Cradle Will Rock

You can roll it!

Italy stands poised to invade Ethiopia...

under the leadership of Benito Mussolini.

In a speech to thousands of supporters last week, Mussolini recalled...

the glory of Roman empires past,

calling on his supporters to join with him to

reclaim lands rightfully belonging to them.

Facing Mussolini's highly mobilized war machine is Haiie Selassie of Ethiopia,

who must rely on high-spirited but poorly armed tribal forces...

to defend his monarchy.

In a concerted effort to rid Germany of what he views as degenerate influences,

Chancellor Adolph Hitler last week opened an exhibition of condemned art.

A dabbler in oils and water colors himself,

Chancellor Hitler said in a statement that he is not anti-art but anti-decadence...

and despises art that portrays Germany in a negative and unsympathetic fashion.

Here at home, American spirits continue to rebound from economic hard times...

with jobs made possible by Washington, D.C.

Fear is vanishing...

and confidence is growing on every side.

With the press of a button, Roosevelt puts into operation the Tennessee Valley Dam,

a monumental accomplishment that provides flood control...

and electricity to the southern states.

Another stunning achievement made possible by

the millions of unemployed men and women...

put back to work by the Works Progress Administration.

Things are looking up indeed for Americans,

as we look to the future with hope and high vision.

Fashion designers for years have competed for the attention and discerning eye...

of the female consumer.

Everything from bathing suits to evening gowns have been designed for the female form.

- But what about junior? - Hey, Dave, is that you?

Children's fashion was the star in Miami, Florida, this week.

Everything from underwear to evening wear graced the tiny runways...

as discerning children took notice of the threads coming their way.

Better not ask this little guy to wear a tie. Mommy!

If dog is man's best friend, then perhaps the cat is this lady's chum.

A very large cat indeed.

The Magnificent Wanda and her lion, Kitty,

helped initiate the Federal Theater's circus project last week.

The latest in a series of low-cost entertainments...

produced by the maverick W.P.A. program.

- Hey! - Vaudeville, Shakespeare and lion tamers.

Brought to you by Uncle Sam, courtesy of the W.P.A..

And stay out, you runt!

- Song for a nickel, mister? - What?

- I'll sing you a song for a nickel. - No, thank you.

Titanic. It was amazing. It was-

So, it was the most exciting thing in my life.

- Negroes, dear? - Yes, Negroes.

- All Negroes? - All Negroes, dear.

- It was a minstrel show? - No. Macbeth.

I said it before. Macbeth. Shakespeare.

- With Negroes? - Yes.

Carlo says it's unlucky to say Macbeth in the theater.

So what do they call it? What is it, Carlo? "The Scottish play."

Yes, the Scottish play, but there isn't anything Scottish in this production.

I don't know a lot of Negro Scots.

Oh, Gray dear, you don't know a lot of Negro anything.

Madame?

Oh, dear. I know. I had a call last night.

- Not you, thank God. - What is?

Steel strike. Labor riots.

Well, the reception for the Italian exhibit is today, noon.

- Italian exhibit at noon. - Please don't be late.

Carlo and I are going to see a theatrical producer today. - Mm, theatrical producer?

- To learn about the artistic process. - Artistic process?

- Yes. - What time is the exhibit?

Noon. Heh heh heh!

I'll be there, darling.

- Dad, when is Mommy coming home? - In a couple of days.

- "Churn?" - C-H-U-R-N.

- What's the baby's name? - "Person."

- P-E-R-S-O-N. - What's the baby's name?

- Antonio. You like that? - Yeah.

- A-I-N-T-I-N-O? - What?

Excuse me, miss. Is this line for to get job?

- I think so. - I am carpenter. I work with my hands.

- It is good government wants to build. - Yeah.

- I build with wood. What you do? - Yeah?

I think this might be the wrong line. This line is for theater.

- It's for actors and musicians, I believe. - You're actress?

Yeah. Is this the right line for the Federal Theater Project?

I think this is the line for everything.

- Are there other lines? - There's other lines inside.

- Are there lines for theater jobs inside? - I believe so.

I work anywhere. I dig ditches, pour slag, act. - Flanagan?

- Does not matter. - Mrs. Flanagan!

Mrs. Flanagan.

Mrs. Flanagan.

- Aren't you Hallie Flanagan? - Yes. Mr.-

- Beaver. I'm a beaver. - Mr. Beaver, what can I do for you?

Well, I'm completely embarrassed, but I heard you'd be here today,

and I'm a playwright, and I've written a children's play.

