Variety (Dec 1929)

54 VARIETY L EG I TIM AT E Wednesday, December 25, 1920 son REDRUST Drama In- Unea. acts 1>y V. Kltchon ajxd A.: 0«8pensIcyL transli»t«d from the Rusalan bjf Virginia and Frank"Vernon. • Prewjptf* by Theatre Guild Studio Players at Martin Beck Dec. 17. Directed by Herbert J. BIberman. Sets by Cled'n Thrpckmorton. Bezborodov * Lionel Stander Lutlkov...... .....George Xobtea Andrei Hariy M. Cooke Petfosslan .Elliot Sullivan Flmplee Lee- S*rasi>erg Besaeda. • •, i -•. • Albert Angell Terekhlne. Herbert J. Bibennaii VoznesJenskl. i...Spenser Kltabell Plotr , .Luther Adlep Supervtoer.................. Charleg Peyton VasBlII.... i Ackland^ PoweU Nina Gale Soridergaard Penla .Florence House Vatvara.,;.Virginia Berry Lenov .WllUam Challee Lisa „ ...Rhth Nelson. Fedor.. .-^ ........ i....,: Frartohot Tone diga.., *.:V....... .Ruth ehorijenning 1st Old Woman..,. .Helen Piaut 24' bia- TV'cimari.. i .; . i. i... . Lizzie Bechelle 1st Passerby..;..- . i .-WeUs Richardson 2d Passerby....Charles Peyton Sd'Ptt'sserby. ...........Fmrik Verlgun Touth,.... 4.v>.;.Joseph Kieima Thomas ;Flsber George Shoemaker .:^unlce Stotfdard .Ourtia-Amall Beggar.'. •<. <.. ........ Peddler..................... Jikl^nfa.* .'.'.^.. Lonkltcb..'.»°.» > Secretary... •..«>...... ZaVIaloV, .'.. .i •, , . — . Nlkblat, ;;."..:.;.. .Boris Korllrt X Students aqd Laborers. .Leo Carroll.. Julian Garfleld, M, Flshman, Lawrence Hart* Frank StVihgfeltow, George-Bratt, Robert Page. R(?bert Catlle, Jack. Flder, . Beit Stuart. ...., i .Charles Peyton ....\..,Harry tVllson First effort of the Guild offspring/ Its Studio- Play*ra, as an artistic exr perlment'Js a-bbx^fflce flop. • • ^ After that it's only a auestioh of how- Ions itl>e . senior .iorganfzation tvantg to keep lt.£roing,.as it's b^en tiicked on to the l-egular Cfuild sub- scription, oh ftff ; own merits. It. couldn't last a ^eeR." ' ."Red RtiSt"-is' a lot of Boppycoftk as theatre fare.' DlscmBsed -as > tf two-sided dehate on current Soviet system, particularly deliberating on the moF^Ilty clause, it turns out a iriost boHng evening's ehtertain- mfeht:. Produced at the Moscow State Proletarian theatre three years ago, with later productions in London and Paris... Outside qt the Soviet regihie proper it's difficult to understand how thiis dramatized dissertation could- be accepted -as such: .< It deals In symbols, projects morbid and mawkish situations and dawdles in sentlntentality. In Rusr sia and with pussiain players the natives may Jiave gone for it, though to anyone who knows something ^bout the political situation over there, even this is dubious. Very little difference between this stage, piece and most of the Soviet films shown over here. There are 31/principal characters and Id atmosphere bits. Central theme of the dragged-out theme is the Bex problem and its purported flexibility in tlie Soviet land of to- day* -•.. - . ■ • ^ Mr. BIbel-map, director and head of the studio's production commit- tee, wandered' quite a bit in con- sttuctlon. He's the principal actor in" the play, but with no outstand- ing contribution. Rest, of the cast are all professionals, therefore some of the bad pe^;fof mances are. not ex.r cqsable... Opening night, some inis- cued moire than .once. " tfnderstood that the parent Guild is .bankrolling Its ' eriibryo studio. Fortunate for both the' elder Guild is in so soft. ^ Spxtn. marionettes- are .about one-flfth the size of humajts or less. At $3 top. this is a better show for anyone than many plays that have struck Broadway this season. Char; HALF GODS Comedy In- three acts 'presented by Arthur Hopkins, at the Elymauth, X)ec. 21; \VrItten .By Sidney Howdrfl; stflged by the producer, ' . - ' Stephen Ferrler,.