Variety (Dec 1932)

Tuesday, Pecember 13, 1932 l: E C^l ¥ I Si AT E VARmV 45 Plays Out of Town LUCRECE Detroit, Dec. 10. At the Cam thcalro. slarrlne Katharine Cornell. Trnnelated by Thornton Wilder from play by Andre Obey, 'Le Viol fle tiucrece.' Staged by Quthrle McCUntle. Settings and costumes by Robert Bdmond Jones. ' Incidental music by Deems Taylor. .In thre« acts and ulx scenes. Tar<iUln Brian Aherne CoUatlne.....' Pedro <le Cordoba Brutus Charles Waldron First Narrator Blanche Yurka Xiucrece Katharine Cornell Julia Kathleen Chase Emilia Joyce Carey Sldonla Ffarrlet InKeraoIl Marina.'. Brenda Forbes Second Narrator Robert Loralnp Valerius Qeoree Macready Servant Francis Uoran Guthrie McClintIc and his wife, Katharine Cornell, have gone back to Shakespeare. Not directly, but by way of Andre Obey's play based on the bard's .poem, *The Rape of Lucrece.' The play will undoubt- edly arouse enough Interest to more than repay it's producers. On the artistic side this contribution will repay many times over, not only for the beauty of the production it- self, but the daring and courage of star and producer to attempt some- thing different. ■ Theatre technique of a bygone day is revived by the use of two Narrators, settings largely imag- ined and the use of pantomime. All these will cause plenty of dis- cussion. Based on the tale of the rape of - Lucrece, wife of CoUatlne, who is away at the camp of the Roman army, by Tarquin, son of the Em- peror of Rome, and the subsequent suicide of Liucrece, the plot holds forth little in the way of suspense. As a result of the suicide by Lu- crece, the epitome of wifely piu'lty and chastity, comes the overturning of the Roman Empire and the es- tablishment of a republic. ' Settings are unusual for the mod- ern theatre. Using a single set as in the ancient Greek plays, Jones has made a background of six columns ■with the stage bare except for one or two pieces of furniture used in the bedroom and central hall scene. At each side of the stage, down front, are the two high-backed chairs for the Narrators. Katharine Cornell as Lucrece does a fine piece of acting both in pan- tomime and in spoken passages. Supporting cast might be billed 'all star.' Blanche Yurka achieves elo- quent -effect as First Narrator. Merely with words she convinces In a hard part. Brian Aherne in an unsympathetic part gives an im- pressive performance. Play opens outside the tents of the Roman army with a couple of guards repeating the words of the officers Inside. The officers had made a surprise visit to their wives In Rome the night before and re- counted the embarrassing positions In which the various wives were found—^with the exception of Lu- crece, who was found spinning with her maids. Tarquin, who had made the trip with the others, orders his horse. Next scene shows Lucrece in her 'home splnnlng-wltbJier-malds. En- tire first part of this scene is in pantomime, with the two Narrators recounting the happenings. The Narrators tell action not taking place on the stage, such as the male Narrator telling about Tarquin ap- proaching on horseback and about his galloping and then walking his horse, etc. Suspense is built up here by the Narrators. First Nar- rator, Blanche Yurka, and Second Narrator, Robert Loralne, are merely voices without any sem- blance of action and build up the action to the point where Lucrece and Tarquin merely say goodnight. The third scene shows Lucrece's bedroom and with the Narrators describing the atmosphere, again building up the suspense to the point where Tarquin approaches, making his way through the vari- ous rooms and doors until he ar- rives before Lucrece sleeping in her curtained bed. With the drawing of the bed curtains by Tarquin, the action becomes intense, and the Narrators drop the dialog, with Lu- crece and Tarquin taking it up. Tarquin's lustfulness and Lu- cre ce's fear and repiilslon build to a terrlHc flr&T act curtain. Second act opens with the maids coming Into greet their mistress as usual. She appears asleep and doesn't arise until the maids have left the room, when she gets up and soliloquizes about the ruin of her life and decides to commlt»sui- clde. The second act is the weak- est and Is only kept alive at all bv the histrionics of the finest order by Miss Cornell conveying the de- cision of Lucrece, who says good- bye to her servants without their knowing her purpose. She sends for her husband, making a