(3 of 4)
Iron Men's inconsequential and unconvincing story concerns a crack squad of "connectors," the men who bolt structural beams in place to be followed by the "gunners'' who rivet them. Andy, the arrogant and prideful leader of the gang, becomes angry when one of his men, Nils, announces that he is going to quit because his wife is afraid he will fall. Another man does fall, whereupon his co-workers traditionally knock off for the day, start drinking in their favorite barroom. When Nils refuses to change his mind. Andy drunkenly concocts a ruse by which he in duces Nils to believe that his good wife is a prostitute. Nils kills himself and his wife (off stage) and Andy loses his job and goes crazy. There are times when this flimsy tale comes to a dead stop and the workmen loll about on their crags ex changing rowdy talk and banter, much like the urchins of Dead End grown older and transported 63 floors up. "What's the purtiest thing in the world?" asks Andy.
"A nekkid woman," someone ventures.
"Naw!" sneers Andy. "It's one of these here buildings before they come along and cover up the steel with a lot of crap." The role of Andy is capably played by William Haade, 33, who before his appearance in Iron Men never set foot on a stage in his life. Mr. Kaade is a crack steelworker. Boss of his gang, he put up steel on Manhattan's Barbizon-Plaza and Pierre Hotels, Farmer's Loan & Trust Co., and Bank of Manhattan buildings. River side Church, Lincoln Hospital. He is a member of the International Association of Bridge, Structural & Ornamental Iron Workers, Local No. 40. He and his German wife have two young sons. He likes to talk about steelwork, his sons, his dog. He is boisterous, friendly, stubborn, generous. In Iron Men he shinnies up a vertical girder, using only his hands and his knees. During rehearsals he put in two or three-days' work on Fordham Hospital's new morgue building to keep his hand in.
Afraid that he would be joshed when he went back to steelwork, Haade insisted that there be three other steelworkers in the play with him. They find the stage dull, dislike the night work. Mr. Geddes would like to keep Haade in the theatre and five cinema companies last week offered him screen tests, which he has not accepted. Unwilling, however, to ruin a perfectly good steelworker. Mr. Geddes is letting his protege choose his own course.