• AA Literature
    • A.A. Big Book
      • A.A. Big Book (164 Pages)
      • Big Book Stories Edition 1
      • Big Book Stories Edition 2
    • A.A. Preamble
    • Singleness of Purpose
    • A.A. 12 Steps
    • A.A. 12 Traditions
    • A.A. 12 Concepts
    • 12 Traditions Checklist
    • 9th Step Promises (Pg 83/84)
    • The Serenity Prayer
    • Principles Of The Program
    • I Am Responsible
    • The Page Of Prayers
  • A.A. History
    • The Emmanuel Movement
    • The Washingtonians
    • Magazine & Newspaper Articles
    • Narrative Of A.A. Timeline
    • Timelines In A.A. History
    • Manuscript Of A.A. World History – Bob P.
    • Place And Things In AA History
    • Who’s Who In A.A. History
    • Big Book Story Authors
    • Writings Of A.A. Members
  • Influential Books
    • A.A. Big Book (164 Pages)
    • Big Book Stories Edition 1
    • Big Book Stories Edition 2
    • Mel B’s Library
    • Dick B.’s Library
    • The Greatest Thing In The World
    • The Varieties Of Religious Experiences
    • In His Steps
    • As A Man Thinketh
    • When Man Listens
    • John Barleycorn
    • The Confessions Of Saint Augustine (13 Books)
    • Religion, Clergy & A.A.
  • Free Stuff
    • Free Audiobooks & Speaker Tapes
    • Videos Of Bill Wilson
    • The PDF Project (1000+ PDF’s)
    • Free AA Apps For iPhone
    • Free AA Apps For Android
    • Free 12 Step Toolkit App
  • AA Literature
    • A.A. Big Book
      • A.A. Big Book (164 Pages)
      • Big Book Stories Edition 1
      • Big Book Stories Edition 2
    • A.A. Preamble
    • Singleness of Purpose
    • A.A. 12 Steps
    • A.A. 12 Traditions
    • A.A. 12 Concepts
    • 12 Traditions Checklist
    • 9th Step Promises (Pg 83/84)
    • The Serenity Prayer
    • Principles Of The Program
    • I Am Responsible
    • The Page Of Prayers
  • A.A. History
    • The Emmanuel Movement
    • The Washingtonians
    • Magazine & Newspaper Articles
    • Narrative Of A.A. Timeline
    • Timelines In A.A. History
    • Manuscript Of A.A. World History – Bob P.
    • Place And Things In AA History
    • Who’s Who In A.A. History
    • Big Book Story Authors
    • Writings Of A.A. Members
  • Influential Books
    • A.A. Big Book (164 Pages)
    • Big Book Stories Edition 1
    • Big Book Stories Edition 2
    • Mel B’s Library
    • Dick B.’s Library
    • The Greatest Thing In The World
    • The Varieties Of Religious Experiences
    • In His Steps
    • As A Man Thinketh
    • When Man Listens
    • John Barleycorn
    • The Confessions Of Saint Augustine (13 Books)
    • Religion, Clergy & A.A.
  • Free Stuff
    • Free Audiobooks & Speaker Tapes
    • Videos Of Bill Wilson
    • The PDF Project (1000+ PDF’s)
    • Free AA Apps For iPhone
    • Free AA Apps For Android
    • Free 12 Step Toolkit App
home/Alcoholics Anonymous/Other Articles/Religion, Clergy & A.A.

01-012 Alcoholics Anonymous On Broadway (Condensed From Variety) Catholic Digest, Vol. 9(7): 79-80, May, 1945

12 views 0 aa

CATHOLIC DIGEST, Vol. 9(7): 79-80, May, 1945

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS ON BROADWAY
(condensed from variety)

Alcoholics Anonymous has come to Broadway. The organization that has helped lift 12,000 drunks onto the water wagon, many of them straight from the gutter, is now established in a new clubhouse on W. 41st. St., a few minutes from Times Square.

It is the old Knox Memorial, Collegiate chapel, Reformed Church of America. Inside, church pews are lined up, and the Christ looks out over the audience benevolently from a stained-glass window. But here the church similarity ends. Men and women sit around smoking, waiting for the program to begin. You look around, and see faces of persons you know, some famous, some of whom have been on Broadway, in the amusement world in general, for years.

