Variety (Dec 1935)

48 VARIETY LECI¥IMATE Wednesday* December 25, 1935 Plays on Broadway LIBEL Meloarftma In three acta presented %t Henry Miller's theatre, N. Y., Dec. 20, 3o. by- Gilbert Miller: written - by .Edward "W'ooll; staecd l<y Olto Ludwlgr Prcmlneer; Colin Cllvo reatured; $3J!0 lop. : Associate . .Lewie X)ayton WIIlLim Bale .Charles Francis Sir n-ilfred Kelllnr, Brriest Lawford Hon. Sir Arthur Tuttlngton : Frederick Leister Thomas Foxlcy...i.» Sir Mark LoddonX ... Lady Enid Lojai)n^»_ Sarah Carlton Georse .Hi\mshj!,. Patrick Biicklnghain. Dr. EiiiUe Flordon. .,WJlfrja LaiY«op Colin Cllvo .4 . John'. Marion ....Helen Gosh ...Colin Iluntor ...Arlhur T'lnCon ; , Boris Mnrshalov Ul. pilule-X'*wi"v'< - ; , _, Admiral Fairfax Loddon., .Chas, Welleslej i^RiKBih Gw.Tid •r>'''^<^^^-^•■••^• •■^'"';;■,"i°A:'^^ General Wlhlerton... ,■ .EOwpvd, Oljlflcld I-ady Agatha Winterton Emily Gilbert Major Brampton. Neville Heber-Percy Numero Qulnze Robert .Simmons Evelyn Fllbey .■ ^--.'''^I^J-^'^^V, Flordon's Assistant ....Robert Bennett Ushers... iHpbcrt LeSueur, Arthur Stennlng and Frank Rivers Junior Counsels Ronnld Stevens Edward Bill and Henry Lase- Gilbert Miller bows Into the sea- son with 'i-lbel' last week and 'Vic- toria Regina' this week. Former is an English meloarama that drew polite' first night attention and should do well on Broadway. . It is the second courtroom play this season, the earlier arrival ber Ing 'Night of January IC,' Whlcli got across through novelty of presenta- tion. 'Libel'-is more, handsomely mounted and though it holds in- terest, is-not quite a:s effective. Cast 1b mostly;English as befits the pro- ceedings before the King's Bench, Royal Courts of Justice, London; Story' is fantastic in some ways and the, undertone is-a reminder of ghastly effects on some men in the .world \var. .' ' A,London daily carried a para- graph to -the "effect ; that' Slr "Mark Loddpn, Bart, M P., Is not really a baroinet and that, he has practised deliberate fraud upon his wife as well as Parliament, Sir iMark sues for libel; "with the' defence ddroltly dlreete<d; ' •■ Complainant easily discounts the credibility of opposing; witnesses, who swear that Sir, SlaTk is a'Canti- diah officer named Wfemby who was ihteriiied In this B9.me German prison camp with the titled Britisher. Evi- dence Is to the'«ffect. thdt the. two resembled e'tfcTi other remarkably. Cannuck officer In the same c4mp testifies- that Sir Mark was" killed during an escape attempt, but the prosecution proves that the wit- ness had been convicted of various blackmailing schemes previously. Sir Mark cannot reihfemher, but depends on his wife, to whom he was erigagied before the war. Sccr ond act twist brings on a tragic figure, that of the man who it is clalnied, was the real Sir Mark. His person is a human automaton, un- able to speak or to recognize any- one. As later testified by Loddon, he (the new witness) was the Ger- man soldier whom Sir Mark clubbed with a gun to save himself, an epi- sode he had never revealed to Lady Loddon, Latter Is revolted at the sight of the fellow who Is just a number, which sways her to testify agaiRsfhSr huibanid-. ~ ~' T Ending Is much more clear than, jvhen the play was tried out in 'Philadelphia. 'Befense"" \yitB'araW§ Its case,, agretilng on substantial damages, while the wife emotlbnally returns to her husbands's side. Colin Cllve has no easy part, that of the suspected man. He sits most of the time brooding but, on the witness stand, injects the dra-. matic power that makes 'Libel* something unusual. Arthur Vinton as the scheming Canadian ex- soldier Cunningham Is the nearest thing to an American In the play. He is so, willing to admit his vil- lainies tliait. he Is likeable. . Ernest Lawford as the attorney for Sir Mark is an admirable choice' but the Initial New York appearance of Wilford Lawsoh as the defence liawyer is even moi*e diverting. Frederick Leister as the presiding Judge Is excellent. Scleclfon of Boris Mars.halov as art ejccitable Belgla;n surigebn who miraculously saved the Injured German was an inspiration, while Robert Simmons makes the m£in with just a number something like a. nightmare. That bit alone justifies Gilbert Miller In reta,Inlng Dr. Premlnger of Vienna to stage; the play, Ibee. WHAT A RELIEF TrlanE.le.'Club (Princeton 'V.