Did the poised and confident mien of the beautiful actress mask a sick fear, night after night, that she'd miss an important cue?"

On January 1, 1960, at about 5:30 p.m., Sullavan was found in bed, barely alive and unconscious, in a hotel room in New Haven, Connecticut. Her copy of the script to Sweet Love Remembered, in which she was then starring during its tryout in New Haven, was found open beside her. Sullavan was rushed to Grace New Haven Hospital, but shortly after 6:00 p.m. she was pronounced dead on arrival.[38] She was 50 years old. No note was found to indicate suicide, and no conclusion was reached as to whether her death was the result of a deliberate or an accidental overdose of barbiturates. The county coroner officially ruled Sullavan's death an accidental overdose. After a private memorial service was held in Greenwich, Connecticut, Sullavan was interred at Saint Mary's Whitechapel Episcopal Churchyard in Lancaster, Virginia.

For her contribution to the motion picture industry, Margaret Sullavan has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 1751 Vine Street. She was inducted, posthumously, into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1981.

Sullavan's eldest daughter, actress Brooke Hayward, wrote Haywire, a best-selling memoir about her family, that was adapted into the miniseries Haywire that aired on CBS starring Lee Remick as Margaret Sullavan and Jason Robards as Leland Hayward.

[bullseyegames]

Today at 1:00 PM EST I saw Cats the Musical at the Shubert Theater with my mom. Here’s the saga:

Overture:

Mistoffelees was right next to me in the overture with glowing cats eyes and I nearly died right there.

I started crying during the overture, my mom gave me a tissue. Going great so far.

I started screaming at the end of the overture, people are starting to realize I’m a crazy person.

Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats:

Omg they’re here and they’re real and I’m here! I’m crying again.

I pointed out Cassandra to my mom as she came up the aisle. Mom is questioning why I know all the cats names.

MISTO AND TUGGER ARE CUDDLING EACH OTHER HOLY SHIT

The guy the cats call out for being surprised was right in front of me he looked So confused and scared and I was just grinning behind him.

Naming of Cats:

I’m whispering the words along with the cats. Plato made eye contact and smiled at me. I’m crying again.

Watching Victoria in the background is so much fun. She’s getting really into this.

Victoria’s Dance:

Invitation to the Jellicle Ball:

Misto sneaking up on Victoria with a mischievous look in his eye is a mood.

Victoria looks so annoyed with him, they are literally me and my brother and it makes me so happy.

I love this Misto’s voice and he’s so fucking graceful and elegant and I love him!

MISTO AND TUGGER ARE DANCING TOGETHER OMG

Mungo and Rumple try to greet Munk and he rolls his eyes and tells them to go away. Jerre is very upset at this.

Gumbie Cat:

Looks like the trunk is either broken or not functioning in this space so Jenny just kinda slid out onto the top of it but she’s so beautiful so I don’t care.

Misto is being such a helpful and concerned boy whenever Jenny is around. He’s very concerned when Jenny spaces out for a solid minute.

The Gumbie trio are angels and I will take this belief to my grave.

Plato being a snarky little shit during the dance break made me laugh.

FOR SHES A JOLLY GOOD FELLOW

The Rum Tum Tugger:

He’s here and Skimble is not happy about it!

Misto and Skimble are arguing in the background. Looks like misto is saying Tugger is cute and Skimble is disagreeing.

Misto makes sure Skimble isn’t looking before joining the dance.

Skimble stop trying to pull cats away from Tugger he’s a big sexy magnet and you can’t stop those hips.

My mom is singing along, this makes me so happy.

Misto is just twitching and squealing like a kitten he loves his boyfriend so much.

Munk has given up, just rolled his eyes and walked off stage.

Skimble is now complaining to Jenny, Jenny is too busy staring at Tuggers ass to pay any mind.

Grizabella the Glamour Cat:

Oof. No one is happy rn.

George is extremely startled poor baby.

Munk is trying his best to keep Demeter away and she is not happy about it.

Bomba actually walked up with her arms extended only to hiss and scamper off at the last second. That’s cold girl.

Munk is being very protective of the cats around him. Tugger walked off and Misto ran after him.

Demeter has such a pretty voice and Bomba is so sultry and AH SHIT I’m crying again.

Platoria alert! PLATORIA ALERT!

