Variety (Aug 1936)

48 VARIETY LEGITIMATE Wediiesdayi August 19, 193$ 1 • Slimmer Iheatres (NEW PLAYS) THROUGH MY EYES Starlight, Starbrigkt (FAB^AOUT PLATERS) Rye Beach, N, H., Aug, 11, Drama in three actsi prQloff- and' Interlude, wi'Uten by Doty Hobort, t>re8ented at Far- ragut PlayhouBe. Bye Beach, N. H.,.' by Farragut Plityera under direction of Dor-, othy M. Crane. Bentrlce Terry atarred, Settlngr by John SoUera, - I>r. John-Elliott., Lauren Qllbert Amelia Perry....rt,.,, Dorothy Cra^e Klta Percy Beatrice TetiT- OUn Perry. .Paul N^elon Bllnor.. .Ullt&n Rbsera .. Sarnh Perryi ...Berllla Kerr Joe'' Perry. ^'William, NeTvsord Ben Perry ...,;...,....c;iydci Hubbard Gertrude-Aniest,...k.4 L^dla Fuller Mae Perry. ..,,.■...«. Audrey Barlow . Framk Ames Don Tower» Robert Peiry .Noel Waiwlolt Warren Shard <... .Barle Delano Commliwloqejr Walton j. Harris Afella Saunders-. , ^.John Seller?- Carqey..Alex Wilson. Hoty Hob&rl; author of Through My Eyes,' calls it a 'tAonodraiha.* As a' new stage technique, It i^ not as mjotifjrJng, a? it sounds,, but the ex^ perlment is interesting-ai\d quitie en-» tertainingk Copied ]^om the Russians, mono- . drama is presente<i in the first per- '. Bon aod the audience is theoreticaHy jplaced alongside the prbtagpnist, lis- . tening in on his cfr her thoughts. In the play at hand, the first person ; is Amelia l»etry, a .paralyz(Bd mother . wh6 can heair-.and,think, but cannot . express her thoughts in> any; way to . the. characters pipying. betoce her; .?She. appeats only in Ihe prolog, and' . 'from that.point her presence is lelt >nly through a p.a, set; Through the amplifier she intro- duces characters as they first appeiat and' thiifh - coiAfihes her audible ■ thoughts ip sparsely sprio^d com- ments. Off-stage voice thus plays an important part vfi the final act but, otherwise, serves maiply to lend an eearie atmosphere to the «vening's pro<;efedings. Hbbart's experiment appears to have mor6 commercial value thaii • most novelties. . Fundamentally, it is ah old-time hjeller With a good dash . df sex; perversion' to 'modernize' it •: And tber^^ is the? *ub.'' Broadway .might go Ipr it, -but the road would • ban it quick. Perhaps this could be remedied by * play doctor, however^ • Then there is -aijproblem Tter 'the! , budgetrtninded promicer. Play wtigh^ . has^populated his- stage' as if it Were .a '.WPA project.- .: There are-, sonie- ^Wn Worfcinfc^ lft^ five' char- • aqtei^ seem' swptfljio'us,. .These ar<i children in ttie big' Perry ^familyl • Who were so humetous on the small Farragut stage that they got in each other's way,. . - Plot is somewhat complex, but sus- • taihing. Rita Perry, eldest daughter of Amelia: Perry; helpless cripple, is striving Jo Jteep the large family together.. .Sh^ has also kept secret the illegitimacy of her son Robert* who believes himsett to be her brother.' She Wotdd like to marry Dr. Elliott, btkt' dhres not divulge to htm the secret of her youthful so- cial slip-up. Elinor, wife of-one of . the Perry boys, wants to take Robr ert into her home to give him more advantages along educatlofial and culturtd lines; Joe, another brother, hiis -just teturried from a six-spot in Sing -Sing, and Rita is sharing that secret with him.- Ben Perry is a non-working red, who among other things, regards his. mother as dead Snakerin-the-grass is . Warren Shard, iadopted brother of Amelia, "inteiisely. hated, by .her and Rita. Reason for. the hate crops up in the second act. He knows most of the family - skeletoiis - that Rita conceals, /With this knowledge as a wedge ' Shard attempts to take away Robert, -. under tiie pretext of financing, him through Yale. It;is Shard's avoca- tion to snare youths undet" that guise. Rita' stops: short his', perverted: prog- i'ess by shooting him. She is never brought to justice because quick thinking Ben tosses the revolver into - his inother'f! lap. and she takes/the .rap, .Wiljinglyi . ' Ofl!