Remarks at a White House
Reception for the
Good
evening, and welcome to the White House. Tonight we gather in this grand old
house to pay tribute to six men and women to whom we Americans and, indeed,
millions around the world find ourselves deeply in debt. Others in the life of
our nation have seen to our material needs -- built our roads, constructed our
cities, given us our daily bread. Still others have seen to the life of the
mind -- founding our universities and expanding knowledge in every field. But
these six -- these six are artists. And as such, they've performed a different
and singular task: to see to the deepest needs of the heart.
As
a young man, Anthony Tudor began a
Fifty-nine
years have passed since an 11-year-old boy, holding a violin, walked to center
stage and electrified a
Intensely
interested in literature, architecture, and a host of other fields, Mr. Menuhin has written: ``May we become better violinists,
scientists, artists, writers, and above all better human beings by enlarging
and enriching our personal needs to include each others.'' Yehudi
Meî*ERR18*Ein, for all that
you've given to the world as a musician and a man, I thank you.
When
you mention Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy, director
Mike Nichols has written: ``You are not talking about
limousines, black tie dinners, or star-studded openings. You're talking about
sweating under lights, drilling words long into the night, turning up for every
performance, every rehearsal, anywhere, always.'' In honoring Mr. Cronyn and Miss Tandy, we celebrate two separate lifetimes
of achievement. We think of Mr. Cronyn in plays like
``High Tor'' and films like Hitchcock's classic,
``Shadow of a Doubt.'' We remember Miss Tandy's countless performances,
including her Ophelia opposite Gielgud in his
historic ``Hamlet'' and, of course, her magnificent, heart-stopping Blanche DuBois opposite Marlon Brando in
``A Streetcar Named Desire.''
But
we celebrate, as well, a theatrical partnership, from their 1951 performances
together in ``The Fourposter'' to ``The Gin Game'' in
the late 1970's to the new Steven Spielberg film that the Cronyns
began filming this autumn. Asked how they could keep it up, how they could both
live and work together, Miss Tandy answered: ``We're
safe. I can't play him, and he can't play me.'' [Laughter] And through it all,
the Cronyns have shown such utter dedication to the
theatre, such total, absorbing professionalism. Again, in the words of one who
knows them well: ``They never stop working. They never
leave anything to chance.'' Hume Cronyn, Jessica
Tandy, for these many decades during which you've worked so hard to give the
gifts of enlightenment and pleasure, we thank you.
Ray
Charles Robinson was born into a South scarred by segregation. By age 8, Ray
Charles was blind. By his midteens, he was an orphan.
By age 50, he would be forced to free himself from an addiction to drugs. But
there has always been something in him that could not be held down, something
that finds life-giving beauty in rhythm and melody and tone. Today Ray Charles
is known the world over for his infusion of gospel fervor into rhythm and blues
and rock and roll and for the quality -- the sheer lilting, rolling musicial quality of his singing. One hit alone, ``
When
the first can of film arrived from
In
childhood, Lucille Ball loved going to vaudeville shows and movies, then
reenacting the performances she had just seen. At 15 she left upstate
When
it went on the air in 1951, ``I Love Lucy'' became the number one show within 6
months. It says something about the show's hold on the country that on the
occasion of little Ricky's birth more people turned on ``I Love Lucy'' than
watched the inauguration of Dwight Eisenhower. [Laughter] And I know that Miss
Ball would want us to pay tribute tonight to the man who produced ``I Love
Lucy'' and starred in it with her, one who meant so much to Lucy and all of us,
the late Desi Arnaz. [Applause]
``I Love Lucy'' was followed by more movies, including the 1974 production of
``Mame,'' and by three more television shows: ``The
Lucy Show,'' ``Here's Lucy,'' and this year's ``Life With
Lucy.''
It's
no secret that Lucy is a friend of Nancy's and mine, and as far as I'm
concerned, this redheaded bundle of energy is perhaps the finest comedienne of
our time. And if I seem to get carried away, you'll have to excuse me. You see,
after all these years, just like every American and millions more around the
world, I still love Lucy. [Laughter]
Perhaps
it's the preeminent work of the artist to speak to us about reality. For true
art is never created out of nothing; it's already there, just unseen and
unappreciated, waiting for the craft of the artist to show it to us. We walk
from place to place unthinkingly. Then we see the beauty of a dancer upon a
stage, and we never look at the human form in quite the same way again. Even
the everyday routine of family life contains immense drama and humor; and in watching
a program like the one we've been talking about, ``I Love Lucy,'' for a moment
we can all enjoy it together.
Lucille
Ball, Ray Charles, Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy, Yehudi Menuhin, and Antony Tudor -- to all of you we give this evening, this night
of honor. It's the least we can do after all that each of you has given to each
of us. God bless you.
Note:
The President spoke at