Variety (Nov 1931)

46 VANETY Tnesilajr, Nj»yemi>er 24, 193i~ Hays on Broadway REUNION AT VIENNA Comedy In thrct acta preaented by the ^eulre Guild Ndv. 10 nt the Martin BccK. wMtten* by tlobert B. Sherwood: dlr«otlon ti|r Worthlngton Minor; seta by Aline Bern- Kath'le • Uary Gildoa Ldundryman .Stanley Wood Biena Lynn Fontanne Dr. Anton Krus Minor Watson Ilae Phyllis Connard Emll Uoyd Nolan Horr KruR Henry Travera Frau Lucher Hflen Westley Countess Von Stalnz..;.Virginia Cbauvenet Coant Von Stalnz Edward Fielding Polly ) .« Bdbuardo ClannelU Bredzl.... .'...;BeIa Lublov Strap ....Otis Sberldan Torlfnl ; , BJom Koetoad Police Inspector Uarray Stevens ChaC..... .....Joseph Allen VOB Hapsburs Altred'dunt Baroness Von Krett Cynthia. Townsend Oeneral Hoetzler Frank KIngdon Tallsz .Owen Meech Sopbia ;.... .Justlna Wayne Koeppke ,.... .William R. Randall The Laitly With' a Lamp Drama In three acta presented at Uaxlne Elliott's theatre Nov. IT by Kenneth Mae- gowan and Josepb Vomer Reed; written by Reginald Berkeley; Edith Evans starred; staced by I.esUe Banks, WllUain MIghUngale ...'..Edgar Kent Lord Palmerstob '3. W. Atntin Sidney Herbert. Leslie Barrle Mrs. NlgbUngale J^ellle Malcolm Ellzal>eth Herbert ...Patricia ColUngo Honry Tremayne ^Stuart Casay Sellna Bmcebrldge. .Jane BavUe Florence Nightingale Edith Evans Lady Heritage....... Hilda Plowrlght Urs. Calder. Barbara Allon Ijady Chrlstabel Deane..... ;Barbara Bruce Miss Pelt ...Anne Revere Dr. Smith ;...H. Langdon Bruce A .Nurse Ann Lynwood Surgeon phlllp Tonge Alfred liuptt and Kjynn Fontanne do most of the acting in this, latest OuUd effort. Robert Sherwood has written ' what - passes with Ouild audiences as smart dlaloer. Those two things combing to lift 'Reunion at Vienna,* an otherwise mild'piece Of theatre, Into the hit class. It will have no trouble lasting six weeks or more above the regular Guild' sub- . scrlptlon period. It would be interesting to see what would happen to this piece wlthoiit liUnt and Fontanne. Such an even and smooth performance is given by Miss Fontanne and such a beautifully bombastic one by Mr. tiUiit that it Is impossible not to get a' pleasant reaction. Especially in the second act, by far the best of all. Theme of the play Is that beauti- fully trite and ancient piece of ho- kam about the .dash between Intel- Mgence and nature, heart and brain, 'Ith .the emotions, of course, wln- Jiff out. But Robert Sherwood has dressed It up In nice new clothes with sufficient ingenuity to, for a moment, m'ake it appear like a hew ISea. Strangely, for an American, Sher- Wood spotted his play In 'Vienna. Probably because he worries a bit abont psychologists In the play and that made him think of the Austrian capitaL . Play Is about the Haps- bnrgs of 'Vienna, and although not especially Viennese In spirit or man- ner. It Is sufficiently true to the flapsburg traditions. Any that know the Hapsburgs will call the charac- tera more reminiscent of the Ro- manoffs of Russia than the Haps- burgs, but the Romanoff clan would recognize the characters as of the Viennese vintage. Dr. Anton Krug is an eminent Viennese psychologist and Blena Is his'Wife. They're happy. It^s years, after the War that broke down the Hapsburg line. Along comes Franz Joseph's 100th Anniversary and the few remaining menibers of the Hapsburg clan get up a reunion. Prince Rudolph Maximilian von Hapsburg, a Nice taxi-driver now, manages to get there, as also Klena. Before the war, it seems, Elena had been Rudolph's mistress. Now, knowing he'll be at the reunion, she doesn't want to go. But Krug, being a wise psychologist, says she must go, to break down the shadows of the past. When she'll see how her future prince has changed, the doctor's theory is, she'll forget all about him forever. When the prince sees how she has changed he'll dls miss her also. With everybody happy. ' But the paradox is that these two, Blena and