Variety (Sep 1933)

VARIETY LECIT1MA¥C Tuesday, Septemiiier 1(9, 1993 Ph^Fs on Br MURDER AT VANITIES rBKc\ Carroll production of Uvp-act muaico-nialodrama by Carroll and Rufus KlOR. muBlt and lyrics by Edward Hoyr man and Richard Myers, with Intcrpolatod BODM by Herman Hupfeld. John Jacob Ijoob and Paul Francia Webster, Ned Washington And Victor Vounff and John W. Green. Additional dtolos by Eiiffono Conrad.: DIalOff staged by B.uric Symon:; dances, Chester Hale; tiddltlonnl dance ar- Tanireraentfl, Ned- MeOurn; Kay Kava- jifiugh,- mualcar director. ^ ^ Cast is headed by BeU Lugosl, Olga Baclanova, James Rehnlo and Billy House.. Others; besides the 60 Carroll beaujs, in- clude Charles Ashley. Paulino Moore, NaoDii Ray, Prank -Klngdon, Lew Bokles, Naomi Ray, Amby <^pt4>H^;r-^i Webster.' Walker . Thornton, Eeijl Wallacei jean Adair. WHilam Fay. Robert Cum- mlnn, William Balfour, L.lsa'SUbert. Bar- bara Wlnchestier. Bon LaoHland, MArtna Pryor, James Cbuehlln, Mifckey Biaatz, Villi Mini, Elsie Rossi. Charles G. John- son, Helena Rapport, Edwin Vlckery. P. X. Mahoney, Wiley . Adams, EUeen . Burns. PhU Sheridan, Ben Lewis. P. Raymond. Woods Miller, Una Vllon, Mackle and La- yallle. Lewi? and Van, Paul Gerrlsh. •Murdet' at the Vanicties' is just that. It ihurdei's two Bpod ideas, a, mystery thriller -arid a Carroll 'Vahitleis,' and,-the hybrid achieves nothing beyond mediocrity; It's iiieither fish, flesh nor good red her-, ring. A "curious hodge-'podge: of combining a Carroll musical revue r comedy drama in three acts presented with a; murder mieller, the idea was at the Booth Sept. ic by Abbott-Ounning, novel if nothing elsfe, and, despite i"*^^ Yhw*}. iJX™5*w ^J^^JJ""^^ iVj^ _ i_ « ^-i -wi J.^..Ai»'.r ' -nrLnt- l ueorgo ADDott; atased by latter, the prime appeal of novelty, what- jjyra . . . .... .. .Bmiiy Lowry ever boiofflce chances it had werel a .>yife. .... aud B. Sinclair 'Rnnwpd litider bv a- theatrical se-I ,..;■.■.«.......;.■,... .Eddie Acuft Which evldeicS^t^St it A1^^^^^ should not have been ushered into Bteve .,;:.....,,.....i,.Cpburn Goodw^in the iNew Amsterdam in its present I George. .................Robert Gieckler Wnmiiifinn I Jcft „ .<..•'•..«., Robert Sloane * li? ^il-i, 1 . First Hltch-Hlker......v...aaU De Hart . The Philly breakrin was so bad second HUch-Hlker.....igeraldlne Wall that Carroll asked the critics to see Sheriff ........ it again later in the wieek before | *Jj:»- ^fh^- comlb efforts as the assistant stage manaiger. Shaw and Lee dropped out at the eleventh hour following billing and contract tlfC, although programmed. Una Vilon was a hotch torso- tbrcher working in cabaret manner, whoso, chores were. ampUAed as a cohsc^uenco of the two-man team's drop-out. On production, . Max Teu- ber's . neonrinaypbie finaLle in the first act was remindful of the sim- ilar 'cold light' electricial effects done in CdrroU's last 'Vanities,' likewise ah ill--fatcd revue. - sTerpsjchorically, Chester Hale vQ^chleved some novel effects in con- ci^t^d rhythmics on movable giant istair^^es, varied, by luminous paint effects. But in toto 'Murder at' the Vanities' isn't destined (orBroad- way longevity. This will probably suit Paramount just asMvell, inci- dentally, for among the prelirnihary isumnier dog-day! worries were how to release LiiigosL for the fitm ver^ sioh, if the stage piroductibn became a hit and kept the show overly long in New York. Abe-I. HEAT UGHTNINO .....Vincent Keller . ..Joan Carr ,., Len'ore Sbrsby writing their notices. The opinion ^-j^-J"-'^ A Mexican Family. ^■ Jdseph Rivers Irene Castellanos Carmen Caatellanos Dolores Sierra Emlllo Sierra I Shows in Rehearsal 'For God and Country' <A. H, Woods) Empire, *Ruy Bias' (Walter Hamp- den) Cort. 'Late Christopher Bean', <road) (Wee & Levi^nthal) Waldorf, 'Her Master's Voice' (Max Gordon) Harris. ^Her Man of Wait' (Shuberts) Ambassador. ^Men in White' (Hiirmon & Uilman) Broadhurst. 