> 47th annual production In two acts And 11 scenes at 44th St. tlieatte,'N. T., • tw<j nights (Dec. 18-i9,' 'S6X; Sti.SO top. Book by S. J. Qulnn, O. D. Kinder,' 'K. B. Alexander; songs, Brooks Bowmajir F. E. Taplln; Jr., W. H. Borden, S. Mnrvlri, W. -H. Zlexler; orches- trations. Taplln, Alexander, Borden; set- tings, Gordon Chadwlck. Book fltage'd by Joshua Logan; dances by Morgaa Lewis; musical, direction, Taplln. Jiiplter Pluvlus ....W. H. Smith, '30 Juno ...R. D. Cowdery, '3S Mercury v..R. MacP. Wood, '3(1 Apollo ^....Brooks Bowman, '30 Venus C E. Smith,,'37 Diana- ......A. Armstrong, Jr., '.17 Narcissus ............R.'R. Whlttftker, 'Ha Bacchus ...''J. P. Foran, '37 1a6 Professor... VT-C, B. Pierce, '37 Current'Triangle show, 'What A Relief!', Is a mythological musical SALE NOW IN PROGRESS Here's the event that comes only twice a year—your opportunity to got I. Miller Beautiful, Deluxe^ and Ingenue moflels very, greatly reduced prices. All sizes—widths AAAA to C—all types, all heel heights, all seasonable materials and shades. Come early for d good selection. GROUP No. 1 FORMERLY 8/5 to 12/5 Ingenu* medeli and I. Miller Beautiful shoes, high and low h'eelt, blue, black and browns All prestrit season materials . . .'. ..... GROUP No. 7 FORMERLY Bn to lltTi A very wide selection of 1. Iller Beautiful and Ingenue models, tlie season's best pot-r terns; all shades . GROUP No. 3 FORMERLY 1175 and 12/5 A choice group even including Bombay calf and brown suede, famous ''Wingalt" walking i and youthful "Round! " GROUP No. 4 FpRMERLY 12/5 to 1650 Cream of 'the sale. I. Milter's finettj. igh fashion, Beautiful and Deluxe models—black, brown, and high fashion shades I miUER Showfolk's Shoe Shop BROADWAY ot 46«>< ST. OPEN TILL 9 P. M. EVERY NIOHT farce which kids the present ad-, ministration. Jupiter Pluvlus Is the President; Juno, the first lady; Mercury ^nd Apollo are the Presi- dent's two errant sons, etc. It's a funny idea, but most of Its spontaneity Is expended in the first act; Result is that it peters out and in toto shapes up a bit below the high standards set by last year's 'Stags at Bay', which had the ad- vantage of a modern locale and some tiptop tunes. Three of 'em, 'Love and a Dime', 'East of the Sun and 'Will Love Find A Way?' ulti- mately become generally popular and catapulted the talented Brooks Bowman 'S6 Into a Warner ros. song.wrltirig contract, ,. Current crop Of tunes evidences too hard a attlving far cleverness, although there are a few potential Itles, All song material. Is handl- •oa1piA.'d-by la-ck- of- voices- sw\'e tho stubby R; K. Whittaker '36, .whose athletic background Is more con- sistent with his burly build than the character assigned him.. None the less, his is the sole vocal achieve- ment, particularly when having its hotcha and shim-sham manifesta- tions in the delivery.. Histrionically, the troupe is very capable. W.:'H. Smith, president of Triangle, Is capital as J.upe, with,a dentifrice smile and BooSeveltian simulation of address. R. D. Cow- dery Is perhaps, the cast outstander as 'Mrs. Pluve. J,. F. Foran Ks Sen- ator Biacchtis Ts Niclc- (Hollywood) Forah's brother a:nd manifests the family talents on trouping, A Arm- strong, Jr. as the demanding Dlaine and Whittaker as the bashful Nar- cissus are also very capable. Scripting discloses some fine comedy moments.. Librettists Quinn-Klnder-Alexander evidence an undeniable flair for the. satiric and the witty, which is. of times of professional calibre; Some-of- the lines are a bit saucy for an under- graduate show.' Productionally, Morgan Lewis on the dances has done a fine job. He's U. ot Mich. '29. 