-..• .> Hope Ferrler..,..-Mayo Methot Ada.; .'. .Elliabeth Goodyear Dennis. -.Paul Porter Rush Blgelow-, *. i. .^Walter Judge Sturgis Walter Walker Helena Grey....'.Dorothy Sands Dr. Alannerlng. . .BMlWard Reese First Policeman. .Robert ^Bunce Wllllapis Second Pollcelnan..'.......Pnlijpr Beverldge Pauline;.., •.Laura Hanillton First Porter..,,..... ..i vArthur .Shaw Second Porter.....■>..;...Hal K. Itewson Third Porter.......,.,;,..Thaddeus Clancy Dr. Wolhelm Siegfried Ruinann First Detective. Arthur Shaw Second Detective .Hal K. Dawson RIP VAN WINKLE Marionette play coihcelv^" ai»d presented by .Tony Satigi In four acts and eight scenes. No credits or billing, for players speaking rples .f9r the marionette characters. Run- nlrtg time' t>5 minutes. 'Ihcludlng intertrtila- slon. At New York Theatre' Assembly for limited .eogageroent, with maUn.ees every day excepting Tuesday iihd SuAday. I3 top. By Special ■A'nrahgeiaeht wltti Mr.,aaarlE Le^dV « MR/JACIC P<WEU;S .. Club' 0Lnd. Pri-yiate. EtitertaininenU , lA^e Booked Throiigh' ^ ' Frances Rockefeller King SQtertalniiietit Consultant' ,. - Bond Building . . ' 1560 Broadway i&uite -ini New York City DOROTHY^ LOIJL with. 1TB EDITION or larl Carroll's Vanities" NOW bifi tOOR . Amusing, unique entertainment for all kids frotai SiSc to 60 and over^ • Uffi' Vian t^'inkle" deserves and shOiild l*eceive" support, particularly at this time of'the year when the toy^like perforlnahces of the Tony aate marionette* are nothing if not appropriate. • • •Besides being considerably divert- ing,- ther mafloMtte show ia highly interesting fron^he. poiut-pf vI©W. otthje lnt^Ipatie detail and„itiigenuUy ln,volved in huUding. and preS.enting a; play "entirely with Wpoden though not Inanimate charactefs.' Volces'^f unseen artists speak the lines In al most perfect synchronism with the moveATierttsi actions aiid -gestures of the. various iharionettes until the Illusion fs deftly created that these miniatures are-re'ali "They actually achieve a'llt«lke side, with the hu- fhan dialog assisting In giving the toy; men, women ' -and chllditen startling retility.-. Musical -numbers and dances are included in the ac tIo.h, with aii. elementary, rather hefetlc" hoofing routine by a pair of youngsters an outstanding treat. Oomedy that gets the laughs of old' as well as young Is sprinkled generously throughout VRip • Van Winkle," the grog hound who took the.wrong drink and went to sleep for 20 years, reappearing in such bad shape that •one would think, he had sampled the latest libation from local speak. Rip is an Interesting character, with the effect of the performanOe heightened by the good voice ac- co'inpam^ing from the. wings, above, behind the set or somewhere. Ciiri- busly enough, although, the persons doing the dialog are ne-vter seen, these persons .aire so placed that a Vehtriloq.uist could hot have made It appear more certain' that the speech was coming from the mario- nettes. Only marring from voice Is the too mature speech" that goes for the little girl dummy. A miniature stage is centered In the Theatre Assembly, fonpei; Prin- cess; with small curtains closing In :6n the conclusion of ea.ch scene. The INSPECTOR KENNEDY Three-act crime melodratn* by-.Tjailipn Herbert Gropper and Bdna Sherry, star- ring William Hodge. Sixteen In cast; one scene. Producer aand etager unmentloned In prosram, presumably -WlUIam. Hodge himself.'