'School for. Lovers' (Theatre Guild) Guild. 'Undesirable . Lady' (L«ph Gordon) Nationtd. •Let 'Eni Eat Cake' (Sam H. Harris) Imperial. 'Ah Wiidernessr (Theatre Guild) Guild. 'Amourette' (Peters aiid Spil- ier) Miller.v 'Pursuit of HappineBs' (Row- land Stebbins) Avon, . 'Sailor Beware' (Courtney Burr) Liyceum. .' 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' (road) (Rowland Stebbiri^) Fulton., . 'Kultur' (J. . J. Vlndent) Mansfield. 'The Green .Pasliires^ (Row- - land Stebbins). Manhattan. 'Trip to Pressburg' (Shu- berts)-iiorosco,- 'Hotel Alimohir' (Try-out) (Gfreen A ; McCoy) Jackson Heights, 'Bridges to Cross' (Try-out) (Elizabeth Miele) Summit, N. J. ^ riie Package' (Try-out) road Street,. Newark.^ Plays Out of Town 3 WITH LANTERNS Newark, Sept. 15. Comedy In throe, acts by Mlchiael Watts. Presented by Fault K. Karralcia at the Broad Street. Included In the cast are Prances Bendstoni Mabel Mortimer. Mary Newton, Aibbrt Bers. Richard Rauber, Helen ChampUn and Robert L, Clear. A program note states that Paiil it. Harrakis intends to> produce all I new plays, maiiy of which would not appeal to the comtnerclal manager. Herein lies the difficulty; it the plays do not appeal to the commer- cial theatre man they are unlikely to interest the everyday playgoers. Anything is possible, but the devel HE KNEW tHEM ALU Naifarki Sept. 16. Comedy in three acts bjr Tom Powers. Presented by. Edward P. Oardner at tha Women's Club, CaldwelU N. J. staged by Powenf and Gardner. In the cast ara Dalsly Atherton, Alma Kruger, Helen Patterson. Harriet Russell, Carleton Youns. William IpKersoU; Katberlne Blrsch. Tom Powers, CUItord Dunatan. "When Tom Powers wrote this hft! vloiated the ftctor-author code by liot glvitng htmselic most of the play and all the good .llnes. lie doesn't even appear until the middle of the second act. Sad to say the play seems to slow down a little afteir. FOREIGN REVIEW THE DISTAFF SIDE following the original uneurtainli^ held, and It still holds, for metro- politan consumption even at $3.30. . As a- show venture, Carroll Is plenty off the nut from t;.3 start through his Paramount film tie-in I First play to Broadway from, Law whereby #ar has underwritten the I rence Langner's Wiestport, Coiin.. I Mrs. VeriaWes stage venture as a prelude to ulti-I try-out plant. - Presented by thel JJ"* ^'iJ^'iir* toate fllmization. A $100,000 consid- George Abbott-Phil Dunning outfit, Kga! Fietcher(Neiii^^^^^^ Liondoh, Sept. 6. opment of ft^ profttoble s^^ that; But it has been going strong atre in Newark looks from here like that point and is by no mean! a long chance. dull at any time. It is doubtful is. the opening play. | Mrs. Ella.Burton learns fron> her •Three with Lanterns,' appeials to I younger dalughter's letter that. the popular taste sufficiently to make it I unmarried girl is in trouble, expect- draw. It teUs- a story of jealousy Ih I ing a b&by. She calls a family con» English family life With few and fereince to deal-with the situation, unexciting complications. -1 As one member Is , a' sombre Tony Steele, concealing the fact hilvlnily student^and another ^a san^ that-ails wife bores him, is wrapped "beral and^ as^ the g^^^^ Si«l?d''SSigh^''• wors^S^^^^^ SheS"fel?|s, "S^ISt^^Jlarof co£ \^^S^SLi2. t^?,.^^^^ flicting emotions causes amusement, jnd^^^^^ The daughter finds that her ideal- lirrivea and to her amazement learns ized brother lias feet of clajr and, the fiamily's worpy which she whether intentionally or not (the gi^o^g ig to a mdsconstructlon (tf play Is obscure on this), allows his hjjp letter, worshippers to see his defects. I has her fiance In a cab but- After much unpleiELsantness, a recpn-I side and after straightening out all cillatibn follows. I suspicions produces him. But It is ihosthurttul.to the whblecon- he, after falling tor the grand- ception that the characters aroui^e mother's charih; makes it plailn thiatt so little sympathy that no one