Idealist

A veteran of vaudeville, cinema, radio, Comedian Phil Baker--as well known for his accordion-playing as for his clowning-- for years wanted to play a legitimate role. "I'm tired"' said he, "of being an Edgar Bergen." Recently his ambition soared at the thought of playing the lead role of a hoofer in Robert E. Sherwood's Idiot's Delight, while his "idealism" was aroused by the play's anti-war message.

Baker made arrangements with the Theatre Guild and Alfred Lunt, chucked his lucrative radio work, took Idiot's Delight on tour. Hailed as a natural for the hoofer role, he got rave notices. But the show did poor business, wound up its brief tour last week $10,000 in the red.* "Ten thousand dollars." said Baker, who is returning to radio to recoup before taking another crack at the stage, "is more than it was worth."

*For its closing, Baker angrily blamed Alfred Lunt, charging Lunt would not let him take the show to "the best theatre centres."

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