Variety (Jan 1949)

S8 UEGITIMATEI Wejjneaday, Janmry 26, I949 Plays Out of To¥m Death of A Salesman Philadelphia, Jan. 22. Kermit Bloomgardcn-Walter Fried prer (entatlon of Ella Kazan's production of a new play In two acts by Arthur Miller. Features Lee J. Cobb. Arthur Kennedy, Mildred Dunnock. Howard Smith. Thomas Chalmers. Cameron Mitchell. Alan Hewitt. Staged by Kazan; setting and lighting by Jo Mielzlner: Incidental music by Alex North; costumes by JuUa Sze. At Locust, Philadelphia. Jan; 22,'49. Willy Loman.................Lee J. Cobb Linda......^...^Mlldred Dunnock Happy: .Cameron Mitchell . Biff ..: Arthur Kennedy ^ Bernard ..Don Keefcr The Womah..... v..,.. Winnifred Cushlng Charley .'. . . .Howard Smith ■ .Vncle Ben ............Thomas Chalmers Howard Wagner. .Alan Hewitt Jenny .. ......Ann. DrlscoU Stanley Tom Pedl Miss Forsythe......;.....Constance Ford Letta .. , L................ .Hope Cameron scene of his discovery of a woman in the hotel room occupied by his beloved father during a Boston trip, and his later scene of bitter argument with that same parent are two of the evening's big mo- ments. Mildred Dunnock is touch- ing and authentic as the loyal wife and admirable cameos are turned in by Thomas Chalmers as a fabu- lous Uncle Ben who makes periodic appearances throughout the play, Howard Smith as the friendly neighbor, Cameron Mitchell as the second son and Alan Hewitt as the employer. Despite its unrelenting tragedy, this one looto! to have what it takes in the present-day theatre. Waters. Ricliard III Boston, Jan. 22 Boston Repertory Assn. production of hside Stuff-Legit Tallulah Bankhead said this week she'd sue The New York Time>! "t my grave" to get an adeauate retraction of the paper's story last wpo2 STEVE COCHRAN Appearing with MAE WKST in drama by William Shakespeare In version i iiriTjiMmwn t;TT." na thA hnndinhmp by Richard Whorf and Richard Barr. En- '^**™y"i',,V.^;iT^S» . tire production conceived and staged by | romantic vJUABEZ.r One of the grows in stature as he—and the Anne rrantes nem Character—progrcsscs. There are day (20) to receive the key to the city from Mayor Bernard Samuels Tressei . :: Pam Dwineu also strohg moments contributed I Qoiden's revival of "They Knew What They Wanted" played PhiUv b?wTs ;^^,rYn« Kn^'n HarrU- as I ^"'^ P «- S^on dreamed up the key receiving 3 "'-■L-i.».K°.^HiX«.* ffiSl Sivv^aTmch? ?l"«1y has one key to the city of Ph ladelphia, given him in ' Bandying about adjectives like "great" and ."superb" is always a profitless business, but a lot of people are; going to link them to . Arthur Miller's new play, "Death „,„„.„„ bf a Salesman," which preemed tire"^rod^ctkin . here at the ; Locust. The farthest 1 WHorf, At the Copley, Boston, Jan. 17, j important leading men in her life, out on the limb this writer will go k*?^*?!* , Richard Whorf' is to observe, as a matter of strict | George . .;:. win Kuiuva reporting, he has never i» exactly Brackcnbury... ..>. . .Warren ^Burmelster 30 years as a Variety mugg seen a! Francis Rew Philly audience accord a more "- ■ " vociferous and enthusiastic recep- tion to the flrst performance of a new dramatic play: here. The play itself is sombre, pitiless tragedy. Probably because of the re-association of Ella Kazan as director and Jo Mielziner as dcr signer, but also due to definite similarities in the plays them- . selves, first-nighters were making comparisons with "Streetcar Named Desire." However, the main: difference is that the Williams play has heavy overtones of sex whereas Miller's opus has virtually none, if one excludes a brief scene in a hotel bedroom. "Death