Variety (Nov 1932)

Tujesday, November 1, 1932 I. E G I T I M A T E VARIETY 45 Plays Out of Town Late Christopher Bean • Baltimore, Oct. 2B. Comedy lii three acts by Sidney Howard, from the Froneh ot Itone Fnudiolu, Pie- sented by Gilbert MllJ^r, Btarrlne Pauline ijari ond fcflturlns Wnlter Connolly. .Set- tlngs by Allnc Bernstein. At the Ifarylnnd, ■ Boltlmore, Oct. 24. ■ Dr. HaeBctt. Walter Connolly gusan Haggett Jane Buchanan Abby.. ■'. r«<.Pauline Lord Mrs. HagKett,......; Beuloh Bondl ' Ada Haesctt ,.■ Katherlne Hlrsch tVorrcn Creamer;,. 'William Lawaon Tallont • ...George Coulourls ROsen, .• • • •. • • ■ • • Clarence Denvent Davenport..... 1 Ernest Lawlord After his venture in pictures Sid- ney Howard returns to tlie stage with A new dramatic effort; this time a translation from the French ty Rene Fauchols, of a play reported as having had a successful run in Paris. From appearances that French version must hia.ve been pure Jarce. • ' Under the Howard typewriter, however, the phly acquires, along with its new locale, a new dress and concept. Howard has switched the ' Bcene of the play from Prance to . New England, in. order, that he may once more. picture the' people he knows so well, the Yankees. And what was farce in Paris be- comes tinged with drama in Amer- Jcju Due no doubt to the fact that Howard is primarily a dramatic playwright, as exemplified in his They Knew What They Wanted,' •Ned McCobb's Daughter' and 'Sil- ver Cord.' And that dramatic. urge often turns this so-called comedy Into rather heavy drama. In the fact that Howard has to depart from farcical strain li6s the weakness of the play. The plot Itself and Its people are too light for anything other than light comedy, and they break under the weight of added drama. Result is a well-written, well-acted, well- produced, but still unsatisfying play. It holds only in spots. Its hope and Its strength on Broadway are its naities, the playwright, Sidney How- ai'd, its players, Pauline Jx)rd, Wal- ter. Connolly and Beulah Bohdi, and Its producer, Gilbert Miller. The story has to do with the .post- humous fame of a painter, Chris Bean, and the sudden importance and booming prices commanded by his oils. Before his death he was attended by Dr. Haggett (Connolly) •nd lived In the family's barn while he slowly died of t.b. When It be- comes known that he had left a number of his works with the Hag- gctts, a flock of New York art deal- ers hurry to the New England home, out-bidding each other for the ' paintings the Haggetts had deemed CO worthless that they were used for patching holes In the chicken-house. Most of the action of the pJay consists of the frantic search for the lost paintings. It later transpir- ing that they have been salved only by Abby, (Miss Lord), the Hag- gett house-servant. The Haggetts,. particularly thie doctor, are turned from a pleasant enough little fam- ily to a money-mad group, as they dream of the millions they're worth because of the paintings. And for the curtain sock, Abby casually re- marks ■ that she Is the widow of Chris Bean, and sO all the paint- ings belong to her. As it stands now It Is strictly a two-act play, the opening act being entirely by-the-way, and concerned •with marital problems of the two Haggett daughters, a situation hav- ing little to dp with the essence of the play. The meaty role of the affair Is Connolly's; he's the central charac- ter and on the stalge the bulk of the evening. Pauline Ldtd has lit- tle to do, other than flit in now and then on a domestic mission, or to make some-trivial remark. Only in the final chapter does she have any lines of Importance. It's a pity such an excellent performer should be seen on the.- stage so seldom, and it means another black mark against the play. Connolly gives his role its full meaning, arid Beulah Bondl fits as the termagant Wife. Two vague por- traits were the girls playing the daughter roles. The art hounds Were well: handled. It shapes up then as a good farce gone wrong, and because ^ of an Ifrltatlngly trivial role to Pauline Lord. PETTrCQAT TOWN Lios Angeles. Oct. 26, Produced by Gateway Players club, lit •le theatre group. Translated by Michael Btorm from a Spanish play, 'El Pueblo do las Mujeras' by the Qulnteros. brothers. Directed by Francis Jouef HIckson. Cast: Francis Josef Hlckson, - Datvn Tomlnl, gandree Garlon, Ileana liosen, Luz. Alba, Walter Sidney,. Alicia Domlnguez, Rosa Pfdrettl. William Lelly, Dorothy Woods, Paula Carlo, Jackson Durlln. Gloria Fisher •nd Charles Bushnell. Effort by this imateur group with * light comedy wasn't convincing, •hlefly because characters demanded more deft handling than the