RIP Clive Barnes
Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2008 11:46 am
Longtime theater and dance critic for the New York Post and, before that, the New York Times.
Age 81.
Age 81.
Clive Barnes was the first person I ever heard referred to as "educated beyond his intelligence."
He gave a bad review to a Thornton Wilder play on Broadway, which was not surprising as apparently he was known for not being a Wilder fan.
Must have been the Bridge of San Luis Rey, as Ricardo Montalban was in it, but I don't remember that for sure.
Montalban was the Mystery Guest on What's My Line, and someone on the panel asked him about the review. Montalban dismissed it and then used the "educated beyond his intellgence" line. It struck me as very theatrical -- what would make you criticize so harshly one of the best-known critics of the day, unless you were trying for an effect? They probably laughed about it over drinks later.
I'm not a Wilder fan either, but I don't have to go to plays like Barnes did. I wonder what it would take for a critic to get out of going to a play he knows he's not going to like. Or maybe a better question is, can the producers bar a critic they know they're going to get panned by?
Anyway, RIP, Mr. Barnes.