Here is a great actress. If you as much as hinted at the play in which she had been famous, almost everyone would know her as well as if you printed the name in black capital letters. A man behind you speaks in a voice you have heard before. Sure enough, he is a formerly famous radio personality. And that man who just walked in, the one in the Navy officer’s uniform, you find out later that he is a lieutenant commander just back from two years in the Pacific. He is an old friend, an old newspaper colleague; you stood at a bar together often in the old days.

But here, they are all fellow members of A.A. Among themselves, they sometimes drop their anonymity. As your newspaper friend did, when he got up to address the audience a little later. You know the history of his drinking very well, and wonder how much of it he will tell. But he tells it all. And you say to yourself; if they’re all as honest as he, they’re honest indeed.

Honesty is the quality that stands out among these people. For honesty is the approach to their method for curing themselves. They have a 12 Step program. Boiled down, their program calls upon drunks to admit to themselves first of all that they are drunks, who can’t handle their liquor. Then they are advised to analyze their own personalities and find out what made them that way; adjust their personal relations to normal life; depend upon some power outside themselves to help them stay sober; work with other alcoholics, to help cure the latter and help stabilize themselves.

This matter of depending upon some outside power, that gets some of them down; it sounds like religious evangelism. But it isn’t anything of the kind. These are not religious fanatics nor zealots. They are men and women of the world for the greater part, some of whom had been much too blase. They know the score.

There isn’t anybody around the joint sprouting wings. The “testimonials” that are given are intended only to add point to the A.A. program, to show that it really works. And there is no doubt that it does.

Social workers speak highly of the movement. The section on neurology and psychiatry of the New York State Medical society has run articles in its official journal about the work of A.A. Prominent psychiatrists have given it their endorsement. And, of course, religious leaders have blessed it. All have agreed that Alcoholics Anonymous is the McCoy.

There are more than 300 branches all over the country, about 30 in the New York metropolitan area alone, and a headquarters in Hollywood, too. At the 41st St. clubhouse there are billiard and card rooms, a library and a writing room where members can relax, good fellowship, and all the appurtenances of any good club, except a bar. For one thing is insisted upon by A.A.: don’t come to the club drunk or with liquor on your breath. A.A. knows that some of the members slip some times; these are helped to get back to ‘dryness again. But they may not come to the club until they have stopped drinking, no matter how recently.

The evening spent with the A.A. was exhilarating. You wonder: would these people care to have you talk about their work? You decide to ask the secretary. A woman near by, an actress hears the inquiry. The secretary let her answer: “Yes, do talk about our work. Show people will read it in Variety. They’ll know we’re neither crackpots nor zealots, but just people, including people from show business who have licked an important personal problem, and want to help others.”

Tags:aaalcoholics anonymous1945other articlesreligion clergy and aacatholic digest

Was this helpful?

