People: Regards to Broadway

Ethel Barrymore, 67, first lady of the U.S. theater, sped from Hollywood to Manhattan—but not to Broadway. What sent her packing was grandmotherhood, her first (see MILESTONES). She was not homesick for the theater; she liked Hollywood fine—the weather, the sunsets, the Pacific, the moon. As for cinemacting: "It's so much easier than the stage," said she, "it's a shame to take their money!"

Just when, if ever, would she return to the stage? Not till she found a play she couldn't resist. "It will either have to be about something very important,'' said she, "or about nothing at all. I would...