Bustopher Jones:

Misto continuing to be an extremely helpful boy making everything glow.

The actor did a great job but I honestly prefer his Gus more but we shall get to him later.

First Macavity Scare:

AH SHIT ITS GETTING SPOOKY

Misto and Tugger reaching out to each other before running off in fear.

Bomba being the last cat onstage showing that she don’t give a damn.

Plato is protecting both Cassandra and Victoria. I’m noticing a lot of Plato and Cassandra moments and I’m not sure how I feel about that just yet.

Mungojerre and Rumpleteazer:

ENTER THE CHAOS GREMLINS!

I love them so much and they were extremely slinking baby bastards.

The cartwheel was better than my best dream I’m so happy I’m gonna cry again!!!

Munk and Alonzo ain’t too happy with their shenanigans.

Old Deuteronomy:

“Old Deuteronomy?”

Munk and Tugger duet. ;-;

Platoria cuddling. ;-;

MISTO SMILING AT ME AS HE PASSES. ;—;

Second Macavity Scare:

Everyone just fucking bolted. No protecting, no character interactions, just pure fuck this shit I’m out.

The Jellicle Ball:

This was the happiest I have been in a very long time.

The dancing was gorgeous and the character interactions are absolutley amazing throughout the entire sequence. It was truly a wonderful sight. And yes I did cry again, I’m running out of tissues.

Pas de Deux:

I love that there was no awkwardness or hesitation, just pure love and devotion and OH MY GOD HE ALMOST DROPPED VICTORIA.

Like everything was fine in the end but he visibly stumbled and old Deuteronomy looked very startled for a hot sec. Still very beautiful.

Memory:

DANGIT GRIZZABELLA I HAD JUST STOPPED CRYING!

In all honesty my favorite part was old Deuteronomy looking longingly at her in the background. He misses her so much. ;-;

INTERMISSION :3

Moments of Happiness:

Old Deuteronomy’s voice is so strong and his vibrato is simply heavenly.

Deut pats cori on the head, cori pats Jemima on the head, Jemima sings like an angel.

Look at all those angels!

Gus the Theater Cat:

Jellylorum has such a lovely voice and her gentle movements are lovely.

Gus insulting the kittens is absolutely adorable, they’re so insulted.

Gus playfully hissing at Jemima before booping her nose makes me so soft.

Cat puns making the audience laugh is always wonderful.

The Pekes and the Pollices:

Whispered to my mom before hand “get ready for some chaos”.

Winsome Chinese :3

Misto with a boot on his head is more hilarious than it should be.

Gus has such a wonderful voice and it’s very clear he’s having a blast up there.

Gus received the standing ovation he deserved. Bless that wiry cat man.

Skimbleshanks:

“SKIMBLESHANKS THE RAILWAY CAT”

Alonzo and Jenny playing cards in the background while Skimble sings has a very specific vibe to it.

Mungo is so happy to be dancing with his dad and is just running around like a kitten.

Misto has slipped away to unleash his inner laserpointer.

Macavity Kidnapping:

DEMETER IS DOWN FOLKS SHE IS OUT LIKE A LIGHT.

Munk trying to shield everyone’s eyes and accidentally looking at Macavity and passing out.

Aaaand there goes cat dad.

Macavity:

Deme baby looks so startled.

Bomba we get it you have the hots for Macavity stop biting your lip like that.

YES GURLS FUCKING WORK!!!

Macavity Fight:

Poor Munk getting thrown around like a rag doll, Plato too getting flipped over.

Alonzo like “BITCH LET GO OF MY BOYFRIENDS GIRLFRIEND!”

Mac trying to use his magic to rehypnoitize the cats and looking genuinely scared when it doesn’t work.

Black out!

Mr. Mistoffelees:

Tugger being like alright y’all shut up while I sing about my boyfriend.

PJ is so graceful and beautiful!!! His voice is also very gentle and lovely and him and Tugger being so touchy makes me so happy.

THEY HUUUGGED!!!!!

OH WELL I NEVER WAS THERE EVER A CAT SO CLEVER AS MAGICAL MISTER MISTOFFELEES?!?!! ;—;

Memory:

This was a simply gorgeous performance. This Grizabella made some wonderful character choices and there was a beautiful satisfaction when Victoria took her hand.

