Variety (Nov 1931)

54 VARIETY LEG IT I r Tueadaji November 17,1931 Hays on Broadway tpybEB, PLEASE Farce comedy In throo acta presented at the Masque Nov.. 12 by \, li, Jones . In association with Manny WoKo; written by Norman Krosan; stosed by George Abbott, Allen West ..i.;Bu(oril J^rmltose Ruth Mildred Wall Kathryri Block iAlMa Ft«el Herbert White... L«e Traey Eddie Maoey....... Millard: Mitchell Snitz Gumbic .Percy, Kilbride Polly Madison .Jane Buchanan Bemla ,^ , ...J. H. Stoddard Georee Srody. Charles lAtte Frederick Garrett. , .Theodore Hecht, Charlie Karris....;' .Allen Mosle Ketidall Kins .'....;Frank M. Thomas Bailey Robo^ Qleckler Hennan Schneider...,,.Charles O. Wilson ^Dtn Claus .Henry Sherwood Here Is a. IJoUywood picture press ofrenfa Show .aitd a ftinny one. When It snaps it' goes along, to ladghter, enough to' please the aver- age onlooker and should rate a moderate success... > . - There Is a reminder of 'Brostd way* In this show. .Five of the cast were In ' Phil - Bunnlng's crackling comedy," and George Abbott,, who staged It, did a similar jobihere, No.t that '£<Duder; Please' is as smart; but It Is''Smartly presented for so un- pretentious a play. Ijee Tracy, the hoofer of 'Broad' way' and the reporter of The Front Page,' steps into. a. part naturaJ, to hlDji. as Herbert' White, the pi«ss agent of Criterion Pictures.; He an- swers - no less I.than three phones, never sure which one .la ringing, baMlng out nearly everyone on the other end, but, alwayS'^the' jgentle- man when ,,Ull(li)g. over, the office dictaphone'to the boss,.J.'li. Tracy makes 'Louder, Please' if ' It is made. He carries the pace. He is -on the'dtaere 'virtually through- out ' and' is'' always worthwhile; That Is a severe'test for:ab actor. : Sensing the' - executives are *. not pleaded with the''dpace' ihe com- pany Is getting, Uls' state ^ta told, but he'Warn& th'dt although ohe of their 'Stars Is abdut to divorce, her contract hob 30 days to run, and 'if ■MViiWety" gets that yarn, you're all fired.' The press agent frames a stunt foe BoI)y.Madlson,'another.Criterion stari She is BUBP.ose.d to dlsappeir ^n motor, boat during a .party an.d the..next dsty this .coast.guard'sends out.' flying machine's to And her.' .Bl^ley,' a detective, thinks It a p-ubr. llcity' gag,. aji.d' examines the whole stiff, using thlr4-<&egreQ methods.. That'brings~on another excellent actor fr^m 'Broadway* .in Robert Glecker. He and Tracy, then take the'ishow along to a laughing, cpnclu- BoixL- They both have been in HoUy- wQod and kaow what it is.'all about^ There is.not td'o much, technical stuff to.confuse audiences ei^n6r. . - 04e. of the funnl^t press-stunt' ideas' is' described.. .A motor boiat to-gring a 'balloon is 'suptiosed ,'ta cruise parallel.to a.beachi.' Biit the balloon Is so big that it lifts the boAt off the water and it is floating about in the air, tho billing of a pic- ture and star 'belng oil the baJlbon. At the finish it Is reported the strange aerial ad is on its way to Denver. " Korman Krasna, who 'wrote 'Loiidcr, Please,' worked for Metro out west. Not long ago he was a copy boy on the 'World' and' later was assistant dramatic editor on the ■Graphic'' • .' - liouder. Please'' is conilc diver- sion and deserves to click. Ibee. Lester Trout, a, grafting c".:;.'>phone player, tells her. she should. Lester sees visions .of her having heavy money and supportlngf one of his show schemes. Patsy miakcs two stipulations; (1) that Charlie under- stand that.onca she strayed, .and (2) that his family accept her. Charlie's mother gives a party in the Brecne home with Patsy invited Mrs, Breene,. very much social reg- ister, tries nearly everything, to put Patsy at a disadvantage, and schemes with her lawyer to com promise the girl 'because she ■I3n''t of their set. The tiarty guests and the teat of tjte^famlly, however, fall for Patsy, in a big way. They walk out on matrical singers