3>ut clicked so well with his terps for 'Stags At Bay' last season that he was, reengaged^ Lewis has Broadway background via the first two 'Little Shows', 'Flying Colors' and . 'New Faces'; Unfortunately, niost of the good ef- fects are in the first stanza. Joshua- Logan, Princeton '31 Is likewise Broadway professional ('Goodbye Again'. 'Another Lan- guage', Jane Cowl's 'CamiUe', Lon- don productions of 'She Loves Me Not' and Charlofa 'The Day I For- got') aild did well with the .book staging. ' Production. Is a bit more ambi- tious than most undergraduate en- tries. Costumes are elaborate and professional (Eaves), but the scenery is cheated upon. Song possibiUtlea are 'Oh, Why?' (by Marvin-Taplln), . 'HWe and Seek' (Borden), 'After Dark' (Mar- vin), 'I Am Diana, the .Hottes' God- dess of 'Em AH' <Borden-Marvln- Zlegler), 'I Shan't Love Tou Any More' (Bowman), which Is a No. 2 version of 'You're the. Top', mani- festing the Cole Porter .Influence; and in the second act 'Last But Not Least' (Marvin), 'Love Will Live On' (Bowman-Taplln) and 'Misled by A iQuadruped' (Borden-Marvin). Another number, 'Give Me a Gib- sop Girl' is a lift out of the 'Me and Marie' staging In 'Jubilee' with the old-time costuming.' General popularity may be at- tained by 'Oh Why?,' 'After Dark' and 'Shan't Love Tou Any More, latter the outstander, and a show- stopper. .Bowman (who wrote it) and Wood feature this vbcally. Whittaker-scores personally fan his delivery with 'Mislead by a Quad- ruped.' -Aftel. The Season Changes Comedy In three acts presented at the Rooth, N. Y.. Deci -JS. '3.'), by Robert MUtnn; written by Mrs. Arthur Bichman; staged by manager; $3.30 top. B-itisle Beatrice Hendrlcs Mildred Lanni ....Phyllis Joyce HedwlR. Hope Landin A.llce learning ,.'... .Doris Dudley Rita Glenn..^amah Cunningham Prank. Gless....'.-. Nicholas Joy Theodore Blglln James Spottwood Jim • Farringdon Eliot Cabot Shouldn't take long for this one to run Its coarse. Jus.t airplay with uo comedy, and very little drama. Flr.st nlghters were puzzled how )t reached the" Broadway boards. It is so lightweight. One line Js to the eftect: 'You niiake much of a trivial thing.' Localled up In a summer ' home' on a lake In New Hampshire, the chatter goes on aimlessly, most coming from the -wealthy widow,. Millie Lannlng, whose pi-incipal oc- cupation is having a masseuse and hairdresser. Even when her eligi- ble daughter, Alice, ffills in love with, an older man; Jim Farringdon, a Ifcturer, Millie isn't excited. Jim is married and is surprised that he has fallen in love again to the point of proposing marriage. He arranged for.»-a divorce and. is slated to wed Alice in December. Millie, ho.wever, is worried. She stops primping and friends realize she doesn't look so well. Just about '.hen Alice, who had earlier told her aunt that she didn't love hpr iiiotH. er, comes to know that she really isn't in love with Jim. It Is .a ratlier placid parting be- Uveoii : the -Rpeiido .lovers, Jim had sensed the girl's .affections and has undergone a, change; Just aa had _the season. Qeing a man about town, he doesn't blame her, either— and has the good taste to tell her she was right. Had there been any real lads around this curious sum- mering place Jim woiildn't have stood a chance,'anyhow. So Alice warms a^irt tb Triotlier and at Ihe curtain goes offstage to tell Millie that their life is to continue to- gether, • ■ _ Cast has Phyllis ..Joyce, an.Eng- lls'h actress, 'in the lead as Millie, which Is the longest part she has played on Broadway. She does a good enough job. Doris Dudley has the next lead as Alice, willful type of lass, if not' vl.veuish, and not. so attractive, either. Jbee. LUCKY BOY (YiODISH)- Muslcal comedy ln ;two acts (eight scenes) presented by Michael Saks at Second Ave; TheaCK;'-Nv-Y.stowlTfl-Lsf-'Ciwh'vtfiftt'Vt-,, Ing Molahe Olsher. HooK by -Wllllflm Slesrel; ■lyrics, Jacob Jacobs; miislc, Alexander Olshanetslcy; Btaecd by Illya Trilling; *2.20 top. Shepsel Kanarlk ichael Rosenberg LiUle, Prolenco Wolsa Tzlppo Honle./ Nadla Dranova Nuchemtze Leo Fuclis M^x .