of a Salesman" is, to the surprise of some of the first-night- ers; actually about a salesman and climaxes with his death at his own ticket^ and got to the reviewing stand'W following the parade, and then only achieved a seat when someborttt recognized her while she was battling with-a guard, , ■ Flashing her ticket stubs upon her return to New York; she told Timpi! managing editor Edwin L. James, a personal friend, in typical Bankhearf fashion of what had occurred. A staunch Truman supporter all th? way, the White House had arranged not only seats for her, but a car and an escort from the station. Her difficulty with the police that * Times reporter had apparently spotted was on arrangements for gettine out of the stand, not getting in, she said.. She wanted to mstke surS she'd' have no trouble getting away to eatch the 4. p^m; train to get her' back to New York in time for her evening, performance in ''Private Lives." The Times ran a very brief retraction of its statement on page six That suited Miss Bankhead not a bit and she was making the air blue this week as she threatened to call her lawyers unless the Times did right by her. She. alsd .resented that the Times man who had noticed her repartee with the cops hadn't also reported that she. got up amidst the diplomatic on the stand and leaned on Secretary of State D^an Acheson's shoulder to loudly boo Governor Talmadge of Georgia when he passed in' the parade. Miss Bankhead is a reconstructed rebel from Alabama. Producer John Golden crossed up his press agent and the city ot Philadelphia last week in conneotion_ with his appearance there Thuri sponsoring organization f6r one of the most striking Shakespearean revivals ever staged. Its produc- tion. Under Richard Whorf, of "Richard III," with Whorf in the titWT0l6, is-a^smash. Hard to see howi if it ever gets to Broadway, hands. Miiier tells thegrim, [it can miss: . pathetic^ heart-rending story of I The show has a curious history. v^iighan ' y/".".v.'.Robert Fletcher iHastings, Michael Sivy as Rich- Duke, of Buckingham.....Philip Bourneuf ] mond and - William Nichols as Stanley .. •^iL'ie CWP 2 !'^^'^'^''y- beginnulg "rd^v* !-.-.■/jJs^'ph'^F^?^ end, Whorf-s play, and although Lord Mayor ......i.. .^. JWoiter Appie^ frequently recites too fast, his oreyj' . .Frank Gardner There are a number of details Dorset ■- .Gregg ;Martin I to fee attended to before this show J - tw-W is- ready. Some of the costumes remembered for nothing else ^^^^ overdone. That of Hastings, the Boston Repertonr Assn. will go f^j. example, makes him seem a down in theatre history as the ^end of Poo-Bah and Ghengis the complete moral and mental • breakdown of :& man. .He is Willy Loman, who has a travelling sales- Whorf first mounted it in Biarritz svith a GI cast. He solved the prob- lem of costuming and setting the Khan, and some of the others are too fussy. A few. non-Shakespear- ean dictions are also in evidence, but even as it stands this one should score heavily. Play gets an' ovation here every performance, a rare occurrence in the Hub, and seems almost certain to achieve the ssme on Broadway. . : .Sliet 1928; it hangs with several from other cities in his office. Simon's idea was to'have Golden turn in the old key and get a new one. At the ceremonies Golden suddenly balked;-he wanted to keep the old one, he said. Obdurate stance of the producer made a better story than the original idea, and landed on the front page of the staid Bulletiil> whidi rarely falls for press stunts. Golden has "registered" "Wanted" with the League of N. Y. Theatres to open some night between Feb. 15-Feb. IS, but