Variety (November 1954)

60 LEGITIMATE yAniET? Wednesday, November 3, 1954 Tlio Living Room Paris, Oct. 25. Mary Morgan production of play in 4 ; gccn'cs and’epilogue by Graham Gi’ecne. Translated by Jean Mercure, Directed “by Jean Mercure, Sots by Francois Gan- eau. At • Sairit-Georgcs Theatre, Pans, S&:y 25 ' ,54 \. ciair* Michael Deriis •..;»•» • v.-Y Ve l Vj £ C vm B ose Pein’iei'ton Nelly Boi/ c u.* Theresc- Browne ......Madeline Cheminat Helene Browne Mady. Berry Abbe James. Browne .....Jean Merctire Mine; Dennis , . .Jandeline. "• Novelist. Graham Greene’s first play, a London, click- due ;in New- York soon. 'is- the dramatic smash of the present Paris season. Mount- ed with groat care and intelligence by Jean Mercure 1 and acted by a superlative ebrripany of which he is one, “Living Room” has local, play-goers by the. ears and looks set for indefinite capacity; trade. This despite complaints about its Obscurity and.grotesque characters. Play presents problem of an or- phaned Catholic girl who falls in love with middle-aged Protestant chained by pity to an hysterical wife; - The girl lives with two maiden great-aunts and her uncle, a crippled priest, and. the actio*: takes place in their Charles Ad- dams-like mansion. “Living Room” is on . talky side, but Greene manages' to keep it continually interesting, and Mer- cure’s clever direction and the fine performances save, it from becom- ing static. Unlike, the London origi- nal, in this production Mercure as the priest arid Mady Berry asj the dictatorial aunt .stand out, though Nelly, Borgeaud. as the girl turns in an acceptable character)-; zation. Madeleine Cheminat, as the weak sister and Yves Vincent as the lover are sound, and Jandeline has an effective scene as the un- happy wife. Geneau's spooky ‘house decor is atmospheric and:the. entire production is of highest ualily. Curt. . Tin* LiUio Glass Clocb Glasgow, Oct. 23. John Clements Plays Ltd, production of comedy in three acts by. Hugh Mills. Stars Kay Hammond, John Clements; Basil Sidney,' George Relph. Directed by John Clements; setting and costumes, Doris Zinkeiscn. At irig’s Theatre, Glasgow; SI.20 top. Gisele . Clare . radley Abbe Mat) .George Relph Julicn . , . Andrew Laurence Comtcsse die Montfort ....Kay Hammond Comtevde Montfort..,,; John Clements Lieutenant Robert Beaumont Drummed Boy .:. .Tony Burton Hypolite . . .......... Brian • Cliarteris Merchal Francois de Sevres Basil.Sydney General de Courcelles.. Patrick Barton Soldier . James Lloyd “ Cardinal Pio di Amadorl. .Howieson CiilfT His Majesty Louis XV.,.. .George Curzon For hiS; latest venture John Clements, w.k, British actor-man- ager. has chosen a new comedy by John Mills, set in a gorgeously- furnished French -chateau in ftiid- 18th century and cast his wife, Kay Hammond, as a French comtesse, with himself as the count. Although both , Clements and Miss Hammond have an assured quota of fans for their individual- ly stylised acting, they will have to rejig this three-acter if Ultimate success is to be certain;. The first act is too slow, and the third needs lightening. There are also too many flat passages and the dia- logue; while occasionally witty, generally lacks sparkle. The piece is partly saved by near-flawless acting by the princi- pals. Miss Hammond, with her Unusual drawling voice, portrays wifely giiile and ; f.emini ity, with expressive subtlety. Clements has a-hurt dignity as the Comte Who dresses up as. a. cleric. There is a copi masterly- cameo of a cardinal by Howiesop Culff. George Relph’s abbe, who masquerades as a sol- dier at the front, * standout, and Basil Sydney turns in commend- able work as the Marechal. The plot is thin and convention- al. The newlywed Coiint and. Countess are . preparing for their wedding night when the groom is told he:has been upped to a Gen- eralship and is. ordered rontO to the battlefront. The fun is meant to begin when it’s learned that the Marechal. who has promoted him is a former suitor, of the Countess. But a promising series of; situations is bogged down by wordy and uninspired dialog. Gord. vidual performer. Soprano Lynne Forrester delivers folksongs