-Molshe Olsher Mendel Troyka .Boris- tlosenthal Sonla. i., : . <... i Aiiiia Toback .Sora eitza . .Annie Th'oniasliefsUy Zl&tUe-.'.. '. .Esther Saltzmnn Charlie.i. Dav.e liUhrltsky Dr. Gllck .Isldor Shuchiif Mr;' Felgenbaurii,!,.-. i.. JncoB. Htmmelstcln Dr. Gotlhell .Mlchfxel WUensky Patient Abrahom Fishklnd Patient... ;..David Ircvenkon* Nurse .Sarah Seldman PLAYS OIJT OF TOWN Pbddiiig FuiT of Plums Boston, I5ec. 12. Drama in three acts, pre.sente* nt Brattle Hall, Cambridge, Mass., by Han-ard Dra- matic Club, Dec. 11,- '3."!. Written by Ed- ward Eager; staged by John Cecil Haggott. XAiira'^ MocDonald. Peg Heimun Jimmy Tresalder ....Lewis Roblo Ann MacDonald. ....Lois Hall David Hill John Barnard John Adam...., .Frederick Miller Cornelia Adams,,.. ......Agnes Love Rick Lewis., ; .. ..(.Klchxrd Seymer .41ioe Arnold... /.Kathcrlne Young Tommy' Bellman. ; Palmer Buker .vflirgot Sinclair....; Jnne Englund 0111... John .Flower. Katherlne Se^lay............. .Lee Francis There's a legend on Second Ave, that the finest Yiddish legit talent comes from a small town in Gallbla, Poland. Town Is ha,med Lemberg and has produced, among others, Paul Muni, LudWlg ,Satz„ Bertha Kalich ahd/Regina^^,Zukerber Now, the town has sent over a-mew star liamed Leo Fuchs, .who makes his first American appearance' In this musical and who will be heard from on Broadway. On the Avenue they think that Fuchs Is a sort of a Yiddish Astalre. He Isrt't that by any stretch of the imagination. His work- resembles considerably that of Ray Bolger and the fact that he couldn't possibly have seen -the work of Bolger makes that bkoiy. He's a sort of acrobatic gent, all double joints. seemingly. There are several contributory fac- tors in his being such a stand-out where spotted, one being that he's . the first really good dancer devel- opied in Yiddish legit In a long time, and second being that no one else in the current show even tries to make any kind of a showing, leav- ing all the work to Fuchs. Fuchs just came pver from Poland a few months ago. If he ever learns English and a dance routine or two to fit in with his eccentric stepology he ought to be fine for v^iiide or a Broadway revue. Metro is said to be interested In him for pictures. 'Lucky Boy' is just another long- winded, badly-paced Yiddish musi- cal comedy. William Siegel, who wrote, it, is one of the better Yid- dish authors but is a bit too prone to listen to managerial injunction; maybe he can't help It. AH Yiddish legit suffers from the fact that all plays have to be (or Tather prac- tically always, are) written around tile actors. Thus each, cast has so many persons who must be taken care of and -it's up to the writer to find parts and speeches enough for all of them, logical or not. Thus, In the current show, Moishe Olsher is sublined. Oisher, it hap pens, has a fine voice". He used to be a cantor, tried some legit on the side, and clicked big In radio with Yiddish programs. That makes him a draw. But all his vocal training doesn't alter the fact th.it he hasn't the vaguest conception of stage act^ ing. He doesn't know what to do with his hands, he doesn't know how to walk, he doesn't know how to make even the slightest speech con- vincing. Yet he's featured so he has to have an Important spot and a lot of the main speeches. He doesn't deliver ia line throughout the eve- ning which convinces. Michael Rosenberg, a fine com- edian, gets a few of the-high spots of