. At the Bljoii,- ?T«w "Jfork, Deo. 20. (Scaled at |S.M top.> Wong. .....,>. .V Qoo Chong Ada. ..."'By» J^onl Gilbert Mortover ;. ^ .Walter watson Barbara Dean... ....Margaret Hujlen llatthew Carroll.............Don Merrlneld Dwlffht Mortover......... .Henry Herbert Mrs. .Wemble..i.,..........Valerie.Bergere Tony Carroll....,.;.,..,,..Miurt4je' Burke Charlie Durin,.............Carrolf Asnpum Deteetive. Rellly..Abbott -Adams Officer Smith................ •I'eH't. y*?""*" Officer Thomr.s;.La-.yrenCe .O'SullIvan Dr. .Gray...,....,,.....,..C. RusoeU Sage Byrnia Maurlca Rarrett Inspector Kennedy. ....i... , WIHIam Hodge Detective ■. Rorke.............WJlUam CuUen I PAUL WHITEMAN 3ooi^in8 Excluaiviely Through His Own Office 1560 Broadwa}) Nei» York Cii^ JAM^ F. GILLESPIE Personal Representative "Half Oodsi' ,4ivertlnff but It isn't the kind of a play that is fated to wear but the door hinges, and adverse reviews hurt Its chances no little. Sidney Howard, whose *'They Knew What Thby Warttied" won the Pulitzer, prize,..has written a love story of niarrlage dealing -With a couple who haye had two chlldreij, but are still, in the squabbling division. Other authors have .u'sed similar theme, mostly -with' Indiffer- ent sufccess. ':In thb case-1>£- "Half Gods" the thing is'-done very'well. The new fangltpol pwctlce of psy- chiatry Is brbuirht In sharp relief with that bf• practical medical, treatment witli the latter brought out oh top for the reason that .chilf dren cannot b^, disposed of> by re- directing , iin^ntal ..attitiide?* Thev kindly advice of a former Judge is ■ unavailing in kei&ping the fighting Perrlers together: It IS love and the kids'.<no.t In aptual stage e-vi- dence) that(;,.^)jri.i?e; tl^em. ^ogethe^ again. .'..^^t/ . '-'...'.j ■ ■ .y\'. Stephen and . Hope Ferrler are on the .vergb o£ .a <crash. . He ..arises With\ a^, grouch,, ^complaining. be heeds eight hours aileep and doesn't get it. Hope is fed up with, home routine and yearns to' be oh hdf own. The-matter of the children does not at the time crreatly 'Coh- cern.'her. She.; consults: Dr. Man-i nering who., discusses hep. inhibitions and agrees to her right to divorce. Steve reaches ]the point' -where divorce would be-ftU right with him, too. ' -He explains ther^ is' hut one ground fQr.a:-4ec!r^, in', New Ifork and arrangesh^, ca^ight with. a. hu^zy . hy ....deteptiyies..,,.$e!. • himself \ilxes, .,.Steyb.° ls'^]pinbhed^ for dri'ving with the glif*l .whll? stewed, biit thaJt is squared." 'Hb-is btC fn a huff' again when he dlscbvetis hl^ best - friend has. designs.;Qn-. his, wife..- . i.