and join Patsy in the bar, where a colored quartet is playing Jazz. Th^re is some hoofing for that scenei Billy Pierce having tatight the star.. ^The lively going then' switches. Charlie squabbles with Patsy, who, in a fl.t of anger, motors to Green- wich and opArrles tho saxe player, who proves squr right off. She goes to Paris for, a divorce-, because she couldn't get^,evidence" against Les- t^ri who'is being paid by Icy Mrs. Breene to bo-gc.3d. Charlie has oi tqugh' tlmo of it abroad, with his letter of credit shut off,. and he works his Way back on a boat 'when ho learns of the divorce. Patsy is all set to bawl Charlie In all styles, but catchlpg a look at his j>ale face, her big'heart..just , naturally goes out to him. 'The authors chose , to defend the peopl»- of carnival' shows. Patsy, wajs bom on the lot and it would have, been worth anyone's life to In- sult her. She says the morality of cariiivol '-people is- polished com- pared' to the .people of the social register. Miss Ulric took to .ber 'jiew part with ' all the energy tliat is hers. iPatsy is a cinch from the audteiice standpoint: -Sidney Blackmer does Charlie, who is no heavyweight. Betty Garde looked and played the part .as Gloria, Patsy's best friend. Hans Hansen scored In a comedy Way as tho Breene butler who had to play bartender for the i)iirty, tbei-eby foregoing a symphony, con- cert with ToBcanlhnI' conducting. Theresa Maxwell Conover, a good pick as Mrs. Breene. Very much like a'deb name Is Hilda Heywood Howe, who plays that klnd .of a girl. Last year Miss Ulric in a medi- ocre plaV' ('Pagan Lady') ha4 a sue-, cessful set^on. because of her per- sonal draw and' a moderate . cost hook-up. 'The Social Register" itf much more costly to' operate, which is why it probably won't run. . Z6ee. background or voice, 1>ecomea the new operatic 'And. Night of the opening she' loses what little voice she had and some- one from off-stage slngS'the piece for her with no. one In the audience any the ■wiser. Tho artistic Italian director, knowing of no" other ■way to handle the situatloti, wins her away from the great Hugo Adams in as fine a seduction scone as has b6en staged in years. Next morn-^ ihg Hugo's willing to drop her and tho Italian has won his point. . Besides the .fact that plot, con- structloiic Is stretched too far, It is spotty and uneven. Instead of be- ing biting, it is broad, with .many la,ughs but no conviction, and a final feeling of emjitlness. Il's a shalhe that It doesn't make Iti not only because it could have been genuinely amusing, but also because it Is patently an expensive and earnest attempt.' Sets are as beautiful ias could be and there's no scrimping In^ any other depart- ment. A m6i:e expensive'or capable stager- might have .accomplished something with Itr or soi^e more re- writing. ' . Acting also-is spotty. . Barbara Wllllsoix as the girl is satisfactory toough as. is also Ralph Locke por- traying the great backer. But tbe performances of both,' as well as most of the cast, are' just about suitable with nothing . inspired or noteworthy, .Only completely genu- ine piece of acting'is that'of 'Wil- liam Lynn as the befuddled .com- poser, with Giuseppe Sternt bal- ancing the. scenes the other way around in the part of Amain, the Opera's Artistic ■ director.'■ KWf. ■ ■■ BRIEF MOMENT Comedy In three acts presented 'at the< Belssco Nov. B by ' Guthrie McQMntlc;. staged by same; .written by 9. tf. Behr* man; Frai)clno Larrlmore starred'. Roderick DenD,...,'........Robert Douglas Harold SlgTltt.,.,,.,..Alexander Woollcott Katbryn Dean ...Frances Rich Manny Wnlsh Paul'Hnrvcy At)by Fano..... Fianclne I^arrlmOTe Sergei Volosctays..........Boris Maishalov Coss Warthlricton....'........Xouls Calhern Butler . i '.,.'.'... Edwin Morse Maid .'...'