second act curtain climax. In the third act Lucrece meets her husband, tells him in front of the Roman crowd what has hap- pened, and In front of them all she stabs herself. Brutus uses the in- cident to inflame the crowd con- veying the prospect that the crime will be avenged by the overthrow of the Tarqulns. In this scene the direction has the mob entirely off- stage, with tlielr voices »only heard. Deems Taylor has written a score for the piece, played here by a string quartet. Music effective here: While not the popular audi- ence play that 'Barretts' was with Miss Cornell, this one has Its own place. Lee. BIOGRAPHY Pittsburgh, Dee. 8. Comedy by S. .N. Behrman In three acts. Presented by Theatre Guild. Directed by Philip Moeller und with setting designed by .. / iVIIelzlner. At the Nixon for one week. liUlinrd Kurt Earle Lnrlmore Minnie Helen SnllnBer Melchlor Feydak Arnold Korff Marlon Froude Ina Claire Leander Nolan t Jay Fassett Warwick Wilson Alexander Clark Orrln KInnlcott Charles Rlchmon Slade KInnlcott Mary .\rbenz 'Biography' is S. N. Behrman pretty close to his very heat, which means a smart show with a class draw. Under Guild auspices and with Ina Claire's name. It may even develop into a money show, which will be something new for Behrman, who hasn't had a real royalty break since 'The Second Man," which the Guild also did. Six or seven years ago, Ina Claire was one of the biggest b. o. figures In legit, both on Broadway and on the road, but she has been away too long, with the result that some of her pull in the hinterlands has been lost. That v.'as indicated here this week when only $7,000 in the till from subscriptions saved the piece from a miserable showing. If any- thing will bring Miss Claire back, however, 'Biography' is it. A comedy, with some dramatic undertones near..the finish, }t is Behrman of the brittle wit, assuag- ing his artistic temperament, no doubt, for his Hollywood works, such as 'Tess of the Storm Country' and 'Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm,' and also taking a few brilliant pot- shots at Hollywood whenever the opportunity 'presents itself. That first act, the bent o]f the three, is a' sparkling piece cf ^v^lting, full of smart lines fafhioned for at^ful players and alcrc audiences. Like other Benrman pieces, 'Biog- raphy' lacks dramatic substance, but it more than compensates for this deficiency with a series of sharply- defined Characters that stand out like cameos. Each is a definite cre- ation, and Miss Claire could have done no better for a return to the stage. It re-establishes hei* all over again as a comedienne of the first rank, and likewise confirms the suspicion 'tl\at Behrman is one of the most distinguished of the mod- ern school of dramatists. Briefly, the piece tells of a por- trait painter, d feminine Don Juan, who has both painted and philan- dered with some of Europe's and America's leading personages. Few who have .sat for her have escaped her physical charms. Upon her re- turn to New York, she is approached by an ambitious young magazine editor to set down in serial form her life story. After much persuasion, she agrees, considering the thing pretty much olLa Jark. . _ It is at this point that she renews an old childhood acquaintance with a pompous stuffed-shli*t from Ten- nessee, who is engaged to the daughter of a barbarian publisher and seems assured of a seat in th6 U. S. Senate with the backing of his ■father-in-law-to-be. It seems the senatorial candidate was the first man in the heroine's sex life, and when he learns of the impending autobiography, he does everything to suppress it, fearing the chapter which concerns him will ruin his aspirations. But the magazine edi- tor, an Impetuous youth with an acid tongue, takes up the issue, con- sidering it In the light of a one-man crusade, and between her conscience and the editor, with whom she has fallen in love de&plte the fact that she is 10 years older, the painter has quite a time of it. In the end, she is left alone, de- stroying the autobiography and los- ing the editor, when she refuses to change because 'If I would change you, I would destroy in you that which makes me love you.' 