Variety (Feb 1937)

56 VARIETY LEG!¥■M A ¥ E Wednesday, February 10» 193t Plays Out of Town GLORY FOR ALL Philadelphia, Feb. 8. )PJay. in three acta (four sccneeV by. Nat Verrla.-- Presented by George Jeseel. Pro- duced at Erlaneer : theatre, Philadelphia, Feb. -'37: Settlngr,; P.'Dndd Ackermait; . staged by Frank Craven and Jnssel.. Dotnlnlck.........Charles La Torre Eddie.,..Hayden Rbrke Horseface. .Harry Bellaver Gu&.. 4 , • « »• ............. J. Ascher Smith Willie.;..«.... .*• •;.. •..... James Lane Hipehey...... . Jack Irwin Harold Felsteln...Theodore ecbt Peggy Sullivan ., «. ...Kate Warrinex •Honest' - John Hogan... , Donald MacBrlde Fanny - LaMonte......... i ...Ruth Lee Abe - Felsteln......'....... James R.' Waters-. Mayor ./Tobey....,..;.,...Eddie Hodge Joe Bailey......., . Roy ■. Gordon Winters.;.-..».— .2 ontgomery Harmon. Jr. OTa? .MorgRni.,'.',.-.'.... . .Cecelia Loftus Man oC Parole Board.... .Marcus Jefferson Lady of Parole Board......Diana White Newsboy..-.... ..Hobert Garfield: " Hlmmelbenj............. ierce Longworth ' Aiiseloj... *• *« •. • ...p.-.v. v. *S, LotitO' Bert...........................Larry ' Oliver Jeff*. • .:•; : '» ...... «v» ««.* ^. .-..'John' Craven. 'Gunner* Morgan.. '. .... ;\ . ^Thomas Dillon Policeman:>..... j,v.o «> .'. ► .Frank Colettl This comedy, highly regarded in script, and of which Jack Benny, George Bums arid Bert Wheeler, among; others, are said to have slices, was gfreri .a: very rough and uneven perforroanee here and only inn pres$ed.taidly, although there is no- denying its possibilities. " Playj has plenty of funny, situa- tions; some actually fn slapstick; xnoid, but :rm»ch. its dialog needs polu&iri£!&tfif for noth- ing ^ '^liti^m^imM^^ from -Md: ..many .trlte/^^^.JMiaa^ed' phrases and theatrical cllcnes^^ . . That; some cast changes^ and some more direction^are vitally needed. •-Show wilt-Tieed several weeks of .jwtoMne on the road before tempt- ing Broadway. It's ; political yarn, done In the fast arid furious 'Boy Meets Girl* • tempo,, but' strangely reminiscent; except /for its broad fines and ma- chine-gun pace, of that school of political melds of 25 or more years ago^ when The Man of the Hour/ The Bobs' and such-like were giving us crooked politicians; reform can- didates and election day scenes. Central character is 'Honest' John Hogan, organization boss of any large; city. Scene Is* his private offices,which- combine such invalu- able sporting adjuncts as pool tables, slot' machines and marble games. Hogan's followers-axe.a weird bunchy liorse players,, racketeers arid some actual crooks. Hogan is trying to re- elect Mayor Tobey, perhaps brie of .the;, most fatuous Characters ever presented on any stage. Hogan. 'makes his big mistake, when he allows a doting Jewish father named Abe Felstein to buy (for $12,000) a- judgeship for. the . younger Felstein, who is 'only a young lawyer. That makes things very hot, and the : rival, boss; Joe Bailey,. proceeds to show up Hogan's acceptance, of. ; the 'bribe. Big, handsome Irishman also, comes to grief When he tries to arrange' the release, of 'Gunner* Morgan, notorious killer, in order thai Morgan, and his gangsters* may ;. co.w voters on election day. , Bailey beats him to it and Morgan: -raids Hogan'soffice arid puts his fraud- ulent voters to rout. Tobey is not re-elected but, at the end . of the ! play, Hogan seems -to haye escaped, the bribery- and cor- ruption: charges and be on a way to more possible political triumphs With the help of young Felstein; who turns out to be the most respected judge in town. There's also a none- too-believable romance between young Felstein -arid Peggy, Sullivan; Hogan's sarcastic but honest secre tary. , Plenty of' interesting types in the play, although they are close to cari- l cature. John Irwin, Harry Bellaver I arid Charles La Torre are iriost pic- "... turesque among Hogan's villainous henchmen. Some of the others didn ? t know their lines at the onening. : . Donald McBride, too, stumbled in the: leading role of Hogan, but he gives promise of soon being able to five a cracker jack: performance.' antes R.'