I did notice that even after he touched her Tugger looked very uncomfortable at Grizabella’s presence.

Journey to the Heaviside Layer:

Oh.. oh my god I didn’t realize the tire flew that high. OH MY GOD I DIDN'T REALIZE GRIZABELLA ACTUALLY FLEW AWAY.

Addressing of Cats:

Heavenly Deut voice, audience bursted out laughing at the “cat is not a dog” line and I can’t blame them. Crescendo, bows, and it’s over...

POST SHOW :O

After the show me and my mom went across the street to buy cookies and when we came out we saw them striking the set! Here’s them putting the tire in the truck! :3

Overall this was a magical experience and you bet your sparkly ass I’ll be looking out for when the tour comes back around to me. Now if you excuse me I need to buy more tissues.

[uppastthejelliclemoon]

Cats Tour!!!

Okay, so first off, the Shubert (where I’m seeing the show) is a theater that’s very near and dear to my heart, as it’s the theater where I’ve done all my high school shows. So watching a show I adore perform on a stage that I grew up on is amazing and I’m very emotional.

Act 1 (which I’m writing during intermission so I don’t forget anything XD)

Overture: I’m sitting on the aisle, so I was right next to them when their eyes lit up. Mistoffelees looked right at me when he lit his eyes up, so I got chills.

Jellicle Songs/Naming of Cats/Invitation: WONDERFUL!!! Munkustrap is baby, and I absolutely am in love with all of these actors. The dancing was stunning, and Munk really made me feel like I was a Jellicle too during the Invitation. He was so expressive and happy and I love him. And also how each of the cats reacted to their own name during the Naming added so much!

Gumbie Cat: the trio was AMAZING. Also they said Skimbledots rights. And near the end, Jerrie did a little dance with Jenny, so JENNY AND SKIMBLE ADOPTED JERRIE AND TEAZER OKAY!! And Misto is just the best boy and is having so much fun what an angel.

Rum Tum Tugger: I love McGee’s Tugger so much. He’s just enough of a bastard that you still adore him. His dance with Misto was perfection, and I got heavy brother vibes from him, Munkustrap, and Alonzo.

Glamour Cat: Grizabella is breaking my heart. I absolutely love her voice, and the way she acts is very Elaine Paige, which is iconic. When she left, she went through the audience, AND SHE LOOKED RIGHT AT ME. I was blessed.

Bustopher Jones: What a guy. Jerrie and Teazer went to him at the beginning and Munk was just like NOPE GO AWAY. It was at this moment I realized that this ball is Carbuckety, Jemima, and Tumblebrutus’ first ball. The adults were singing to them about Bustopher, and they were kind of the students for everything.

1st Macavity Scare: BOMBA IS A PROTECTOR OKAY?? She went off with Alonzo and was one of the last cats to leave the stage. Also, as soon as we hear the crash, guess where Tugger went? TO MISTO!!!!!!!! LIKE NOT EVEN WITH SPACING!!! THEY REACHED OUT TO EACH OTHER!!!! My tuggoffelees heart is happy.

Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer: Angels, babies, definitely would die for both. Their little handshake was adorable, their cartwheel was amazing, and they were all perfect.

Old Deuteronomy: again, MISTO AND OLD D LOOKED AT ME SO I WAS EMOTIONAL. Tugger and Munk were very good brothers, and Tugger did his little shimmy to greet his dad, which was adorable.

The Jellicle Ball: HOLY SHIT!!!! First off, Plato is so in love with Victoria? He’s absolutely obsessed with her? They were so sweet together, and their dance was beautiful, Grizabella was in the corner mimicking the dances, and it was beautifully heartbreaking. Also Tugger and Bomba’s interactions were actually really cute. Again, this was definitely Carbucketty, Tumble, and Jemima’s first ball, because Skimble was giving Tumble instructions and helping him out on the side!!

Memory: I got chills. Her voice was stunning, and Old Deuteronomy kept reaching out to her, and she went from very vulnerable to proud and aloof at the end of her song, kind of putting her mask back on.

Act 2

(Okay both Bomba and Skimble walked past me and I was blessed)

Moments of Happiness: This Old D had a very sweet, not super deep voice, so this song sounded like a lullaby. Jemima’s voice was gorgeous and perfect.

