"VULGARITY"

Evening Star, Issue 21621, 17 January 1934, Page 4

"VULGARITY "

ROBEY DEFENDS THE UNREFINED I was passing the Connaught Rooms (says a writer in the 1 News-Chronicle,’ London), when from within I heard the sounds of mirth—in other words, laughter. So I stopped! And I looked! And 1 listened! A speaker was on his feet, and the toastmaster, allowing a carefully-con-trolled smile to Hit across his official features, was announcing him strangely as “ Sir George Robey, Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.’’ The toastmaster, in his own polite way, then commanded this company, gathered together at one of Foyle’s literary lunches, to “ Shurrup!” After the hundreds of guests, who included many famous folk, had desisted, George, elevated his eyebrows and became nearly highbrow. He delivered himself thus on the subject of ‘ Vulgarity ’: “ 1 was lured here under false pretences, and 1 believe the subject has been the cause. It is a subject I have been connected with and had a name for all my life—the subject of vulgarity. The Press acclaimed my book, and in nearly every instance they ; picked out the chapter on ‘ Honest Vulgarity.’ “ 1 am a believer in honest vulgarity. Go on! Say that I look like it.” (Mirth.) “I was sitting in peace in a bus the other day when I heard two long-haired, youths discussing books. The one said; ‘ You know, I cannot read Chawles Dickens—he is so vulgah!’ The other said : ‘ Neither can I. His people are so connnon. That is. why I always readThackeray. He is so much more refanod.’ “ That’s it,” went on George,’ “ it’s that refanement I object to. I believe in good old honest vulgarity put forward in the right way, and so did good old William Shakespeare.” George (for we all called him George gt this lunch) explained that the vulgarity he wanted was the sort of stuff that could be laughed at ipenly, and not the unmanly stuff which marked degeneracy. _ Honest vulgarity was the finest antidote to hypocrisy. George made a vigorous protest against the “sex stuff ” that Was encountered everywhere, and said the music halls forced the public away from them by giving stuff the public did not want. “ And after all the chow I have given you,” said 'George, “ you would perhaps like to hear a specimen- of my vulgarity ” George then told , a characteristic Story. Miss Gertrude Lawrence was next on the programme,' toasting “ Literature and the Drama,” and advised Mr Robey, the rising young author, to go on the stage. Eventually we all had a vulgar fight at the crowded cloakroom for our hats, and pushed and elbowed our way out.