Variety (Jul 1935)

S6 VARIETY LECITIMA¥E Wednesday, Juljr 24, 1935 Summer Theatres (NEW PLAYS) LONG FRONTIER Mrs GordoK presents new play by Mil- dred Knopf. Staged by Koberf B, Sinclair. Bcltii.iga by Tom Adrian Crxcraft. At the M'estport (Conn.) Country Playhoufie, July 1936. Soft Moanllght Jcsale Gr«ham Ablfsall Adams Nance O'Neill lilttlo Mlschle! Sydney O. Smith BIc Hawk... Ct)arlC8 Hendeni>n Hoirard Adams .\lan Dunce Harriet CartwrlRht Gloria Uolden ■W.iUer Cartwrluht Frank Kenton Roberta NTISBen Claire Carleton Doctor .Marshall Thomas FIndlay Red Fafflet Bill Strauta Tellow Cloud William Grler Gi-aliam, done up as Indians, gave atmosphere to the piece. Audience waa responsive and gave Nance- O'Neill three curtain calls. DouJcns. Max Gordon's first tryout of the new season is regarded as having a chance following Its opening here, though a new third act will be nec- essary. Piece will be rewritten in other parts also, but soil drama has promise. It is another melodrama of the far western ranches, cut in a fa- miliar and unimaginative pattern, but the factor of a young woman carrying on the reins of a great old ranch where her mother leaves off,, despite the loss of her lover and of a fond brother, will have some ap- peal. ■ Opening tonight. In the presence of a congregation of Broadway man- agers, was handicapped by the ill- ness of, the star, Nance O'Neill, who managed to play, despite a severe attaclc- of laryngitis. A physician naited in the wings while she strug- gled magnificently against the loss of her legendary booming voice. Ai.great ranch in the San Joaquin Valley is the heritage of the Adams family''and Abigail Adams, whose Taiikee forbears pioneered across the. nation, is milltantly working the ranch with tlie enthiislastic aid of her daughter and the Indifference of her son.. Daughter is married to a writer Vtho scorns the fields and who wants to make New York and the young hlbnde wife the son brings home after a toot in town. The Adams boy. Infatuated with his bride, takes to the soil and is carrying on the Adams tradition when his wife runs away with the writer. Pursuing his wife in despair, the youth is killed in a road waahout, His mother is stricken with a fatal illness and the courageous daughter Is left to face the, future without her family and her lover. Climax per- nilW the runaway wife to return to tlie ranch with a posthumouH heir to carry on the family name. Peset with such troubles, 'The Long Frontier* Is scarcely a tooth- borne attraction, but It will have a certain appeal for matinee audl- eu?es. which should rally around the bereft daughter. And particularly as she is played by Gloria Holden, who registered a niJteworthy hit at the opening. With few opportunities heretofor tn legit. Miss Holden impresses as a young woman of much skill and of Incandescent personality. She gave the character of the pioneering daughter depth and emotional con- viction-and was saluted here as a find of the season. Lately on the radio, MlKs Holden entered the cast to replace Katharine Alexander, un ab'.e to come on from the coast, and the first night audience here was a^og at the talents of the newcomer. No plnyer in these parts has cap- tured snme attention this year, Hor's Is the part in the play and is tiu'ierljly spvved hy Miss Holuen. Miss O'Neill could not do much with hrr role, under the conditions but It is the sort of assignment in which she e::cel3 and she v/iU prob- nbly give an outstanding character ization. Her iirst night spunk won her a tribute here. A!an Eunce registers strongly as the weakling son. giving one of his best performances. As a callow youth, cnught in a romance with the blonde from town, he brought the right note of dismay to the part and played wHh conviction. Claire Carleton is the blonde, and capably so. and Frank Fenton, Cmnectieut youth lately with Kath- arine Cornell's company, gave a highly satisCactory performance as the cbentin?; husband of the square- sliooting daughter. Several actors, particularly Jessie ROAD TO PARADISE (BEECHWOOD THEATRE) Drama in three nctit and three scenes by Frederick Jackson. Produced and directed by the author at the Becchwood theatre, .Scarbirough-on-thc-Hudson, week of July 1.1. -35. Madame Jolllvet Jnne FerrcU Hcv. Andrew MacBaIn Leillc Austin La Rousae Lenore Ulrlc .Tnck Daw ederlc Tozere Slick Mortimer H. Weldon Dr. Monceau Louis La Bey Agent de Police ierre D'Ennere Gendarme Paul Knye Mary Macnl Cordelia Macdonnld Robin William Nichols Hamlah- MacPhall Francis Plerlot ■Teannle Cameron Rosnlls Torke Donnld MacTavl.sh Myle.