in okay style with much charm. The vocal trio, Walter Canoy, Keith Engen and Werner Harms, is also a leading factor in the all-around excellence pf this show. Two historical songalogs register heavily. The scene of the. workers union demanding an eight-hour day in song, and the story of the locomotive engineer,. Casey Jones, are best-received. The Easter Pa- rade on Fifth Ave. is a well-cal- culated finisher. \ Felix Smetana deserves credit for his settings and lighting. . David Mathe’s saxophone ren- dering of “Swanee River” is good. The Heinz Sandauer orch backing is also okay. Drummer Karl. RubeSch is a standout. Maas. Tin*! Seven Vohr Itch Dublin, Oct. 16. Dublin . Globe The'alre production of George Axelrod comedy In three acts. Stars Milo O’Shea, Paula Byrne. Directed by Godfrey Quigley;, settings. Michael ,0’Hqrlihy. At-Gaiety, Dubli . Oct. 4, *54. Richard Sherman ...... . Milo O'Shea Ricky. Jeremy. Swan Helen Sherman ......: Pamela. Duncan Miss Morris DeirdrC McSharry Elaine . Maureen Toal Marie Whatever-Her-Name-Was Genevieve Lyons The Girl Paula Byrne Dr. Brubaker .,; .' Denis Brennan Toni Mackenzie . T. P. Me Kenna Voice of Richard’s Conscience Bob Gallico Voice of Girl’s Conscience Jennifer Laurence Pat •; Elpi Mohr Legit Booming /Continued from page 1 sss is,, also drawing standee trade with favorable reviews. Even though not a single new show has gotten allout smash no- tices so far this season, there has been capacity trade for the two cited entries and healthy attend- ance for various, other offerings which drew mixed critical reaction. In fact; only one of the new season’s regular-run productions. Home Is the Hero,” has folded thus far. Big grossers on Broadway have included “Kismet,” ‘.‘Pajama Game” and ‘‘Can-Can” among the musicals, with ‘‘Peter Pan” an indicated addition, and “Teahouse of the August Moon,” “Caine Mutiny Court; Martial,” “Dear Charles,” “Tea and Sympathy,” “Solid Gold iGadillac” and “Seven Year Itch” as straight plays. Prospective addi- tions to the list are “Fanny” and Quadrille,” both arriving this Week. Road’s Top Grossers On the road the top grossers have been “King .and I,” “Fatmy,” Midsummer 1 Night’s Dream,” "Quadrille,” “Caine Mutiny Court Martial,” “Seven Year Itch,” ‘‘What ADVANCE AGENTS ! COMPANY MANAGERS! We have been serving theafrical shows, for over 42 years. Ours is the oldest, most reliable and ex- perienced transfer company on the West Coast! * Railroad privileges for handling . shows and theatrical luggage. • Complete warehouse facilities I * Authorized in California. Equipped to transfer and haul anywhere in S.I • RATES ON REQUEST I Atlantic Transfer Company GEORGE CONANT 1100 East 5th Strset Los Angeles 13, Calif, tual 8121 or OXford 9-4764 Modern U.’ S. comedies gener- ally don’t go. over with Dublin audiences, but slick playing, by Milo O’Shea puts this funny George Axelrod piece across. O’Shea is a clever player Who has returned to straight parts after ap- pearing in intimate revue for some time. Paula Byrne has the. right amount of ingenuousness as the girl frqin upstairs, and there, is an excellent piece of professional suavity from Denis Brennan as.the psychiatrist. Rest of the cast is competent. Stage management was not ; all that could be wished at the open- ing, but the staging is sounds Sea- ting by Michael O’Herlihy is ex- cellent. This is the second production of the Dublin Globe., a new company, but includes top players from the Gate and Abbey companies. ■Mac. [Information Wanted ROBERT BLAKE SHAFFMEYER Using . heir of deceased mother. ReWard. HENRY SCHOENHERR, Attorney,' 149 Broadway, New York. Singing America Vienna, Oct.. 26. U. S. Information Service production; directed and written by Dr. Marcel Prawy. . With Lynne Forrester. Olive Moorefieldi Walter Canoy. Werner Harms, Keith Engen. rchestra directed by Heinz Sandauer; settings, Felix Sme- tana. At Cosmos Theatre,: Josef Hall, Vienna. .. Marcel Prawy’s “Singing Amer- ica” has had its; 250th performance, a tribute to his personal draw with his all-American cast. No news- paper propaganda nor any broad- cast can- compare with its effect on the population, “teaching” American