-. The, show peaches, a In. Fei:r tier's home alt.';t]fie time he Is mov- ing back ib'bm -the club and she Is lea-vihg' • for ^en6.' ." -Dr. Wolheim",- German child - specialist - hais been summoned.to.'attend the-kids,, up stairs with the whooping qou'gh. . He tells Steve -that as a husband he dhbuld-spankitlib wife and have ah other baby, but he puts, it in nduch terser terms:-, 'f'erhaps that line, was the one which made a ticket, broker' blush, so-he said. Steve arranges, '^tha • .rendevouz with the' diaii>e> but If ne-ver, takes plage. ' Hope Comes Into, the' plc- tui'e, asking Steve to come', home for the occasion of Judge Sturgis'. birthday. They-are. dressing up for the. event .and discussing their. af- fairs. Hope frankly .says-she is. as much Iti.love. with.him.as ever, and wants him'to, stay., That; Is the curtain^ .. Mayo Methot as Hope Is ' In ' a much happier spot than with the short-lived "Great Day."' Donir Gook, too, is excellent as Stephen, Siegfried R^inann, whose perform ance in VTh'a .Channel Road" won high, praise, glve£l a fine impersona tion of' Dr. - Wblhelm. It Is ratho- a brief part," However. Dorothy Sands, as' the "closest friend'of the couple, Walter "Walker as the judge, Laura Hamilton as the girl, all contributed. ., There' aro:- five ^scenes in the.- first act'and;. fonr in. .tbe .second: (only two acts). the changes being .made be means of reyblving -platforms much the sc^mb aler Mr.. Hopkins' "On Trial/* the first of• the quick change plays. Scene changes made quickly and without noise. - - The author, Sidney Howard, has been separated from his wife, Claire Barnes for .some tline. Miss Barnes was a psychoanalyst, with a Freud Ian explahatioh for everything. Arthur Hopkins third production at .his Plymouth this season had a better chance than the ilrst two tries ("The Commodore Marries" and "Channel fto4d") both of which were unusual as is "Half Gods," -un- til the notices In Monday's papers. A four-r week^a genc y bu y .won't, help muclu I . . ■ iltee.' Too bad this one dldri't ease into Broadway. earlier .when the .murder mystery play had a chance. It hasi Its points, chiefly a-tWilst of novelty and a good,.flavoring, of comedy woven into the' Implausible murder solution formula.' .Still not enough to 'warrant mbre than * brieif stajr.^ Probably low production cost and nioderatb Ovei-head Will keep It in for the limit Of its gambling possi- bilities.' Public boredom with the type oif play, Illustrated by-a whole series of .flops since. September,, too much', of a handicap even then,, •.. It's simple to; undfK^itand the breyity bf. the jelgn of. crime-and- detective plays. Like.;lh^ rest, the. technique here is mechanical. Nb matter how skiifullj^ the dramatist tries to lilde his hand, they're all naive theatrical hoke. There's a- murderiIn. the dark in the Gvat apt; audience: khow^. it wtll all; bB> ex- plained in almost exactly two rigours; and 10 minute's, and. in* the ffliean- thne the . <ju9tome.r§...w.aIt with various, degrees of .restlesisnes^ J^or the author to Spllrthb insldb,^ . That is the defect this plax haa in 'bommon with all DS^stbry jmelbs. It^ Ifhposbs the' task tipon ■ Authbi* and actbr of hbldlhg'"attention '"^frlth ncldents that in themselves are designed merely to .block and delay the.-only Iniportant thing- in. vleWj the .Solution. . t'Inspector .Kennedy.