PAPE wouim: THE MICHIGAN DAILY L s
IATTJRPAY, :AUTUST 9, 190~
Guest Instructor, Scenic Designer
Bay Reaches Top Of His Profession
ASSOCIATED
PUC TURE
r'
Repertory Work Occupies
Only Part Of His Time;
Designs Other Sets
By BERYL SHOENFIELD
Howard Bay at 30 stands among
the first of his profession.
The guest faculty instructor's elec-
tion to the presidency of the Scenic
Artists Union of America last month
was recognition for work in stage de-
sign, for in 1940 he was awarded the
Guggenheim Fellowship, one of four
to ever merit this in the field of
scenic art. It was recognition, too,
for his work in current theatrical
productions, which have included
"Uncle Harry," with Joseph Schild-
kraut, "Little Foxes," with Tallulah
Bankhead, and "Fifth Column," with
Franchot Tone.
Ever bustling, Bay is now working
on sets for, four shows. Supplement-
ing his campus teaching and set ,de-
signing for the Michigan Repertory
vehicles, he is completing scenery
specifications for "Count Me In," a
Schubert musical opening on August
29 in Boston. At the same time he
is making tracing paper drawings
for two additional production sets-
Joyce Kaufman's Groucho Marx
comedy of Philadelphia in 1910,
"Franklin Street," and Maxwell An-
derson's latest, "Eve of St. Marks."
Creates New Projects
Howard Bay has created new proj-
ects out of scenic design. In fact his
Guggenheim award was presented
for his original thinking along lipes
of scenic possibilities to be derived
from factual newspaper material. He
designed sets for two WPA produc-
tions using this "living newspaper"
theme: "Power," story of electricity,
and "One-Third of a Nation," drama
of poor living conditions.
Again, for the New York World
Fair he designed the latex animated
puppets and the scale sets for a
technicolor short called "Pete Role-
um and His Friends" for an oil ex-
hibit. Animated puppet films are
still in the experimental stage, and
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this 20-minute picture cost $110,000
and took six months to film, since
only 15 feet of film could be shot
during an eight-hour day. Shell Oil
still uses the mannequins of the oil
drop heads, designed by Bay for the
film, in their ads.
Bay Describes Sets
Sitting at his desk in the Labora-
tory Theatre studio, where the gilt
wood couch and the sheaves of first
sketches clutter the tiny area, Bay
described the most "intriguing" sets
of his designing career.
There were sets in cross-section,
like, the four-story, multi-roomed
tenement in "One-Third of a Na-
tion," and the hotel rooms and ob-
:servation tower in "Fifth Column"
and the lighthouse in the Repertory's
"Thunder Rock."
There were the exaggerated and
false perspectives in the barber shop
and Murder, Incorpated scenes in
"Brooklyn, U.S.A."-hyper-realism,
he calls it, though his builder claims
the cockeyed windows and sloping
horizontal surfaces "drove the stage
carpenters crazy."
There was the unbelievably ex-
pensive night club scene for "Johnny
2x4," into which he jammed tables,
chairs, bars, juke boxes, telephone
booths and orchestra platform with
splendid realistic results.
Professional Cronies
His two professional cronies-
Iorace Armistead, scenic artist, and
William Kellam, stage builder-both
on the summer faculty with Bay-
have numerous tales to tell of the
stage designer. Precision, they claim,
is a byword with Bay, who recently
employed a carpenter for an entire
day just to arrange decorative spin-
dles on the top of a parlor door for
"Uncle Harry."
And Bay has stories to tell, too, of
the stars he has had to work with.
Doors are ordered heightened or low-
ered or simply moved a few inches
over to one side; steps must be made
specific depths, according to indi-
vidual preference and chairs sup-
ported in designated manners which
the stars tell Bay what they think
would be suitable-after he has com-
pleted the set.
The simplest way to get along with
actors of professed technical stage
knowledge is to avoid them, Bay
maintains.
Coeds To Have Two O'Clock
Permission For Prom' Night
F I D D L E R S' FAR OLIC .-J. E. Thomas, 86, (left), of Mal-
vern, Pa., and Dr. Samuel Lane Anderson, 78, of Concordsville,
Pa., get going at the annual old fiddlers' picnic at Lenape Park
near Philadelphia. It's the 15th year for the event.
Color Films
About India
To Be Shown
Of special interest at the present
time are some moving pictures on
"Glimpses into Life in India" to be
shown Tuesday, August 11 at 8 p. m.
in the Rackham Amphitheatre by
Dr. Elizabeth Hartman, Professor 'of
Botany at the Women's Christian
College of the University of Madras.
The films, partly in color, were
taken around the campus of the Col-
lege and on various excursions and
'bring out the contrast between the
life at a "modern, progressive school
and that of laborers with low econ-
omic status.
Dr. Hartman, who has taught in
India since 1933, took the pictures
merely as a personal and informal
record.
Among the many unusual views
are those of old Hindu carvings from
the seventh century, especially fea-
turing some temples made from sin-
gle rocks and also the one remaining
pagoda of a group of seven patterned
on the Buddha style.
Working conditions are depicted
through the labor of the fishermen
mending their nets, people going
through the process of cultivation of
the rice field, and other manual la-
bor where most of the work is done
by hand.
The pictures, and Dr. Hartman's
explanation of them is the second
all-campus program to be sponsored
by the International Center this
summer.
Two o'clock permission has been
obtained for women students on the
night of Aug. 21 when Hal McIntyre
and his orchestra will be in the
Sports Building to play for the Sum-
mer Prom from 9 p. m. to 1 a. m.