history plus acquainting the .average Austrian with Ameri- ca nart. The two-hour layout is loaded with talerit and is astutely staged arid Written by Prawy. The first part plays during the pioneer days, 100 years ago, while in the second part. a Viennese reporter glances at New York around the turn, of the century. Pittsburghian . Olive Mootefieid, o soprano, is a strong iridi- Current Road Shows (Nov. .1-13) Bad Seed (Nancy .Kelly) (tryout) •] —Court Square, Springfield, Mass. (12-13). Black-Eyed Susan (Vincent Price) (tryout)-—Parsons, Hartford (10-13), \ Caine Mutiny Court Martial (Paul ' Douglas, Wendell Corey, Steve Brodie)—Hanna,. Cleve (1-6); Royal Alexandra, Toronto 18-13); Face to Face (Jessica Tandy, Hume Cronyn) (tryout) — Geary,. S. F. (1-13) (Reviewed in Variety, Oct. 27, ’54). . Fifth . Season (Chester Morris, Joseph Buloff) — Shubert, Phila. (1-6); Nixon, Pitt'(8-13). . Flowering Peach . (Meriasha Skul- nik) (tryout)—Playhouse, Wilming- ton (11-13). Gentlemen Prefer Blondes — Shubert, Wash, (1-6); Opera House, Boston (8-13). . ( . / . Getting Gertie’s Garter—Locust, Phila. (1-13). King and I (Leonard Graves, Patricia Morisort) — Aud/, Louis- ville (1-6); Keith’s, Dayton (8-13). Living Room (Barbara Bel Geddes)—Plymouth, Boston (1-13) (Reviewed in Variety this Week). Midsummer Night’s Dream (Rob- ert Helpmann, Moira Shearer, Stanley Holloway)—War Memorial, S. F. (1-7); Memorial Aud., .Sacra- mento (8-9); Shrine Aud., L; A. (12-13). Moon Is Blue (Jerome Cowan) —American, St. L. (1-6); Shubert, Detroit (8-13). Mrs. .Patterson (Eartha Kitt) (tryout)—Harris, Chi (1-13). (Re- viewed in Variety,: Sept, 29, ’54). Naughty Natalie — Pabst, Mil- waukee (3-6); Hanna, Cleve (8-13). Oklahoma — Loew’s . Syracuse (1-2); Loew’s, Rochester (3-4); Palace, Hapvilton, Orit. (5-6); Grand, London, Ont. (8r9); Mernorial Aud., Kitchener; Ont. (10); Erlariger, Buffalo (11-13). On with the Show (Irra Petina) (tryout)—Shubert,. New Haven. (4- 6); Shubert, Boston (8-13); One Eye Closed (Tom Helmore) (tryout) — Wilbur, Boston (13) (Original strawhat production re- viewed in. Variety, . July 14, ’54, under title, “Reunion ’54”). Pajama Tops — Aud., Rochester (8-13). Portrait of a Lady (Jennifer Jones) (tryout) — Colonial, Boston (11-13). . Saint Joan (Jean Arthur) (try- out) — Hartman, Columbus. (1-6); Great Northern, Chi (8-13) (Re- viewed in Variety, Sept. 22, ’54). School for Brides—Court Square, Springfield, Mass. (4-6); WRVA Theatre; Richriiond (B-13); ...... Seven Year, Itch (Eddie Bracken) Murat; Indianapolis .(1-3); Lincoln, Decatur, III. (4); Shrine Aud;, Peoria (5-6); Americah, St. L. (8-13), South Pacific .(Iva Withers, Webb Tilton)-r-Forrest, Phila. (1-13). Tea arid. Sympathy (Deborah Kerr)—Ford’s, Balto (8-13). Time Out for Ginger (Melvyn Douglas) —: Orpheum, Spokane (1-2); International,. Vancouver (4-6); Metropolitan, Seattle (8-13) Wedding Breakfast (tryout) — National, . Wash. (1-13) (Reviewed ini Variety this week),, . What Every Woirian Knows (Helen Hayes) -— Curran, S. F. (1-13) (Reviewed i Variety, SepL 29, ’54). Wonderful Town (Carol Chan- ning)—Shubert, Chi (1-13). World Of Sholom Aleichem — Walnut St,, Phila; (2-13)/ nancy Currently on TOUR ROMBERG FESTIVAL (NCAC) WONDERFUL TOWN (As of Oct. 2, ’54) ..... Gross,, last three weeks, $89,6857 Loss for. period, $1,745. Total net profit to date, $203,224. Total distribution profit,to dale, $150;000. Available for distribution, $709. TEA AND SYMPATHY , (As' of Oct. 2, ’54) Gross, last four weeks, $95,718. Profit for period, $19,111. Total net profit to date, $254,960. Distributed last wee^ $20,000. . Total distributed profit to date, $185,000. Available for distribution^ $35,- 130. Chorus Revolt Continued from page SS ship, with 24 weeks work in at least two shows, for qualification as senior meinber with the right to Vote. Citing tjie present Chorn ‘ setup of all paid-up members hav- ing a vote, they argue that the two- class membership and restricted vote would be an undemocratic dis- enfranchisement of a portion of the Chorus membership. A second objection is to the pro- posed, dues setup for the- merged organization. Chorus