Ciares although he has J>jcOught the girl what happens to them.: safely home, he has hoi Intentions, of The cast does not help the plajr marrying lier., After othisr corn- much, and It'needs superior acting plications he turns out to be the to bring out its merits. This does 1 cider slitter's lOver who had been not mean that the doting was bad, j given up as dead: In a tender scene they clinch for the curtain. Comedy by John van Druten, presented by Gilbert Miller, produced by Aurlol Lee at the Apollo theatre, Sept. 6. i ^ i i ^t^^*. Mrs. Venabies.......Haidee Wright but simply that this was an unfor Mrs. Muiward (Bvie)SybU Thorndikc tuhate cholce with which to Open a Mrs. Froblaher (Ux). .... • • ..Maritta Hunt | gtock season As Alice, the best part In the play. Roland. Alex, ..V. ^AiSSSdS*'AMhdSI I Mar^* Newton'co^^t'ributed I late action Powers, >eems to have vteia Keats I portrait. The others showed vary-|.flagged In originality, and he em- The- play Is packed with amusing lines. The twists of the thought are lively and. lihezpeoted. In the eration is said to'figure oh top of I the combo which started so well everything, with Carroll to super-{last season with •20th Century.' It Vise the^creen proju^loh^^^^^ mucK the best thus far, I*, a.new | ^S^,^i;ii^:ir^:::::: S"'com'K^e''^inil| plo^^^^ auch as a so the impresario Is financially on season that previously had offered Heica^ Venabiea.......vMargartt Carter f^^^^^'Si^riiSltn^^ scene from the movies. But these 1, .. . ... ^ . . iM^gg gpieer w,'P'>'g..P^y^S j ea rnestness. | minor dWecte could; easily be cor But It is 1^velvet already. la list of dramatic zeros. But apart from these financial not quite good enough, considerations, Carroll has ushered 'Heat liightning' is a melodrama in a highly disappointing venture, tic comedy set Ih the lunchroom of Bating as the first Important fhu- a filling station and camp In. the Bical premiere so far this season, {southwestern desert lands not far the ultra turn-out at the New Am- from the Mexican border. Abbott sterdam was divided In its . interest Uyorked over the script which has Toby Chegwidden.'.... .'v • '*C»«"d Evans Charles Hnbbard,.......... Geoftrey Gomer Gilbert ..■ Blalxe ..>..•..'...<' .^XrN^S DIE FLEDERMAUS Generally speaking,' . John van Druten does not write plays for the rected. and a few long expository speeches. could be omitted .to the: plays Improvement The :dIrectloh is excellent and the cast la good. ' Powers - handles his between the creTkmg^ mrtl^^^^^^^ _ ' ' there, not in the original. Show^^r^*|"°/^''he d^^ the fan-and-fancy stuff of the Car roll Nudist Cult. . tVestport, Sept; 16; ^ Dwight Deere Wiman's reylVal of J assignment "well Virte TdealTy; the Johann Strauss v operetta im-1 g^st as a romantic lover. SuperV In his lat- t pressed so favorably on its ^resen- j |g j^i„ja Kruger as the grandmother. ^ „ . - .V. .has a fair laugh content, mosUy in jf^^-Xin^^ an« T'he meller is one of those things. I the second act First act lazes ,t i« not a. t>^ of broad ap- is prepared to bring it to New York Helen Patterson plays a, different • 1^ a aice of life as life Inaboutamonth. ' . ^ , sort of servant girl. The Inexper- reaiiv 13 rather than melodrama as Given a particularly finished pro- hence of Katherine HIrsch as the tha aveJ^e theatre-goer likes It ductlon with superb settings by younger sister is evident, but she the average .b I „„ot with «n ava I has vivacity and shows possibilities. At zero hour It collapses complete-J under the desert sun and the last - il \2 ly. Two or three murders are lefti act goes in for drama. SVv la ral hanging in the air, James Rennle oiga, a girl who started Out In the Average » , , , . .... (a police Inspector who does his Ufe in the Oklahoma oU fields^ Therefore/it received good notices Mielzlner, and cast with an eye to sleuthing In impeccable tails) de- gometlmes hard, sometimes easy, f-om the high-brow