Variety (Feb 1937)

•VARIETY'S* lONDON OFPICB 8 St. Martin's Place, Trafalgar Square SHOW NEWS Telephone Temple Bar M41-B04* Cable Address; VAB1JKTY, LONDON 59 HOME AND BEAUTY ■ London, . CharleB.B. Cochran' presents rbvue; book," Ai Pi. erbert; music. 'Nicholaus Broduzky; additional miislc, Henry Sullivan; produc- tion devleied and staged by .John 'Murray Anderson;, features Binnle Hale,. Gltta, Alpar, Nelabn . Keys< Leslie , French, Mary JUawson,. Iris March; Norah-Howard. Sepha TreWe, Gerald Nodlii, Normun. WHliams, Bunty Pain. Conway -.Dixon.. Ittii Jarvls, Leonard Morris. At Adeltfhf, London, Feb. 2. '37. In produciiijg 'Home an Beauty,' Charles Cochran evidently wanted to do something xepreseritatively English as timely entertainment for the Coronation. He has provided a gorgeous, artistic, -colorful show of vast quantity that may prove a trifle too qualitative. There is much spec- tacle, arid it; moves slowly, never fu- riously. Throughout .there are beau- tiful pictures, all of them elegant, with effective transparencies, scenery and lighting effects* Contrary to Cochran's usual revue productions, he has omitted all tap dancing, and the -whole thing is con- fined to clever and < subtle satire, with only an occasional resort to the broader brand of humor.. It is all very high-class and polite* and' the question to be determined by box-office figures ' Whether it isn't top genteeL Most impressive thing in the. pro- duction is the gorgeous pageantry, of a kind never before- presented on . any stage here,' eclipsing even the brilliant scenes of Cochran's 'As You Were* revue, staged at the Pavilion in the last year of the war. ■ Throughout, the book was defin- itely designed to be satirical in a polite 'manner, only occasionally aiming at low comedy, upon which the. average. revue depends for. its laughs.; Generally' speaking, raucous risibility is conspicuously absent, ; Bulk of the loW comedy is in^the hands of'Nelson Keys and Binhie Hale, a pair of standard revue artists of repute in the West End. Both are excellent mimics who can be .de- pended upon to score with their im- personations of . w.k. theatrical ce- lebrities. For years Keys has been popular, in addition to his mimicry, with character skits and clever make-ups. It is a pity, however, he does not take the. trouble to : change, his voice throughout 'these skits, a . stunt he does sp admirably with his imitations.. Binnie Hale is one of the prima donnas, in opposition to Gitta Alpar and, to all intents and purposes seems to, sing, as well as the conti- nental operatic star, but much more •acceptably in that her enunciation is clear. Miss Alpar sings too much, which tends to slow down the pro- cedure.. Her acting, designed to be gay, is wholly ineffectual. ■: There are a host of other players and all of them of a calibre to en- title them to individual praise. Music is catchy throughout, and some of it should prove popular. Visitors to the Coronation will see In the latest Cochran show the most representative British musical enter- tainment ever produced in the "West End. Jolo. NIGHT ALONE London, Feb. 3. Comedy In three acts by. Jeffrey Deli; pro- duced by Henry. Cass, at Embassy theatre, London. Pen. 2. '37. Barber >.,.vBasll Cunard Tommy Haines .........Alexander Archdale Charles Beaton ............... Richard Bird Customer .....Julian Sorners Barbara Seatbii ............. Helen Horsey Walter .........i......Howard Devonshire VI Han-way, ......Beiyi Meaeor Cella ........... ..Annry Koristam Gloria ................. *... .Margot La.nda Walter .. i. ... ..... .........Julian Somers Detective-Sergeant KUllck.. .Hugh Metc«ilfe Detective Shyers.y .Basil Cunard Superintendent .'