Iriex- Berlenced cast could give them. Play ia modern Spanish, but too light for consideration as a com- ftierclal production. Luz Alba was outstanding as a Kossipy womaih Paula CwAo, temmo lead, Is a looker, and should get .somewhere as a Spanish type. Fran- cis. Josef Hickson, perennial little theatre actor, had a priest part, A little 8-year-old girl, Gloria Fisher, ran away with every scene in which she had a chance. Young man from, Madrid, visiting a .sniall town in Andalusia, is imme- diately betrotligd by the village gos- sips to Juanita La Rosa, although he has never spoken to hei-. De- spite the boy's honest denials of any feeling for the girl; the talk keeps Ui>. CompromLsed at every turn, he finally does fall- in love with her. an outcome highly pleasing to the girl. Old Spanish customs, which hay.e a big part in, the story, render play meaningless to an American. Any o.s.c. has a different meaning in this country. House used- by this little theatre group is the former Jail Cafe, pad- locked by Federal authorities .sev- eral years apo. HARLEM Toronto, Oct. 27. Dconna In three acts hy'William Jourdan Ilapp and Wallace Thurmjiri,. Produced and directed by Forbes Randolph with all- Ncgro cast. At the .Empire Theatre.'50 top. folks because of an oil scandal, and he is looking for revenge. Waitress, an aggressive, slangy biscuit slinger, upsets the ritzy household, breaks up the marriage of the . family ward to a money r seeking nobleman, and then goes to Reno for a divorce. Returning a year later, with the manners of a lady, she marries a younger son. of the house, who has befriended her all along. Billie Bellport as the waitress had the top honors, turning. in a work- manlike performaric*. Richard Eng- lish Is the young son, and although a bit too young, he registered favorably. Erma Brent, as the mother; Fritz Adams, father; and Jack DeWees, as the renegade son, did capable work. Edgar. Jason, as the lord, was badly miscast. Miss Brent has ho lea.se on the Show Shop, but has hopes of a 20- week season. Somewhat belatedly, Toronto the- atrerg'oers have taken up the Negro drama and Negro spiritual singing. After a three-weieks' run of "Porgy,' Randolph has followed with 'Har- lem,' another aspect of Negro life in that the theme deals with the transplanting of a South Carolina family to Harlem. It will run for as long as the tra,ffic will stand, to be followed by Paul Green's 'In Abraham's Bosom.' . Then Randolph will send this trilogy out on the road in a repertoire of the three plays and assemble a white cast to hold the Empire clientele. As In 'Porgy,' Randolph has done a good job. There are expurgations In the . text to conforiri V with the squeamish theatrical appetites of a city surnamcd 'The Good.' With the Increasing popularity here of Negro singing, as exemplfied in the response which has met excursions of the chorus in churches and hos- pitals, Randolph has made a change to conform with demands for more singing. In the first act, the famous 'rent party,' where the old Negro mammy piiies for the South, Ran- dolph has brought In an up-stage scrim scene depicting the cotton- pickers crooning at their work. Scene is not particularly eflCectlve but appeal Is strong for the Negro singing, so miich so that, when Randolph later produces 'In Abra- ham's Bosom,' he will transform the orchestra pit Into a cotton field and have the chorus in the trenches for warbling during scene changes. Px'oduction Idea, is to bring up as many members of the original casts of these Negi'o plays as are at lib- erty. In this production, Randolph la using Babes Walker, Rose Mc- Clendon and Leigh Whipple, latter two also playing in the New York presentation of 'Porgy' and also in the local production of the same play which wa'a a hold-over here for three weeks. The play, during Its trans-Cdnada tour, should make money, not only on novelty but on the merits of a clever interpreta- tion of the stark realism of New York's bliack belt. ,McStay. SPITE BRIDE Glendale, Cal., Oct. 25. Drama produced by Brent Productions, stock company, at Show Shop, Glendale. Play by A. Colby' and A. G. Jackson, staged by Ed Harris. Cast Includes Kay Klnscy, Flora Snyder, . Erma Brent, G. William Clark. Paul McGHllard. Fritz Adams, Richard English, Edgar JaAon, Jack DeWees and BllUe Bellport, One set. Admission. 35 cents. Too True to Be Good Toronto; Oct. 27. Coihedy-drama In three acts by George Bernard Shaw, Produced by Maurice Col- bourne and Barry Jones. Directed by Maurice Colbourne. Settings by Joncl Jorgulesco. At the Royal Alexandra, To- ronto, <2.00 ..top. The Monster ; .Richard Gooldcn The Patient. Malsie Darrcll The Elderly Lady....:'. .......Grace Liano The Doctor.. Claude HavUand-Burke The.J4ursc ; ; Dorthy Mlnto The Burglar...., ....Barry Jones Colonel Tallboys, V. C Bruce Belfrage Private Meek..