Stephenville Daily Empire (Stephenville, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 145, Ed. 1 Friday, March 24, 1950 Page: 3 of 6
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Casting lota for the robe of Christ as It Is portrayed in the
Mary Hardin-Raylor annual Easter pageant. The produc-
tion is in its eleventh year.
Mary Hardin-Bavlcv** College Preparing
For Crowd of 5,000 At Easter Pageaiit
14,
J
It took a $300,000 fire, a confer-
•nte between the nresident of the
oUfaat woman’* collage west of the
Mississippi river and a drama
teacher, a check for $25 to cover
production cost* and a cast of 50
students to present the first Eas-
ter pageant at Mary Hardin-Bay-
km college. That was in 1040, and
this year the school at Belton, is
prenewing for a crowd of 5.000 to
attend its eleventh production.
idea for an Easier nagennt was
nresented bv Dr. Gordon G. Ring-
Jet o*. president of the college,
shortly after he became head of
the school. Two suggestions for
the setting of the pageant had
come efttst his desk, but each of
these seemed to lack something
years. About the part she said,
“I’ve grown to dislike the things
it stood for more through the
years.’* Dr. Singleton states that
her strong portrayal of Judas was
one of the reasons for the success
of eaily pageants.
Several other students in this
all-girl school have filled their
parts with such depth of under-
standing that they have been re-
tained to them for more than one
performance. Only one student,
Mary Mprgaret Maynard, has
played the same role the four years
she was an undergraduate. She
portrayed Mary the Mother. After
playing Pilate tiro years one girl
I
ese seemed to lack something. | **" to (j11 the role of
Prom the window in his office I ®f Bethany her senior year,
the recently appointed, head of the A graduate of 1947 played Judas
college often looked unon the min. twiee **d one ot her classmates
i
college often looked upon the ruins
of Luther hall, first building on the
Bavlor Female college campus at
Belton. On » chilly night in Jan-
uary. 1929, fire swept through the
building and left the charred hand-
hewn rock nrches nnd worn steps
holding a revered but not too ««e-
ful *not on the camoua. Why
wouldn’t the ruins provide the per-
fect background for the nageant
depicting Christ’s last few days on
earth? Each study of the stones
convinced him more strongly that
Ms plan was a good one. __
One dismal day in the autumn
of 1939 Dr. Singleton huzzed his
secretary to call the director of
drama for a consultation. A short
time later Miss Cynthia Sorv walk-
ed into the nresident’s office to
hoor Dr Singleton’s plans
“Ceitld you produce such a pag-
eant ■?” he"V>ked after Ms rte-
serint.ion of what lie wanted.
"TH try.” she answered.
“Can you do H on $25? That’s
all we can spend.” V - .
1 t
Agalft the professor answdred morning dew and ate late
ffi '•
V
\
that she woud try and when she
left the executive office she clutch-
ed a $25 check and a big problem.
Until Easter the camnus echoed
with the orchestra’s rehearsing a
Stainer cantata grid selections
from Gounod’s “The Redemption.”
Miss Kathrvne McNew. director of
ehoral music, put the chorus
through its paces in some original
Recitatives end selections from
Handel’s “The Messiah.” and the
speech teacher. Miss Thelma Roe-
buck. helned plan the continuity.
Biggest burden of production fell
boon Miss Sorv’s shoulders. She
made the question of how to cos-
tume Roman soldiers with helmets
gnd armor and to equip them with
swords a class problem for her stu-
dents In costuming and make-un.
To her beginning drama students
•he assigned research in New Test-
ament. costumes sod to other
sneech students she banded the lob
ef salvaging enough doth for robes
.end jackets.
The $25 check was cashed to buy
dyes for coloring robes, wood from
which students were to whittle
•words, straw hats from which ad-
vanced students fashioned helmets
end aluminum paint to tint thefe
properties. What the director lack-
ed in purchasing power she made
up in ingenuity and improviaion.
The weeks of preparation were
small obstacles compared with the
eries of objection and letters of
nrotast which came to the presi-
dential mail box at Baylor station
and which buzzed over the tele-
phone dally. One ot the members
of the community suggested,
“Won’t it be sacrihgioiw tor one
ef our girl# to portray Christ?”
