The Bridgeport Post from Bridgeport, Connecticut • Page 94

BRIDGEPORT.SUNDAY.POST, NOVEMBER. 19,. 1957 E--THREE Mildred Dunnock in 'Menagerie' Enjoys Challenge of Williams By IRENE BACKALENICK Mildred Dunnock, who has been appearing for the past three weeks as Amanda in Tennessee Williams' "Glass Menagerie" at Long Wharf theater, New Haven, is as much the genteel southern lady as the characters she so often portrays. however, the parallel ends. Miss Dunnock is a fine actress, who approaches her craft with dedication and purpose.

She has known for a long time exactly where she is going. Not so with the Tennessee Williams' heroines, who are beset with frustration, fantasy and ineffectiveness. Functions Realistically Amanda for whom Miss Dunnock has considerable compassion and even affection, lives in a lost world and battles with weapons that are sadly dated. Mildred Dunnock, despite her sensitivity to Amanda's problems and her knowledge of Amanda's world, functions effectively and realistically in the present. In a delightful interview, which took place at her home in Wilson Point, South Norwalk, Miss Dunnock talked easily about her long association with the theater, about the types of roles she has enjoyed, about her Westport restaurant, about present and future professional plans.

In non-professional life, Mildred Dunnock is Mrs. Keith Urmy, and the Urmys live part of the year in a lovely old Tudor house looking out to the Sound. The house is set on a wooded knoll, which offers a clear view of the water in fall and winter. The Urmys return to their New York apartment Day each year, after Election as Mr. Urmy finds winter commuting to his Wall Street office difficult.

Their one daughter is now grown, married, living in Rowayton, and has three children of her own. Acting Credits Impressive Mildred Dunnock has an impressive list of acting credits that date back to the 1930s to summer stock, and, even earlier, to amateur theatricals in Baltimore. "I was interested in the theater at Goucher college," Miss Dunnock recalls, "and then I worked in little theater while teaching in Baltimore." "It never occurred to me that I would be a professional actress," she continues. "That would not have entered into my father's Victorian scheme cf the good life for a woman, until she was married." Taste of Theater Following the Baltimore years, Miss Dunnock wtnt to New York to teach school and study at Columbia university, where she took an MA degree. She appeared in a play at Columbia called GENTEEL LADY Mildred Dunnock, of South Norwalk, is as much the Southern genteel lady as Amanda whom she just portrayed in the Long Wharf's production of "The Glass Menagerie." But unlike Amanda, who is beset with frustration, fantasy and ineffectiveness, she has dedication and purpose.

'Life Begins," which, to her surprise, was taken to "It was a flop," Miss Dunnock recalls, "but it gave me a taste of professional life." She found that she responded to the warmth of theatrical people. "Theater people in general are interested in other people," she says, "because, after all, that is the meat of their profession," Over the years Miss Dunnock has interspersed her acting with teaching English and "doing the plays," as she says'it was called. She taught at private girls' schools; as well as Vassar and Barnard. "This spring," she says, "I am teaching at Harvard, experimental work in terms cf acting." Turning'from her first Broadway experience, she began to study acting seriously, working with Maria Ouspenskaya and Tamara Daykarhanova, and later, at the Actors Studio, with Lee Strasberg. Robert Lewis and Elia Kazan.

She remains a member of the Actors Studio to this day. A 'Method' Actress "I consider myself a 'method' actress and not a product of the star system," she says. The difference, as she explains it, is that the former approaches acting as a serious study while the latter makes it a way of life. "Most people think of me as a technical actress rather than a 'method' actress, but, actually, I do approach my parts from an emotional and personal point of view, which is what I call the method. I relate it to myself completely." Miss Dunnock has great respect for Tennessee Williams' work and for the challenge his Southern women offer an actress.

"Love Tennessee," she says, "and I feel that his poetry gives us a glimpse of. something more than the mundane. He writes extremely well." Amanda Is Sympathetic She points out that Tennessee Williams often draws his women grotesquely and larger than life. Big Mama, for example, in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof." is described as. "a short, squat woman built like a boxer." "His women extremely expressive and colorful." she says.