<i Geoffrey Right Rev. Ian Cralsie..St. Clolr Bayrteld This might be called a short story play since the entire action takes place in a period of three weeks. It is also a crook play as a glance at the program shows. The tale has to do with the plot of Jack Daw, Larousse and Slick, concocted In Paris, to rob a manse house In Scotland of valuable ware used In the services. To accomplish his aim Daw vests himself as a clergy- man and so obtains admission to the manse. Before the robbery takes place a church dignitary. Rev.' Craigle, discovers the Imposture. He confronts Daw and obtains a con- fession. Then ■ cpmes the payoff. Instead of. calling the cops Rev. Craigle goes to work and soon has a couple of reformed crooks on his hands. He starts them on the road to paradise by Jolnins them in holy matrimony. While the play may not set the Hudson river on fire it has much to commend It. It Is talky, at times preachy, too, but not without Its moments. It Is to be presented at the sum- mer theatre in Stamford. Conn., all this week (22), with the same cast. Pew of the big cast have much to do aa four or five parts carry the play. It's another typical part for Miss Ulrlc and she fills it competently. Frederic Tozere gives an excellent performance and the work of St Clair Bayfield is also a fine char- acterization, The lesser presenta- tion also oke. Crawford. RETURN TO FOLLY (RED BARN THEATRE) Comedy in three acts by Ilarlao Ware, Produced by D. A. Doran, Jr., and Arthur Hanna. Staged by Teresa Dale. Setting by John Hoot. At Ibe Bed Bam theatre, I»cust Valley, L. I., July 22, lUK. Hetty Appleby Edna Uagan Violet Chouteau Dyer Jeft Tobin Jame» Truex Mary Appleby Leona Fonrera Roger Appleby Walter Graaea Gertrude Burton Mildred Wall Sylvia Appleby Margaret O'Donncll Mndelino Abbott Ruth UcGraw Albert Borreil Philip TrueK Junior Appleby Bdvin Mills Peter Smith James Oates Murphy Charles Vnsted Cosack .' ..William Shea Swede Robert Kennedy Wilbur Burgeaa ....Howard Miller LAND HO, SAILOR Minneapolis, July 20. This is the second play by Wil- liam F. Davidson, St. Paul realtor and a former member 'of Prof Baker's playwriting class, to have Its premiere at the University of Minnesota Theatre, the other hav ing been 'Joan of Arkansaw' a year ago. Described as 'a rollicking farce,' It seemed not at all rollick ing ■ and . only mildly farcical in spots, ' .The first of this institution's iregUlSiT,-'summer season offerings. It Will be followed by 'Children of the Moon,' 'Cradle Song,' etc. With the Florida beach as Its locale, 'Land Ho, Sailor' tells of an all too wise and clever young gob and how he outwits a successful crusty old promoter in a real estate deal and wins the rich man's daugh ter away from a namby-pamby idler who has been two-timing her. The thin and obvious story, which takes only a slight hold, develops Into few laugh-provoking eitua- tion.s during its unfolding, and, for a farce, the play proves exasperat Ingly talky. While some of the dialog mildly stirs the risibilities, the total amount of fun engendered l.s negligible, -Consequently, 'Land Ho, Sailor' appears unlikely to reach out far beyond campus con- fines. Play la well staged and, in the main, satisfactorily directed by Prof. A. Dale Riley and Leiand H Clay. Peter Jean Vest acts the gob-hero expertly and Burton Wright, as a sort of foil, makes a capable financier. Other roles played by William Nelson, Char lotte Lee, Penton Spencei George Groman, Melba Linner, Betay Strout and Molly Rogers. Rccs, SHOES INCIUOCO, Showfotki Shoe Shop e.