.. .Helen Walpole The Social Register Farce comedy lii tlirae acts'presented at the Fulton Nov. 0 by Erianger Frodrictlonii; written by Anita 1.003 and John Emerson; Iionore IJIrlo starred, Sidney Blackmer featured. Gloria Hall Betty Garde Mr.. Jones WUtred Clarke Lulu Eillzabeth Taylor Pntsy Shaw Lonoro Ulric An Blectrlolan..; William Boag Kay Wilson .Helen Tucker Ruth Prcscott Lenore Sorsby Lester Trout Alan Edwards Claude ,..Donald Stewart Charlie Breene ..Sidney Blackmer Chris v...'...'...'..Hans flaneen Mr. Breene...,...>..' Oswald Yorke Mtft^ Breene Teresa Maxwell-Conover Mr. ^V1s(tln■ '.qeorge Henry Trader Muriel Devenant.....Hilda Heywood HOwo Mrs. Shormtd...'. Madeleine Gray Mrs. 'Vandervent.... Jane Farrell A Debutante ...Vera Krug Due D3 ncnnn Marcel Joumet, Jr. Prince Alexis..... ....Sidney ElUot Lady Sharpley Andree "Vlllars Ronald A.l(\n Wallace LaJy Singer.. .'Winifred Martin Gentleman Singer Tom Burton Mrs. McKay ...Mary Ackley SING HIGH, SING LOW Comedy with music In two act» and eight scenes presented , by Walker Towns, Inc., at the. Sam H. Harris, Nov. 12. Written by Murdock Femberton and David Boehm; directed by Clarence Derment; sets, Paul Ouzounoft; music, Gilbert Mackenzie; ballet composed and. directed by Frances Mann; orchestral direction, Mussina Wochtel, . Doaks ' Frand Verlgun Willie........................Ben Lackland Pop Prank Andrews Julius Spelger; .....HerlKrt Goode WIsn'er , .Con MacSunday Roberts Itot Thomas Magnolia Uarbara Wllllson Antoinette .Lorna Elliott AdoK Lynn Root Corbott West .Albert Vees Hugo ' Ralph Locke Arthur Warren.... Don Beddoc Gregory Townsend William. Lynn Adellna Drebclll Hilda Kutsuklan Bmlllo Amain ...Gluseppo Sternl Seeno Painter.: Cornelius Vezin Craig Fred House Slattehand...^ .S. K. BInyon Madame Elsa .'...Josephine Deftry Rudolrdi Kraoskopt. John' Taylor Harry Vernon Howard Weaver..... .n J. S. McLaughll Stein '.James Seymour Thompson Richard Galll Wallace .....Spencer KImbell Principals of Ballet—Grace Lydon, Jean Kayson, Katherine Byles, Elinor James, Jean Walton, Vera Volkenau, Ina Korscb, Mary D. Smith. 'Brief Moment" drew the smart and dressy flrst-^night bunch that seems to belong to the Bclasco. It is the first play there since the great Belasco passed. ■ That' it will ap- proach the rating of Belasco suc- cesses is doubtful, though it la brightly and . humorously worded aiid should do comfortably.well. The new play is essentially a dia- iog. performance,' It spiarkles now and then a^ did the some S.. N^ Behrman's "The Second Man.' There, it no exceptional story. The jplay- wright .designed his piece merely as diversion. . First and third'acts'held a'fair butnot speedy pace. Seconi}. .act had a tendency to droop,', perhaps because there were. two quarrel scenes, not only a fault of repetition, ■but also. two- scenes of.. extreme ' (Continued on page- 66) The lighter side oC 'The Social Reg . -Jster' is ra;ther good fun, and that i goes on for the first two acts. Then i tho thing gets dramatic, which ap pears to be the matter with it and which puts its click chances In .4c*ubt. 7 The new ■ play starring Ignore Ulric was kept out of town six weefcs principally to afford time for the.' authors to ' follow managerial suggestions to rewrite that third act ahd give it the dash 'and gayety of the early' going. But Anita Loos and John Emerson tabled, the idea Lenore ITlrlo creates Patsy ihaw of ''Vanities' so big-hearted that she gushes generosity. Her girl friend Gloria Scolds her iflenty for that but .4«naps at anybody who tries to pan Patsy. Charlie Breene of Park ave- > nue adores Patsy and thiay bScome engaged; that is, she accepts after : Seems a sort of shame to turn thumbs down on this play because It has no many good things In' it, But handled as it is. It looks like another member of the great army of' g'oo(t ideas gone wrong. Maybe it will get a month to six weeks. Writers had a splendid Idea, biit se^m to' have gotten Off the 'track somewhere. Trouble lies largely in the 'foot that they mistook their purpose. They started to ■write