Unchanged By Clothes, Ann Corio Still 'Loves Harvard'

Insisting that "going legitimate" hasn't changed her, Ann Corio promises her Harvard admirers that she still loves them, that she hopes they still love her, and that wearing clothes doesn't "hamper me at all."

Miss Corio received her interviewer in the privacy of her dressing room while she was preparing for her first Boston performance of "White Cargo," at the Plymouth Theatre Monday night.

Time Magazine certainly scored a bullseye recently when it said, "Fundamentally sweet and wholesome, she is extremely well read, keenly interested in current affairs." The Crimson reporter found also that, as Time continued, she "is perfectly at ease when conversing with any person of culture."

Knows Her Audience

Changing from burlesque to "White Cargo" was not very difficult, Miss Corio said, because she has sufficient experience in stage presence, timing and audience reaction. Audiences, she said, are the same everywhere as far as she is concerned.

Stage speaking was all the ex-eedy-siast had to learn to play the part of Tondeleyo, but this required serious study. "You'd be surprised at what comes out when you get on a stage," said the former premiere striptease.

The arrival of tremendous box of flowers diverted the star's attention from her discussion of stage techniques. Obviously thrilled, she exclaimed, "Oh, I bet I know who that's from! That's from Al, my boss at the Old Howard. Well, if I ever get lonesome, I can always walk down the street."

Talking of the Old Howard made her think of Harvard. She feels sure that students will be perfectly at home seeing her in her new tropical role. "I'm still the same Ann Corio even with some clothes on. The old saying 'you can't graduate from Hahverd until you've seen Ann Corio' still holds, I hope.

"Everybody knows that Hahverd is my favorite. Why, I tell that to the boys from Pennsylvania, and even from Yale when they interview me."

Miss Corio's love for Cantabridgians is something more substantial than the stock answer to a stock question, since she has known some "quite well, but of course it wouldn't be right to mention names."

Only one change was made in "White Cargo" when it came to the Plymouth for its one week stand. "It seems my clothes got too disarranged in the hot love scene at the end of the second act. Well, that's been toned down so my clothes stay put. I guess I'll just have to wear a smaller sarong.