. .... John Tu'rnbull Amusing comedy, chief merit of which is its interpretation by a tal- ented company in general, .and Richard Bird, in particular. - Doubt- ful if the play itself, less skilfully cast, would be half as entertaining. As-a prospect for Broadway it is riot so hot, but as a film vehicle for an Edward Everett Horton type,, it might have possibilities; Main trouble is that most of the plot is obvious from the rise of the curtain. • . Young couple from the provinces is : paying London a Week's visit; After seven years of constant companionship they face their first night's separation since marriage. She is to stay with' a\ sister, he pre- sumably to mope, read, retire early, arid miss her terribly. Her cloying affectionate fussing and remorse at leaving him alorie nearly change her Plans, but she finally leaves with her sophisticated, suspicious and banter- ing sister, who kids him about his nocturnal plans. .Finding" his wife has forgotten to change his library book, and feeling restless following an earlier encoun- ter with a hometown friend ;who has twitted him about being such a de- voted stay-at-home, he rings up the man, who invites him to night club. Place is dull, he bores his companions J through hot drinking and fldgetting to get horhe, till one V»f the two girls fixes his liquor, hop^ ing^ to liven him up. He passes out and they take him to the nearby apartment of the other girl. She manages to get rid of the other two and sheds- her gown. Enter boy friend; complete "With suitcase, who orders her to. pack and come away at once, as he has been followed from--the customs. They escape through the window, he exchanges overcoats with the other man and leaves the bag in case they are caught. ; Police break in, rouse the innocent sleeper and, before he knows, where he is, he is in jail fac- c g ^u Cha / ge * of ^°P e -smuggling.. Case is full of it, the overcoat is lined with it, and all attempts at explana- tion are laughed at. . *Jl1°^ in i? his serious position, the agitated husband^ only desire is to get back to the hotel before his wife ^^^^^^^^gnt "companions are brought in,, plus the guilty couple, and he is finally cleared. He rushes, back and just bolts himself into bis bedroom as his better half returns. Certainly points a moiral for would-be . straying husbands—and the^ splendid characterizations by Richard Bird, coupled with some hearty laughs,, makes good enter- tainment, but show Would improve with cutting in the early scenes. Raccohti d' Autunno ('Tales of Autumn') Rome, ; Play In three . acts . by GloWcchlho For- zano; Produced by Dlha Gain Co. at the Argentina theatre, Rome. S^lgnova Francesca.;•;... i, )a Gail! Ellsabetta............;.;.;•.'..Luisa Beltiiiml Tom.; vGlulto. Stlval Slgnor Morrison; . .Enzo Galnotti Professor Levi. ; ..>......... .Slgnor Palmonti -Franceses': ...-...... .tello Sainnagelo This is not a converitional play at all, but rather a chronicle of historic events. Autumn, winter and spring- time stand for three periods in very recent Italian history—the period of diplomatic wrestling and uncertainty before sanctions; the period of sanc- tions and the war in Abyssinia;-and the irioment of diplomatic and mili- tary, triurophv the proclamation of the new Roman Empire. Scene is laid in a house which faces on the Piazza Venezia, historic square of Fascist Italy that is flanked on one side by the National Monu- ment and on the other by the palace, from whose balcony Mussolini is wont to read his proclamations. Through the open window of the house audience is able to hear the Words of. the Duce and the acclama- tions of the crowd. : Thus audience is Witness to three historic occasibris^-day of the popu- lar mobilization just before the out-, break of hostilities in East Africa; day of sacrifice on which the women of Italy, led by their queen, laid their wedding rings on the Altar of the Nation to give Italy the much-needed gold- to carry on the war with; day on which Mussolini proclaimed the. empire.. With such stirring scenes to be. glimpsed through the window, action inside the house is reduced to insig- nificance. Sigriora Francesca, owner of the house, is. a patriotic Italian widow whose, faith in her country keeps her from closing up shop at the outset of sanctions, even though the English father of her English son-i - law tries to persuade her that her business will be ruined.. He also tries to-persuade her to leave Italy with her young nephew and join her daughter in England, where they will all be safe. , : . But Mr. Morrison's arguments fail, and, instead of seeing Signora Fran-, cesca depart from England, he sees Elisabetta return to Italy, where she insists she wants her first baby to be borri.. Elisabetta is soon followed by her husbahd, Tom. And the two Morrisons, father and . son, stay to admire Italy, and conclude that Italy is right about this war and sanctions business, and insist the baby of Elisa- betta and Tom must have an Italian name. If one wants to be thrilled by Fas- cist history, fine; if one wants to see a play, nothing doing. Heln. BEHIND YOUR BACK London; Feb. Comedy by- Charles Landstone. ' Presented' by . Jack Eggar, Ltd., at. Strand, London* : Leslie Woodford..........Arthur Harabllng : Mrs. Coweli, .v.....Kathleen' Bouta.lI.