Rudolph, haven't changed. Everybody else has changed, grown old. wrinkled, worried or marked. But these two managed to remain as they were. So there's a conflict immediately and she saves herself only by leaving the party undressed and through a back door. Rudolph Is not so easily beaten. He follows her home. He wants to flght for her with her husband, And, of course, the wise physician is so Intelligent that he. leaves the couple In the house alone for the night while he goes out to plead with, the police not to arrest the prince, He's sure that under those circumstances his wife will not be unfaithful It's the old G. K. Chesterton and Q-. B. Shaw formula, take any ac cepted truism and say It's the other way around. You're immediately considered brilliant. Sherwood has sprinkled the dialog with a lot of clever lines, of the sort that immediately Identity them- I selves as being clever. An example ' is: 'Psychiatry, oh yes; Vienna's sole remaining Industry.' It's neither „ brilliant nor clever but it sounds so at first. It's a perfect bit of manii fbcture for people of smart preten slon, real or phoney. It's superdli ous. triteness. Piece has a splendid production the sets by Aline Bernstein are beautiful; the. direction by Worth ington. Minor is perfect. In an act Ing way Miss Fontanne and Mr. Lunt completely dominate the show. Minor Watson as Herr Krug has difficult part since he has to be out shadowed by the colorful prince and the beaiitlful woman at all times, .He seems too restrained at times, but gives a satisfying bit of por- traiture. Rest of the cast is type picked carefully. Outstanding are Helen Westley, Edouardo' Ciannelll and Henry Travers. Kauf. A blographtcaV costume drama, 'The Lady With a Lamp,' seemed too quiet a play to catch popular fancy to the.extent of a box office success.' However, it Is another credit to the energetic producing duo of Macgowan & Beed. It Is just a 'question of time when this pair will click with a real hit. There was a show with the similar title of 'The Lady of the Lamp,' done by Earl Carroll some years ago, but Mac- gowan & Reed retained their title because. of ' this play's rating In England. The central figure is Florence Nightingale, whose intense ma- ternal Instinct was not fulffiled in marriage and motherhood, .but whose energy started the movement that has resulted in the modern methods of trained nursing. Her first service was in the Crimean 'W'ar when the Tommies were far away from home. The story of Florence. Nightingale doubtless of great interest, espe- cially to the British, and there are some poignant points in the play, but a limited appeal to Broadway indicated. Edith Evans comes to these shores to lmi>ersonate the' greatest nurse of all time, first as a girl, whose beloved dies before her eyes, a war casualty. I^ter as a woman whose keenness wins the admira- tion of the cabinet and whose quiet insistence inspires England's states- men to support the reforms she worked for. Finally, as an aged woman confined to bed, brought to the drawing room in a wheel chair for the function of a royal decora- Uon. These phases in the life of Flor- ence Nightingale emit some dra- matic sparks of a subdued nature. Most of the high lights In dialog show Interchanges with Elizabeth Herbert, so well played by Patricia ColUnge, that she was a close sec- ond to Miss Evans In performance. The scene ' wherein Miss Nightin- gale Is given the king's medal calls for added characters and extras, and there was no skimping by the producers in miaklng it seem reaL Miss Evans and Miss .ColUnge really carry tho play; but there are some men concerned, among them St. Clair Bayfield, as a Scotch doctor, who becomes a sort of secretary . t.o the great nurse and Leslie Barrle, a. statesman, whose profound respect principally aids Miss Nightingale in her work. 