'Biography' la the sort of thing that must have action that ap- proaches perfection itself, and that the Guild iias given It. Of course, the entire piece rises or falls with Miss Claire herself, and she Is equal to the occasion. She draws the maximum from each line and situ- ation, all in all contributing a per- formance that takes up just where she left off four years ago when Hollywood op.lled her. Before the show reaches Broadway, the piece's pace and generol character should Improve. Earle Larlmor ?. when first caught, seemed a little too tense, too earnest as the magazine editor. In a part that calls for an abundance of .sup- pressed nfrv'jus eifcrgy. he appeared to tax the role too fully, which might have boon a fault in dlreotlon as well as aiiytliing else. Jay Fas- sett, who first won Broadway rec- ognition in 'As liusbands Go,' is a pure delight as tlie pompous Ten- nesseean, brln;;ing distinction and sympathy to a basically unsympa- Shows in Rehearsal 'Twentieth Century' (Abbott & Dunning), Harris. 'Design for Living' (Max Gordon), New Amsterdam. 'Saint Wench' (Barry Osh- rin), Longacre. 'Goodbye Again' (Ai*thur Beckhard), Masque. 'Student Prince' and 'Bios-, som Time' (Shuberts), Bijou. 'Little Black Book' (Ameri- fan Players), Times Square. 'Family Upstairs' (Doye and Ross), 220 West 42d. 'Fifty Million. Frenchmen' (Anatole Friedland), Mecca Temple. 'Land of Smiles' (Shuberts), Ambassador. 'Girls in Uniform' (Sidney Phillips). Rltz. 'The Day After' (Harry Ban- nister), Beck. thetic role. Despite the fact that the character becomes a trifle con- fused near the close, he makes it hang together nicely. Arnold KorflC, back on the stage again after a spell in Hollywood, draws a skillful, at- tractive portrait of the Viennese composer, and Charles Rlchman Is an Inspired choice for the physical- education publisher. Helen Salin- ger, Alexander Clark and Mary Ar- benz, in brief roles, all do well. Philip Moeller's direction, while it seemed a bit spotty here and there, was on the whole satisfactory, and Jo MIelzlner's one set Is a gem. Guild chiefs thought so Well of the show here that, after their failure to get Washington for next week, they decided to take it into New York immediately after only one week on the rt.ad. That seems lik« a smart move, for 'Biography' looks ripe and should get over with room to spare. Coh€7i. A GOOD WOMAN Boston, Dec. 7. A three-act comedy produced by John H. Potter under the personal supervision of Charles B. Dllllngbam; written by Dillard Long and staged by Arthur Slrcom; first performance Dec. 6 at the HoUls Street, Boston. Leila Irene -Purcell BlU Arthur Margetson John John Wlllialms Christine Mlllicent Hanley Picks Johnnie Brewer Edward W. J. McCarthy Pbllomena Gwen Day Burroughs 'A Good Woman—Poor Thing' Is a brisk and sophisticated lit- tle farce and looks bright and cheery enough to have a chance. In spots the dialog sparkles Into brilliance, although the'general at- mosphere suggests the piece was written for the screen. It Is philo- sophically sophisticated, and some of the double entendre wisecracks wiggle in and out around the Boston censorship network. There are more chuckles than howls, and the big- gest laugh possibility In the comedy falls flat. This occurs In the last act, where an estranged husband dominates his wife by accepting the advice of her former husband to tr^at her rough. The script calls for him to lose his temper and whack her. The spankee Is .'rene Purcell, and the spanker is the husky Arthur Mar- gfitson—Ihc-apank Itself Is. an absa=. lute flop, and even as adept an ac- tress as Miss Purcell finds it futile to try and surrender convincingly after such a refined little tap. The plot is still a bit vague, but has to do with a vivacious divorcee returning to her old bachelor ad- mirer and deciding that he is to be her next husband. She brings maid, chauffeur, a pet poodle, and all of her luggage. Slic looks good to him and he mairles her pronto. She even gets him to give $50,000 to a play girl to get her out of the pic- ture. They agree to live their own lives without jealousy. She tries to make him jealous. He thinks she is naturally a hoyden. The former husband shows up and in a rage she departs with him, giving the family chauffeur a chance to wisecrack, 'It's amazing how far a woman can go with an overnight bag.' The rage is caused by her discovery that her present husband has engaged a bridal suite in a hotel to be used by the former sweet- heart who received the $50,000 heart balm. It turns out that the bridal suite order was legitimate, as she was marrying a perfectly proper young man. The overnight trip also turns out to be perfectly proper, as