- Hon. Mrs; Vealfleld..i...Dorothy Dewhurst Aichle Behtley.... ;>......... ..Jack MelCord Kitty Hugon. ......Ursula Marx Gwen Bingham......Marjorle Mars Lady Mlllcent Coombs........ »Mary Glynne Dugfrle Dejvt........',........,....Dan Tobln Vivian Hooker.............Jonathan Field Mary Woodford..... .i..... . .Phyllis Morris Member of the ' ; ,. .-,Martin' Walker Albert Clifford............Kenneth Buckley > Adam Adams................,...Esme Percy Fii'st-ra'te stage entertainment, full of laughs. Especially laughable for people in or connected With the thea-„ tre. It is questionable if those asso- ciated with the spoken stage are capable of judging how. these amus- ing situations Will be received by the general public, which has so limited, a knowledge ' happenirigs back-^ stage. With sp riiany, backstage pic- tures being made these days, the play would, seem to be readily adaptable to filiriing. Piece was tried out at the Arts Theatre Club a few Weeks ago. under the title 'Front of House,' where a theatre-wise audience appreciated the atmosphere, and at the public premiere the house was more than sprinkled with people connected With show biz, plus the usual first-night- ers, who know pretty nearly as much about things in the amusement world as. those associated with it. There is plenty of drama, in addi- tion to the stage atmosphere. Entire three acts are laid in the dress circle (first balcony) bar, and the.charac- ters include the house manager, box- office girl,, author of: the play in progress, barmaid, usherettes, char- woman, an actor-manager, and so on. Most remarkable thing about the show is the way it is played. Every bit is handled expertly. Martin Walker, for instance, has only a couple of scenes, as a drunk Who has to be persuaded, to leave the theatre so as riot to create a disturbance; Esme Percy has only one bit of about five riiiriutes as the actor-inanager; even the usherettes score With un- mistakable touches. of histrionic ability. Jolo. SAISON IN SALZBURG ('Season in Salzburg') " ; Vienna, Comedy ,ln : five acts hy Fred Heller and Adolf Schuetz; at•'• Deutsche .v6lksth'eatre F Vienna. l'"eb. L J37. Countess Marlta...";..........Marglt Weller Von Hochrlcd-, . . , . .Robert Valberg Countess Ar,lh'of)........ : .; .-Johanna Terwln Hedl......i.^..... .Paula Pfleger Kllm Manager..;;..^Ludwig -Donath ChuTisonette. .■. ,....; V,,.;..., . Mlmi Shorp Heller, and Schuetz, of riiore than local fame, had written this Salzburg comedy under the auspices of the foreign torrist trade bureau. Gover- nor, of' Salzburg sent a man to the dress rehearsals to control the scenery, set by Alfred Kunz^ under the .|iirecti6n of Heihrich Schnitzler. Very, very funny, and should do business. Marita, who loved von Hqchried, returned from America to Salzburg after the death of her husband, Whom she was forced'to marry. .Von Hochried encounters great difficul- ties in . really . winning ! her ; back. First, she wants to test him. That makes the plot. Maass; :■'. UNA NOTTE ('One Night') Rome. Play in thi-pe acta by G, RomUaldi; pro- duced at Qulrlno theatre by Glullo Dpna- dlo's company; featuring Donadlo. Romualdi, besides being a play- wright is also a lawyer and an orator of some standing. He has given all his talents full sway in 'Una Notte,' which culminates in ah eloquent lawyer's plea that serves to turn the tide toward the happy ending. Play is laid in one of those imagir riary small countries-at the time of a nationalist revolution. Herzeg, leader of the. Nationalists, has killed his wife. She was' a terrible ad- venturess who deserved being killed, but Herzeg, nevertheless, feels him- self a criminal . and/confides to his frierid, lawyer Nagy, that he cannot go on as the leader of an idealistic revolution with this crime on his conscience^ Nagy persuades him that his first duty is toward the people. who depend on . him for leadership; he cannot, desert them at this. crucial motoeht; once the revo- lution has triumphed, the leader can atone for his crime. ' , After having delivered himself Of this eloquent plea for patriotism versus personal considerations and persuaded Herzeg to his way Of thinking, the lawyer comes home to find his own house full of police, and his own son suspected of the crime, with, a mass of circumstantial evi- dence pointing at him. ' Nagy must decide between his duties as a citizen and his feelings as a father, All hope that the son will be cleared of suspicion by Herzeg's confession is crushed when "uie news comes that Herzeg has been killed. Nagy, not. wanting to blacken the name of Herzeg, whose death has made him a popular hero, and .at the same time wanting at all costs to save his son, then does a neat law- yer's . trick. Saying that he knows the criminal and that the criminal has confessed to him, he reconstructs the killing in such detail and with such logic that the police are con- vinced they have:'. heard the true story. When he still refuses, to give. the name of the murderer, they jump to the •• conclusion that it -was the lawyer himself. ... This conclusion Nagy does not at- tempt to contradict,; knowing that the judges will pardon him. For, able lawyer that he is, he has already thought of watertight arguments, for justifying the murder. Heln; (Continued from page 1) the Globe in . a revival Bernard Shaw's 'Candida.' i Performance; was warmly greeted and is" likely to stick for a while. . Play is preceded by a curtain-raiser, 'Love and How to Cure it,' by Thornton W. Wilder; The. Road to Rui .' opened at; Am- bassador's Thursday (11). It is a revival of ^n;,ancient\English comedy melodrarria and Unlikely. . 'Strange' Barrier' opened at . the Little Friday (12). It is a melodrama with an. Unsatisfactory plot and un- likely. '.. JAP FEHME TROUPE TALKS PARIS DATES D. de la Chevallier, prominent Yokohama merchant, has an idea that Parisi theatregoers would get a kick put of seeing the Takarazuka Girls : Opera go through their paces . and , has ' ingly opened negotiations'1 several theatrical agencies of Paris tb : book that troupe fqr a short engagement in April. . proposed deal cails,fpr : a-company of ; 25, entire expense of which is to be guaranteed by the French, ON THE SPOT Rome, After the recent lition of theatrical criticism*' - many, here figured that now is the time to do away with critics in Italy, too". :.recent meeti in San Remo of the directdr^ of the authdrs"J,v^riters', irectots'i. a»i: scene feiJhnici ' syndicate^' riiany ..cracks .at Itelian . dra-; matic criticism-'' .alrld critics were made. ' As av , the representatives, of the organization';.'pi theatrical critics Wrote to the . secretaries of ;the various syndicates asking .them to. prepare a .documPhtatipn of the errors, failings, and'sins of Which they , accused critics. At the same time they proposed that, if the documentation shoWed the faults of the critics to have been really grave, they would submit to the decision of 'higher authorities' oh what should ; be dorie about it. Pending the collection of evidence, against them, the critics contend that they have always collaborated with the Italian theatre arid generously appraised and supported, its suc- cesses. FOSTER AGENCY CASE MAY BE A TEST SUIT London, Feb. id. Foster's Agency sued Evelyn DaU for $500 limited damages Under a sole agency agreement. Case was. dismissed by the court, with costs against Fosters, on the ground Miss Dall. had' signed an exclusive agency contract, putting her under obliga- tion, but with the agent in no way obligated. Court figured that such a contract makes the plaintiff hot liable for anything and results in no benefit to the defendant. It may mean nullification of all exclusive agency contracts in thi6 country, thus having considerable ef- fect, on all show biz. Reel Costs Jap Stars Tour Of Europe Off; oin (Continued from page 7) event entailing extra detail, merit arid coverage. Aside from extra wages to cameramen and creWs, and the enor- mous cost of raw stock and ship~ merits, the riewsreels were.confronted with daily expense bills, on the flood coverage, that .baffled the unemotion- al bookkeepers.