'The Lady With a Lamp' is weepy to those who fall under the spell of Miss Evans' acting and to those who are familiar with the life of Miss Nightingale. But It seemed that something more was necessary to put the play across over here. Ibee. rich uncle snuffs out and she has to go to- work In a gown «hop In New Tork. Loving Bing, but feel- ing he 'Is too Inconstant, she weds the rather elderly and portly John Blair. The event tabes place the mor- ning after Nella and Bing stay ttie, night In bis room In a Westchester country .dub. That seemed more than frisky, coming from the Nu- gents. ' There are words too, that were recently acquired lii their writing vocabulary but they are not to be blamed tor the stage vogue. Bing looks over a hotel proposi- tion in Baja, Mexico, and Nella honeymooning with ' her old man, arrives on the scene. ' The tennis champ thinks of buying , the place, with the financial old of . a widow, quite older than he. But It turns out that his marital move Is a counter to Nella's, When he finds the . marriage with Blair Was never actually, consummated, the .young- sters are aimed, for the altar. Blair concedes his error In wedding a kid, so it Is all right The love. Interest In "Fast Service* Is the main idea,, and It Is Muriel Klrktand' who carries It principally. She seemed to click, whereas the Nugeiits were uncertain. Not that they are not real actors. The elder Nugent was best when he took aboard a flock of gin fizzes In the Mexican hotel. '. He always was a good stage stew. Jack Ralne and Edmond'Breon, also featured, are British players. Miss Klrklahd first scored In Strictly Dishonorable,' and counted fairly well in 'The Greeks Had a Word For It' last season. Earlier this season she was in 'Love An Actress,' which was hardly suited to her. If there was any doubt as to her talents, the .'present play clears that de^nitely. The reviews were of the sort that rated 'Fast Service' fairly good diversion, so they could hardly be box' office noticed. - Ibee. A WIDOW IN GREEN Comedy In three acta and fonr scenes ; >resented at the Cort Nov. 20 by James W. Elliott; written by Lea Freeman and di- rected by A. H. .Van. Buren; Claiborne Foster starred; Ernest Qleadlonlng and Cecilia Loftus featured. . Sue '. .Claiborne Foster Henry David HIgglns Angellcla ' Cecilia Lonos Mrs. Van Studdltord....Katharine Bmmett Mrs. Llddy. Perlta West Oardnar Louisa ; Peggy Allenby Lady Rumley. Florence Edney Mr. Redcjlety ..' Johnnie Brewer The "WhltCord Boy....,..Maury Tuckerman The Harknass Girl...... Luclllo Llale Tomniy Shannon Ernest Qlendlnnlng FAST SERVICE Comedy in three acts presisnted by Edgar Selwyn at the Selwyn. Nov. IT; written by Elliott and J. C. Nugent, who «re fea- tured along wlt>i Muriel Klrkland, also Jack Ralne and Edmond Breon; staged by the producer. 'Bing- Allen Elliott Nugent Nella Anderson Muriel Klrkland Doris BoMen Florence Bhirloy M. De Stael Rene Robertl 'Flaming' Varlck Mllllcent Hanley John Blair J. C. Nugent Tommy Mullen,...Edmond Breon Walter Kenneth Dana Gordon Mcllvalne Jack Ralne Pedro, a waiter ., TIno Valentl Pablo, second waiter Joey Montague Bell Boy Howard Lane Dr. Dalch..:. Harold Woolf A Man : Jed Cogut His Wife Jean Mann It appears that comedies inust be more than mildly, diverting, to hit on 'Broadway, especially in these times when crying towels are the only articles at a premium. There fore 'Fast Service' will! likely not get beyond the end zone. Able sponsorship in Elgar Sel wyn nnd able authors In Elliott and J. C, Nugent, figured to net stronger result. All three dashed back from Hollywood, perhaps as a; change of pace. The producer had a couple of plays he wanted to do hero, but boards the choo-choo this week to resume picture direc tlon on the coast. He decided on that before his latest try'Went on. First called 'Silver Fizz,' the.hew play with the Nugents Is built around a tennis champ. Elliott is 'Bing* Allen, who has Just won' tournament at Washington, and at the opening is kissing Nella Ander son, a sweet, southern lass. Hci Is abo.ut to soli for Wimbcldon,. there to cop the championship. In the three months he is gone, Neila's THE GOOD FAIRY Pittsburgh, Nov. 17. ' Gilbert Miller presents a new comedy by Fereno Molnar In three acta and an epilog. Helen Hayes starred and Walter Connolly featured.. At the Alvin for one week, fS top. _ . The Head Waller..........I>anl MoGrath Under Walter .Balo Douday Konrad Evelyn BtAerts .Helen Hayes Dr. Met* .Douglas Wood Dr Bporum,...........'