the reservation is only tentative, pending some other management's application-for one of the specific dates. So far, the Sidney Howard revival is the Only show slated to preemthat week. If another is set, Golden will be required tb select a specific date. Ed King and Cy Bloom, KDKA scri^ters, have closed a deal with Fred Burleigh; director of Pittsburgh Playhouse, to write the sketches and lyrics for the Pitt community theatre's annual Sprihg revue. Burt leigh had to look elsewhere for mateidiat f6UoWin# Broadway click of Charles Gaynor's "Lend An Ear" since Gaynor has been his ace in the hole for the yearly musical in the past. In fact, "Lend An Ear" is a compilation of the four shows by Gaynor which were flrst presented At Wai^ WilK the Armv ^^^^ at Playhouse by Burleigh. Gaynor was to have done the 1948 TT 4« J T i""*'*^^' ^^st spring and Burleigh let him out of the commitment to work Harttord, Jan. 21. I with Bill Eythe in "Lend An Ear" On Coast. That led to the present Henry May and Jerome E. Rosenfeld I Broadwav vmaKh • production of farce-comedy in three acts S-1„„ ?,, j ^- .i. i , . (tour scenes) by James B. Aiiardice. ! King and Bloom authored recent radio rib, "Gimmleks of 1949," man's job of which he is inordi- sanguine tale of Richard s ascent nately proud, three sons of whom I to the throne of England with a he is equally proud, a loyal and batch of. captured Nazi banners. l^^v'e^^a?^"n^ "^ite^f ll'oft 'ti I ^httes'^l b^n^n^ers 'cSd I ^^^JteXh=^„^' ?"tsburgh Radio and friends. It is hard to put a finger I in the costumes proves exciting to 21. '49; $3 top. I and local chapter of AFRA, and it was that which prompted Burleigh on just what begins to sap the the eye and at the same time helps I c»pH Ernest caw^gu Mendrick | to sign them up to do his 1949 revue. They're both comedy specialists, fine fiber of this man's character. I convey the plot line of the oppos- t% corp. cS : ' MitS A?gull' ^^^'"^ '"^'^ KDKA chore being to supply gag material for the station's When we meet him at the start of i ing forces of the War of the Roses. | Corp. Di ruccIo Ernest Sarracino daily fun show, "Brunch With Bill." Scripters will work With a sotig- the play, he has already slipped The adaptation by Whorf and [ Staff Sgt. •- - > - , . , . very fai- and by the end of the; Richard Barr, meantime, cuts out |;L#«|'gt«»SiVvay°''"!'™. ' ®M?ke"Kemn play, he has lost his precious job,! most of the genealogical recitation, | a Private,, ; Tad Mosei has become completely alienated i depending both on the color f^t iieuf wuiiam Terray xy PciTy I 'he Mark Hellinger (formerly Hollywood), N. Y., were even more severe Millie Maxine Stuart | than those accorded the flop "Grandma's Diary" last fall. Anthony B. Tia-AMn'^m^tan V-iw^^^ 1 co-prpducer and soie bankroller of the show, was singled out writer who hasn't been selected yet. Review of "All For Love,?' which premiered Saturday night (22) at from one of his sons—his prized i scheme • and Richard's preliminary Biff—and has only the tolerant! statement of his course of action, pity of the others, and his friends; to inform the audience of the nar- have been rediicpd to a sinele ritivo line The result Is a melo- Colonel Davis John sheiiie , for personal mention by several of the critics. Brooks Atkinson's notice nave , oeen _reaucea lo a _singie, rative une. ine resuu is a meio , Helen Paimer. ..