Books: Without a Script

A GIFT OF JOY by Helen Hayes. 254 pages. Evans-Lippincott. $4.95.

In the minds of U.S. theatergoers, both Katharine Cornell and Lynn Fontanne may have an equal claim to the title of Queen Emeritus of the American stage. But among the general public, there is no question that it is Helen Hayes who holds the title, for Helen Hayes storms more barns, writes more magazine articles and, more important, has shared both her joys and her sorrows with a wider audience. Now she has published a volume of reminiscences and reflections. She includes tributes to Shakespeare and her bibulous, ebullient husband, Playwright Charles MacArthur; paeans to the pleasures of walking, gardening, solitude, work and old age; recollections of her favorite performances—all interspersed with illustrative passages from her favorite authors. The book has already, prepublication, sold some 75,000 copies, but when he gets it, the reader may find that, speaking without a script, Helen has little to say.