"He gives you something to work with." Asked whether she finds Amanda of "The Glass Menagerie" a sympathetic character, she ascerts, "Indeed I do!" "She is ridiculous and possessive and sometimes irritating," Miss Dunnock says of Amanda, but I think her motives i those of some one who wants to protect and loves very deeply." 'Don't Be It is easy, when viewing Tennessee Williams play, to be angry with the characters, to want them to behave more rationally. This is particularly true of Amanda, a domineering mother, who adds appreciably to her daughter's problems. The contemporary, educated playgoer is likely to view Williams' characters as badly in need of Miss Dunnock feels that it is a mistake to evaluate a play as if everything has been mismanaged and could be straightened out. "This is the way it was as it existed in the play!" she "Amanda behaves as she must, given her background and temperament." Miss Dunnock feels that the positive theme in "The Glass Menagerie," as in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," and other Williams' plays, is the sense of family. The strong family ties keeps one going, even in the face of tragedy.

"As Big Mama says. 'We have got to love each other and stay together just as close as we possibly Miss Dunnock points out. A Favorite Role Amanda is one of Miss favorite roles. "I like Amanda because she is so crazy," she says. "I like the humor in this part.

It comes out more humorously than most people anticipate. It's got to be humorous or sentimental, and I try to stay away from sentimentality." Speaking of the recent production at Long Wharf, Miss Dunnock says, "We had a good cast and an extremely good director. I think Long Wharf is Pakistan Looks To Space Aid in Communications RAWALPINDI, a i a (AP) Communications between Pakistan's two wings separated by 1200 miles of climatic soil, has been a problem since project. equipment, which will be used for long distance telephone calls between Karachi and Islamabad in West Pakistan and Dacca in East Pakistan. The equipment will upper atmospheric, and help determine frequencies for long telephone calls.

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The set and music and lights a an honest and poetic picture which serves SCENE FROM 'GLASS MENAGERIE' Mildred Dunnock, as plays a dramatic scene with Joyce Ebert as her crippled daughter, Laura, in the Tennessee Williams' drama which just completed a successful run at the Long Wharf in New Haven. the play." Likes O'Neill A most satisfying role, Miss Dunnock says, is that of Mary Tyrone 'in O'Neill's- "Long Day's Tnto Night," which she played last season at Long Wharf. "I am particularly keen about comedy, and I love high comedy. I tnink the part I enjoyed most was in a play called 'In the which varied between comedy and tragedy. I like that kind of combination." Miss Dunnock had done a good deal of work in television and cinema, as well as the theater, but has no preference for anv'one'of the media.

She likes and she likes good to work roles. Mildred Dunnock is indeed in a position to pick her roles. Her stature and reputation have grown steadily over the years with her professional development. Opens a Restaurant She is also part of a trio which opened an unusual restaurant in Westport several months ago. The restaurant, called Bon Appetit, looks out over the Saugatuck River and offers luncheons and take-home dinners for two or more.

Miss Dunnock. has had little time to be present at-Bon Appetit since "The' Glass Menagerie" went into rehearsal and leaves the actual running to her partners, Ruth Norman and Malvina Kinard. "My spirit is with Bon Ap- petit," she says, "but my body is now with Long Wharf." What are the future plans for Mildred Dunnock? "On Nov. 19," she says, "I am going to read Edith Sitwell's Facade' with the New Haven Symphony, and I am looking forward to it very definitely." Beyond that? "I have nothing sleeves," says Miss up my Dunnock, "but then you just never know in the theater. Things pop up over night.

1 am living on hope that.a role like Mary Tyrone or Amanda will come along." Complaints From TV Viewers Closely Watched by Networks By CYNTHIA LOWRY NEW YORK (AP) tn a recent cops-and-robbers television program, the plot built up around the nefarious activities of a Mafia overlord. It was a routine TV exposition of suspense, shooting and fights with one notable Cosa Nostra incongruity: The villain sported name that would have graced a British earl, so Anglo-Saxon were its roots. The choice of names for evil characters is such a sensitive area in television that one network executive' in charge of checking scripts for potential trouble spots sighed that about the only "safe names" to borrow were those 'of personnel in jie network continuity and standards departments. One of the most heated hassles in television history came several seasons back after the aunching of the popular series, 'The Untouchables." Complaints flooded in from Italian- American groups and individual viewers of Italian extraction, all protesting the use of Italian lames for the prohibition-era loods, murderers and extortionists--although some of the names were those of real gangsters long dead. The series went on--in fact it is still around on re-runs--but the storm alert- id TV series proi'-cers to a continuing problem.

