The Theatre: Actor to Elsinore

The appearance of a new Hamlet on the boards of an English-speaking theatre is traditionally the signal for drama critics to begin behaving like racehorse handicappers. For when an actor goes as Prince to Elsinore he invites comparison with the past performances of flashy favorites. Last week able John Gielgud appeared on Broadway in Guthrie McClintic's Hamlet. True to tradition, play-reviewers threw down their programs, rushed to their form books to weigh Mr. Gielgud's worth against every Hamlet from Barrymore, Forbes-Robertson and Irving to Booth and Burbadge. Consensus seemed to be...

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