—.... ..Juiie Bennett in the N. Y. Times was sub-headed "Fart-ell's Follv " Ward Mnrphnnsp companionable neighbor. So, af- drama that continues to rise in I ■ h;, c,,« iJ^ vyara iviorenouse. ter having considered suicidal 1 intensity and pitch until, scream-i This larce-comedv was incubated Rolot l^h. wil. P'ece, All For Nothing'' while Howard plans for some time, he finally, ing "My kingdom for a horse!," at the Yale D^^ma S^hoo"^n^^^^^ takes the step. Richard- is struck d.own in the i a year ago 0™alirproM The play—which ran the first battle of Bosworth Field. I a two-acter i^ four scenes it now i ^'J:' **** foHowmg night, also drew unanimous pans, though ni.^ht until a few minutes past 11 1 Still a third technical factor in realizes a near commercial maturity ^"'"'"^ ""^^ the beating given "All For Love." As usual there was —is consistently packed with taut,| the play's: smashing effect is the , as a three-acter Tightenin" will' complete disagreement among some of the critics as to the reasons for drama but there are,. of course, i staging and lighting of the play, laid immeasurably in quickening I the play's failure. Atkinson put much of the blame on Rouben Mamou- certain dramatic highlights. The i Before pne main set of a street i its already jet-propelled pace. Es- i I'^n, while John Chapman, in the News, praised the producer-director lt?m,f "1 between near the Tower of London, the in- j sentially, the play is the same as I ?nd called the show "the best-acted, best-lighted, best-set radio serial YJrJ^. sorrowing wife is , spired use .of spots and blackouts i produced at New Haven. Two of 11 ever saw, with never a trick mjssed in either script or production." one; so is the first scene between , from one side to the other, plus a the players Mike Kellin and Wil-' *»*"i«u».i.uu. inL*^hp?i^n,^rf°c%^ll!,^ l^®^ ?" ^P"""? °^}^^ ^■''f® I "^"^ Lanteau, are holdovers from I Booking of "Death of a Salesman" into the Morosco. N Y and the cuss their Dads decay and the with a stairway leading down into the orininaVYalp tirnHnptinn ' mnvf nt "rnnAv,\,a iiT,/Tro«^t,>r^*lv.^ tuA i.'^^^^^ i., aiiu harrowing scene when Willy asks > the pit, Whorf has given the play i a 5^!°^.* Goodbye. My Fancy frpm that house to the Fulten, stemmed his J~ '— ' ■ . . . , . from tCld'^irTstea'd.ythaV hris firer"So';^ th^t'culminates'i'ra tail™mad7 audience X^co^^^^^^^ ^""^ Forest" and "Command Decision is the following scene, in which a pantomimic battle scene of aston- numbers of GI's and friends anri ■ E^^^^"^. ^'^^ Fulton, was assured by Lotito last summer that he projected dinner party between ishing effectiveness. fanUlies to draw frbm this comedv ^^"^ Morosco for "Salesman." the two sons and their father is I All these things aside, however, ■ should find the going fairlv easv ' meantime, Lotito topk "Fancy" as an interim booking for the «r= i.n,f^foP„*f**„H*iL^»f i"Jr'"*l'°" " actine to carry so violent it is one of the few humorous same theatre. Rather than go back on his-promise when "Fancy" -i/- ^L*^."'^?."'^ *'\^" a play- and this, with few excep- presentations of Army life that has Proved a click, Lotito arranged with Michael KaniA and Richard Aid- all could tweln Wiflv and R?ff W Whorf as the reached the boards. Play provides "ch & Richard Myers, producers of the comedy, to move it to the there is the trSlv mLnsfinal^^^ crippled ogre whose lust for the plenty of opportunity fornumerous j Fulton, though they'd rather keep the play at the Morosco. Show there is the truly moving finale- throne drives him from one murder characterisations with its mishmash Plays its final performance at the latter house Feb. 5, lighting at the tti^o^ fnSbo^.: ISat^Ts^T olT fAgh«nT^" t &Tnfc1,&'""^P':^^'.-'i* i ^'^^ l' I'^^"'"^"" ''"^ ^^"^ " truly moving Willy's funeral, att ' " "Sl^ ^.^■"'ly and the one ueisiiuoi., that- is at once irightenmg- and (to blusterine colonel .