. Waters is arnusing as the Jewish father and Kate Warriner is attractive as the girl, but probably the best portrayal of the evening, al- though she only has two scenes, must be accredited to Cissie Loftus, whose depiction of 'Gunner' Morgan's bib- ulous mother is av riunor classic. Ruth Lee is okay- the mistress of a disreputable house who- pays Hogan for protection and doesn't get it Single; set is excellent Play's got a chance but needs plenty of work; Waters,; A POINT OF HONOR Philadelphia, Feb. 4. Drama lit two act* hy 36 Etelnger and Stephen Van Gluck. Produced and staged by Luther Greene at Erianger. Phila- delphia. Feb. 2, 'ST: Bettlnge and .costutnes, Kate. Drain Lavaon. Punch;*.'......;..;.i«';;,.Charles H. Moore Hannah Arnbldv»*,.i»»... . .Florence Reed Peggy Shtppen.'.,mian. Emeraon. Joseph Reed..v».«irW»i..»»iLewls Martin Benedtet Arnold.....Wilfrid LawsOrt DaVid Franka. . .A. J. Herbert Edward Shippen^tkM*..*^. Malcolm. Dunn John -'Andre...«.,. ar*........ Lloyd Gough Local crix swarmed all-over this one; Play deserves^« hand on .its sincerity and on>fhe ease and sym- pamy of "w^tin&^Rom the box- dffice .standpoint tMH0i>i it must be Written down dft'CaW ^ risk. Plays about the Re^olutionai^y War have long, been been hoodooed as footlight eritertainmerif and this one is no. exception. Also it is back of the eight-ball at the very start be- cause it deals with Benedict Arnold arid attempts to patrtially excuse his desertion from the Colonial ranks. As. a matter of fact* the young au- thors of *A Point of Honor' are .entirely within their rights in their conception of the. character, despite the calumnies heaped upon Arnold in school-books. Modern historians have pretty well clinched the. fact that Arnold had great provocation for. his ill-advised act of treachery. Nevertheless, Eisinger and Van Gluck are up against a high barrier to start with, since the average citi- zen's reaction to Benedict Arnold is decidedly unfavorable. . On top of that, the young; drama- tists have been, unable to overcome the handicap that always, confronts those who write on- historical sub- jectsr-^ullriess.' For all their excel- lent writing and authentic presenta- tion of historical characters, 'A Point ot Honor' is tedious. It has its moments^ but they are f jaw arid far between. Only avid students - of' the; Colonial period are' likely to be willing to overlook the arid stretches of conversatidn arid be satisfied with the few scenes in Act II which really contain trenchant dramatic force. Wilfrid Lawsori, seen here twice iri the last two seasons, first as the at? torney in 'Libel' and then as Richard Wagner in 'Prelude to Exile,' has the role of Arnold. His very decided English accent may not gee with- the general' conception, of the fiery Co^ lonial General, but there is no deny- ing that he gives: an authoritative and commanding performance. c Authors of 'A Point of Honor* would • have us understand that Ar- nold's final act of treason was a matter of chivalry to shield and pro- tect his young wife, a famous Phila- delphia belle, Peggy Shippen. She and her father are shown as work- ing, continually and strenuously to lure Benedict from the Colonial to the British side. On the other front, there is Han- nah, Arnold's, embittered arid vixen- ish sister, who realizes the plot that is underfoot and who tries to save him from any rash step. This/role is played by Florence Reed arid there, is no question but that it gives her. too few opportunities to exercise her. w.k. footlight talents. Only iri one scene of passionate outburst in : the- second act,, does Miss Reed have any chance to display her histrionics. Lillian; Emerson is an. attractive Peggy Shippen and does the best she can with; one. of the play's most Suddled characters. Major Andre is trpduced quite casually, and well enough performed by Lloyd- G'ough. J. Maicom Dunn is acceptable as the elder Shippen. Show has been, given two excel- lent and' authentic Colonial settings by Kate Drain L'awson. ' Waters. IN A NUTSHELL Baltimore, Feb. 8, • Farce • oomedy la three acts by Lulu Vollirierj presented by Laurence Rivers. •Inc.* (Rowlanil Stebbins): -Rex' 0'M-»l"fey featured;- staged by Miriam - Doyle; ?et» Louis KenheH at Ford'a> Baltimore^ week Feb,.; 8, '37;. •JI2.22 top. ; Doctor Bnss.. i ... i..... .Walter Qreaaa Claire White.. i......Cynthia Hosiers Peter. Fogarty . Rex O'Mnlley Mrs. Whipple.............. Florence Edney OUe......... .............. . .Richard Rnuber Belldlapper...........John F; Hamilton Nettl Dipple.i..,,;.,...