To this and other objections, the
president replied with another
oueation, "How about the millions
of ministers who try te interpret
Christ through word picture* eech
Sunday? They portray through
words.” The objector lrft ^ithout
further ado.
Several weeks before Easter a
committee of faculty members
and student leaders selected the
students they believed had most
nearly lived the roles into which
they were to be cast This group
also took into consideration the
physical make-up and acting ex-
wa* twice cast in the role of John.
Throughout the history of the
pageant only one girl has played
the rqle of Christ two consecutive
years. She wns Euodia Flagg, a
graduate of 1943.
Changes have »Tso taken place in
the pageant itself. From the first
production with its five scenes and
50 cast members, the play has ex-
panded until it. now employs ap-
proximately 200 persons in 15
scenes. The five tableaux of the
first presentation M took place in
front of the bleak" stone walls of
Luther hall. Last year a scene in
Pilate’s palace was presented on
the portico of Wilson Administra-
tion building with its Doric col-
umns, and the grove of oak trees
which separates this building from
the ruins became the garden of
Gathsomane. When dialogue Was
added jn 1942. two other innova-
tions made their debuts to .become
standard parts of the pageant tra-
dition. Spectators for the third
presentation trampled through
perience of their nominees. Out of
this parley Eloise Moss, now Mrs.
George E. Stewart of San MarcOs.
Tex., was selected to fill the role of
Christ. No try-outs were held be-
fore final casting was made. The
me procedure has been followed
r casting throughout the history
of the pageant.
How about
'Don’t students
they road notices that they have
been selected for these unsavory
parte? “On the contrary." states a
senior drama student. "Tho girls
who draw these roles usually feel
1*
re real
i of the
Mary, but
Gounod's ’’Faust,” witl
DiStefano, Nadine Cor
gLLT
with Wilfred Pelletier
Saturday night, Apr
breakfasts in order to attend the
sunrise portrayal of the last five
days of Christ’s life on earth. A
mob opening scene showing the
triumphal entry of Jesus into Jeru-
salem was started bv the parting
of the iron gates while the chorus
sang “Fling Wide the Gates.” On-
to the campus marched approxi-
mately 160 students robed in color-
ful garments and swinging palm
fronds. This groQp skirted the
gravel drive to Luther ruins, in
front of which the remainder
of the scenes were played. This
opening scene is still used.
Only a handful of peoole attend-
ed the 1940 pageant. The number
of people who swarmed the campus
Easter morning increased to ap-
proximately 700 in 1940 and to
approximately 2,500 in 1949. An
estimated 5,000 persons are ex-
pected te be on hand for the 11th
presentation this year.
With the spreading of fame of
the pageant, the wave of objection
seemed to diminish. Even Miss.
Emilie Johnson, who directed the'1
pageant six years, became con-
vinced.
“At first I felt hesitant at hav-
ing a person portray Christ. I
wondered if we might not use
scenes which only suggested the
Diety without His actually appear-
ing. However after realising that
this person is chosen with particu-
lar care according to her Christian
character, and after working with
the entire east and seeing the com-
plete spiritual participation I have
fe|t much better about the por-
traval,” she stated.
Miss Johnson, who- is with the
department of drama at Florida
State University now, saw the pro-
duction through many of its hard-
ships. “When I arrived T had one
Robert* L. Pewitt
Reburial Sunday
In Bridgeport
Reburial services for Robert L.
Pewitt were held in the First
Methodist Church in Bridgeport
Sunday afternoon at 2:80 o’clock.
Full military honors were accord-
ed the World War II hero by the
American Legion Post of Bridge-
port and the Cadets of Tarleton
State College.
Rev. Philip W. Walker, pastor of
The First Methodist Chursh of
Denton, where the Pewitt family
now resides, officiated. Scripture
was read hy Rev. Walter Vander-
pool, district superintendent, and
the choir sang “Whispering Hope.”
Rev. John Ferguson offered prayer
and Miss Sally Maxwell of Denton
sang “Be Still My Soul.” George
Shiels of Stephenville pajil a trib-
ute to the memory of the beloved
young min and the Rev. and Mrs.
Travis Darby of .Bridgeport sang
“Beyond the Sunset.”