-. Pascoe. Thornton^ Sergeant Fielding. A.- P. Kaye The Elder. .Maurice Colbourne Plays Abroad L'Auberge dii Cheval Bianc ('White Horse Inn') Paris, Oct. IB. French .idapt.itlon by Luclen Bcsnard of llaris Muller'a ploy. French lyrics by Rene Dbrin Mu^io by Ralph Benatzky. Pro- duced by the Tsbla brothers at the Mogadon Paris, Oct. 12. . Ix:opold a. Milton nislagne Charpin Joscpha '. O. Rlstorl Formerly known as 'The Girl from Child's,' this 10-year-old drama was sufficiently well-pre- sented to hit favorably With the audience in the Los Angels subui:b. Opening night was by invitation. Stock. company has. Just come to Glendale, and will stay at least six weeks to find out if iatock at 35c admission can catch on here. Erma Brent, who was with the Curtis Christopher stock working out of Minneapolis, heads the Glendale troupe. . Nut Is down low enough, as players are working on small sal- aries and percentage. Company is handicapped, however, in that it will not play. Sattirday or Sunday nights. House runs pictures on these nights. Stage hands are nonr union, and players pitch In and help. 'Spite Bride' shows its age, but the cast, with enough troupers to give a fair performance, was ap- preciatedi First nighters laughed at all the old gags, and applauded some of the speeches. This makes prospects of stock catching on here seem more favorable. Story has the scion of a wealthy Washington family go through a spite marriage with a waitress, and then send ber to live with hla fam- ily. ISon had been ousted 1»k his Deletions and substitutions in the script make this play. vastly differ- ent from the Guild production In New York and the London, Eng- land, production. Topping this, the Atheist In this afore-mentioned pro- ductions appears In the Cblbourne- Jonea piroductlon as the Elder, George Bernard Shaw himself. Col- bourne . doing this role In an ex- cellent ShaW make-up, complete in whiskers and Norfolk suit, brings a new element to the latest Shavian opua. To date, the Irish dramatist does not know that he Is being Imper- .■jonated upon the Canadian stage but the British players'will attempt to get away with this: device until the,cables start sizzling. Claim of Colbourne is that the thought did hot strike him until he . landed In Canada. Company will tour the Dominion, putting in 19 weeks, and jumping Into the United Statea at Seattle. Significance lies. In the presence of the Governor-General and the Countess of Beasborough In making a special trip from Ottawa for the Toronto opening, this bringing ouf the social lights who rarely attend the legit here. Re-wrltten script- by Shaw, handed to Colbourne as he set sail for Canada (changes Initialled), now. brings a faint ray of hope In the dramatist's diatribe on modern- istic vanities and the seeking of a panacea for post-war hysteria. ' The satirical phllosphy Is still present but not as bitterly pungent as In the New York and London produc- tions. It'^wlll meet with less criti- cal condemnation than greeted the play in these two cities. Saya Col- bourne: 'A . mistake was made In giving a star part to Beatrice Llllle. Above all actresses, she was never meant for a Shaw play at all. This is not a play for stunt comedy. It Is a comedy that must be aa serious as gravitation.' Only after Insistent clamor was he prevailed upon to make a curtain speech. Radically changed and stripped of some of that bitterness that startled London and New Tork, the new Shaw , opus becomes a serious and profound theme rather than a play. The dialog, at times, still shocks Canadian audiences. The five-letter synonyms for 'lady' are still unexpurgated. Shaw's para- doxical puns and wise and witty philosophy are present still. The ■"'ay continues to run for three hours and ten minutes. But that great five-minute curtain speech, now extended to six, ends on a note Jiist faintly hopeful. Cli- maxing on a heart-breaking note of helplessness, the speech now ends In less than 50 words as follows: 'Or whether in some pentecQstal flame, the spirit will descend on me and inspire me with a message the sound whereof shall go out into the lands and realize for us at least the Kingdom and the. Power and the Glory for ever and ever. Amen.' McBtay. NO. 2 AMBIER PLAYERS Zanesvllle, O., Oct. 31. Edith Ambler Players, rounding out their first month at the Weller theatre here are reported doing nicely. Walter Anibler la casting a Number 2, company to open 'soon in southwestern . Ohio. It will play two