-stage voice has a dramatic se quence here in which Amelia suc- ceeds in lifting her hand to convince the inveslfeatlrig police commis- ' sioner that she (iould have. shot Shard. Then she conveniently dies. Commissioner, ignoreis, Rita''s confes- sion dhd "the-murderess goes unpun- ished.' .' That's another one for the local censors, , When . Doc Elliott learns about Robert he takes it like a man and ■the trio goes to New York for a new start ' Misa Terry is excellent in a try- ing t-ole and makes her ' character ; human and convincing. With her ace .work as an Inspiration, the Farragut company complements it ably. William Newgord as ex^con Joe; Noel Warwick as kid Robert; XiSiuren :Gilbert as the doctor, and Earle Del- ano as the oily villain, all rate hon- orable mention. Miss Crane's off- stage voice adds much to the effec- •tiveness of 'Through My Eyes.' SoUeta' New Englend. Jiving room •»et is 6k?y. • t'ox. (LAKEWOOD THEATRE) Skowhegan, Me., Aug. 18. ' Play In three acts by Owen Davis, pro> duced by Iiakewood Players; staged by Uelvllle- Burke; .settings, Charles Perkins; at IiakewoQd Theatre, Skowhegan, Ualoei week Aug. I'O, '30. Julie CilRord Mary Rogers Alice Hale CllKord...'...Katherlne Meskll Bula Cllftord .....Day Bitot Uartba Jeasaraloe New/:ombe Theodore .Hale............ A.' B; Van Buron Richard Haje....... Grant Mills Sally Hale Rose Hobart Bill Harlow ,..'..Ben. LacTdand Tony Bancroft i Don DlUaway Mary Bala. Dttrothy Bernard Alfred Bancroft,J. Hammond Dalley 'Doctor North,.Charles Iialte Nora ' ; Kay Kidder 'Owen Davis' AeW play is a plea for the old standards of decency and honor in living, as opposed to the ruthlessness and: cynicism of modern times. Plot is thin and play is over- written but there is 'much- shrewd comment and native humor >that found vast favor with the Maine! audience. . • . . ! :Story involves the Hfile family, comfoiiable and pround New Eng landers. -Old grandparents, Mary and Richard, typify the the best that ihe country offers in character anid stabili^, 'but their schv -and his daughter, Sally -have broken away from the old ideals and have made money'.and power their gods. Sally -comes -back to her ^grtod father!$.. house, where she .„was brought .up,, for a birthday, party and 'tlnds hetselif doubting the -w^om of marrying'' the .crlch - but worthless young.'jnan.to.whom.she,is ehgagedi She meets her childhood sweetheart Tony Bancroft, and finds that aftef many years, she still loves him. She is pirepared ^to break with her social fiance uiitil-her father steps in-and proves Tony to be a dreamer and an idealist A further strain IS added to the gathering of . relatives when Tony's father,' who was jailed for embezzling from the Hale bank, re- turns, after 14.year5 in jail. Grandmother Hale, dying, sends for Sally -.and gives her a. letter written, by'.her .grandfather. .This proves that it was Sally's, father iwfio actually stole the 'money from the bank- and Sally - confesses. this in front of. Tony and his long-suffering parent .She is thoroughly-disgusted now-.witji- aU' thaf her'father hag taught-' her' and turns ^ happily to TPohy, .who, insists that .they'will find, a hew and better way of life.-than their-parents-had. .- ■ . • •■ .^' , . Humor is. supplied by. twin daiigh- ,'t'ers," .6f . one-.of .the members, of- the ^8taily,;pliiyed bj Maicy Rogers and Day EUot It is the'best role Miss Rogers has4iad and she' does it full justice. A. H. "Van Bur en won enthusiastic applause here as the grandfather, whose propensity for reciting poetry give the plsor • its title. Rose Hobart is forthright and sympathetic as Sally and Ben Lack land and Don Dilaway score as the rival suitors. John Hammond Datley, Jessamine Newcombe, Kath'erin Meskil, Grant Mills,'^ and Dorothy Bernar.d, all membens.of the Lake- wo6d stock company, handle their roles competently under Melville Burke's skillful direction. This is the type of unsophisticated play that find.favor with