Pewitt was killed May 19, 1942,
when his aircraft was shot down
during aerial combat oyer Ger-
man-held territory during World
Was- II. He was pilot of a Spitfire
in the American Eagle Squadron of
the Royal Air Force. As squadrqq
commander, he was leading a
A* Christ falls an the ground under the weight of the Cross, he is wept over by Mary the
Mother. This scene from the 1947 production shews Bcttye Moye Littlejohn as the mother
antf Virginia Tapscott is cast as Christ.
A portion of the crowd in front of Luther ruins to witness the 1949 production of the Mary
Hardin-Baylor Easter pageant. Approximately 5,000 persons are expected to attend the pun-
rise presentation this year.
“Wild Mary” Well
Gets New Test
OKLAHOMA CITY, March 24—
(UP)-—An electronic “eye” was
lowered into a famous oil well to-
day to determine -whether rich
veins of oil sand were overlooked
20 years ago in the excitement of
discovering a new field.
The “eye” surveyed underground
formations pierced by a drilling
bit in 1930. The gadget is technic-
ally known as a radioactivity well-
logging device.
The t*
test was at the No. 1 Mary
Sudik—“Wild Mary” that ran out
of control from March 20 until
April 6, 1930, while 10,000,000
cubic feet of gas‘per dag was losri
The raging gusher attracted world-
wide interest.
“Wild Mary” was the first big
producer from the fabulous Wilcox
sand in the Oklahoma City oil field.
The one well has produced 300,000
barrels of oil and the field as a
whole has produced more than 500
million barrels. Now the field's pro-
duction ia 12,500 barrels a day
from 420 writs.
Atomic Scientists
In Britian Refuse
To Make H-Bomb
LONDON, March 24 (UP) —
Two British, atomic scientists said
today they would refuse to help de-
velop a hydrogen super-bomb be-
cause it is “too disgusting."
Another called on Britain and
Western Europe to withdraw from
the North Atlantic fact and de-
mand universal disarmament.
A fourth said the world’s bright-
est hop& is that the H-bomb will
very nearly, but not quite, work.
Then, he said, everybody should be
satisfied.
Friday, MatVh !J4. 1950
■
Stephenville Daily Empire—3
Olivia De Havilland, Broderick Crawford
Win ‘Oscars’ In 22nd Annual Affair
By VIRGINIA MscPHERSON
I'nUd r>«< Hollywood Correspondent
HOLLYWOOD. March 24, (UP)
—Oliria de Havilland, winner of
two "Oscars” in three years, and
Broderick Cm wfo’-d. who’s Been
kicking around in Westerns fov 12,
are sitting on ton of the movie
worid tod*v as Hollywood’s “best
actress and actor” for 1949.
The dark-eved ster, beautiful
and dignified in billowing white
ot-p-endy snrinkled with seonin
daisies, collected her second “Os-
car” l“«t night. She won it for her
rol* of the love-starved maiden in
“The Heiress.”
This her to the «eloct society
do'’h,e-*nva>'d win*'o*-s. with
Bo*t.e Davis and Luise Rainer the
or>lv other ownero »f two “best
nctroes” statues, Mic,s de Havilland
rot her first e»»e three years ago
foz."To.E“ch Hia 0«m«” t ,
fnr '-sv to Politician
f’rptvfovd’s trb’tnnh cme rhw
he talked himself out of cowhov
movies and into the winning > nb> of
•> crooked ooiiticinn in “All Tho
K’-e’s Men.”
That same nir*nro won another
group of pianes on a raid on Mann- ; “Ooo~>” as the “best movie of the
eheim, second largest port in Ger- ' year,"
many, when he was shot down. | Awards for best supnortiug aot-
He was buried in Broolyvood i ’*** and actor went to Mevcedes
Cemetery in Surrey, England. ] McCambridge, for her work »s the
Memorial services were held here j fest-taUrine secretary in “All The
May 22, 1942. Robert graduated Fings Men.” sod r>ean .Tagger, for
his portrayal of the kindly-. h«|d-
V major m “Twelve Q’eleek
Ilivh.”
Best director of the year was
Tcsonb T„ MnaView’cz for “A Let-
ter to Thre<> Wives.”