she had locked her door against the ex-husband after explaining that he was merely being used to Incite jealousy. "Then the cave man's gentle pat In the last act and the wife capitu- lates to her husband's dominance In a lightning change to wifely lingerie. Sounds like thin stuff, but It I.s really a fast-inoving and brisk farce with plenty of brilliant dialog and largo po.sslbllltles for development. It may even overcome the handicap of tlie present trick title. The sec- ond week of the comedy will be an interesting tost, as it will be the only legitimate show In Boston with a drawing population of nearly a million. If it can't do business when It Is the only show a million people can .see. It had better fold. As a matter of fact. It looks good enough to call In the play doctors. Libbejf- HONEYMOON Philadelphia, Dec. 12. This new comedy by Samuel Cliotzinoff and George Backer, which Harold Stone Is presenting for Robert Stephens, Inc.. won plenty of difference of opinion on the part of the critics on its open- ing at the Broad last week. t It Impresses as a nice little play, with an even chance of being made into something more substantial if the right kind of work Is done on It. As presented here first, and as seen again Saturday night, it wouldn't have a chance on Broadway, but there is the groundwork of a mod- est hit lilddcn somewhere in its sys- tem. The play concerns a pair of American honeymooners who, by the time they reach Paris, have al- ready begun to quarrel. In the French capital, they are the guests of a friend, a charming American divorcee, Mrs. Leslie Taylor, who, without being exactly 'loose' is still pretty unconventional. Hubby and bride have an open break on the question of a trip he wants to make London to see a play of his produced. Wife refuses to be dictated to and, in a huff> flies to Nice to see a former ad- mirer. Husband comes back to Paris, and after the divorcee has tried to give him sage and kindly advice, at about 3 a. m. in her bou- doir, the spirit of the conversation suddenly changes to a warmer tem- po, with the second act curtain falling on a passionate embrace. Last act, taking place the next morning, brings the wife back from Xlce and shows the husband very jntrite, but still sore at his spouse. The young couple are finally re- united without the wife knowing of her husband's slip, and the charm- ing Mrs. Taylor is left alone to call up someone else for a dinner com- panion. Play Is being radically rewritten here, especially In second act. In fact, another character, previously only referred to, has been written into the action (the divorcee's ad- mirer) and by the end of this week the management expects the show to be greatly strengthened. Al- though changes were needed, it woiird"~be. a-pl^. to spoil the vivid freshness of several of the charac- ter drawings, especially that of Mrs. Taylor. There were yelps from some sources on the second act's love scene as being altogether too sudden and not logical, but if-that must be changed at the expense of making the divorcee an ordinary, siren, much of the play's charm will be lost. Where 'Honeymoon' erred mostly was in its windy dialog; sharpening and clarifying certain passages were the real needs. Splendid performance and excel- lent direction by Thomas Mitchell helped the authors gi'eatly In the presentation of their play. Kather- Ine Alexander gave a tip-top high- comedy characterization of the di- vorcee, something quite different from anything she has disclosed of late. Ross Alexander was a high- light as the very young husband, and Rachel Hartzell improved after an unpromising start as the bride. Miss Hartzell was also much mbre -tmpressive-on-a-seoond-viev^ng—of- the show. Joseph Spurln-Callela had an unusually effective major- domo's part. Henry Daniell has just been added as the 'Other Man,' but, as caught Saturday, his part had not been completed. Vefy neat settings by Raymond Sovey should also be mentioned (one of those will also be changed Inasmuch as the second act will have a new setting according to the revised script) and there was an air of nicety and good taste about the^whole production. Waters. KING HENRY VIII Pasadena, Dec. 6. In a house lined with plush dow- agers,- Pasadena Community play- ers tramped their way through this yarn wherein the eighth Henry car- ries the torch for Anne Bullen and sidetracks Katharine., who's been Ills frau for, lo, these 20 