...'Walter Connolly Karollne ••••*"!"»T"S"y;S? Law Clerk Lynda The fuU posslbUItles of the Idea contained In 'A Widow In Green' have not been extracted In this pro- duction. It Is doubtful of a click, but should have some cut rate de- mand. It Is produced by the legit wonder boYi James Elliott,'and Is'a far cry from his season's first, 'Hot Money.' But any way you look at 'Widow in Green' 'you can't see more than mildness as a legit attraction. At times the play is a pain, espe- cially when, as too often hapens. It dawdles and repeats. At other times It has a good deal Of charm and some laughs, coming mainly from and helped by that grand trouper Clssle Loftus. Some of the char- acters iii 'Widow' are overdrawn; yoii wonder If there are still such people, even In remote rural Eng land. The personnel Impresses as painted too heavily. A Mrs, Twlckeneedles Is mentioned several times, but never makes an appear ance. Probably the rustic British village as portrayed In Mr. Free, man's writing is an exaggeration. Play Is told' In the flashback methods. Curtain shows a number of New ITork society dames and the English Lady Rumley (Florence Edney) calling at Sue's (Clalt>orne Foster) Riverside Drive home. They've come to pay their respects at the supposed funeral of her hus- band, Tommny Shannon, whose cremated remains they believe to be contained In a veil covered urn she carries. Shannon, well played by Ernest Glendinnlng, is an explorer, reported drowned In the Nile. Just as the services are to begin, Shan- non walks In. 'He asks for an ex- planation, sue gives him her diary, which he starts to read and which leads to the flashback. Cut back swings to several months before the would be urning, In a British tanktown, where every body knows everybody else's bank balance and birthday. SuO, father recently deceased, still under his puritanical "influence. ^ She meets Shannon and they tall In love. Lady Rumley walks in and Sue Is led to think Shannon jilted her man hunt ing daughter, Caroline. Shannon explains he didn't Jilt the girl who only imagined a proposal. On the eve of tlio day wherein Sue expects to announce her engagement, based on a mere inference that lie has proposed marriage Shannon is called to Aftlca mummy hunting. That blows up the proposed engage mont party. She togs after him to London, but doesn't get him. Cut back to New Tork, has Shan ndn finishing his reading of the diary. He explains the mistake about his death and shoos away the 'funeral' guests. TIten comes the real proposal and Is he accepted? Title comes from Sue, In the near-funeral scene wearing a green (Continued on page 48) in Helen Hayes and Ferenc MoW nar's "Good Fairy,' It looks as though GUbert Miller has picked another Winner. Critical opinion here all favorable and with stars name and a cleverly written little play, no reason at all why It shouldn't do well. It's Molnar at hts best In three acts and Molnar not at his best In an epilog.' Play ends on a swell note In the third act, but the Hun- garian has tacked on a little piece in Which he presents the various characters as they are 10 yettrs later. Producer Miller himself cteps out and explains that Molnar didn't flnlsh the comedy at all, sO' he wrote to '^hlm and told him about It, whereupon he received the added script to be presented 'Just as. soon as the players make their changes.' Latter brilliant enough In Its conception, but looks like