audiences, but it may have trouble .hurdling the barrier of th^ critics. Mocic, ONE MORE GENIUS ' (STONT CREEK THEATRE) , Stony Creek, Conn., Aug, 14, Satire In three acts (four scenes) by Jerry Horwln and Catherine Turney; staged by Brace Conning; sets, Francis Y. Joannes;' featuring Clark Williams, Julie Benell and Qreta Qranstedt. Presented by Stone Creek Theatre, Sto'ny Creek, Conn,, week A<w, 10, '.to, Daver Black .....Lionel Dantf Adolf Swartz Sydney Stavro Lawrence Rogers ....Clark Williams Doris. Simmons..Greta Oranstedt .Suiila MalakotI, Joan Adrian Philip 'O'Kelliy ..'Borl McDonald Bllssa Burnalde, Sara Floyd Max G. Baker...........Murray Bennett Celeste Reed Julie Benell Floyd Douglas ...Carrlngton Lewis Class of piitron that rolled in the aisle at 'Once In a Lifetime' is go- ing to have a chance to bellyrlaugh all over agai.n—only this time, in- stead of laughing at Hollywood, they'll be doing their tittering at the Theatre • Guild. Professionals and Broadway sophisticates will get a lot of chuclUes out of 'Genius,' though its mass appeal will be limited. Trouble is the garden variety of playgoer just won't get the full bene- fit of situations like a famous critic labelling a new State Society pro- duction A 'typical O'Reilly master- piece,'- ignorant that the play is really i;he work of an ambitious nobody whose script has been smuggled be- tween the covers of an original O'Reilly. 'Genius' has definite possibilities as a legit attraction. Act one is pretty much hit and miss, but pro- duction swings into a nice tempo with the - opening of act two and holds an entertaining pace to the finale. Authors know their subject and don't spare the rod when it' comes to delivering a few socks; aimed at everybody, ranging from shoe- string producers to playwrights, whose worth to the Stage Society has becora questionable. They've' packed a lot of laughs and amusing situations into green room happen-; ings during rehearsals and premiere" of the Stage So^ie^'s latest (27 scenes, 60 characters) production, Philip O'Reilly, established as the Stage Society's number one play- wright pays a sentimental visit to the Washington Square' abode of his embryo days. Be is accoioapanied by EUssa BuiTiside, of the Society, and Max Baker, prominent critic who is writing O'Heily's biog. They en-> coimter Lawrence Rogers, young spear carrier trying to break through as a playwrights Rogers tries to get them to read his play. but. is turned down. O'Reilly being on his way to the boat for an extended trip abroad. Develops that Adolf Swartz, Rog- ers' landlord, owns. O'Reilly's- first <and unproduced) ^play, which he 'tck>k in lieu of back rent Doris Simmons, in love with Rogers. and having an acti^ess yen herself, slips the Rogers manuscript under the O'Reilly title page, ^wartz, not khowing'-this, angels a production of it on condition'that. Rpgiers be made director and Doris giyen a role;,and nhearsals get £oing. under the aegis of Stage Society which falls for tiie gag, thinking' the'play really- is O'Reilly's. . Rehearsal complications, with everybody battling for top honors, provide the laughs. O'Reilly, baffled, returns, in.'time for the opening night can't recognize .what .is supposed to be. his own play, draWs a confession from young Rogers biit lets things slide ■ when: informed that picture agents, are after. the. film rights—a sitnatipn .O.'ReilJy had always cher- ished but until now, never realized. . There> hothiflg aniateur'.about'the way they handle trybutsuhere. .Spot ■is; highly rated among strftw hats and not -without justification. ■ Two sets, carry the Greenwich Village and Green Room illusions nicely. Direc- tion holds up .the rapid pace neces- sary to this type of play. Cast is uniformly good, with three featured players,: holding their own against some good work by the supporting group. With'proper doctoring, 'Genius' is wotth a gamble. . Bone, . - Beyond the Terrace V (BEACH THEIaTBE) ■ West Falmouth,' Aug. 12. .. MystaryTrmelodrarna In -two acta - (four scenes, three Interludes) l)y--Lawreniie Perry, At Beach. Theatre,. W^st Falmouth, Maas.y Aug. 12, under dtrccUoh of Xiuther Greene; settiflgs, Roderfck McRaej' llghWflg; Wil- liam Goebe], Second Man,,i»4<«i..Thomas' Faunce Craven .....;..