Arts and Manners

Hollywood: Gloomy Pollyanna

One can never be entirely sure, of course, but it seems to me that the silliest thing on earth is a Pollyanna who has turned gloomy. Which is exactly what’s happening to Hollywood. It has apparently caught a virulent case of existentialism. Now existentialism looks bad enough on Parisian teen-agers who still sit at Jean-Paul Sartre’s feet; but at their age, there is a disarming coltishness even in such an asinine posture. If, however, Mr. Nunnally Johnson (no spring chicken, he) puts on Weltschmerz, sensible persons in his audience will cringe.

WS

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William S. Schlamm

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Hollywood: Gloomy Pollyanna

One can never be entirely sure, of course, but it seems to me that the silliest thing on earth is a Pollyanna who has turned gloomy. Which is exactly what’s happening to Hollywood. It has apparently caught a virulent case of existentialism. Now existentialism looks bad enough on Parisian teen-agers who still sit at Jean-Paul Sartre’s feet; but at their age, there is a disarming coltishness even in such an asinine posture. If, however, Mr. Nunnally Johnson (no spring chicken, he) puts on Weltschmerz, sensible persons in his audience will cringe.