It's called Revolt of the Beavers, and I want to know if you'd read it.

Absolutely. You have to fill out submission forms. - I did. They're all inside.

It's got great music. I'd be happy to play it for you. I-I'll be back.

They say, "Okay, we want to do what you do." I say, "Fine. Take 30 years.

Do nothing else, and then maybe."

I am not a teacher. I am an entertainer.

What's the problem? - Mr. Crickshaw works at the vaudeville project,

and he's complaining about the policy there.

I'm supposed to tutor two no-talents. It's impossible!

Mr. Crickshaw we were hoping that you would introduce young people to vaudeville...

and encourage them to take it up and prolong its life.

"Prolong its life"?"

Vaudeville will be around long after you and your Communists are.

Hallie, you have a meeting.

Two Chinese gentlemen in native dress came by last night,

want you to start a Chinese theater.

Very polite. They'll come again. Also, you got a call yesterday...

saying that we can't hire an elephant for the Brooklyn circus.

- Why not? - They're not eligible for relief.

- Hallie. Welcome home. How was your trip? - Great.

- I have wonderful things to report. - Did you hear about the elephant?

Not eligible for relief. - Also, a guy in a squirrel outfit's been trying to see you.

- Beaver. He's a beaver, a playwright. - What? Oh, playwright.

Also, there's trouble in Minnesota.

Seems an ex-fan dancer auditioned for the Federal Theater there.

Fan dancer? - Burlesque, takes her clothes off, you know.

So she auditions, doesn't get the job, but the papers run a photo of her...

- saying the Federal Theater... - Is now employing strippers.

- Pierre! - Hello, darling.

I trust you're not too tired from touring the U.S.A.

I have seen such great theater. So inspiring.

- Have you heard the rumors? - About the stripper?

Stripper, no. People from Washington snooping around our files.

- All this talk about Congressman Dies. - Dies as in death?

- Something about a subcommittee. - No. It's news to me. Hello, everybody!

Who's singing?

A prostitute. She's starving. She sells herself for food.

She thinks she feels a nickel under her foot,

but when she reaches for it, there's nothing there.

She's that... hungry. You hate that, don't you?

I didn't say that. I didn't say anything.

I- I'm not here.

You haven't slept in two days. Go to sleep.

- Ooh! Oh. I'm so sorry. - Ooh! Oh!

- Are you all right? - Yes. Oh!

Oh!

- Countess! - Jack! Jack, I found the play charming.

Utterly darling. And the idea of setting the Scottish play in the Caribbean.

Ah, yes.. - Carlo commented afterward he'd never seen anything like it.

And he's from Vienna, you know.

I would be very interested to cultivate a relationship with yourself, Mr. Welles and Carlo.

- What's the name of your opera, dear? - Le Cordonier Desespere.

The Cobler In Despair. He sings passages from it to me all the time.

- He can't seem to get it out of his head. - Yes.

- Poor Carlo. Such a sad man. - Shh!

His store of pleasures must be sauced with pain!

Now, worthy Faustus, me thinks your looks are changed.

- Gentlemen. - What ails Faustus?

Look, sirs, comes he not? Comes he not?

Yet, Faustus, look up to Heaven.

- Hey, cue lightning! Goddamn it, Abe. - Cue lightning!

That's late. If the cue is late, it will get a laugh.

We do not need this laugh. It's a stupid, embarrassing laugh.

Concentrate, folks. Now, do it again.

Yet, Faustus, look up to Heaven!

Which one is Mr. Welles?

He's the, um, ranting madman with the Blue Boy wig.

I gave up my soul for my cunning.

That's my cue.

- It's not your line. - What's my line?

- It's Bert's line. Bert, say your line. - No, it's his.

- Say the line! - Oh, God forbid!

- Oh, God forbid! - Break time. Break time!

Union break! Fifteen minutes!

The date is expired. The hell with the theater, and the hell with you.

I've got to go have a coffee and a fart.

Never mind that for the first time in this goddamn rehearsal process...

we were in the middle of a discovery essential to making the play work!

I... need... a smoke!

You're not actors, you're smokers!

You wouldn't know the church of the theater if it smacked you in the mouth!

Shut up, Orson, or I'll smack you in the mouth. - Fuck you, John!

You're not a believer, you're a worker.

Damn right. And you're not a director. You're a dictator!

You're atheists! You have no respect for the theater!

This isn't a game! This isn't a goddamn cocktail party!

- This is work! It's hard work! - Blah, blah, blah, blah.

And if you're not willing to give your blood to it,

then it isn't worth it because you'll never make theater...