Emmerich Manual High School - Ivian Yearbook (Indianapolis, IN)

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Lady of Letters » Leading Lady Marjorie Elliott Success piled on success during the 1945-46 drama season. Theater Guild produced Anna Lucasta in Chicago .... Actors Incorporated revived Pygmalioi on Broadway . . . and Turnei Bullock ' s Lady of Letters hit the Manual circuit! Raymond Massey, Maurice Evans and Marjorie Elliott all did their bit to hold the Thespian light high this year as the pert Miss Elliott starred with Fred Arnold in the local production of the senior class before an over- flow audience. The story takes place in a one-horse college town in Texas where Adelaide Willifer (Miss Elliott), wife of a Southern college professor (Arnold) , feels neglected by her stubborn and humorless husband and his cyni- cal, witty daughter Susie, played by Rosemary Englert. Hoping to gain a little importance by publishing a book, the heroine innocently buys the manuscript of a novel from a struggling young author, Richard Mayes (Harold Emmick), who is stranded by chance on her doorstep. Adelaide signs her name to the manuscript and sends it to her husband ' s publisher. The book be- comes an instant success, and the small college town gains a place on the map. Mrs. Willifer, deciding to bluff it out, soon becomes the toast of the town and finds herself a famous per- sonage about the snobbish college circle which hitherto spurned her. Just after the specially conceived Lady of Letters degree is bestowed upon the newly-found genius, the real author returns with his check that bounced and reveals his identity to her still-skeptical family. Final ex- posure comes when Mrs. Lawrence (Shirley Anderson), who had previously known Mayes, appears in front of the college board. The inevitable happy ending is reached by Adelaide when the board promises to conceal her attempted plagiarism, and her family realize their neglect has caused her innocent misdemeanor. Other important characters were portrayed by Janice Mathews, Katherine Popcheff and Albert Chernin, while La Donna Bedel, Ernest Vanus, Carl Reifeis and Mary Kreutzberger handled supporting roles. Hazel Estle served as stage manager and prompter, and the production was directed by Mr. E. Edward Green. Senior sponsor, Miss Dorothy Ellis, who headed house arrangements, was assisted by other faculty members and senior committees responsible for costumes, publicity, property and stage setting.

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