years. Good performances were con- tributed by Leslie Palmer, as Car- dinal Wolsey, England's head sky pilot, who could give Mussolini pointers In diplomacy, and Jah6t Scott, as Katharine, who gets the short end of tlie deal. Norval Mit- chell had the title part, but over- acted In the scenes In which he was not overshadowed by Palmer and Miss Scott. Since llie Playhouse serves as a proving ground for young talent, casting of the remaining parts had too many juveniles who streaked their hair with gray makeup and thought they were old men. Single exception was Morris Ankrum, who staged the piece and played Buck- ingham. His death soene was the runner-up to Palmer's solioquy for declamation honors. Joan Wheeler shows promise. She played Iho young successor to Katharine. Combining the new and old. phonograph recordings wore u.«0(l for several dance scenes and intor- lude music. ANYBODY'S GAME Newark, Dec. 8. Ftirce In Ihree acts by Paul Barton. pro» sonted by Elizabeth .MIole at the Lyceum, East Orange, Dec. 5. Staged by Ted Ham* mersteln. Cast Included Edna HIbbard, Emily iMwry, Snm Wren, Neville West* man, Pnul !>tnnton, Waltor Roach. Louis Serin. Calvin Thomas, Edwnrd Colebrook. Charlotlle Androws. Hruh Hansen, Vanda Norln. Marian AVarvlng-Manley, An example of. the old {..ssumed identity theme, this show, though pleasing enough, has small chance to go anywhere. The situations work out pretty well according to pattern, but there is hardly a spark of originality or vitality In subject, acting or direction. A young man comes to an adver> tlslng agency selling stockings and finds the oflSce girl an old friend. She persuades him to assume .the name of a missing assistant official, and he enters the career of pub- licist knowing nothing about the game. Complications ensue when he falls for an advertising girl, making mistakes that turn out profitably, and finally landing in his old acquaintance's arms and becom- ing a partner. Edna Hibbard disappoints by merely walking through the part of the girl on the make. The stocking salesman as played by Sam Wren begins as a creation but soon drops to monotony. Marian Warrlrig-- Hanley amuses In a brief bit. Very nice Is Emily Lowry, who makes the most of the ofldce girl. The single set is to be elaborated and work is being done on th* script. While it can be Improved; the play holds out but minor prom- ise as a commercial venture. You Never Get a Break Pasadena, Dec. B. Produced by the Pasadena Community r.??il?JJ.^i ^.'"l 'O"" »"« aay only, cast included Jack Harllng, Paul Maxey. vnJ!„v''^.iL Katherlna Williams, Gtadyi V i?S£^'- Kay PlBb, Jerome Fletcher, Richard French, Ray Vemol, Pat-- lion ^r^fi^' ^"K^l"'' Trac? Mad. ison Goff, Jack Rea, Georm Stewart. ^^t'^'"?' Robert &na„ SSi S.^l'L*^**"*" J^vTeon. Three acts and foar Story about Hollywood written by a scenarist at Radio. He should have known better. Author either hasnt been around pictures very long, or he's slipped into the rut o£ time-worn tales about the film col- ony which have no basis in fact Despite this, Pasadena dowagers who occupied half the seats at this special one day performance shook with smug laughter. Play; how- ever, is too weak and characters too unreal to give it much chance as a commercial try. Photographer who hfts come to Hollywood to make stills of the femme stars Jn their lingerie as an advertising tie-up has the chief part. As called for by the play, the photog Is both pansy and stupid. Robert Krelsman played the phptog- rapher, but couldn't give it much. When a still is accldently made of a femme in her teddies while she Is talking to a director whose rep is 100% pure, the megger thinks he's been framed. He gives the girl, a newcomer from the photog's home town, and. also the photog. con- tracts for $3,000 weekly and pays <IOMOO to get thejiegatlve of the Last scene shows the pair two years later as stars. Most of the characters are extras, and .in de- picting them the playwright has done his only good work. Girl was played by Ruth Covell Levlson. Show was given matinee und night performances. AHEAD AND BACjC Dayton Stoddartt, p.a. and g.m., 'Last Judgment' (Sheppard & Buchanan). THERE IS Hp SUBSTITUTE FOR LIFE INSURANCE EVEBTTHINO COSTS MONET BUT — SAFETY! Put your money where you know you will always find it; it Is cash on hand even when It Is working for you. For Fnrtlier DetallN, 8e« JOHN J. KEMP 551 Fifth Ave. N. Y. C. Phones: Murray Hill 2-7838-7839