The announcement was made by
central committee after the measure
was passed by the Student Affairs
Committee yesterday. The plan orig-
inally proposed provided for 1 o'clock
permission but after further deliber-
ation, the time limit was generously
extended in order to give promers one
hour for breakfast after the dance.
Rooming facilities for women com-
ing from out-of-town for the week-
end will be available when women
students vacite the dormitories and
sororities at the end of summer ses-
sion. Arrangements for rooms are
now being taken by Mrs. Beryl F.
Bacher, acting dean of women, at
her office in Barbour Gymnasium.
The dance is definitely slated as
semi-formal as the result of the all-
campus poll taken Thursday, the
vote for which ran' 628 for formal
and 676 for semi-formal. To clear up
any possible discrepancies as to just
what a semi-formal dance is-formal
for the women and optional for the
men.
Ticket sales will be held next week.
'AnnaChristie'
Will Be Shown
Film Starring Dressler,
Garbo To End Season
Presenting Eugene O'Neill's "Anna
Christie" in a movie'sversion, the Art
Cinema League will close its summer
season tomorrow.
With a cast headed by Marie
Dressler and Greta Garbo in their
sole appearance together, t;e movie
is a classic adaptation of the famous
O'Neill play.
Short subjects will accompany the
movie which will be shown at 7 and
9 p. m. at the Rackham Lecture Hall
Part of the proceeds will be contribu-
ted to a scholarship fund for needy
students.
* * *
Russian Film
A moving, episodic film of actual
warfare "This Is the Enemy," will be
presented at the Rackham Lecture'
Hall Aug. 13, 14, 15 for the benefit
of Russian War Relief. Filmed by the
Russians, it is highly recommended
by critics as a study of the full grim-
ness and savagery of war.a
the exact date to be announced later
in The Daily.
The first dance of its kind ever to
be given on a Michigan summer cam-
pus, the Summer Prom is being held
for the sole purpose of raising money
for the Russian War Relief, United
China Relief and the Bomber Schol-
arship.
Funds so far collected for Chinese
war relief have been used for medical
relief, actual refugee relief in the un-
occupied territories for rehabilita-
tion, shelter clothing and food. The
Chinese Student Club has charge of
fund distribution and organization of
drives.
Faculty members, students and
townspeople are eligible to buy tick-
ets for Summer Prom, the summer's
Victory dance.
Hi orli alts
On Campus ...
Sailing Club To Race
The Michigan Sailing Club will
race the first series of contests in its
home-and-home regatta with Barton
Hills Boat Club at 2 p. m. today on
Barton Pond.
Crews composed of Jerry Powell
and Nancy Griffin; Dick Johnston
and John Shafroth; and Glenn Poy-
zer and Don Rendinell will sail a
triangular course against the Barton
Hills club.
The other half of the regatta will
be held Saturday, Aug. 15. at the
Sailing Club's home course on Whit-
more Lake.
* * *
Inter-Guild Service
The second Inter-Denominational
Worship Service sponsored by Inter-
Guild will be held at 8 p. m. tomor-
row on the hillside above the fire-
place at Cedar Bend.
Individual guild meetings will ad.
journ in time1to attend the medita-
tion service.
*' * *
Spanish Luncheons
Students interested in improving
their command of spoken Spanish
may do so at the luncheons spon-
sored by the Romance Language De-
partment every noon from Monday°
through Friday at the Union.
This social hour each day will pro-
vide an opportunity for practicing
idiomatic, everyday Spanish with the
inhibitions of the class room re-
moved.
Reservations for the luncheons
may be made at the Romance Lang-
uage office.
CONTESTANT-Diane
Mason, "Miss Conservation" insa
Los Angeles beauty contest.
planned to enter further compe-
tition for title of "Miss Victory"
and a free trip to San Francisco.
A S T RO4 L L IN T HE W0® D S-Field Marshal Baron Karl Gustaf Mannerheim, (left) chief
of Finland's armed forces, walks with Adolf Hitler (center) and Field Marshal General Wilhelm Keitel
near Hitler's secret headquarters somewhere along the Russian front. German caption on picture, re-
ceived from neutral Portugal, said Mannerheim was paying back Hitler's social call.
League Dance
To Be Cabaret'
Hardy's Band Will Play
'Surprise' Numbers,
It's a gala night at the League this
evening when the usual 9 to mid-
night, informal, all-campus dance
will be augmented by the presenta-
tion of a very special Summer Cab-
aret.
The Gordon Hardy orchestra, di-
rected by Doc Sprachlin, has pre-
pared several new, surprise numbers
in conjunction with the- Harmony
Quartet and the Dixieland swing
group. From 10 to 11 guests will be
further entertained by a star-span-
gled floor show led by Jim Landers.
as master of ceremonies.
Larry Smith and Bart Smith aren't
brothers but they have formed a
coalition of two in favor of boogie-
woogie and will vigorously demon-
Strate the whys and wherefores of
their credo on piano and drums re-
spectively.
Bo ySoule will mystify all present
with a magician act for "it's fun to
be fooled" and Frank Day has prne-
BOOK
SALE
H A N D Y C U Y - Bobby Bragan, Phillies' shortstop, dons
catching regalia for his new assignment behind plate.
H E A V I E S --Marines Louie (Soupy) Campbell (left) and Frank
Knafelc are promising boxers at Jacksonville naval air station.
TODAY at FOLLETT'S
Reference & Textbooks
at Bargain Prices
from 9c to 99c
"Some Free"
FICTION and NON-FICTION
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