Noel Coward

Southland Times, Issue 25367, 20 August 1935, Page 5

Noel Coward

DRAMATIST, STAGE AND FILM ACTOR. Every man who has ever risen to unique distinction in his particular field of work or art has found himself contending every step of the way with an aura of legend that has grown up about his personality. A legend based on a fragment of fact, but so thoroughly coloured with fancy and fiction that, as time goes on, it becomes an unrecognisable distortion of the personality it pretends to portray. To this universal failing of the flesh, Noel Coward, contemporary genius of the theatre, is no exception. Legend pictures Coward, one of the most prolific and talented people of the theatre and currently the star of the Ben Hecht-Charles MacArthur film, “The Scoundrel,” ds a glamorous and world-weary dilettante. “The scoundrel” is a brilliant satirical treatment of the smart set of New York and its people, who are too wise to love well. Coward plays a literary Casanova who makes many conquests but finds no love. After he is killed in an aeroplane accident, he returns to earth to find one woman who loves him and will mourn for his passing, so that he may rest in peace. In a dramatic and touching climax, Coward discovers the woman who loves him. Coward popularly is supposed to be a man who dashes ofl>hit plays and music as a sort of afterthought between trips to China and around-the-world jaunts on tramp steamers. Yet the simple facts of the meteoric Coward career shows how groundless such a characterization of his career must be. No one but an indefatigable worker could be the leader of the Eng-lish-speaking theatre at 35; could have written and produced 19 plays in the past decade; could have had four plavs running simultaneously in London in 1935—and yet have acted in many of those performances and even written the music and lyrics for all of his musical productions' On the Stage at 12. Coward was born in Teddington, near London, on December 16, 1899, educated at Croydon and at a dramatic school, and at the age of 10 learned dramatic fundamentals with Gertrude Lawrence. The following year he made his debut in a children’s play, The Gold Fish.” At 12 Coward was a seasoned trouper in Charles Hawtrey’s Company, and at 17 he toured m “Charley’s Aunt.” After three additional acting assignments he joined the army, serving with the Artists Rifles. The war over, Coward re-appeared as an actor in December, 1918, in “Scandal,” in London, and in 1920 acted in his first play, “I’ll Leave it to | You,” which sank without a ripple. He went to New York in May, 1921, to act in his own play, “The Young Idea,” with which he later toured England and played in London. In 1923 he appeared in “London Calling, ol which he was also part author and composer. In November, 1924, he played the lead in his play, ‘ The Vortex,” which achieved great success and made him an internationally celebrated figure. , Coward found himself at 24 a public figure and the unwilling representative of a younger generation with whom he dealt none too gently in his plays. “Bittersweet” to New York. Coward returned to London to play Lewis Dodd in “The Constant Nymph” in 1926. Then followed “The Second Man.” Again he went to New York to produce his own revue, “This Year of Grace,” in which he also acted. In the next five years Noel Coward saw 12 of his plays produced, with varying success. In 1929 his operetta, “Bittersweet,” was produced at the Ziegfeld Theatre. Coward himself was later seen with Gertrude Lawrence in the gay antics of his “Private Lives.’' He wrote and composed “Cochran’s 1931 Revue,” “Cavalcade”—which he also produced and later sold lor film production, and “Words and Music. Coward then played with Alfred Lunt and Lynne Fontanne in his own “Design for Living,” the stage play, which was later made into a film by Parabount Pictures. This was followed by the London and New York presentations of “Conversation Piece,” with Yvonne Printemp. Recently the starring trio of “Design for Living were reunited for “Point Valaine, a current Broadway production, but Coward’s participation was confined to the writing and direction. Coward’s play writing output has included comedies, tragedies, operettas, revues and “Cavalcade.” the historical pageant which England hailed as an epic of Empire. He is the author also of six volumes: “A Withered Nosegay,” “Terribly Intimate Portraits, “Poems of Herina Whittlebot. ’ Post Portem,” “Sketches and Lyrics,” and “Spangled Unicorn.” Not content with his brilliant achievements in other fields, Coward looks forward to great success in motion pictures. Before “The Scoundrel was completed, he had made a tentative agreement to appear in the next HechtMacArthur production. And under their tutelage, he hopes to _ turn his talents to motion picture writing and direction.

Gyles Isham, who went from London to Hollywood, to play opposite Greta Garbo in “Anna Karenina,” has supplied an interesting account of the Swedish star. Garbo is not as retiring as she used to be. Often she would stay behind with the actors after the film work was over, and talk. Her conversation is amusing, and slightly intellectual. The star’s reason for not mixing with Hollywood society is simple. In Hollywood you talk about films, not only while you are on the set, but while you eat and breathe. You cannot get away from them. Garbo, by refusing to talk shop, and not mixing with fellow stars, manages to keep as fresh and unusual as she has done all these years. And now the star has gone back to Sweden for a five months’ vacation.