:01:05
The Sarah Siddons Award
is perhaps unknown to you.
:01:09
It has been spared the sensational publicity
:01:12
of such questionable honours
as the Pulitzer Prize
:01:15
and those awards presented annually
by that... film society.
:01:20
The distinguished-Iooking gentleman
is an extremely old actor.
:01:24
Being an actor,
he will go on speakingfor some time.
:01:27
It is not important thatyou hear what he says.
:01:30
However, it is important thatyou know
where you are and why you are here.
:01:35
This is the dining hall
of the Sarah Siddons Society.
:01:38
It is the annual banquet and presentation
of the highest honour our theatre has:
:01:43
the Sarah Siddons Awardfor
Distinguished Achievement.
:01:47
These hallowed walls,
indeed many of these faces,
:01:50
have looked upon Modjeska,
Ada Rehan and Minnie Fiske.
:01:54
Mansfield's voice filled this room.
:01:57
It is unlikely that the windows
have been opened since his death.
:02:01
The minor awards, as you can see,
have already been presented.
:02:06
Minor awards are for such
as the writer and director,
:02:09
since they merely construct a tower
:02:12
so that the world can applaud
a light which flashes on top of it.
:02:16
And no brighter light has ever
dazzled the eye than Eve Harrington.
:02:20
Eve... but more of Eve later.
:02:23
All about Eve, in fact.
:02:25
To those who do not read, attend the theatre,
listen to unsponsored radio programmes
:02:31
or know anything of the world
in which you live,
:02:34
it is perhaps necessary to introduce myself.
:02:37
My name is Addison DeWitt.
:02:39
My native habitat is the theatre.
In it, I toil not. Neither do I spin.
:02:45
I am a critic and commentator.
:02:47
I am essential to the theatre.
:02:50
This is Karen Richards.
:02:52
She is the wife of a playwright,
therefore of the theatre by marriage.
:02:56
Nothing in her background should have
brought her closer to the stage than Row E.