Session: 123456789101112131415161718192021         Page 243244245246247248249250251252253254255256257258259260261262263264265266267268269270271272273274275276277278279280281282283284285286287 of 1029

He couldn't understand why America didn't worship Mr. Hearst because, as he put it, Hearst had all the qualities that America supposedly adored. He said, “Why is he feared and hated and made fun of when he's got power, money, rather good looks, a beautiful girl--and a wife who lets him get away with it. Everything about him, he said, was what America loved. Marion Davies had absolutely captured Shaw's heart. He thought she was wonderful. She had been lovely to him and kissed him goodbye. And we began arguing about American journalism and what Americans were like. I said, “For a great man, you have some pretty silly ideas about Americans. You sound like any European tourist, not George Bernard Shaw. You obviously came over all prepared to laugh at us.”

I seemed to amuse Mr. Shaw. He paid the supreme compliment of asking me to stay and have dinner with him. He didn't have a dinner date. I couldn't--I was going to the theater. Anyway, I was tired, having been to see Havelock Ellis and Shaw in one day. But we did make a date for dinner for two nights later, just he and I, which was to me a great compliment.

But then I said, “Well, now, before I leave here--”

He said, “I knew we were going to get around to this.”

I said, “Of course, we are. What's why I came. I want that play for our Theater Guild Anthology. Mr. Langner and Terry Helburn want it for us, too--you know, it will be a sort of celebration of their great plays, 20 great Theater Guild successes.”