Yes  No
Related Articles
  • 01-108 Liberation Spirituality: 60 Years Of A.A., By Neil J. Carr. America, Vol. 172(21), 20-22, June 17, 1995
  • 01-107 Dethroning King Alcohol: Spiritual Steps To Freedom, By Ruth Gledhill. The Tablet, Vol. 249, 104-107, January 28, 1995
  • 01-106 12 Step Programs Work For Many, Not All, By Dawn Gibeau. National Catholic Reporter, Vol. 38: 25, January 21, 1994
  • 01-105 The Clergy’s Role In A.A.’s Fifth Step, By Jack O’Neill. The Priest, Vol. 49: 19-20, March, 1993
  • 01-104 The Spirituality Of Surrender, By John P. Mossi. Review For Religious, Vol. 52: 842-848, Nov./Dec., 1993
  • 01-103 Addiction, Recovery And God, By Irving B. Mace. Living Prayer, Vol. 26(1): 26-26, Jan./Feb., 1993
Popular Articles
  • Matthew J. R., My Hero
  • The Story Behind The Books Signed By Chuck C. And Clancy I
  • Carrying The Message Into Correctional Facilities
  • World Call, June 1941
  • A.A. And Court Programs
KB Categories
  • Literature 12
    • Big Book 18
    • Big Book Stories Edition 1 29
    • Big Book Stories Edition 2 40
    • A.A. Prayers 10
    • The Big Book Concordance 27
    • The Original Manuscript Of AA. 16
    • The First A.A. Pamphlet 8
  • Writings Of A.A. Members 0
    • Bill W. 19
      • Let's Ask Bill W. 41
      • Bill W. On The 12 Traditions 16
      • Letters – To Jim Burwell From Bill Wilson 18
      • Letters – To Bill Wilson From Jim Burwell 3
      • Talks At General Service Conferences 31
        • Alcoholic Foundation 4
      • Grapevine Articles Of Bill W. 33
        • Grapevine – 12 Traditions Of A.A. 16
        • Grapevine – 12 Steps Of AA 2
    • Lois W. 7
    • Doctor Bob 10
    • Henry G. (Hank P. 2
    • Clarence S. 6
    • Bill D. 2
    • Ebby Thacher 2
    • Others 13
      • Letters – To Jim Burwell From Bill Wilson 18
      • Letters – To Bill Wilson From Jim Burwell 3
  • Al-Anon 14
  • Research & Study 13
    • Dr. William Duncan Silkworth M.D. 11
      • Grapevine Articles Of Dr. William Silkworth 5
    • A Narrative Of Timeline Of A.A. History 33
    • Timelines In A.A. History 14
    • Timelines Of Historic A.A. Events 1
    • Manuscript Of A.A. World History, 1985 – By Bob P. 23
    • Magazine And Newspaper Articles 148
    • People In A.A.'s History 27
    • Place And Things In AA History 13
    • The Washingtonians 31
      • Grapevine Articles Of The Washingtonians 15
    • The Emmanuel Movement 12
    • Big Book Story Author's 78
    • Whos's Who In A.A.'s History 23
    • Big Book Changes 1
    • Tiebout Papers 6
    • AA Growth 72
    • Charlie Bishop Jr. 3
    • A.A. History – News Articles 8
      • Cleveland Plain Dealer 8
    • Gresham's Law And Alcoholics Anonymous 5
  • The PDF Project (1000+ PDF's 1
    • The Big Book (179 Articles 6
    • Bill W. (172 Articles 4
    • Dr. Bob (24 Articles 1
    • General Service Conference (157 Articles 6
    • Grapevine (51 Articles 5
    • History (437 Articles 52
  • Audio Books 0
    • Joe & Charlie 34
    • AA Big Book Audiobook 14
    • Sandy B. – Saturday Morning Live 12
    • AA Speaker Bill W. 100
    • Videos 15
    • International Conventions – 2015 184
    • AA Speaker Chuck C. 111
    • AA Speakers Clergy 220
    • AA Speakers Doctor's 129
    • AA Speaker Sandy B. 74
    • AA Assorted Speakers 195
  • Other Articles 28
    • Printed Book Reviews 26
    • Religion, Clergy & A.A. 108
  • Influential Books 0
    • Big Book Of AA 21
    • Personal Stories – Edition 1 29
    • Personal Stories – Edition 2 40
    • Mel B.'s Library 56
      • The Four Absolutes 17
    • Dick B.'s Library 127
    • The Greatest Thing In The world 5
    • In His Steps 32
    • The Varieties Of Religious Experiences 17
    • As A Man Thinketh 8
    • When Man Listens 6
    • The Confessions Of Saint Augustine 5
      • Book One 20
      • Book Two 12
      • Book Three 14
      • Book Four 18
      • Book Five 16
      • Book Six 18
      • Book Seven 23
      • Book Eight 14
      • Book Nine 15
      • Book Ten 45
      • Book Eleven 33
      • Book Twelve 34
      • Book Thirteen 40
    • Other Books 9
    • John Barleycorn 39
  • Grapevine Articles 4
    • Grapevine Reproduction 8
    • Additional A.A. Grapevine Articles 20
    • Big Book Updates 13
    • Other Grapevine Articles 33
    • Grapevine Articles – Interviews 6
  • The Detroit Pamphlet 4
  • A.A. History – General 26
AA Anonymity Statement

Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions.

Please respect this and treat in confidence who you see and what you hear.

About Silkworth.net
  • Privacy Policy
  • Legal Disclaimer
  • Contact Us
External Links
  • Free 12 Step Toolkit App
  • Free AA Apple Apps
  • Free AA Android Apps
  • Silkworth’s YouTube Channel
  • Alcoholics Anonymous (AAWS Inc.)
  • AA Grapevine, International Journal of Alcoholics Anonymous
  • Al-Anon Family (Includes Alateen)
Newsletter Subscription





  • © 2020 silkworth.net. All Rights Reserved