Gus the Theater Cat: He looked at the trio of kittens during the jump through a hoop line and Tumble got SO OFFENDED I LOVE HIM!! And Gus was absolutely adorable and I adore Jellylorum so much.

Pekes and Pollicles: The changes lyrics!! I was so happy about that. Tugger actually participated in this a bit, and Alonzo was still a slinky bastard. The kittens were having so much fun, and at one point during the song, Misto and Tugger were sitting on either side of Old D and I got SOFT. And Old D protected the trio of scared kittens when Gus came out so that was freaking cute as hell. ALSO SNUGGLY JENNY AND SKIMBLE

Skimbleshanks: I love Skimble so much y’all 😭 Tugger was vibing, and Jenny and Alonzo were playing cards on the car and Alonzo got all offended when Jenny won, and everybody was just having so much fun.

Macavity: I love this Macavity costume so much. The choreo was amazing, and Demeter and Bomba were insanely talented. And, Jerrie was the FIRST to run out when the song ended!! And then Munk was amazing, and he and Demeter has a really sweet moment where he nuzzled her hand and she cuddled him and I was emotional.

Mr. Mistoffelees: WOW TUGGER REALLY LOVES HIS HUSBAND!!!!!!! Honestly I love him too, and everyone was just really getting into it, and Marcus, who played Misto, had some really insanely smooth Conjuring Turns, and the way Tugger sang to Old D was very much yeah I know I’m amazing but GUESS WHO REALLY DID THIS!!!!!!

Memory: I cried, Griz was amazing, Jemima was perfect, and her “Touch me” gave me goosebumps.

Journey to the Heaviside Layer/Ad-Dressing of Cats: AMAZING. I LOVE THEM! The tire was so cool, and when Griz flies away, her costume is lit up like stars, and it’s a really beautiful image.

Ending: TUMBLE WAVED AT ME AND CAME REALLY CLOSE SO I AM VERY HAPPY NOW!!!! Everyone was amazing, and it was so much fun.

Yeah, this has probably been one of the best theater experiences I’ve ever had, and I know I’ll never forget this show and I’m just so happy I finally was able to see it.

[papermoonloveslucy]

DREAM GIRL

June 23, 1947

On this date in 1947, Lucille Ball opened in DREAM GIRL, produced at McCarter Theatre, Princeton, New Jersey for the Princeton Festival.  The comedy had originally opened on Broadway on December 14, 1945, starring Betty Field and written and directed by Elmer Rice (then married to Ms. Field).

In 1937, Lucille Ball had performed on the McCarter Stage in the play HEY DIDDLE DIDDLE opposite Conway Tearle. The play launched a short tour headed to Broadway, but Tearle’s illness forced it to close in Washington DC, postponing Lucille’s Broadway debut. That would have to wait until 1960′s Wildcat. 

Lucille Ball was the Queen of Comedy long before television. In this DREAM GIRL program bio, she continues the fib that she was born in Butte, Montana, finding it more exotic than Jamestown, NY. 

Ball played the role of Georgina Allerton, a daydreaming bookshop owner. Subsequently, she toured the show, playing Boston, Detroit, Toronto, San Francisco, Oakland, Brooklyn, and the Bronx. 

SYNOPSIS ~ Twenty-two year-old debutante Georgina is the owner of a small unsuccessful bookstore. She also writes novels. She has an overactive imagination and regularly escapes reality by means of her romantic daydreams about three men in her life, which are acted out on stage. The play's time span covers a single day of Georgina's life, during which several successive extravagant and often comic daydreams are portrayed.

The play’s fantasy sequences seemed tailor-made for Ball’s style and comic wit. In a way, Georgina was a prelude to the “Lucy” character on TV, who is dreaming her way out of her suburban life - and sometimes succeeding. In the play, Georgina’s imagination takes her to:

A balcony in Mexico...

The maternity ward of a hospital...

A stage where she plays Shakespeare’s Portia

A street where she is a ‘woman of the night’ in a scarlet red dress. 

On two notable occasions, Lucy Ricardo’s fantasy or dream life manifested itself on our TV screens. In “Ricky’s Old Girlfriend” (ILL S3;E12) Lucy dreams of what her life would be like if Ricky left her to go on tour with his former partner, sexy Carlotta Romero. 