<..-;.>....' Leslie King Prof. Roberts Robart.Albert Bergh Mary Dale Virginia Cutley Dr. Raphael SltKec. ;..;.*... .'John' Hoysradt Dr. Frederick Howard)....William-Post;. Jr, L-ulgl Mortellardo........'...Gary Mohr .Bemlce Ryan,.Ruth Hammond Nina Starle, , Jeanne Casaelle Nigel Forsyth..'....Guide Nadzo John Stark.,«..;.,S. Thomas Gomez Hclnrlch Otterbeln.,.,,.... .Albert Hayes Norcross v...., Bradford Rntadall lames Ryano ..'Stephen Richards Servant ..Arlece Scott Terrace* is an' ambitious piece by a deep-thinking, author. -Ordinary theatregoers are not so philosophi- cally minded and cannot catch up with his elusive thoughts and theo- ries in a twO-hour sitting. It is not therefore, good box office. It is a solid. and fertile basis for revision; but even with ordinary play .doc toring it would probably have lim ited appeal. Luther. Greene, reported bent on bringing it to^ Broadway, is so en- thusiastic about the play that he steps , into the directing assignment himselfi Plot can be nailed, down simply to this: a mysterious metaphysiclst (Dr. Simec) makes it possible for humans to short-circuit the next 25 years of their lives. Out of a dinner party group of nine all but a young couple take up his offer and step out 'be- yond the terrace.* All but a night club torcher find later life not as sweet as they anticipated. The youthful duo live their 25 years and, although they do not reach the goal they envisioned, they do gain happiness and satisfaction through the climb to ultimate mod erate success. What will create most serious dis- cussion is the. true identity or sym- bolism of Dr. Simec. His powers, obviously, are those of a deity, but the atmosphere of -the plav matches somejvhat that of Wells' 'Things to Come.' .The knowing, Mndly man Summer Theatres (NEW PLATS) Week Auff. 11 'First Love,' Boulevard theatre, Jackson Heights, L. I.' '^Fourth Down,' Ferndale fllayers, Ferndale, N. Y. 'Moroni,' Mohawk Drama Festival, Schenectady, N. Y. 'Nor All Your Tears,' Barter, the- atre; Abingdon, Va. 'Spring Dance,' Ridgeway theatre, White Plains, N. Y. 'The Anchors. Weighed,'Hedgerow theatre, Moylan-Rose '\ralley. Pa. 'Tomorrow|s Murder/ Cape May Playhouse, Cape May, N. J, " Along the Maine Coast By O. M. SAMUEL Kennebunkport, Aug. 18, August has'been a lUesaver for New England's stracr hats. First part of July grosses were firuttd, and during the last half theatres were still disheartenin.i;ly in the .red, but this month, from the very outset; biz has zoomed, and bids fair to cOntmue into September. i., - ' Lakewood at Skowhegan and Pl«r- house in Agunquit are toppers, with the theatres at Cohasset and West Falmouth, Itffess., runners up. In the third division come the New Hamp' shire houses and the -GarricH, Ken- nebunkpOrt Latter has been, gomg< places past fe-w Weeks, while the Lakewood and Ogiinguit Playhouse; have broken all existing records. No servant. Craven, «ould be symbolic of Christ ^ , . . , There is Confusion'and It might be well for the author to steer his au- dience into clear-cut mental chan- nels before the curtain rises. Tab versions of the short-cut careers of four characters . are presented in small masked-in inserts, quite effec- tively. Another sequence is played on the main terrace, <set so -that the young people 'can be brought into, the 25-years-Iater -picture. The Stag- ing will stand some smoothing, over. Hoysradt, ©laying DU. Simec,. stepped into the role on one day's notice, but his finished performance gave no evidence of uncertainty, Vir- ginia Curley, first as the fiancee and later as 'the middle-aged wife of Dr. Howard (Wm. Post Jr.), isconvincing in