No Surprise
The five top winners this year
came a« a eomnlete surprise to
practically nobody, but all, the
winners were jubilant as their
names echoed through the star-
studded Hollywood Pantages Thea-
ter in “2nd annuel academy awards
festivities last night.
All the winners, that is, except
Miss de Havilland.
News of1 her victory sent the
2,800 spectators into a thunderous
iiig than the first time—but hi a
different way. The second time
you win is such an unbelievable
experience. It’s like being in a
dream.”
Crawford said he didn’t get to
keep his “Oscar” long.
“My wife took it home,” he grin-
ned. “She want* to make aure I
don’t lose It. I never thought I’d
make it down the aiale. My mother,
(Helen Broderick) is home sitting
with the kids. She said she couldn't
stand the atrain of sitting through
It.”
Crawford’s acceptance speech
was brief, ,
“I was told not to thank any-
body,” he beamed. "But I would
like to thank ail of you—and es-
!>ccially thank God!”
Although rotton is grown in 60
countries, more than half the
worht’B snppfy somes from - the
United State* alone.
from Stephenville High School and
Tarleton State College.
Survivors include his parents,
one sister, Mrs. A. T. Sturkie of
Newport, R.I.; one brother, Ed L.
Pewitt of Lancaster; three nieces
and one nephew.
Pallbearers were John Howard
of Hamlin, Bob Lilly of Edinburg,
Roy Mitchell of Carrollton, Buster
Coleman of Wichita Falls, R. L.
Simmons of Fort Worth and James
Roase of Lubbock.
Attending from. Stephenville
were President E. J. Howell of
Tarleton State College, Registrar
J. E. Tompkins, Maj. George J.
Ganer, Albert Blair,
company
commander, C- A. Wilkins, Roger
Hoestenbach, Jim Milligan, John j ovation. But instead of r unning
Suber, John Disharoon, Chris down the aisle to the stage she
Kounts and Michael Schuester, who walked sedately and slowly,, No
made up the firing squad and j sign of a smile flashed from her
George Shiels and Mines. C. S. face.
King, Linnie Smith and Winnie ) “I have always tried,” she said,
Stoddard. I cradling “Osear No. 2” in her
___ | arms like a baby, “to venture for-
Kerrville Visitors j ward. Thank you for the very gen-
Mrs. Margaret Porter and j e.rous assurance that I have not en-
I daughter, Miss Jolene, of Kertville r tirely failed.”
I spent the week-end here with her j Like a Dream
Mr. and Mrs. Elton Miakell and 'cousins, Mrs. Meda Matthews and i Backstage she unbent a little
daughter, Ann, visited 'Sunday in Miss Beulah Johnson. Mrs. Porter I more.
De Leon with her parents, Mr. and | owns and operates the KerrVille “I was terribly surprised,” sho
Mrs. Jesse Morris. 'Furniture Company. said. “This was much mote excit-
■M
A BRIGHT NEW STAR —
That’s lovely Nancy Olson.
Paramount’s new find gets
star billing In “Mr. Music”
with Bing Crosby and Roth
Hussey and also will be seen
In “Sunset Boulevard” with
William Holden and Gloria
Swanson.
OH* Sri
--I
:J3L
Won’t Be So Funny
To Engineer Now
HOUSTON, March 24 (UP)—A
freight train engineer who spurn-
ed pleas to move his train so fire
trucks Could answer an emergency
call, was blamed today for the de-
struction of a warehouse.
Witnesses said the engineer “just
laughed” when the firemen begged
him to clear the tracks and allow
them to cross.
From where they were( the fire-
men could see flames shoot up from
the paint stored in the warehouse.
Max Ladin, superintendent of
the firm, said he ran alongside the
train and pleaded with the engi-
neer to increase his speed.
“He just laughed,” Ladin said.
“He even stopped the train to look
at the fire.” 7
Ladin said the warehouse was not
covered by insurance and would
have to be rebuilt.
"Pure vinegar will clean the cel-
luloid windows of your car cur-
tains,” is one of the timely tips
listed among "things worth know-
ing” in the 1926 edition of the
R-nd McNally Auto Road Atlas.
sheet of paper on which were
written the names of the pageant'
scenes and suggestions for music
to gnide me,” she recalled. She
composed the dialogue which is
still used although a new scene
Is added each year.