In “Lucy Goes To Scotland” (ILL S5;E17) Lucy dreams of visiting her ancestral home in Scotland while visiting London.  Having just come from seeing a West End Musical, she dreams in the musical comedy format!  

In “Lucy and the Dummy” (ILL S5;E3), after MGM offers Lucy a contract, she imagines fame and fortune but is fully awake. Lucille Ball pantomimes the joys and sorrows of stardom while a Theremin gives the sequence a dream-like, surreal quality. Lucy Ricardo is most like DREAM GIRL’s Georgina in this short reverie.  

In “Lucy and the Monsters” (TLS S3;E18), Lucy Carmichael has a nightmare  after watching a scary horror movie. The dream takes her and Viv to a haunted house where they encounter a variety of typical movie monsters and then turn into witches themselves - all before waking up. 

DREAM GIRL CAST & CREW

Herbert Kenwith (Producer) later directed 14 episodes of “Here’s Lucy” between 1969 and 1970. Dede Ball warned Kenwith that her daughter was indeed the bitch everyone said she was. Lucille snapped back: “I am not! Only when I’m working.”

Jack Benny (to Herbert Kenwith, about Lucy): "Herbert, you ought to call a psychiatrist for her."

Jus Addiss (Director) was the life partner of DREAM GIRL actor Hayden Rorke. Barbara Eden (who, like Rorke, also guest-starred on “I Love Lucy”) later remembered that Addiss and Rorke were “unabashedly gay” and often invited the “I Dream of Jeannie” cast over for parties. 

Jo Mielziner (Settings) had also done the scenery for the Broadway premiere of DREAM GIRL in 1945. From 1949 to 1970 Mielziner won 9 Tony Awards. His designs were adapted by Richard Burns for the tour starring Ball. 

The play co-starred Scott McKay as the imaginative writer. McKay played the role of Wilbur in the 1958 pilot for TV’s “Mr. Ed” but was replaced on the series by Alan Young. 

Hayden Rorke, best known as Dr. Bellows in “I Dream of Jeannie”, was also in the cast. Lucy later employed him to play the Ricardo’s new neighbor, whom she suspects to be a spy, on “I Love Lucy.”  He later returned to play a judge on a 1971 episode of “Here’s Lucy.” 

Barbara Morrison was an English-born actress who came to Hollywood in the late 1940s. She did two episodes of “The Lucy Show” and three episodes of “Here’s Lucy.” 

Lela Bliss went on to play Mrs. Shellhammer in the 1947 film Miracle on 34th Street, which also starred William Frawley. 

Andrew Duggan later did an episode of Desilu’s TV series “The Greatest Show on Earth” (1964). He is best remembered as the voice of the Father in Disney’s theme park attraction The Carousel of Progress. 

Phil Arthur appeared on Broadway from 1948 to 1952, his last play with Henry Fonda (Lucy’s one-time boyfriend) and Frances Baviar (Aunt Bee on “The Andy Griffith Show”). He began on television in 1949 and his last job on the small screen was as a background player on “Perry Mason” from 1961 to 1966. 

Dorothy Elder began doing television in 1950, but her career only lasted until 1955, as a regular on “True Romances”.

Alan Hewitt  was a veteran of sixteen Broadway shows, including the original production of Death of a Salesman (1949) and Call Me Madam starring Ethel Merman (1950). From 1964 to 1966 he played Detective Brennan on “My Favorite Martian.” In 1964, he appeared on an episode of “The Lucy Show.” 

The Newark Star-Ledger review of DREAM GIRL, June 24, 1947. [Thanks to Eric C. Schwarz, research librarian extraordinaire, for the review.]

POST PRINCETON!

In January 1948, Lucille got the opportunity to recreate the role in Los Angeles, but fell ill with a virus shortly after it opened and the show closed prematurely. Because Ball was known for her film roles, promotion often said that she was appearing “Live In Person” - which seems obvious in a live theatre production! 

Handbill for the Los Angeles production that was cut short by Ball’s illness. Lela Bliss took over for Barbara Morrison. 

Souvenir program from the Brooklyn engagement at Brandt’s Flatbush Theatre in July 1947. It includes an excerpt from a write-up by Hall Barnell for Actors Cues about the rehearsal he attended at Malin Studios and a sketch of Ball from that day. 

Detroit Music Hall - signed program. 