the* latter role* Post-is consist- ently good; Gary Mohr as-a proud pianist -register^ as doics. also, his torch singer mistress, Bemice Ryan,, played by Ruth Hammond. Tliomas Gomez, capable of bigger roles, does his best with a minor one. Lei^ie King as Craven and Albert Bergh as cynical Prof. Robart rate special mention. ■ Perry's first act is sustaining and mystifying enough to hold anyone for-the second. This one is ;not com- pletely sustaining, though, and three interludes! of Dr. Sim^ec talking to the young counle only, ^dd to the confusion. Melodramatic sequences give the story a.needed so.ck, but .they are wasted in the thin air ^ of vague motif. ; • • Fox,- Murder by 'Appointment (PL'tMOUTH ^LAYHobsE) • ^ •. MiUprd, Comi., Aiig.-'iS. Mys.iery play In t\ro acta' (five sceneslt, by Burnet. Hersl^ey and Xtyon Mearson; . di- rected-by Richard Gage;. settings, CbarleB ^Rdgers. Presented hy' Connecticut flay- ers, ..Inc., at Plymontta' Platli6use,. Mil- ford, Conn., five <tayi»i - begliktilng.^ Aug, < 11, '30. . . ■ •'• . • .' ^ Dr. Mortcfi.Paley ,.Franklyn "Fo*' Brio 'Dsher , Fred Howard Joe Harper.., ;.,Charles Kebbe Amy Willis.,.., Virginia Keller Clara Calvert .'.Zolya Talma Peter...,' .'...,,..Jean. La Barbara Howard - Peabody Jack Harling Victor. JuUuB Epallly Inspector Lewis........' Averell Harris Sergt. Jake Henfale .'.Leo Kennedy Dr. Herman Mendoza.,.,Charles O'Connor hope at all for those theatres-ln-the. woods scattered here, there anil everywhere, hard to find, especlaUv on fog»*v nights, and harder to coim- tenance. At base they're mostiv schools and the" youngsters who di/, port In them hardly know their war around a stage. There are some *i, ceptions, like that at Boothbay ■bor and one or two others, but thea. . tres-in«the-woodS are hideaw^a ' from which to hide away. " • "While'business has perked to fna- j r proportions, talent has not nor have the new. plays, most of them amateurishly written and hopeless. Some of the managers in the sum* mer smallies do new plays mostly for' attendant publicity, straw hef^ grabbinfT at a Striaw, so to speak, and ^ a new play will draw some recelpfaL even .when ai theatre is flounderiae in the depths, ^ Lakewood, Skowhegan,. Is offering 'Three Men on a Horse' currently,- Last week Owen Davis* new play, •Star Light Staf Bright,' drew splea- didly, It deals with three genera* tiohs Of a family, changing social, conditions and seeks to impress'^wlth ^ the thesis that the oldsters in thdr day were wiser and smarter, Rosa Hobart was the bright particular luminary. Beth Cary and Miriam Cathertotv drawing .a horde of socialites for > their one performance at the Gak- rick, Kennebimkport. In character sketches and dances. Miss Cathertoix' Is doing.the march from 'Love for ' 'Three Oranges/ by Prokofieff. V': : Hariwlg*a Badlo Hookup, '-i ';- Walter Hartjylg's Ogunquit hook* up ov^r. WCSH, Portland, running an hour, each Saturday at noon, is studded with satellites who -would want ' considerable for a regular weekly seance on the air from any, sponsor, but it's summer,- they ara gamboling at the shore, and are get- ting fun and some experience. First program contained Laurette Taylor, Lillian Foster, Rosemary Ames and Thomas .Wi Ross' in an impromptu i skit'followed by the balcony scene from -'Romeo, and Juliet,.' done Ijy,. Morgan Farley and Anne Seymour. .. Second held Floii'ence Reed and Jaiie Grey, also .'School fQr Scandal,' iq, , which-Charles Dingle was high-?, lighted. Saturday's broadcast fea« . ture'd Margald Gllmoi^e,. who is'.the guest star .at. Hartwig's- Ogunquit, Playhouse this week in . 