£AUT.i,(iut:..SHOES- ■ 1552 BROADWAY 5F'l;UXE;M:pOE1.S " Olien nil 9 p. m. The Red Barn turns this week from the smart sophistication of 'There's Wisdom In Women' to a gully amusing little comedy of fam- ily . life. Harlan Ware, short story writer c ..d film ecrlpter, writes in- geniously and knowingly of. the bCT wllderment of the older generation, when confronted by the assurance of the younger, and his sense of character Is unerringly shown by the humaness of both children and parents. Plot centers around the Appleby family, Mary, the fluttery wife, whose writing Is beginning to at- tract attention, Roger, the patient husband, and Junior, Sylvia and Betty, the young children. The home la In a constant uproar diife to mama's Insistence that she be consulted about all family' dlfll- cultles and since she can never con- centrate on anything for more than a moment the turmoil can well be Imagined. The climax comes wheii mama wins the Pulitzer Prize and goea off for a month on a lecture tour, leaving Roger alone to cope with his children and their friends \Tbo are visiting. During his wife's absence Roger realizes the shallow- ness of their life together, and .when Mary turns iip at the end of the month, having hiked the laat 20 miles to the accompaniment, of hewsre^l cameras and sound trucks, he blows up completely. But mama's tears win out In the end and Roger nnd the children decide to stick, even though it is obvious that life will'go on to the same accompani- ment of furore as before. Leona Powers brings charm and Insight to the role of the mother and Walter'Greaza Is particularly sympathetic as the harassed Roger. As the belligerent and determined frlenc". of the young Applebys, James Truex scores a distinct hit, and his .brother Philip Is excellent a,i a pt;lgglsh young Intellectual. Tile other kids are ably played by Edna Hagan, Malrgaret O'Donnell, Ruth AJcGraw and Edwin Mills. Chouteau- Dyer, as the' unhappy maid, who Is willing to work if someone will only tell her what to do, handles her laughs expertly. Mildred Wall pops in and out as an understanding friend and Howard Miller is seen brlefiy as a very modern writer. Teresa Dale's di- rection stresses the comedy -in the lines and John Root has again de- signed the type of attractive set which makes productions in this plcyhouse superior. This is a simple play with plenty of laughs and enough drama to make It a thoroughly entertaining evening. The Mary Boland-ish character of the mother is good for lots of good-natured, dizzy comedy f.iid the other roles are almost equally well written. It is the type of family comedy pictures should be euger to find and Broadway might well accept it for what it Is. LAMBENT FLAME (RIDGEWAY THEATRE) Drama In three acta and five scenes by Frank L Moss. Prcrentod nt the Ridne- way theatre. White Plains, N. Y., undrr direction of Frank McCoy, opening July i.-i, '3:;. MarclB Williams Fay Balnter Reginald Twookey Kent Pmltb Crumpy Ethel Wilson Harvey Felton Herbert Duffy Stacoy Arnold Hunter Gardner Mrs. Louis Twookey Vera Hurst A weak sister, and even a clever performance by Fay Bainter could not save it, Story is repetitious and dull and author shows little or no. feeling for dramatic dialog. Characters fail to impress as real people since most of their reactions are poorly- motivated and Irra- tional. Story involves Marcla .Williams, film star, vacationing in New Tork after d 'disastrous marital experi- ence. She decides to do a play and one Reginald Twookey presents himself with Just the script she'.s been looking for. Twookey Is a handsome young man with Ideals, and when he falls in love with Mar- cla he wants to' marry her. The actress, having- been burned once, doesn't wdnt to take another chance and so they live together. Byentually Marcia .decides that she wants to ma^ry Twooltcy, but by this time his ardor has cooled and he walks out on her, leaving her to return to Hollywod and pic- tures. This is all more than faintly fa- miliar .nnd has not gained any new merits . In the telling. Laughs are uparse and general wordiness of :;cenes quickly kills dramatic tius- [leiise. F.iy Balnter. a.