Barretts of Wimpole Street, The

Barretts of Wimpole Street, The (1931), a British play by Rudolf Besier. [Empire Theatre, 372 perf.] Dealing with the courtship of Elizabeth Barrett by her fellow poet Robert Browning, it was produced by and starred Katharine Cornell. Brian Aherne was Browning and Charles Waldron was Elizabeth's father. It gave Cornell her most famous role. The often acid Dorothy Parker wrote in The New Yorker, that Cornell “is a completely lovely Elizabeth Barrett—far lovelier than the original, I fear. It is little wonder that Miss Cornell is so worshipped; she has that thing we need, and we so seldom have, in our actresses; she has romance . . . she has glamour.” After its New York run it was taken first on a twenty‐week “short” tour, then on a longer tour during the 1933–34 season, at a time when few shows played anything but major cities. On Christmas night the production was supposed to open in Seattle, but the company's train, delayed by washouts, did not arrive until 11:15. When she was advised that the entire audience was still waiting, Cornell agreed to perform. The final curtain did not come down until nearly four in the morning.