critics, al- ward New York, Fledermaus* is aV Wiman got up the revival with Farewell Performance Newark, Sept. 14. elding that wedding finale with and how conducting a gas station thoiirh practically all of them most ready for a season in which Pauline Moore, whom several vil- oh the highway to that territory, oereld it is not good theatre. I few Operettas are slated lains have been pursuing for two and George, once her lover In the ahnws n. famUv n-oup. coii acts and two and one-half hours, la wild days, are the principal Persons of ^andiother, wldowt. now in order. . ^ ™ the play. Olga is now content, M^J^^^^ With two daughters and a I f ew pooK oy j^w^^^ ^ .^^^ by James Ramser Suspicions ore pointed at every satisfied with hard work, and hold- ^r^'^^nfl telia M'^- all of lyrics by Robert Simon were right u„n,an. presented by Kllzabeth Miele a,t le and causes for homicide estab- hng only abhorrence for the past The fact IC new trappings brought color to the ;^Lyrtc. Summit N. J._ Stoged br, nothing satisfactory In the crime- there Is only a younger sister, Myra, Ujjair with a man Is incidental and ers could oe engagea, n^^ sunley Harrison.- solution department eventuates, to worry about Myra is In love llaa little or ho vital bearing on the stake a New York production, Burford Hampden, Prank J. iciru. Kate Musically It was a dull evening, with an air raail.pUot but that is „f„V ^ ^ Packedjiouses left no doubt as McComb. Lucille ciny osborne. stephea The Carroll beauts, decidedly par-1 a minor detail. J erally weU played, with hon- JJi?/ JgSts kS^^^^^^^^^ ^ I ors going to Sybil Thonjid^^ the: house record set by| Lynne Overman, excellent farceux, Irole different from anything she^as | Jane^CowL The oustomers had_ a | ^ ^j,,^ ^^^^ the trifles tossed hln» accustomed to play. tial as to blondes, satisfactorily sus-1 into their routine existence comes talned the ex-7th avenue. E^arl's I George iiccompanied by Steve, a batting average for pickin*'em, but I young companion in crime. . They there it ended. There was a little are of a gang that robbed a Salt Sally Rand in a Chester Hale fan I Lake bank, killing the cashier routine that was reasonably Im-1 amon? others, and. are heading for pressive. I Mexico. Olga thought she had put . Of the cast, the hit of the evening ] cjeorge aside forever and she asks fell to the lot of Paul Gerrlsh, a him to blow. But he sticks around roller skater who malde his chorus with the Idea of copping the jewels count for plenty. Working In .tails, of tw;o Reno divorcees, putting up with consummate ease a.nd poise, }n the camp for the night, and with a Robert Montgomeryish j tq make it easier for Steve to front the the _____ were a sinister pair; Baclanova, a I fugUivea from the local dicks. High [ at"the nALT. Tirst session was I f^^han eVer^an^^ leaves his fiancie with hlia ? b^^Sfe^s?^^^^^^ ^^.^."i^ held Monday (18), the brokers con- ^Sc!'SlsrPorTstS?pe'f show whlle_ W axr^^^^^^^^ Fewer Specs (Continued from page 45) cordahce with directions from NRA headquarters. The bulk of the other ticlcet lavish production, plus such people l, . , , . as Peggy Wood, Helen Ford and 1 >h this piece, spin them into an au* John E. Hazzard. | thentic fabric, and give a fanciful Langner's book la modern and concoction the air of versimilltude. appropriate, the lyrics are a Joy .parewell Performance' lacks the and the company, particularly Helen ^, *areweii ir'erEormance lacKs inv Ford, leaves litu; to be desired. tight construction a farce requires. The Broadway delegaUon. which b"t It is audi^cious ahd often laugh- each Monday motors out to West- aWe. It tells of a suitor who wants port was overjoyed to see Helen sweetheart compromised so that *^ - - - I he can do the gallant act and win Billy House Ben Lackland, a hapless Juve; !Ben-1 steve refuses to rob the safe of so 1 'e'" with' the sub-committee I MonWv"^ I The plan works only too well when nie, already