-i Mareln Williams, gets everything po.siiible out of monotonous role and manages to ijiake part fairly DeKevable, Kent Smith is okay as the vacillating Twookey and Hunter Gardner'Is seen briefly a.s the ex-husband, Ethel Wilson plays a comedy companion and Herbert DuRy a film producer, Frank McCoy directed the play without much attention to dra- matic moments or variety of pace. And to save the boys a trip to the dictionary the 'lambent' part of 'The XAmbent Flame' title means flickering. STARDUST (NEW ROCHELLE PLAYHOUSE) Comedy In three acta and five scenes by Robert and Sally 'Wilder, Staced by Rob- ert H, Gordon at The Flayhouae, New Rochelle, N. T., week of July 1,1, '.13. Kdltb Stanhope Frances Starr Mary ., , Lucia Seger Richard Warren....... Judaon Lnlre Joan .Stanhope Trent Phyllis 'Welcli Jerry Doyle 'William C. Jackson Lewis Brander Sanford McCauley Ethel Lane. Olive -Rvana Kabn Photogropber Jamea Gregory Actreosea: Shirley KItt Thompson, Helen B. Oryce, Marguerite Loft, and Peggy Fournier Muller. 'Stardust' tells the story of a young actress who has reached stardom In the face of obstacles. It Is, the best of last week's summer shows In Westchester by long odds, which may mean much or little. It Is exceptionally well dlaloged, contains real wit and humor and abounds In clever comedy situa- tions. It's bound -to get somewhere as a stage play and will likely be sought for pictures. It has the benefit of a brilliant cast as far as the Individual char- acters are .concerned and la lavishly costumed. Scenic sets, stage prop- erties and lighting effects are very Broadway. Perhaps a whole lot of this Is due to the swanky Women's Club of New Rochelle which sponsors the N. R. players and are themi>clves backed by a list of patrons which Includes all the bigwigs of society In the city as well as the conse- 4uential stage colony of the town. ' Prances Starr hag the big part, but Phyllis Welch, as the daughter who makes good on the stage, runs Miss Starr a close race. Judson Laire, who by the way received his tute;lage with the Beechwpod Play- ers, is developing liito an - accom- plished actor. Lucia Seger has a host of cinema roles behind and is just as good in similar parts on the stage. Sanford McCauley la a Juvenile of ability and so to the end they all played their parts well. •Stardust* Is likely to be heard from in the future. Crawford. BEGINNER'S LUCK (SCARBOROUGH THEATRE) Play In three acts and four scenes by Frederick Jackson. Staged by the au- thor July 22, lUa.'S, at the Scarborough theatre, Scnrborough-on-the-Hudson, N. T. I.,ady Marrlot (SIdonie)... .Louise Prusning Lord Mnrriot Jack Hartley IUddle Harvey Paul Kaye Nigel Gerrord William Post, Jr. Godfry Frye Gerald Oliver Smith Cyril, Viscount Dabneigh.. .Mylea Geoffrey Madge, Vioconntess Dabnelgh, Uernldlne KInK Consuello Lyons...-. Ann Mason Rogers Lynn Swann Officer 732 Hobart Amory This one won't do. Has too many circumstances against it to put it in the division of plays of class. Too much improbability. Locale of the play is London and the entire action takes place within 30 hours. Marriot is a run-arounder and in his travels meets someone he fancies more than his wife. She is fed up with him pretty well and is not hostile to other blandishments. He seeks to ft-ame her with the family chauffeur. The whole cast treat.^ the entire matter flippantly. Players are all experienced, accomplished and com- petent. Miss Prussing is the standout. Next week (29) Gaston Valcourt will appear in Mr. Jackson's 'Cor- rida.' It is announced as the big- gest production of the Scarborough season. Four other plays are to follow. Crawford. She Cried for the Moon (CASINO THEATRE) Comedy In three acts by Hadlcy Water.i. presented at the Caeino theatre, Deal, N. J., by Winiam A. Drady. Jr.. Malcolm L. Pcni'son and Donald E. Banicb; one week starting July 22. Staged by John Hnyden. Designed by Forrest Harlng. Peggy Fitzgerald Dorothy B\)rgcsB Randolph FlUgernld James Todd T^ollta Mofion Josephine Dunn Ralph Brooks Kdmund MacDonairt Tom Guthrie Bruce Warren George Bishop Br.indon Petera Samson Hayes Prjor H.'idloy Waters has concocted n eocktail comedy—one part untaith- f'll husband, one part clover wife and one part froth—and the mixture •icjds on'iy a little shalving up in the second net to please the nalate of even the most critical audience. Doiothy Burgess as the wife gives cards and spades to Josephine Dunn, current amcur nf licr aillst hus- band, anu comes off with top honor.'? in the feminine division. The rest of the cast could move into Now y-oric in toto on the basis of open- ing ni,?lit performances. Action takes place in a typical Connecticut Kuirmor home where i^andy Fitzfjcraia (J.imes Todd) la.