sijots each week. Charles Argenbright Is the new leading, man of the original com- pany replacing Charles Hackett. r ' '■ \ ■■ - 'Satan' Visits Harlvn 'Ol* Man Satan,' short-lived col- ored drama at the Masque, N. Y., win try to prolong: Ite career by touring the negro sectors. First move is to the Lafayette, In Harlem, Show, having already been report- ed in 'Variety,' is only written up here under the Paris angle. The Isolas have done it very nicely, and have brought to Paris Erik Charell to stage it, for which he is .given credit in the billing. The Isolas are specialists in doing this sort of pro- duction, and show does capacity business with advance bookings; and looks like an-easy year's run. In order not to oviprtax Paris money possibilities, cost has been minimized Somewhat by keeping down the .nuniber of acts, and also doing away with the pool scene. However, a boat scene, has been in- jected to make up for it. From the Paris point of view the show is en- tirely satisfactory, with choruses of 25 German boys likely to be re- placed after a time by natives, and expenses similarly reduced when production; has been well launched. This is also substantiated by Milton being given star' billing,, but not ex- ploited in the publicity in such a way that his name becomes associ- ated with the, show to the extent that someone other could riot be used after a while, Milton Is a tre- mendously popular stage and screen star, and correspondingly high- priced, which is justified by his drawing power and acting. He does the part of Leopold with His ueual success, being very well supported by Charpin who went from Volterra to the Isolas. Josepha Is nicely done by Rlstorl, pcSpuIar local singer. Be- sides the choruses, there are 12 chil- dren, led by Irene de Trebert, 11, who has already acted for Several years, and holds considerable prom- ise,' especially as a dancer. Kids get $40 a month, and Irene $80. Costumes are by Weldy, and nice, though, of course, the Tyrolean coa- tuhiea, etc., belonging to the Tyrol- ean troupe brought over Intact. In order to do the,show, sets have been built on each side of the proa- cenium, advancing cpnalderably Into the auditorium, thus making the stage itself look three times bigger. This trick is comparatively new here, though Antoine, veteran show- ipan, suggeated It 20 years ago. Mogador has been provided with a revolving stage, which is specially effective in the Inn aequence. Up to date, best bet in this sea- son's show business. ' Maxi. manufacturer and givon by her In the private house of a titled English lady. It is undei'stood that no social climbing can be done cxo?pt with the consent of the Dnke d'Anche, king of the ritzy lavena-.n" sot, -who is fond of giving costume balls. Second act shows the prince fall- ing for the motor manuf-ioturer, who himself is, attracted by the woman climber. And the third act shows the prince, under pretence of trying a car. Insisting on the rnbtor manufacturer driving to h?s couritry house to spend the night. The rhotor manufacturers airranges to have the femme climber aa a guest, thua infui'iating the duke, who dropS the motor m.an and decides to have an affair with-a. woman. Last act, ba:ck in Paris,; Shows the duke arranging for a costume ball, aiid finally the manufacturer giving up entering the smart set. Boucher as the motor manufac- turer gives the greatest piece of acting he has ever done. He could not be better supported than by Marguerite Peval in the role of the princess, and Saturnin-I'abre In the role of the duke, excellent. So la Alerme in the.pdrt of.La Moufette, an old regent, who is one of the leaders of the set. Yolande Laffon does the woman climber, and Suzanne Delye the English hostess. Blahce Denege plays the part of the duke's wife In a way which would honor the real noblewoman she caricaturea. Most of the play's people are readily rec- ognizable as actual Parisian figures by theatregoers who know their Paris. Staging was done by Raymond Rouleau, who ,though still the head of the Belgian theatre du Marals, Is now acting In films, and Intends to direct. He has been helped In the ataglng by Francois Vlbert, a film actor, who also la In the caat. Maxi. LA FLEUR DES POIS ('Cream of Society') Paria, Oct. 10. A comedy in-four acts by Edouard Bour- dct. Produced by 'Victor Boucher at the Mlcholierc, Paris. Albert Tavemler.. Victor Boucher Tdtt> ;. .Staumln-Fabre La Moufeite. .Alerme Grieorieff .....R. Vlbert Gaston ; Hclve't Zaza ; ...Marguerite Deval Madeleine. Yolande Lafton Molly Whitford Suziinne Delve Victor Boucher's Al acting and Bourdet's name will give thia play a sizable run at the Michodlere. It