^...Ruth Hamniond Jamea Wlleon .Raymond Bran-ley Ethel Lancaster........ ^.,.. . .Zolya Talma Inspector Flyhri. .i,,... ward F. Nannei-y Officer Brophy,i....... t ....Leo Kennedy Mrs. Sharpie.. ............ Terese Wlttlet Mrs, Gerald.............Marlon Sltgrfeave^. Mrs, Crump.,v.... M&r>' OHder No more than a fairly., well- sustained farce; this latesl?*Bowland Stebbins prodjjctionf ddesnt look able to: sustain more than a moderate, stand bri Broadway. ' Play marks the re-entry to. legit of Lulu Vollmer, whose drama .'Sua Up- sockeroo'd around 13 years ago. . For the past five years the author has. been; batting out radio scripts at a rapid rate; that preoccupation peers through, i the fashioning of this, piece: Plot, even for a farce, could have been thickened; last third of the play • weakens.,.. Perhaps, some intensive rewriting, accomplished before the show , rioses onto .Broadway, • can hypo it. . Idea gets off to a lively- start and interest, suspense and laughs cascade promisingly till the end of the sec- ond slice. Intended curtain-line punch, at this crucial . point bogs badly. For those of the auditors Who aren't mystified by the strange angle intro'd at that juncture, the point gives away the story. Up till that time the progression had been excellent. Story has a good foundation, getting into action when a blithe young man (Rex O'Malley) inherits a private hospital from his deceased uncle.;. ' Place has; been slowly ex- piring for some years, and the sheriff is ready to attach. it. Inheritor is broke, but. advertises that he's operating an asylum to build up morale arid courage. His ads aren't ethical, which, rnakes for him a play-long opponent iri a righteous medico who. is sole M.D. of the hos- pital. His methods, of dealing with the assorted crop of neurotics the ads harvest make for the laughs* Amorig the, patients are a droop- lipped, complaining Communist, a giddy femme : dvpsomani'c, a crooked financial executor of an or- phanage, a love-starved woman in her mid^-thirties, a too-rich- wo- mari who just wants to s*oul- scourge herself arid a femme hypochondriac. There are also a couple of cops hanging around at the behest of objections lodged by the Play does sink some sharp satiric spears in the types who clutter up private hospitals. with their pam- pered and imagined ills, but is in. no way an expose. Laughs are the only commodity fished for. There's the usual romance supplied by the quack psychiatrist and a clean young nurse of the standard type. Half a dozen or so of the lines border on the vulgar rather need- lessly. Considering the otherwise clean-fun . script, these blue bits tend to shock. They could at least be softened. Cast is uniformly good... O'Malley romps off with the honors in the major assignment. Just had a once-, over-lightly in films and . the Coast will probably give him a more thor- oughgoing trial again after he's seen in this exhibit. . Cynthia Rogers as the ingeijue is good. Ruth Hammond as the lushing" lady stands but. Wal- ter Greaza as the medico has to do considerable huffing lh a more or less blpw-toreh role, but keeps it well iri hand. Miriam Doyle's staging is neither obtrusive nor flashy, but snugly fits each exigency arising in the script Two sets par the production; Looks like a very likely sale to the screen, Just about every studio has a juve star who would like to revel in the lead role. REASON FOR YOUTH . Comedy in three nets George Bryant; staged by Guy Pnlmerton; -settings, At Brighton theatre,. N. T„ Feb. 2, '87; $1,10 Bert.. *. .. ...', i.«.. . . «•* Gwen ..*.'.... Anna • ............ Loretta........... .. ..^. . .£1ai'ah ...«....,> .««^'. Dora■-■..«....••...*•..... Llnier*.....'•.... v.,.-.»'•, Dr. John Cr ......... Thomas., ,........... ye . scenes} by •'rank Lyon and Frank Ainbos. rlgbton Beach, top.; ..John -Ferguson .Miriam Battlsta ...'.Marie Curtis , .Joan Sudtpw ...Nancy Duncan .Helen KlnKsley Frank; Glbhe'y .'