author Is trying to Explain off a weak ending that Isn't weak.at all. Possible con- clusion Is that the third act doesn't conclude on the star's note, but that shouldn't make much differ- ence because Miss Hayes is capital all the way through. - . At any rate, for three acts It's Molnar blowing up a little nothing with sparkling champagne, as he always does, and Miss Hayes quaff- ing the champagne with relish and making the whole thing stimulating as Herr Molnar must have had In mind. She Is a dainty, charming figured devastating in the part of a romantic Idiot who believes she Is A good fairy who brings happiness wherever she g;oes. She Is Lii, an unemployed 'glow- worm,' and a 'gloW-worm' In Vi- enna Is the picture theatre usher- ette who leads to your seat with a tiny flashlight. So long has she looked at films that she acts like a combination of Greta Garbo, Mary Pickford and Janet Gaynor. She has 'a big heart, but no place to put It,' her part Jn life always 'c^mes fii the next Installment,' she 'never makes a mistake because she never stops to think* , and her one ambition Is to. be 'an: Idiot.* How'Lu Isn't able to go through with a rich but loveless marriage, but Instead Is wed to a head waiter, all turns a will-o'-the-wisp Vien- nese confection Into a delightful. If mild cocktail. The first act Is virtually a mOn- olog tor . Miss Hayes, tbe second a magnificent bit of Molnar being at his wittiest and.Walter Connolly striking home with resounding force, and the third a little slow at first, but only preparing Itself for the seml-traglc little note upon which it ends. It brings the charac- ters right back where they started, which Is just as It should be, and that's why the epilog seems super- fiUOUB. Connolly with his rare gift of dis- tilling pathos and comedy in al- most one and the same breath and Miss Hayes, with her elusive navlette, make the second act a gem, probably the most digestible piece of Vienna schnitzel since 'The Play's the Thing.' Like that comedy, too, it would blow up In a spilt second if subjected to a strong light but, like that other comedy as weir, this one is'perfectly acted, so that'evens things. Mr. Miller has assembled a com- petent supporting cast for his chief players, although the other roles are all for the most part fairly mi- nor. Paul McQrath, who spent 40 weeks in stock here last season, does nicely OS the headw'alter, who gets Lu In the last act only to lose her In the epilog; Evelyn Roberts a London importation, fits well Into the role of the blustering business man; Douglas Wood carries off a brief entrance as a soused cabinet minister in good shape and Ruth Hammond Is excellent as a plain, Straight-laced secretary. Cohen. MODERN MORALS Los Angeles, Nov. 17. In the second act of this comedy one of the characters says: 'There are nO Illegitimate children, only, illegitimate parents.* The play also falls in the non-legit category, va. clllatlng between comedy, satire, drama, tragedy and mild burlesque, having only a sweet ending as a saving grace. Ethel Mowbray Dolson wrote aiid produced 'Modern Morals* at the Figueroa Playhouse, where it ran for a week and was revived a week later for another seven-day stretch. Story is of a successful woman painter and her~daughter, the lat ter yearning for a glimpse oC her talher, whom she has never seen The girl persuades her boy friend to search for the rtlsslng parent When the mother learns that he to coming, she tells all, revealing that they were never married. Daughter takes It hard, attempting sulcifla and finally ordering tho mother to marry her father and wipe out the stigma on her. Male - parent shows tip, 'a prizes fighter who does not. know his rlne career Is over,', according to the pro. gram, and as hokey a character as ever was thrown into a drawing room. It takes the rest of the play • with a couple of the mugg's present' wives, to convince daughter that things should be allowed to run as they are, her desire to enter a con. vent then . gives way to the ardent ' wooing of the boy friend. Dialog sounds like a serial of a hovel. Doing theitr best with this type of lines, the cast Is of a higher caliber than the script Dlbk Alexander Is the fighter; Winifred Greenwood, the mother; Leila May Godwin^ struggling to make her daughter part plausible; Glen Boles, formerly Le Roy Boles and known as a kid actor, doing well with his support role; J. Prank Glendon as the man the mother eventually marries, and Oliver J. Eckhardt and Bess Staf.