\s )>lan for an intriguing -(veek end with Lollta Mason (Miss I'unn), penurious but personable interior decorator an4 blonde inspiration for Ills latest <;anva8. Peggy upsets the ap.ole cart by btinging orother Railph and two male friends of the family to the New England house. Play logs In tlie second act when Lollta and Randy participate in a drooling dialog which would be laughed out of a metropolitan the- atre. With the exception of this scene,-In which the lovers plan their■ clandestine meeting, ihe play moves rapidly and brighdy. mil. Don't Bet on Blondes (Continued from page 2]) anything from the birth of twins to a champion lady husband-caller's pipes. An Interesting and highly original thematic Idea la the above, and It could have, been whammed over good through proper treatment. The error was In twisting it through a maze of silly, hoke Instead of letting it run a more natural course toward melodrama. In working their worthwhile plot to an unworthy conclusion, th^ scriptere. In straining for laughs, gave themselves undue leeway In the way of literary license. Id fact, they seem to have taken out a license for everything but hunting. Too much of It Is more suitable for a two-reel slapstlcker. The girl angle enters via Claire Dodd as a stage star whose pan- handling father Insures hia daugh- ter for }50,000 against marriage Ip three years. To protect hia policy, William steps Iii aa a suitor and it winds up as per expectations with Williams losing the SOG's but get- ting the girl. William Gargan, Vince Barnett, Eddie Shubert and Spencer Char- ters serve as William's stoogea both as to character and in actuality. All doing their far-fetched duties well, they divide the laugh section with GUy Kibbee, who 'steps out of hi.<i customary routine to play a nutty but harmless southern colonel just like the doctor ordered. Kibbee shows more stuff on the ball with every picture. • Claire Dodd gets an early intro- duction In the dialog as 'the-moat beautiful girl in the world,' which places her under a handicap throughout the picture. William, operating under the In- triguing 'story' name of Odds Owen, turns In an expert performance aa the gambling man. Blgc. The Daring Young Man Fox production and release. Features .Tames Dunn, Mne Clarke, Nell Hamilton. Producer, Robert T. Kane. Director, Wil- liam A. Sclter. From story by Claude Binyon and Sidney Skolslty. Adaptation, William Hurlbut: additional dialog, Sam Hellman and. Glenn Tryoii; cimera. Meritt Geratad. At Globe. N. T.. week July 18, '3G. Running time, 70 mins. Don McXjane J?.mea Dunn Martha Allen Mae Clarke Gerald Rneburn Nell Hamilton Warden Palmer Sidney Toler Pete Hogan.. Worren Hymer This Is a picture with an abun- dance of easy laughs, but cpisodio action and insuffiolent name value to warrant general solo masting. It's a series of situations gagged to satire, burlesque or. slapstick pitch, involving James Dunn and Mao Clarke, reporters on rival rags. Same plot basis In Warners' 'Front Pnge Lady,' now current. They clinch in the finale. Prior to the climax Dunn gets shipped off to do an inside story on prison life which appears to be an al tempted burlesque of the Welfare Island Prison tl-offs around New York, not so long ago. This hap- pens when Mae Clarke is walking at the church to marry him. Warren Hymer is the central comedy lad and does very neatly. Miss Cl.arke wears some hotsy-totsy costumes for Just a working press girl, but maybe it doesn't matter. Xeither does It matter, perhaps, that editors send wedding chasers to cover prison brawls. The dialog's gaggy. Five writers worked on script. Shan. Behind the Keys (Continued from page -£7) Chattanooga, taking charge July 2S. Barton a year ago was chief usher at Paramount In Montgomery, 'Shorty' Roberts, former Georgia Tech football star, has been named Paramount assistant manager here, Algona, la. G. L. Petit, Phoenix, Ariz., ha.«i taken over management of a local house and will readv it for fall, re- modeling and some new equipment being added. Los Angeles. Criterion, dark for .icveral months bedause of product shortage, re- opens (5) with continued first run of Columbia'.^ 'Love Me Forever,' moving over fi-om Paramount after two weelcs. DICK and EDITH BARSTOW International Dancing Favorites