a satire and turned out a burlesque Where they didn't miss, the stager did. It's about as poorly paced piece as conceivable. Intention was to kid the Metro polltah Opera. In the play it's called Cosmopolitan Opera. There's the rich banker-backer and the artistic Italian director. That far it's just easy enough to Identify to be okay. Also the business of both being on the make and insisting on making their particular love of the moment the new operatic find. . But' from that on, the 'piece-begins to .lag, .iMagnblla Jackson Watnwrlght is brought on as the Southern stuppo who woii a bathing beauty contest and thinks she ought to go Into Opera. .Kid assistant to the pub llclty than gets her an Introduction to the big banker at the moment when he. has a yen to produce an American opera and the bknker falls. Magnolia, with no training. Out of Town Reviews PRIVATE LIVES Hollywood, Nov. 12. Only because of. Its expertness so far as a provincial company is con cerned does ' Noel Coward's 'Pri- vate Lives' merit another review. This, production has Edward Ever- ett Horton starring with his own company in the clever Coward three-act comedy, with. Florence Eldridge (Mrs. Fredrlc March), quite noteworthy, opposite him do ing the original Gertrude Lawrence role. Laura LaPlante and Gavin Gordon from pictures have the other important roles, with Fran- cesca RotoU at the femme-de- chEunbre in the Paris. apartment, which constitutes the scene of the last two acts, completing the cast Horton does a. competent job on this coast production of the Broad way success in every department, from' faithfulness of. scenic investl 'ture to histrionic distinction. One might carp that -Horton mayn't have the British, unction of a Coward but he does excellently. Ditto Miss Eldridge, whose per formance might be said to«be coin- parable with the original Gertrude Lawrence's, (without this expatriate having ever seen the original). Spotted at the Hollywood Play-; house on Vine off the boulevard It's a smart house booking for the carriage trade, which this attrac tion win inevitably attract at $1.60 with $2 on Saturdays. Only one mat (Sat). Perhaps the only deterrent might bo the heavy hookup of around $7,500, which is plenty pennies for any. dramatic leglt. H6usQ can, do $12,000. Niit Includes a 15% straight royalty to Coward and $650 to Arch Sclwyn weekly as his bit. Supporting cost is oke witti Gor don strong and Miss LaPlante effective In a mild opportunity. It's her leglt debut. 'I^rlvate Lives' Is the most de lightfuUy .guaranteed evening,lo cs^ly of a mo'agre west coast leglt season; or a couple of seasons for that matter. AHeU TSAk LENINE . > . ' Paris, Nov. 2. . A tliree-«ct play by Francois Porohe. Produced by Charles UulUn at tbe Atelier, Pnrls Starring Charles Dullln, headlitr a long cast, . A bit hit, due for a long run if the police don't stop it in the naean- ttme for fear of political riots simi- lar to what already happened dur- ing the showings of 'Dreyfus' at the Amblgue: Play picturizes 'in. a rather IdeaU- Istto- way, 'Lenin, as<an>«Kll» In France, preparing, the revolution, and later succeeding in carrying it through, then running it ruthlessly, and...llnii^Ily dying of paralysis. '. Though fhe t>ra^ cannot be con- sidered- as "defaming Lenth,'^ the Cdrthtuhistlo Harty iteentrf the ex- posure ■:ot - the TUthlessiiess it' dis- played-In-Russia. Tw»-of-its mom- bets -■ once caused ■ the- play - to be. in- terr.upted.