The Pressure Is On Many -ganizaticr- put pressure on television to conform to standards of one kind or anoth- NBC recently had a flurry of mail from individual viewers complaining about the "stereotyped" character of Kaye Ballard in "The Mothers-in-Law." Miss Ballard, Italian-American, herself. makes frequent references to her ethnic background in the comedy. -It was of course, all in fun; butMt seems to have hit a few exposed nerve ends. Before ABC's "The Flying Nun" took off successfully, ABC had some mail disapproving of the portrayal of a swinging habited sister in a comedy series. "But after the show went on the air," reported Mrs.

Grace Johnsen, who deals with such network problems, "the complaints dropped off when they found there was nothing to be alarmed about." All.networks:pay dose atten- tion to mail and'complaints, writers are busiest in the like congressmen who can spot deliberate, stimulated campaigns of pressure, the most effective letters are those fired off by really steamed-up individuals. 'The Dean Martin Show" drew some complaint letters early in the game because of the frequent references to alcohol and drinking. Later, viewers apparently decided the booze talk was all part of a put-on, and now accept it without offense, or at least they don't write. A recent sketch in a "Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" involving a stuck zipper had the writers busy with "poor taste" complaints. Unusual Complaints In the old, less sophisticated days, the networks received complaints from surprising sources.

Leather manufacturers complained about putting tough, unsavory characters in leather jackets, and warehouse owners objected to using warehouses as scenes of vicious fights and murders. Police organizations complained on official letter- leads when law enforcement men were made to look stupid compared to private eyes. But apparently not one single com- ilaint has been logged about the portrayal of the chief of police jnd the police commissioner as low mental types in "Batman." Most a i mail- including petitions with literally lundreds of signatures--centers around the cancellation of shows. The end of "What's My "Password" on CBS gave its mail department extra work recently, but nothing like the end of "The Merv- Griffin Show" on'NBC several seasons ago when almost 70,000 letters flooded in. Many seasons back; viewer mail was responsible for extending the life of "Father Knows Best," which eventually became a fabulous hit.

All networks answer viewer mail. Most is handled with response, but particular complaints and questions are answered on an individual basis. One network estimates its mail for a season at more than 20,000 letters, but points out that it represents only a- fraction since much is sent to studios, to stars-and to affiliated stations. used calls abad ca in alyze tions mum ance will ather the ment on is radii at a in- able larts and Telegraph Department based on actual weather tions in the region! Presently these charts are. supplied by an American organization, ITSA, on which the department sets its frequency.

According to committee, this information has not proved sufficiently up-to- date. A Nether. lands (UPI) The Holland- American Line will' abolish aH tipping aboard its passenger ships beginning next April, it has been announced. The company, said crewmen who were partially dependent on tips will be ful- OUR DIVIDEND FOR THE QUARTER ENDING DECEMBER 29, 1967 ALL ACCOUNTS INSURED TO NOW! 1 HOUR FREE PARKING AT ANT "Pork and Shop" PER YEAR THIS DIVIDEND COMPOUNDED YIELDS 4.58% PER YEAR DON'T FORGET DIVIDENDS START THE DAY YOUR MONEY IS RECEIVED! DIVIDENDS ARE PAID AND COMPOUNDED 4 TIMES A YEAR HOME and Loan Afsoctttlem 215 Strati, Canw of Bridgeport 397.8484 heavy winter viewing months, and the volume drops off sharply during summer re-run time. Romantic Look And Busts Are Coming Back NEW YORK (AP) The word around America's style center is that the romantic look is coming back.

Women, now that they have proven their independence, are back wanting to look like women. Being romantic is suddenly dandy! Thus, some dress manufacturers are putting the waistline back in its place. Wide belts and sashes cmch it in most upcoming collections. Or princess line costumes emphasize it. The bust is back, too.

Instead of topless dresses we have tantalizing plunging necklines again. Lynda Bird's Influence Long sleeves are in. Part of this is because Lynda Bird likes them. She has insisted on them for her wedding dress. After all, the President's elder daughter and her Chuck Robb are the No.

1 romance of the year. So are fluttering skirts. Pleats, gores, even gathers, are action-built into the new clothes for spring. They behave themselves much better than sheaths in this era of the brief hemline. And a well-behaved skirt is much more romantic than one that tells all-a girl's inside secrets.

On other hand, some designers are looking to the romantic past for inspiration. Robin Hood's men and the days and Knights of King Arthur the kind of costume romance that many stylists are borrowing. Of course, the movie spectacular, "Camelot," did its part to whip up enthusiasm for the Medieval days. The Medieval times are back far enough, as far as the designers are concerned. Nobody wants to go back as far as the first romantic couple, Adam and Eve.

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