'Night- of January- 16th,' Gerard Hayden,>^4n.i songs, Billy {^oessez and ore-, and ^a. choral group .under, the direction of W.' C. B. Bobbins. Mary Sullivan . is arranging the programs, with JoBqi . Griggs ahnoimtihg. Griggs has been on the Romberg and 'Vallee hours and evidences experience, ■ Hardly breathing room at Old Orchard the other night when they, cro-wned 'Miss M&ine.' Rather pretty, girl, but the 'Maine' stems were noth- Officer Daly Hat Conkiin been hittmg it up in a band way dur- Oftlcer Schwartz - Darrel Toakum Photographer ^ Luther Rowland Taxi Driver ...........i Boris -Sokoloil About two years ago, Burnet Hershey wrote a book on midgets tagged 'It's a Small World.' Maybe this gave him the ide^ for this week's tryout here.. Anyway, it's all about a murder involving a midget. Definitely written with an eye to Hollywood, comment from in- siders who caught-the opening is to the effect that its chances are hurt by the recent release of 'Devil DoU' also carrying a miniature killer angle. This ophiion, however, won't hold -water because 'DoU' relies on trick photography- for its appeal, while 'Appointment' has a logical theme that can get by oh the strength of its interest-holding qualities alone. And incidentally, on the way to Hol- lywood, it will make very good stage entertainment. Plot tells of Dr. Morton Paley and his-assistant Eric Usher, who con- ducted research work in the glandu- lar field and obtained human guinea pigs for their experiments by operat- ing a murder clinic until authorities got hep to them. Prior to play's opening they had disappeared, then turned up later entirely changed in stature and appearahce due to glandular operations performed on themselves,. Play relates how the pair ay tracked down by a former victim xnd, while being investigated by a private detective working for the medical association, the doctor is murdered. Novelty angle comes with imraveling of the crime. Excellent cast contains usual char- acters of reporter-investigator, police officials, dumb detective, stooges, etc, Franklyn Fox makes an authentic medico and Fred Howard is good as his assistant; Averell Harris and Leo Kennedy fit as police bloodhounds; Charles O'Connor looks and acts the medical examiner and Zolya Talma makes a matronly role convincing. Charles Kebbe and Virginia Keller carry the love interest well and Kebbe also is acceptable as the young medical investigator who solves .the crime. Jules Epailly makes a small role stand out. Play is built in two acts, instead (JContlnued on page 62X ing August but will hardly equal its July record. Started with Larry, Funk and boys, followed by Cab Calloway, and then successively have come Jack Brown and ore, Wingyj Manone, Bob Cauger and Cornellians^ Dick McGinley, Luis Russell, and Fcr lix Fernando, Mob grabs the Bos< ton and Maine's 'Flying Yankee' into Portland at 1:25 each morning. Calls Win Be Gulls Kennebunkport has two picture houses. Lyric and Strand, latter starting only recently. Both are along the Kennebunk river and sea. gulls seem to favor the roof of the Strand, flock of them resting there at all hours, which doesn't help the acoustics exactly. Nothing to dof about it Gulls will be gulls. Maine's most prosperous town, Sanford, also has its-most prosper- ous picture house, Loew's Capitol, with day and date bookings equal to the keys, in many instances, San- ford, lest you have forgotten, Is where they manufacture Palm Beach cloth, also Sanforized stuff in gobs. One of the -very hot New England dance bands is the Blue Reyelers at Somersworth, N. H., and another ifl : Sal Cadillo's at Freeport Me., just out of Portland, at Sim's Danceland. Cadillo modestly calls himself 'NeW, England's Swing Sensation.' Doing "The Old Peabody Pew' at Waterboro this week, Kate Douglas Wiggin's dramatization of her ovm story, which is reaching back quite a bit .. I Broadway may not be aware of it but the 'Winter Garden Revue, boasting 50 people and Stetson's Ra- dio Band, is due shortly at Old Orchard. Walter Hampden appears at Keji* nebunk Town Hall this week. Tick- ets are scaled at $1.65 top. Hamp- den's first appearance in this section in years. Cornelia Otis Skinner received a $1,000 guarantee for each of her four performances in Maine, aU imdcr patronage committees.