<for.lO minutes by rushing the stage .antl^-causing a. rtsal.pap- demonlum. . . The .play, though rather inexpeh-r slveiy produced, is'remarkably well stjtged by Dullln himself, which helps:-to give, it a semlrallegorical character without detracting from the fast tempo of the action,' The stagS' is really divided into three parts, consisting of'One large apron, then the first halt of the'stage 'bin which' action '.usually takes -place^ and'' the' bacl< ..tialf of the -Blage Which is .'on a steep incline) and used by secondary characters, keep- ng .them jn full; view, but sharply divided from .tbe main actiop, .which takes placjs front.' Even then, the front part, itself is ' often shut '.off, in 'one,' by a piece of material han- dled by two allegorical-' figures, whilst characters : are disappearing bejhind. lt, or'.change of action, is taking.place. The allegorical inteix- tlon of tlie play as .being a da'nc^ of death is evidenced .by .the. fre- quent appearance in front of this piece of material of a character representing death, with a death masque behind which is revealed a skull.- The sets are ,'by ^G. VakalO) and at^.^ecld^dly Russian.. Some music is'\ised, written by liarc'el Dalan- noyi Five musicians are far back- stage, kept out' of view by lattice work. Also'a gramophone record.is' used for crowd noises.. Play o'pens 'with Ijonin shown -in his 'exile's, room in Paris discussing the revolution with his wife, whilst yarlous Russian characters, both of the. higher .classes and of. the masses, are shown on the aproil of the stage, giving their itnpressions of what is taking place. Second act shows Lenin and his friends - back in Russia proclaiming the- revolu- tion, when'.the Czarlst tegima is bi;eaklng down.. Again'the classes apd masses'are individualized in al- legorical characters. Last act shows Lenin in hi^ "AabbyKreinltn apart- ment; first running the revblatibn; and' later,' h'li^ slow passing away. At one time whilst in his office; he Is seen playing a lonely game of chess whilst the various allegorical characters are revealed on the back stage ihclinQ through the back par- tition of the office, which opens in 'two.' One of these charlicters dis- appears every time Lenin strikes one of the chess pieces, and the floor Is made to represent a chessboard, making the allegory rather impres- sive, since none of the living re- mains when tiie game Is over.' Lighting, with the very simple means at the disposal of Dullln, Is comparatively good. Of course, audience individuals, according to personal, feeling, react tremendously to the lines of the i>lay, which con- stitutes its. chance of business and Its risk of being interfered with by possible riots. Acting by .Dullln is excellent. The rest , of a nu- merous cast Is mere support. Francois I^orche; the author,'had a play don'«i in'Philadelphia several years ago. titled 'Sam Abramovltch.' This was a translation of his French orlglhal, yet unproduced here, 'The Wandering Race.' VtMrf,' I'hlorry... Armand... Leopoldlne Iu;belle.,. Wanda.... Frnest.,,. Dr. Tricot Joe Marie..... UN TACITURNE CA Silent Man') ™ ; ■ Paris, Nov. 1 »S?'' L" v""?® ^"H Martin du data Prbduoed by I.auls Jouvet at the ComlSiI dei Champs Elysees, Parl«, Oct. n-hw™ • p,o„o ..............Louis JoQv,t 4;v*'"l«-Laure •••• Valentine Tessler ..........Luelenne :Boaaert .Luclen Manclnl A ^J"."" "ouquet Daniel Lecou?iols .............Odette Houret ' Likely to do business due to ex. cellent .acting and strangeness of'' subject, .which is strongly Freudian.' : Production is very simple—first aif industrialist's office; second, a' 'potch' of a villa overlooking the v'al- ' ley of the Setite, dnd, third, a draw- Ing-^room. '• ' '. Story op^ns with the strong , silent man who runs a big business learning to his surprise that the rea-. son his father committed suicide was his loVe fdra girl who died the' day before. With the Silent man is his cousin, who.in the business runs a department, ■ and is used' in the'' play to enlighten other people on their true feelings. The boss has a 80-year-old sister' who lives' ■with' hiin and a:iso runs a department in the buslness,.and that sister is her- self assisted by one of her girl' friends. Play ppens when every.' body comes back from the funeral' of' . a confidential . clerk, whoso brother asks that the dead man's ' son. to be given a.J.ob.