dues are now $18 a year, with $50 initiation fee, arid Equity's $24; a year dues -and $100 initiation would be excessive, It's added that no! specific answers have been forthcoming to Chorus Equity’s requests for a breakdown of economies allegedly due. under merger. .. Thirdly, Chorus spokesmen ar- gue that the. proposed representa- tion of Chorus on the joint council under merger would not be pro-, pcitionate to its membership., in comparison to Equity’s. Chorus wants equal proportionate repre- seritation on; the council. Finally, the Chorus opposition asserts that its demand for .par- ticipation i ' merger negotiations and the right of the Chorus mem- bership to; ratify the negotiated agreement were ignored by the council. Moreover, it’s declared that the Chorus representatives On the couricil who were present at the sessions when merger was con- sidered; unanimously voted against the proposed terms. Chicago Meeting Chicago, Nov. 2. Joint meeting of the Chicago memberships of Actors Equity, and Chorus Equity , will be held next Sunday (7) at the La Salle Hotel here. It’ll be the first local con- clave for the unions in over two decades. Confab was originally planned solely for the acting contingent. Switch to a joint meet was made because of the pending consolida- tion of the two unions; Attendees from New York will include Angus Duncan, Actors Equity exeq secretary; Paul Jories, assistant exec-sec, and Ben Irving, exec-secretary of Chorus Equity. ‘Okla’ 27*40 in Split “Oklahoma” grossed almost $27,- 500 iri eight performances last week between the; S.R.H.S; Audi- torium,. Glens Falls, N. Y.; the Proctor, Schenectady, and the Ox- ford, Plainfield, N. J. Bus-and- truck musical drew riearly $2,100 on a one-nighter Monday (25) in Glens Falls and oyer $18,900 in four performances Tuesday-Thurs- day (26-28) in Schenectady, break- ing a 40-year record for the house. . Take for three performances Friday-Saturday (29-30) in Plain- field was around $6,500. Previous week’s Gross for split frame was under $18,OOb, Current Condon Shows London, Nov. 2. (Figures denote premiere dates) After the Ball, Globe (6-10-54). Air; Shoestring, Royal Gt. (4-22-53). All For Mary, Duke York (9-9;54). Bell, Book, Candle/ .Phoenix (10-5-54). Book of Month, Cambridge (10-21-54). Both Ends Meet/ Apollo (6-9-54); . Boy Friend, Wyndhami’s (12-1-53). Can-Can, Coliseum (10-14.-54). Dark Light Enough, Aldwych (4-30-54). D'Oyly Carte Opera, Savoy (9:13-54)/ Dry Rot, Whitehall (8-31-54). 'Duenna, Westminster (7-28-54). .. Folies Berger*,: Pr. Wales (9-24-53). Hippo Dancing, Lyric (4-7-54).. I Am a Camera, New (3-12-54). Intimacy At 8:30, Criterion' (4-29-54). Joan of Arc, Stoll (10-20-54). Joyce Grenfell, St.. Mart. (6-2-54), Keep In Cool Place, Savjlle (8rl6-54). King and I, Drury Lane (10-8-53) Love Match, Viet Palace (11-10-53). Manor of Northstead, Duchess (4-28-54). Mousetrap, Ambas. (11-25-52). Never Too Late, Strand (6-3-54). No News Father, Cambridge (9-15^54).- Off The Record, Vic. Pal. (11-2-54). Old Vic Rep, Old Vic (9-9-54). Party Spirit, Piccadilly (9-23-54). Relations Apart, Garrick (8-3-54). Sabrina Fair, Palace (8-4-54). Salad Days, Vaudeville (8-5-54). Separate Tables, St. James’s (9-22-54). Teahouse Aiig. Moon, Her Maj. (4-22-54). Wedding In Parts, Hlpp. (4-3-54). Wild Goose Chase, Embassy (10-19-54). Witness Prosecution, W. Gard. (10-28-53). You’ll Be Lucky, Adelphi (2-25-54). COMMON STOCK The Company will employ its funds in diversified entertainment enter- prises connected with television, motion pictures and the. theatre. Price 50/ a thara I HOLLYWOOD ANGUS, INC. Dept. VS • I 29 West 65th St., H.Y. 23, N. Y. “ I TRifalgar 4-1015 J * Send Free Offering Circular without, cost. ( I Nom*-*. J Addrstc I at/. — -Zone. __ I • Stole. J>hone No .—^.—. ... ~rj le a ei mm .tern’ mm mm me. ~ mm ^ mm- mm ^ sm mm SCHEDULED OPENINGS Matchmaker, Haymarket (11-4-54). Immoraiist, Art's (11-3-54). CLOSED LAST WEEK Day By The Sea, Haymarket. (11-26-53). pal Joey, Princes (3-31-54). A MAX YORKE PRODUCTION THE UPROARIOUS _ CQMEDV ABOUT ThI SIXES* GENTLEMENt 6 Spectacular Weeks in Boston NOW: Locusf St, Theatre, Philo,