Boston Production at the historic Shubert Theatre - signed program. 

San Francisco production at the Curran Theatre. 

During this San Francisco engagement, Ball’s husband was not far away!  Five blocks, to be exact. It is likely that Lucy and Desi stayed at the Palace Hotel while she was performing at the Curran. It is also likely that Desi’s performances were in lieu of a hotel bill for the couple! 

"I have seen other productions of this play, but the only actress whose performance really delighted me was Lucille Ball. She lacked… tender wistfulness, but her vivid personality and expert timing kept the play bright and alive." ~ Edgar Rice, Playwright

It is pretty clear that this photo was an early version of photo shop. Although it was created during the time of the play, it is quite obviously a manipulated photo. 

In August 1947, the show had finally reached what was known as “the subway circuit” - a group of New York City borough theatres that were not considered Broadway. Meanwhile, in Princeton, the summer season continued with yet another show produced by Kenwith and Kennedy, “Horace”.  The Billboard review of August 30 was of the opinion that Lucille Ball was simply playing Lucille Ball, and that audiences were okay with that. 

This sterling silver cigarette case was a gift to Lucy from the DREAM GIRL��company and is engraved on the front: "With Grateful appreciation TO OUR 'DREAM GIRL' December 1947." The lid has the engraved signatures of the company, 17 in all, including actors Scott McKay, Guy Standing, and Andy Duggan. The item came up for auction after the death of Gary Morton. 

While Lucy and the DREAM GIRL company were touring, they knew that a film adaption had been made and was awaiting release. It starred Betty Hutton and MacDonald Carey, but did not open to the public till later in 1948. Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz took a chance on Hutton in 1959, giving her a CBS sitcom “The Betty Hutton Show” which ended after 30 episodes.

In 1955, while Lucille Ball was busy with “I Love Lucy,” NBC made DREAM GIRL into a TV film starring Vivian Blaine. It featured “Lucy” character actors Hal March and Ida Moore. 

Ten years later, it was turned into a Broadway musical named Skyscraper, with the play adapted by Peter Stone (”1776″) and starred Julie Harris in her first musical. It earned five Tony nominations. Charles Nelson Reilly guest-starred on “Here’s Lucy” in 1970. Peter Marshall played Lucy’s brother-in-law Hughie on “The Lucy Show” in 1963.  Choreographer Michael Kidd also did the dances for Wildcat starring Lucille Ball in 1960. 

[livingsilentfilms]

CB (Christopher Bishop): Our readers would be very interested to know how you got into motion pictures. BK: Well, I was born with a show. My parents were already in vaudeville. When I was four years old I became a regular. When I was twenty-one we decided to try another branch of show business and told our representative to see what he could do and k? immediately got me signed to the Winter Garden in New York, which was the Shuberts' Theater for The Passing Show of 1917.

CB: This was an annual show? BK: Yes, it always started in the summer and generally ran for, oh, about six months in New York and a year and a half on the road. The Winter Garden was Al Jolson's home, and the show I was supposed to go in would have starred the Howard Brothers. But anyhow, they signed me for that show and I was walking down Broadway down along Eighth or some place - and I met an old vaudevillian, and he was with Roscoe (Fatty) Arbuckle and he told me that he took his make-up off for a while and was going to try running a motion picture company for Joe Schenck who was producing pictures with Norma Talmadge and Constance Talmadge at the Colony Studio on Forty-eighth Street in New York, and that he had just signed Arbuckle from Sennett. And Roscoe asked me If I had ever been in a motion picture, and I said no, I hadn't even been in a studio. And he said, well come on down to the studio Monday and do a scene with me or two and see how you like it. I said, well rehearsals don't start for another week or so, so I'll be down. I went down there and I worked in it. The first time I ever walked in front of a motion picture camera - that scene is in the finished motion picture and instead of doing just a bit he carried me all the way through it.

— from Buster Keaton: Interviews, 1958

[harlemworldmagazine]

Harlem's Julia Marlowe, One Of The Best Actresses At The Turn Of The Century, 1865 – 1950

Harlem’s Julia Marlowe, One Of The Best Actresses At The Turn Of The Century, 1865 – 1950

Julia Marlowe, August 17, 1865 – November 12, 1950, was an English-born American actress known for her interpretations of William Shakespeare. (more…)