la unlikely 'to succeed elsewhere, ex- cept for very short engagements by a touring company. The. book is strictly bound in lav- ender,'so'its screen possibilities are out. Bourdet's plays are always a satire of society. His 'Sex Faible' showed how young men of the pres- ent generation live on women. This time his purpose is to discuss the artificiality of admission in the higher circles and what he sees as a prevalent tinge of lavender. He shows a young mptor manu- facturer of. normal, tendencies trying to; enter society to plug his product and using the services of a woman of good social connections, who, for a consideration, introduces climbers in the higher circles. The sour liart of the satire shows the men of the higher cla.sses; considering as scan- dalou.s any romantic alflnltyi This results in what Is. an obvious ex.ag- geration, which, after being exceed- ingly funny, is difPcult for the au- thor to .sustain Indennitcly, and it becomes rather painful. The «5how h.-j-s some yery clever dialog and sit- uations, but after three rather amusing acts the fourth rings fal.se and totters. Production itself i.s very simple, but is very nicely done, scenes be- ing the social introductoress' bou- doir office, a reception with draw- ing room openuJrig on to a terrace, the motor manufacturer's office and a drawing room. Seta are by Bertin. Women's day dresses by MaInboch5r and evening gowns by Lanvln. Play opens with a motor manu- facturer striking a deal with a ritzy social agent, beautifully done by Marguerite Devel. A young woman of ineans but with no social connec- tions Is then elated for .social climb- ing. The princess arranges for re- ceptions to be paid for by the motor HARMONY Budapest. Oct. 12. A family Idyll In three acts by Fereno Molnar. First presented on Oct. 7 by the Magyar theatre, Budapest. Music by Theo Mackcben. In the cast: Ernest Goth, EMIa Goth-KertGsz, Ella GombaszoKl, Imre Ra- day, Julius Oogon, Gero Maly, Maria Bul- yok, Lioszlo Z. Molnar, Terns Kovaes. . Molnar at his brilliant beat In a comedy of conjugal bliss, all peace and harmony on the surface and opening up abysses of hypocrisy be- neath on an accidental provocation. Much profound truth about life and men and women, and much poetic feeling, is hidden under Molnar'H sparkling wit. This quality makes hia latest play splendid entertain- ment for everybody. Central figure Is Councillor Kor- nely, middle-aged model of civic virtue with Just that faacinatlng touch of the bohemlan which makes hla mlddle-claea family and sur- roundings worship him. He la head of a choir society and benefactor of the suburb where everybody Is a member of 'Harmony.' Mrs. Kornely adores her husband and their conjugal life Is all har- niony, the atmosphere pefvaded by choir singing. The house Is fes- tively prepared for Kornely's jubilee aa choir director when the bubble bursts. It leaks out that Kofnely has a mistress, the manicure. The whole beautiful edifice of Kornely's perfection crumbles, his. wife Is In hysterics, the barber who is the manicure's fiance, threatens to kill the. seducer, home truths are flung at Kornely's head from all sides, the guests, assembling for the festive dinner, already suspect the truth, an enormous scandal threat- ens just. when Kornely was about to ascend to the summits of pres- tige and honor. In his desperation Kornely clutches at the last straw—song. The choir society has helped him to warble himself to the heights of civic recognition, perhaps it will help him out of this quandary, too. Music Is supposed to tame wild beasts and to soothe all difflculties, so Kornely puts It to a supreme test. In a heroic attitude but In a funk, he bursts Into a Joyoua choral. His well-disciplined choir, one by by one, cannot reaiat joining In. Daughter, doctor, cook and express- man—all choir members—join in. when their part conies; wife,, gulp- ing, down her tears; manicure ditto; irate barber, brandishing his razor, murder In his heart, gradually grows tamo and joins in the tenor part; the guests return and add their voices to the volume of the song, their suspicions allayed, and all is festive harmony again. Final- ly the wife's wise affection set.s mat- ters straight, the b.irber marries the manicure and the elderly couple are united again In a harmohlou.s if gently melancholy happy 'end. The choir stunt is another one of Molnar's dazzingly Ingenious .sloightsrof-hand on the stage, of which he is a master. But'besides that, the comedy contains much that is deep. Of course, it needs as sparkling a performance as that of the KiidaiRest world premiere, di- rected by the author himself, to (Continued on page 46)