- The boss re.. ..' fuses at first,.'but the young qiain' ' appears, and due to his winning personality , is taken .immediately as secretary by the .boss; Some time ' later young man la seen making ' love- to, the sister and proposing. She refuses, oxplalning that she has a past When she Was a 13-year, old schoolgirl she was the darling' of her schoolmarm, and when sbe found'tbe marm was getting sweet' on another girl she stabbed the girl in a fit of Jealousy. . Before the act closes it Is clear that she didn't kill the girl and .that the girl . Is her business assistant, and that they are Lesbians. Still later, somehow the young man has overcome her objections to- marriage, and they are. to be .formally engaged that same evening, everybody except the brother realizing that they are In love. When -she tells her brother- she is going to marry the. secreo.. tary he flies In a rage. The cousin demonstrates to the boss that he. doesn't, understand bis real motives.. And goes into a long Freudian ar--' g'ument pointing to the employer's probable state of mind in relation to the secretary. This man is hor'^ ror-struck, and so digusted to find that whereas in' business he always- sees his way clear,- in life he Is- aubject to reactions over which he^ has no control that he goes to his room and shoots himself. The title role of the boss Is ex« cdllently rendered by Pierre Renoir. His cousin is done by Loiilr Jouvet, actor-manager. Whose acting la locally unsurpassed. The secretary, is done nicely by Daniel Lecourtols, and the character part of his uncle, the old doctor, Is exceedingly well rendered by Remain Bouquet The boss' Bister Is excellently acted by 'Valentine Tessler, who thoroughly moved' the audience and cries real- tears on the stage In the big second- act scene, where she tells the young man she can't marry him, Her Les- bian friend is very well done by Liicienne Bogaert, and Marie Laure Is excellent as an old governess. Other i>art8 mere extras. Type of story precludes any screen dosbI*' biiltles. Uaxi. His first show, 'Brief Moment,' set at the Belasco, Guthrie McCllntic is expected to start immediately on his second. This will be 'Distant Drum' by Dan Totheroh. 'Traspass,' by T. C. Upham,' to bo produced by Burton Herford.. Ex- pected to b^ ready week of Dec. 14, William' A. Brady Is reviving 'Little Women,' pity adcwted from TiOulsa.Alcott's heartpuUcir. Cast by Bill Brady, Jr. 1031 version of 'Wo- men' will run at matinees only, four a week, opening Xmas ' time .: at Brady's Playhouse. 'They Don't Mean Any Harm,' by A. A. Milne, Chas. Hopkins' next and probably in 'around Jan. 1; 'Fata. Morgana,' by Briiest Vajda, revl^ved by Jlmnvia Coooer. to'open Xmaa.. NUIT D'ENFER (HELUSH NIGHT) Paris, Nov. 2. ' Three-act play by Guldo StaCcnlnL Adapted In Frenoh by Max Dalreaux. Produced by Paulette Pox, at the Ooeuvre, Paris. . ■ ' ■ van Diur..., ..Max de Our Carol ■. Henrr Oasparint Gony. ;Mme. Krance-Elly» Roberto : ..Raymond Doetao Theo-. , Alnie-Clarlond 1*0 Mother-ln-Law Clafro Gerard Toe. Academician Jacques Fetieot Francois...; Philippe .Janvier The Actress..... Puulelte Pa* SaUne i Olsele -Plcnrt Calllmaque.. Fmncols Pnulet Clalrelte. :.Annette Dorl* The Mother Helcne MIroy Lucie \ ...Hilda Jensen Ze compleate floppe. Attendance small and two-thirds paper. Only point worth mentioning is fine act- ing by France-Ellys, especially In a scene where she plays a drunk. Play is cheaply produced, UMt and third acts being a drawlns- roonx with an alcove that can oe curtained off. Second act, supposed to be In Hell, Is ridiculously fu- turistic. Heavy psychological sturc, wihlch might do for a novel, but is uhflt for the stage, speeches slow- ing up action. ^ , Apart from France-fiUys, balance of cost is consldei-ably overacting. Story is thot of a man who on his .wedding night.reallzes the brwe is no white dove, spends the nlgnj dreaming that he Is in HeU, an« y wakes up much softened, moou