*' tries not too successfully to cure the fault by brightening the old process with engaging cOmedy In the : detective: charabter; jpersuk- slyely handled by HbdgeJ - : - St'ory has to do - with a wicked old man, a drug. manipulator who has only SO da;y3-to live,. but still takes time to plot the ruin of all the pUre womanhood within reach. :pietty hard to takb" this angles, .but tri^pe ^; plays - me. , .pej^i,tt!S^v.!to>" lay tloh season, but a long run doubt- ful. The ndvr play does ihount In in, terest, especially in the third acL But at the samb time it becomes somewhat Incoherent. They sav that the author had in mind for his principal charaoter a man who left- college flat and made a rapid suc'< cess as a show producer. .. But the Saphael librd of; Behrman's crea^ tlon.is a much vaster egoist,. The author says he wrote the play long before he met the man in question. In the program; ho merely quotes from one of Napoleon's early- let- ters: "Only-, on^ resource Is left to me, to -become an absolute egoist" Lord is not only blazing in his egoism hut' claims powera of- clalr> voyance-^he knows things and con- - ditions .without being told and is • infallible iii predicting the outcome of every venture. 'He himself de-' dares he is so far different from • the ordinary person that he almc^t believes - himself to be ox another - species.': - ■ The play begins in the library of Professor Avery, amiable professor in a small town unlvefrslty in Mass- (Contlnued on page'59) Stbcks Tiirii ta Old-Tiine : Scripts ill Eimergehcy p;ramatlc stocks are .resorting ".to. old-time scripts. to ke,ep going. . Economy lis.one. reason, .the>.oth^ being that the pictures grab- up-s Broadway: atorles too fast/ -and- there's no -tioinpbting with • picture versions.' ■' The. older..'shows are being takeiK"' up by stocks for apples as agafnpt' from $300 'to .$500.w.peK^y royalties' ' on - new stock releases according .to; Importance of Broadway showings,, uhe .spn of a man who yeahd and yesJffs ago' etoped. ■^Ith'-:'"t"her'ia[dp6 kihte's'. true love.: 'feEedvy b'tislhesS of hate as the old man schemes to comnilt'suicide-and naake it seelih thft boy- murdered hini. > ..iThat.fakes the first act and th^ star v doesn't enter until Act . II, as .the, det^tlv©; who, unravels the mystery,;, \.., . ,• . SolutloT^ progresses rather .slowly arid by many devious ^urngi'.With brisk'' Spurts and alterriktiiig Ibt"- downs. It takes the' gr^dter part' of thfe*^^second act to-bulld* fhe com- edy situation that everybody pres- ent Insists for one • reason or an- other upon confessing to the crime A Chinese-servant is on the brink of ^revealing the ^eal murderer when ho' Is mysteriously bumped'Off by a pistol shot In the dark,, .w.hlch serves for a punch second act cur- tain' on' Hodge's calnii: line, ''Tt'is a* goo'4 thing 1 didn't have hitn (the Chlnaiiian)-In-iny lapi" '' •■ - It's not veiiy 'cbrivlnoing Iri *4any spots and some of . the de-vices are- tiresome, and it hasn't much chance right now. Nevertheless, It does; deliver fair if simple . entertain- ment, and anyho.w Hodge .doing, fhb ra^o'r-^keen "'crime deteclbi' '.Vxactly as .lib might do a '"Rubb" '.character is worth'watching. " ' 'i. ■ Vdlerib Bergere-^amb -who used to do Chinese sketches in-'vaudib-^: viUe—does some 'heavy.'-acting, in the^last .-act). overshadowing the< star for .quite a. time, plays an old wom- anrrlieavens, how .-tincie, tiles'—and the niciB looking juverill^,. Me^uricb Burl^b by name, Is a '^ ringer .i.br Dbuglais Faiiifbariks of few years back. " Margartt' Mullen, "the in- genue, is entirely out of her ele-' merit, a' Junbesque type doing a shrinking, clinging vine role. None of the other twelve stands out. Rush. Try Change c>f Troupe ' 'C To .