accounted for; Pauline good a sport as Olga. George starts ^e'^^ns -witn °>*\'^o™™*"f^ I ^ na^-nmar from I the elrl wlUlnclv cives in to her Moore, the ingenue 'Vanities' girl Jumping his Automatic at the ,kid which was assigned han<Jle.ihe , Kit^y C^^^ to ^JJ on whom th6re are evil designs; and Srho ducks, while Olga shoots her detail Of ticket control. Pull NALT the tab shows mad^ t^U Sueh and InsiSs ^idoS Jnar^^^ sull ■ -- familiar; rotund] no-gpod lover. "^^^t ,Wednesda^^ Olga to arrange^ a getaway for tho (20), after which It will probably delivers in a voice of hlghet ents. Besides-this, Peter's mistressfc .fvS ^v^» ^o.,^^^^ settled who Is and who =-isn l register. Peggy Wood Is the Rosa- piqued at him, annexes the other sherlfE/ that she ^kUled ^.^e bandit g^^j^^^ engage in sales of tickets Unde and she will return to Broad- *^ V. ^ii""v 1. 4.U »- [ . * it,-*. ^o*^<> George Meader is the Elsensteln, I Harrison made a good butler. Lu- Lighter touches come with the ar- it is no secret that most of thol^^^ ^j^^ ^ York. John' • » ^ rival of a. Mexican, plus wife and brokers are broke. Chances of re- Ujazzard scored In a bU, but Myron kids on their way in a fliyyer tP couping this season appear to have Duncan was not a satisfactory Juarez with game cocks. Then there ^ glimmering and In any event Paulke. He will be replaced by *^«Jnad n^wS^i. fr* t» Z W aro up ajainst. the sharpest Thomas Chalmers, vorcees, both of whom are on tlie i "-""j '^'^^ r ^ j, , j • I tha flr^t ant in slow and the third make for him and his remarks fur- control system yet devised. act loS and mS Wood? fflTpsy ntsh secondary giggles. Sltuatlph Labor committee of the Theatre having one of the women gazed 1 League has been unable to come to jjj^jjy fehearsals were held here to I-*- V—undcr-sherlfE as .she ah agreement with the:stage hands ^vhln the book into shape, and Wl - -=.MGM-STUDIOS_ bathes In a waslv -tub,. anot her ^^^^ changes.in wor king c ondition?. | man seemed satisfied with the gen —rMGM^StU DIGS- CULVER CITY, CALIF. II WANTED: for Appren- tice theater. Winter season, character actress and versatile man, under twenty- five. Write HENRY GREENi 46 Washington Square South, New Yoi'kj bfefore October first. suitor, and things end peacefully If nbt morally. Most Of the cast were pleasinff. Harry Tyler was entertain i ng play- ing Mac, a druhk role, and Stanley; cille Clay Osborne appeared agree- ably as the mistress, and Stepheii Gross was an amusing bridegrroom. Fohire Plays bathes in a wash-tub,, another 'changg'^f ■paygr"^'^ ^: -.— ^^^ There is something real about the playing of Jean liUxoh as Olga and Robert Gieckler as bad George. Rob- ert Sloane as the under-sheriff made a small part stand out; Joseph Downing amused as ;the chauffeur. Emily Lowry okay as Olga'ai kid 'Heat Lightning' drew a fair break from the critics. Will prob- ably make a better picture than a play. Ibee, Although ' there .are no difCQrencea over the wage scale* which remains the same as last season, thie man- agers are seeking boncessions. ..Let- ters sent to out-of-town stage hands' loeals by Leonard Bergman of Erianger's for the committee, evoked no responses. Bergman Is making a tour of the key cities with the object of talk- ing oyer the situation with the Ms Life Worth LivingEngHsta ■.■■_- -.._.-._— . ... play . .^ will, be given, earlyi pr odue-, eral performance at the end of the Uj^jj. ^y Harry Moses. 'An Old Spanish Custom! wHl be done by . Morris Green. 'Give Us This Day' will be pro- duced by Francis L. Curtis and Richard Myers. It's sibout a N. Y, union leaders, Bavld Finestone, .of the Shubert office, has the stago hands assignment along with Berg- man. Stage hands' and musicians' contracts will shortly come before I ^^"y* , the NALT committee, but it {a bo-f 'The Command to Love lleved the decision win be put up I version) is being readied by DWlghi to Washington. * Deere Wlman and John Tuerk.