the show, a scene in an insane asylum being the laugh topper of the evening., Florence Weiss and Esther Saltzman, two of the soU- brettes In the more modern Yid- dish legit tradition, ainrx a hit of English, a lot of Yiddish, a bit of oo-la-la and generally try to bo cap- tivating in a Second Ave. notion of ji'otcha. Boris Rosenthal, after three or four years .with the company/ still doesn't know how to act. but essays another character role. Anna Toback, the soprano, is pretty and has a lovely voice but is badly in need of advice .on how to dross. Annie Thomashefsky is good as usual in.a minor part. Dave Lubrlt- sky is lost, in the .sl?uffle. Story in . oiip! of thc^e Involved muslcomedy thlii.srs about a. freak will and the machinations of a glrl- to get all the coin. Music is lively and pleasant, thouph completely unoriginal. Out- standing songs are 'I Have Eyes Only for You' (.sung by Olsher- Toback), 'Sh, Quiet' (sung by Lu- brltsky), 'Don't You Worry", (Welss- Olsher). l?uchs is in 11 vo dance rou- tines'which are nice, outstanding beln.;|. one In. the early part of the second .^ct. with Miss Saltzmn". Kauf. the.::Harvard .Dramatic Clul> does nothing but read Shakespeare .t<V .each Qthe4L.lh^'5Xin,.sults.Vfpr the remainder of .the year It will have had a succeissful and noteworthy season—because It has uncovered a student playwright with plenty of promise: Edward Eager, Fact Is, if Eager's "Pudding' were re-stirred slightly and re-baked by tin ace di- rector it would have a very good chance on professional boards. Title is one of those things,- ap- parently Intended to synibolize the pack, o' trouble a young married couiile has vfith its contravening tempei-aments. David, the husband, is a -clean-cut, sober, Industrious guy who plans a fireslde-and-sllp- pers marital life. Ann, his wife, is gaily ultra-gregarious in her habits before and after : the ceremony. David,, who doesn't quite register with her hoard of breezy play pais, siScretly hopes to deflect Ann from the late-hour -hoopla routine, but fails! Almost unanimously, the herd, of friends can't see, Dave because he won't, start trucki '. Climax is a showdown between the married mates In th6 final act, when Ann has to choose between her friends and the father- of their expected child. Piece Is fundamentally sustaining. Humor . Is abundant In dialog that just misses being too clever. There is hardly anything but talk, and more talk; but the proof of this pudding is that the gab Is still palatable In the third act. As toHhe acting—^well, the dialog Is still good. Girls, presumably from Radcllffe Idler Club, take it away from the boys all the yra.y. Out- standing' tole is Cornelia by Agnes Love, who has distinguished herself before .with the Harvard Club. Harvard dramatics, handles her lead role intelligently, but -wearies her audience -with a strained, high- pitched voice. John Barnard as the young husband, does a commendable job, except for his love scenes. In a very minor role, Lee Francis Is very good and she will probably be seen later In the season in a character worthy of her obvious tailents. Jane Englund aa a dizzy chatterbox Is oke. Males for tho most part Impersonate Hai*\'ard students more- than anything else. Fox. TEXACO ^•JUMBO" - NEW YORK American Academy of Dramatic Arts .Founilrt ,1884'by Fraaklin H. Strttal THE first and foremost In- stitution for Dramatic and Expresslonal Training. The in- struction furnishes the essen* tial 0'reparatioti for Directing and Teaching as well as for Acting. Winfer Term Begina Jan. ISth CitiloD Of all CpurtM tram Iht Sitrettrv Itooni 247-L, CurneRle Hall, M. Y. SHUBERT THEATRE • Nctcdrk, N. J. • COMPLETELY RENOVATED NOW AVAILABLE FOR ROAD:SHOWS-CONCERTS on ANV OTHER ATTRACTIONS Avi>ly Frank h. SviUh, -V. &, Sthlca-. inner or United nool-lw) Office ABEI.ES-STEVES.S, Inc., Man. AgtK. cot Brotid St., Newark, 'J.