*g..ia w^ivii uic LiiM^a^^ that might explain Kichaid's i in the orderiv room'nf a frA^nW I '^,^?P't« uneven business recently in legit on Broadway, the dance facing the audience. The wife, ■ ruthlessness, his megalomania, his camp It revolves about the a? """"i^ '^^'^^^ ^'vents in New York last Sunday (23), giving five reiterating that she cannot under-, subtlety, his hypocrisy, is over-j tempts of 1st Sgt Robert Johnson ' P.^'l*^^^ all SRO. These were the N. Y. City Ballet Co., stand why Willy took his life, says;looked. In WhoH's characteriza-Urget away from d^^^^^ ' ' ^ -— over and over that she cannot crv. Iti«^ i,., .„„ ..n P'"P?.r WorK and „„^„i^ a„au evening performances at City Center, seating 3,500 people each performance; Valerie ("Inside U.S.A.") Bettis and com-, pany, dancing her work. "As I Lay Dying," twice at the YMHA, to 800 patrons each time, and Jean Erdman and group, at Hunter College Playhouse, seating 700. over and over that she cannot cry. I Hon he is no mprp dPPnXpd vn^ ^^'^l^ work and As wriftpn and as tilavpil hv Mill' i • ' r' , i E aeep-ayeq yu- into the firing hnes. Surrounding dred Dunnock as thf wife that ^K^.Z^'^ ^ hy'"! ' h™ a hodge-podge of characteM «cene ha"s"Tiot of folks^'ou?' f^on ! fomh?ate' ^''eeker'^^'afte?'''power l^?^^^^^ •""^'''"i ^iJ^^""! crving I oominate seeiters alter power. ■ exits. Play is practically made up - Using the same general" setup' ^Z^, \ ^a pSu of'"a1l wa'r sper'led and exits. Inter- ^{%tfor'^e'''l^^^^^^ the most part sur-^ {^e^d?fmf dale'S^^^ Jean-PauTl^rtr origrn«-fs Se™ leVm 1-opms of the Loman house, several; thev are Fences Reid as the stiol- ' i^^fy^J^fd^ pregnant, and angle offices and hotel rooms. The com-! fl^ed'^ X fi"^^ the father is not the plete and remarkably felicitous, ducedbv RTchardnvprt^^^^^^ , , complement of Mirfziner's in- bndv nf W mnrHp^pJ ^^^^^^ genious setting (and lighting) and ^.""^"IJ'^r^^X " Kazan's uncannily facile and sensi- IpYh vvhn fs Pmfant ^hfn^fipi I^^^'' Pfnto exce lent dialog, mis- tive direction are probably the fi„i^'w°stupefied to'taken identity, all good tricks of biggest help to the presentation of Richa^^ afL thP mnrHprL'h^^ ^"^^^S^'.?'"^ V'^** ^o best advantage Miller's flnelv-written theme, hut I /""^^ the murder of . her i Tad Mosel as the sorry-lookinti Thornton Wilder, who adapted the New Stages production, "The ictors," from the Jean-Paul Sartre original, was amused to learn lat dialog in the play shocked seme pf the critics. Informed of the show's Broadway reception, Wilder wrote to New Stages from Porto- fino, Italy: "I hope it ('Victors') is frightening the daylights out of the too-cpmfprtable. I was delighted to know that some of the bad words upset some o£ the critics. There's a sheltered life for you." Picture spread on Uta Hiigen, femme lead of the Chicago company of "Streetcar Named Desire," in the current issue of Life is the fourth major layout the mag has carried on the show in the last 13 months. vastatingly bitter portrayal thatj'a®,??*^® '^f/^^^^^^ name- the hard-headed drill sergeant; ..Pittsburgh crix last week went all out for Marilyn Landers, new rises to commanding emotional "ph^?:f,*^®5^,/"i"^^ „ Maxine Stuart as the dumb Millie. Laurey" in national company of "Oklahoma!" Gal. who moved up to heights. Arthur Kennedy is cor- ■ standout as thp ri„nprt nltf^- , 111'"" ^°°J^ performances, as do , lead from role of "Giggling Gertie," made a nice impression on the boys, respondingly good *s piff. The ^'Z^""^^}'! « perfomjfce Sit '^'^^''^^ the company. She's only 2Q and the daughter of George Lander^ manager of E. M. Eck.