.. . Butler Hlson . . .Kent' Thurber presented, has two highlights, both in the second act. One is when Dora (Helen Kingsley> undresses Elmer (Frank Gibney), arid does such a thorough job of it that Minsky's strippers could profitably take a gander; In the same act, a little later on, Elmer turns the tables on Dora, albeit incipieritly, for the as- bestos discreetly leaves most of this to the customers' imagination. Al- though it would take only a nickel apiece to haul the cast to Broadway, it looks as though they won't get there, with 'A Reason for Youth' un- less -Bryant copiously re-writes his opus, preferably with the id of a gag man. • Under the latter .circumstances a rowdy farce is not beyond possi- bility. Something more serious is inherent iri the play, but Bryant has chosen to. disregard that part of the idea, so a shellacking of hoke is the other alternative. Play would lend itself to this type, of treatrnent read- ily. Fliclcering of repartee, coupled with- the boudoir frolicking, - is one of those tonics that Bryant's w.oriei$- crying;'for. ' As now sJagedV"production is out of kttt#r"*bn timing, in addition to -whicn; the first and last acts are mere adjuncts to Dora's and Elmer's romp in. garment shedding. Narrative concerns the rehabilita- tion oi .Elmer, who is attached a la silver-cord to his Widowed ritother. After the kid has besmirched his mind with foul imaginings over his sister and her husbarid-to-bei as part of his psychopathic plight,^ the hus- band-torbe knocks the., tar; out of him. This brings out the animal in; Elmer, who immediately proceeds to call for. gin arid cigarettes; and simultaneously spins designs on. his nurse. Eventually he marries the nurse before, his sister cops her guy, and the neurotic mother wilts in the: arms of the 'doctor. A" tough-guy grandmother presides over it all. Cast uniformly; missed plenty of cues, night caught, and Reeded more rehearsing. Makeup- was, also very bad, and the stage settings, ot stock variety, don't help. . ; '. Helen Kingsley is a good-looking titiari who can manage okay, and Frank Gibney as Elmer rates pass> ably. Rest of the players parade by rather mechanically. Direction is hackneyed. Edpo* WPA ROARING GIRL Los Angeles, Feb.. 4. 1 elodramri. In three acts (10 scenes) by John C. Mortit,. presented by Federal Theatre Proiect; directed by . Robert Hehr derson:' At Mayan ; theatre, Lps' Angeles,. Feb. 4, '37; 55c.. top. . Riilph Huston, v ., .........Pierce Lyden Vina Swain Beatrice Newport Mrs...Effle Swain..............;Lou Polley Kenneth 'Tod' Swain. ... . Joseph DeStefaiii' Mr. Ehierson Eadea.. ...;. ...Dallas Weltord Mrfl. Louisa'Eades.,.Rutb Barden Doctor' Boomgarten.. .... ... •.William. Feltz Springer-.^........ ..-. .Paul . Jones Wil Ham Formby..,........ M'Ulara Vincent' Colonel Bogardua.. i .Del Stone Lawrence Horace Mitchell.. ..... .Clyde McCoy Charles GtUette.^............. John Batiton •Beak McCardle.. '. .^ernle Rich .lock Franklin...............John O'Malley Rad la announcer............ Westcbtt' Clark Little Amelia......ii.,..Mary Lou Lehleln. Bell boy. .. . . . .Roland WpddruB Woman Reformer. 1 .Bertha. Stanley Reporters; Luther AUen. Charles Mil- lard, Joseph Graham, Patrick Mulcahey, Charles Alphln, Marvin Loback. . 'A Reason for Youth* is produced like summer, stock tryout fare, ex-' cept that the Brighton Beach climate is anything but summery iri Febru- ary. George Bryant's comedy, as here Jack Moffit's meller of the fourth estate is strong newspaperman stuff, but pointing more to. a moralistic effect than the usual rowdy goings- on iri the editorial sanctums. Author knows his way around, haying been the picture editor of the Kansas City Star, before the films wooed him farther west. In the hands of a more experienced cast,, show would have bristled with ; the fury of the underdog trying to get ahead in- stead of mild exposition of the abuses, doled out to these slaves to ink, ' . Moffit has done his part in dishing up a play that. can be best of its type" since 'Front Page.' It has plenty of red rheat and lets igo from the shoulder. To do it full justice casting; requires such stalwarts as Walter Huston arid Lee Tracy. Give it to Broadway with those names (or similar ones), and. it can't mips.: Paramount will film it with.; Fred MacMurray, Charli Ruggles and Frances Farmer, in leads.. With Ruggles as the did copy-reader, that will give it the comedy lackirig here. It's,: a pathetic part, but . standout. . It is to. this bid. rim Worker; arid his ilk that Moffit has dedicated his brainchild in a program insert. Moffit's 'Roaring Girl' is riot the usual sobbie type, but ah ex-^school marrn who ducks the racket because the board' of education has a rule against pedagogs marrying and she has a crush on a World reporter. Scene is laid in a Colorado city, so that takes "care of the mythical sheet as distinguished from-the N. *Y. rag of so many journalese legends. It also pitches the action in what has long been a hotbed of. newspaner rivalry—Denver. Disguise is rather thin and those in the trade won't have much trouble following the characters factually. Story is about an old copy desk worker whose, daughter has a romance with a reporter on the same sheet. They all deplore the short coin, but stick it out in the inter- ests of decency and loyalty, rather than swing over to the rival sheet Sane Story ia CleVe^ *0n Toimr Toes' Seems Too Classy; Oily 16JG Cleveland; Feb. 9 What the natives want for their money is becoming more of a puzz- ler to backers i and bookers of Hari- na's tegit. particularly after check* mg the dubious reception given to ♦On Your Toes' last week. :' As first major musical here this season, they; expected'at least a grand §32,000 to flow into the boxoffice It was vgiyen every sort of help4 heavy ballyhoo, unqualified rave* front cricks—but legit-goers were. strangely lethargic, Crowds slow iri- coming ait start. Downstairs seat sate way oft*. Ray Bolger, Luella ,Gte»: and Tamara Geva even ddriated services to.local flbool b^neflt?sho\vi but nor gb« ^' Trio's marquee reps did pull i $16,500 for six days and two mati- nees, That would he swell f6r a straight drama, but for a $3.30 musi- cal of 'Ori Your Toes* standard, it was an off-week; • . Estimate tor Last Week . Tear Toes,' Hanna (1,435; 55- $3.30).~rFor six performances, $16,500 was good, but not enough. Weather no excuse. Eoghmf to Curb Tax by Foreigners London, Feb. 9. Income tax authorities are in close touch With ;the ; Labor Ministry here td prevent tax welching by foreign- ers working in England in films and legit. Estimated that the annual tax evasions from foreigners are cldse to $3;750,000, '• Now decided by Tax and: Labor Ministry/ author ities that any foreigners signed here for wdrk will have their taxes paid by the em- ployers and the - employees will henceforth be compelled to sign a statutory declaration to that effect. Otherwise labor permits wilt be re- fused altogether. ENGAGEMENTS Joseph Greeriwald, Peggy French, •Meal Ticket/ Sir Cedric Hardwicke. Ernest Jay, Alexander Field, 'Amazing Dr. Clit- terhouse.* . Roger Livesey,.'Storm in a Teacup.' Tonia Lawton, *Howdy, Stranger* Barna Osterstag, 'Stage Dbdr.* Charles Coburn, 4 Sun Kissed.' Oscar Stirling* Jean Casto, Phillip Bourrieuff, Edna Peckham, 'Meal Ticket;' Ethel Barrymore Colt, Henry Vin- cent, Lewis Lord Russell, Ellen Love* Don McLure, "London Assurance/ taken oyer by racketeer. Girl tries to make them see! the light, that: it takes coin, to get off that baloriey diet, but yellow- journalism is their mortal dread. She. joins up with the racket mob and proceeds to crack down on a department store which won't buy space. Mob boss has his muscle man do a tampering. job • that wrecks; the de- partment store elevator at Christ- mas tiriie. Old copy reader is shot down when he tried to show up the workings of the mob and place re- "sponsibility for the elevator crash at the door of the opposition sheet. Dramatic denouement comes when righteous publisher sells but to the racket boss and announces that, he will do something big for the city. He'll use the $10,000,000 to build and stock a zdd. There's enough irony make many a publisher cri check up on his conscience. Best acting is done by Beatrice Newport as the femme reporter. There're fat parts for several others, but they fail to measure up. Staging is handicapped; by too much conflict to- eliminate waits. Double-decked affair, serves the, purpose, but characters- running: around in two different sectors at the same time, has too much '61 a tendency to .divert attention from the focal action. 'Roaring Girl' is stage and screen material. casting can make or break it. Helm/