^ ford as'the boy's parents supplylo* the only legit comedy in the piay, ' About 200 in the audience seconA night of^ the second ruiL Otis ft Thayer'directed. BEV. HILLS PLAYERS ('Hotel Universe') Beverly Hills, Nov, 17. Maiden jeffort of .the'newly organ- Ized Little Theatre of Beverly Hllis wois worthy of all the fuss and fan- fare about culture that usually goes Into getting a Little Theatre group Into activity. The Philip Barry play was nicely staged, and except, for an awkward second night beginning the players ' worked well in roles which called f r several character- izations in the fantastic story. . . Beverly Hills has long ached for such a drama company (these are professionals), but previous trys never got anywhere. Oliver HinB- dell,, who organized the Dallas^ Texas, Little Theatre, was centered in the buildup of this group. He to a Metro dialog coach, and It was only after a debate with studio execs that he was permitted to use his name In connection ' with th's company. Town Is very, hopeful of the oat- come, because of the many ex-leglt and film players, as well as those active, who live in Beverly Hills. Cast of 'Hotel Universe' included Harrison Ford, William Wortlilng- ton, Karcna Shields, Janine Lee^ Reginald Simpson, Lucile Lewto« RoUo Dix, Dlanne Esmond and Jacques Jou-JervlUe. Most of them have done screen work. George Frenger directed. Play was staged In a grade school auditorium, the group stUI lacking a theatre of its own; Lasts two hours with no curtain, as per script Length of time plus fact that most of the dialog Is dreamy and philosophical puts a strain oo,. everybody concerned. There were few let downs, however, due to abil- ity of i/layers. Balcony of a Mediterranean man- sion has the quality of making those on it return to'their former selves, or become someone else. From straight characterizations,' players switch to fantastic other personali- ties. Through the strange quality, of the balcony, the hero, a member of a party of wealthy Americans, visiting a friend, forgets his once- loved, now dead, and Is reunited with his flrst sweetheart Others in. the group of elite also hecomo themselves, and say what they, really thing about each other. Ran three programmed nights at $1 top. WITHIN TIMES SQ. Wilmington, Nov. 20^ Mystery melodrama by Dodson L, MIJ^SS and Clyde North. Presented by 2?'"'7."!. collum and Maurice Greet at tho PlfV™??: Three acts, two scenes, one set. Stagto »» Clyde North. 'v _ -i^h Stage Manager.... ^^ '^Wif>^ nltttr Sally Stewart J'''""* Siam Jack Logan John 8. BoUW David Benson , Dodson L. "''Sff Roao Hobarth "f'c^fSnon Chick Rivers 'J",""™,! CS" J. Wilbur Cmlff • • •"<"B,'"""'nn!v» Gladys Barle,.: •N,'r»"„°VJ5S HamlRon Hart. '^'V^"*''^J^-aiStL Austin Jowett.......i....Walter N. Qre^ Cokey Davl ••••??"''' *'wf w5 Stranger. H»r«y. ^V-lSn Cameraman • J"'""" Anderson Bewildering «o'"P"'='^*,"'" -J2 achieved by the most simple meju. In this mystery meller, which hos" its setting the empty stage of/" Stuyvesaht Theatre, New TorK. » is one of those things where n ei fects are made by cutting ug"-^ shooting off revolvers and and entering through the tiu<»'*"eU This one, however. Is f J >"'y-u^ii done and may have strength enoub" to draw to a moderate ciiBagemenv when it hits New Tork shortly. _j Tho action develops when a (Continued on pivgo 43)