•:Never, before,-bias, there beeri -so ' mudh changing of stock locations, as at present. Heretofore whera any de^i:ee ~o£ success: .wfiis obtained the stbcH^rodUbei^ -would stick'.'iifi * sa-nae ,, Ibcatlbri.'' • ;And whiffri ■■'bifc'; sluhiped' he, stiU] stuck in. the hope it wo^^ .become bett^ij, ,' , Last v^^ek tht?e. such - permaneiii;-j location* for Btocks changed.. >'?jrherVi one> moved btttvofi a spot unothcr.)-: [Stock mo'^ed^ tn. •• Idea" seems-to■•'bS'^ bid ttbupbis^ butUVed their'. IbcAV^ •dr'a^RT..and' ''ft; «b'a,ng«j ^ w<?u^.;;-^'WWi'';-. Interest? ■ 'l":'.'' ''.'■ '"' .' - om put;: 4N0THiai ; Jc^nny :6alvln has been' Pi'oduct' Ing stock in the Galvin theatre^')- Ottawa, Can., for four and one-half yearb.' •'Wlth,eoriditloris riot etibbaf- agrtng' ^ he Hii6 , ■^('ithdrawri stnd ib' looking iof ariother local'tlbn. .:,' "; ■.' Oscar . . .O'Shea, .. midwest', stock operator, decided to. go into ibe Ot^lf.' :; viri-which .wlll.be renamed.--. . H'. Rvth Skepley Bectilled .' ■ ■■ < - .jHollywood,'Dec:^4. Ruth Shepley,'Whb came west to make a try for - pictures,' was here Just six days wheh summbrife.d .back , to "New York by George M. CobariV for VSporting 6l0od," his next stage- play,- . - - . ;,.r • ■ This-piece was tried, out last sum»i mer.in Qrejenwlch, Conn,' ". Bronx Near-dtrike On Pay Dramatic stock at the Bronx Opera House 'almost blew -Thurs- < day night when, the cast refus.ed tO'- continue-Unless- they were paid. ' - Curtain , held' Up until Joseph S,. Klein," the opertitor, obtained funds with which to .pay. TRIXIE FRIGANZA METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER STUDIO Personal Mahagers, TH£ BLANCHAhdS METEOR Oomedy-drama Iti three acts - preaehfed by the-Theatre Guild at the Qulldy Deo. i8; -written by S. N. Behtnaan; staged by Philip Moeller. Ann Carr......'......;.,.. .-liynn - Fontan'he Douglas Carr Douglass Moritgomery Phyllis Pennell.. .Shirley O'Hara Shehnan Mdxw'ell........Martifi Berkeley Ourtia < MaxweU '.-..... .I.aWcence Leslie Dr. Avery. .....^Idward Enriory Raphael.:^.:Xx>rd t<'t%r,.nTrrm,,^-jrrA\ f red :=Ijunt ifuUln.-,'. .'..'.Leonard Loan A -Butler. .Charles; McClelland Theatre Guild for its third pro- duction this season presents its ace leads—Alfred Lunt-and Lynn Fon- tanne, and by that token "Meteor" has the better chance than, the .first two tries. As an entertainment it is nbwhere near as i^riiuslng as "The Sedond Man," written by the same S. N. Behrman. "Meteor" will probably double its subscrlp- Sher in.'Real Estate Ijeo Sh^rrVprevlottsly With, Job'; Leblarig ; and . recently operalting a. two-for-one heal on legits, haS;, temporarily removed himself from show business^ going with Bing & Blng, realtors of Times Square' properties. "Bad Babies" to Frisco Los Angeles, Dec. 24. "Bid Babies," spicy piece about, the wild younger generation, Closes at the Figueroa Playhouse here iXan.. 4 and bperis two days later at the Capitol, §ari .Francisco.. Butterworth's Short Murray. Roth is directing Charl^ll Butterwo'rth In ti' two-reel talkiri^;. short for Warners. . Short, is -an. brieinal titled ."Thp.,. Master Sweeper," written by .Wal-; lace Sullivan of "Variety." Try New Stock Field • PoUghke.ep6ie, N. T., Dec, 24. ' . . A dramatic stock company i*' scheduled to open at the Playhouse next Monday.- This will be the city first stock venture.