Wherever Big News is
breaking there is a United
Press reporter covering it.
Getting his facts first-hand
writing them for Page One.
Here are some of these
;wsmen on the scene
I
j
' j
ME.
SEA ISLAND, Ga.—Reporter, report, reported.'
William H. Burson, of United Press, shews Winston
Churchill s octreis doughter Sarah, and her new t
husband, Anthony Beauchamp, his story of their
wedding the day before.
THE WORLD'S BIST COVERAGE
OF THE WORLD'S BIGGEST NEWS
X
news
PARIS — U. P. correspondent
Haynes Thompson obtains a state-
ment from Secretary of State Dean
Acheson, at he arrive* at the air-
port, on WesternGermon problems
he expects to discuss with French
and British foreign ministers.
SEOUL, Korea — Premier Syngman
Rhee, in the garden of hit official res-
idence, comments on Far Eastern of-
falrs to U. PA Earnest Hoberecht.
Metropolitan Grand Opera Will Make
Ninth Visit To Dallas April 28-30
The non-profit Dallas Grand Op-
era Association, composing that
city’s top civic leaders, will bring
New York’s famed Metropolitan
Opera Company to State Fair Park
Auditorium April 28 to 30. This
will be the ninth visit to Dallas of
the celebrated musical organization
since 1989. Each spring music-lov-
ers come from 28 states and Mex-
ico, as well as some 300 Texas
towns, to hear the Met In Danas.
The 1950 season will offer:
Friday night, April 28, Doni-
zetti’a “The,Elixir Of Love,” with
pn.ro » T„J.«« Bid* Sayao, Ferruccio Tagliavini,
intents ffri insulted when IUk> *®d Pm1* Lon«h»«f.
udente^froMnjralted with Giuseppe Antonicelli conduct-
Saturday matinee, April
Gounod’s “Fuqai,” with Gi
o, Nad&ie Connor,
Jerome
conducting.
_______Puc-
cini's “Toscs,” presenting the sen-
European soprano,
supported by Rlch-
Bvud,
29,
ngidTte'rtw p*L $8*9’f^Wfcwy
Supday afternoon, April 30,
Saint-Saens’ “Samson Et Dalita,”
with Rise Stevens, Ramon Vinay
and Robert Merrill, with Emil
Cooper conducting.
The Metropolitan Opera Ballot
will be seen in “Faust” and “Sam-
son Et Dalila.”
W. J. Brown, former city coun-
cilman and prominent civic leader,
has been elected president of the
Dallas Grand Opera Association to
succeed the late Arthur L. Kramer,
founder and president for eleven
years. His son, Arthur L. Kramer
Jr., has been named executive vico-
pterideat. \
The •*sedation opened offices at
1203 Elm St., Dal,as, on MTindny.
March 20, to handle mail orders for
seat reservations. So that all pa-
trons wiM have equal opportunity
in obtaining tickets, no orders were
te be accepted before that date,
officials announced. On and after
March 20, orders were to be filled
strictly in sequence of receipt. The
ticket scale, including tax, will bd:
$7/80 and $6.60 for lower floor
BMts; and $6.60, $5.40, $4.20 and
II
WASHINGTON - In genial mood is Field Marshal Vis-
count Sernard l. Montgomery, chief ef armed forces
of Europe's Western Union, as he chats with U. P.'s
Dayton Moore. Smiling at Montgomery's remarks are
a former U. P. reporter, Deputy Secretary of Defense
Stephen T. Early, and General Omar N. Bradley, chair-
man ef U. S. joint chiefs of staff.
CLEVELAND — Smiling longshoremen's union
labor leader Harry Bridges, followed by un-
smiling companions, tells Robert loin, of U. P.,
left, why he it walking out o(,the CIO con»H-
tutional convention.
Read United Press dispatches daily in
STEPHENVILLE DAILY EMPIRE
A
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Stephenville Daily Empire (Stephenville, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 145, Ed. 1 Friday, March 24, 1950, newspaper, March 24, 1950; Stephenville, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1133466/m1/3/: accessed August 15, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Dublin Public Library.