- These came from inany sections arid in vast-, quantities since each company . had" 10 to 15 camera grinders on the job. ^ One cameraman, for instance, sent ih ah expense bill of $381 for four days. - Multiply this by 50, a. figure representing the number of camera^ men who actually were active in t ne field, and the hewsreel expense item alone for four days totals $19,050. Since the lensmen were at work for' an average v ipf 12 to 14 days,- some hewsreel execs figure that the ex- pense bills submitted by cameramen alorie amounted to around $60^000. While othei expense accounts amounted to little more than $100 for two days, there were many ' - stances where the expense item ex- ceeded the bill of $381 for four days. The newsrcels, selling their service, on a. flat annual rental ■, are unable to -grab an extra cent to make up this huge outlay. Much face is beirig lost arpiirid here these days because of the inability of the Japs to conclude arrangements for sending Kikugorp Orioe and his Kabuki trpupe to Europe, as Widely advertised. This proposition has been on and 6ff for, over a year; ; Yesterday (26) the Society for In- ternational Cultural* delations, wh ich Was acting as sponsors of the tour; failed to sign. a contract with the Shpchiku Theatrical, Go.i. which con- trols the actor's, services. No noUncements were, made bythe -. par^ ties immediately ihterestedv but gos-. si in theatrical circles indicates that the Society, was unable to wangle enough coin out of the big iridustrial cbricerns which' usually "called upon to finance such enterprises^ According to ori inal plans, the So- ciety was to'furnish $70,000 and the balance.^of the required $i20,000 was to have been, raised by subscription among -the capitalists. • :■. Kikugoro Onoe seems to be rather happy that< he isn't to take the long tri V explaining, that he didn't' want to . go. anyway ( because his 1)5ryear- Old mother is in: failing heaUhi GRACIE FIELDS-COCHRAN MUSICAL ABANDONED Lpndbri, Feb. 16. That proposed fancy big musical starring Gracie Fields and produced by C. B. Cochran has been aban- doned. Was to go into the Lyceum the latter half of March and intended to be a big show, with much inter- national talent and Miss Fields to get $5,000 Weekly, a' new, high salary for COchran to pay. Miss Fields, however,* has turned down the book as unsuitable and won't budge on this decision. Piece Was originally intended ja,s a' musical comedy, but changed to;.a revUc, with three different authors ^signed to it, all of Whom are understood to have, failed to -develop, it satisfac- torily. Hollywood, Feb. 16. . Twentieth Century-Fox expect? Gracie Fields shortly to start her American fllrii production. What CDS Charges London,- 7. George Bernard Shaw still a 'take it 6r leave it' playwright. His schedule of charges are more strictly adhered to than ever. They are 5% lowest, if done by charity or an amateur organization; below the $5,000 mark; 10% above $5,000 up to $12,000 with any- thing over that 15%. Chariot's New Revue London, Feb. 16. , . Andre Chariot, who has a lease of the Vaudeville theatre, ia planning to stage a continuous revue show there about the end of March. Getting ready to cast the show pronto. New Rome Theatre Rome, Feb. 7. New Arts theatre,. which is to be directed vby Anton Giulio Bragaglia, Will open March 15 fojt_a two- month season, Repertoire consists of 10 plays, each of which is to be staged by a different director^ Plays to be given are all new, as the theatre is to make a specialty of encouraging contemV pprary authors, without,, .however, catering to novelties that are en- tirely experimental, . Theatre will have its own nucleus of actors; but will also invite other companies to play on its stage. Gonsalez Opera in India Calcutta, 28. Following a successful season in Bombay, the Gonsalez Opera Co. Will open a' season here at the Globe theatre. ', ' Troupe comprises 16 principals and 56 in the chorus. Vera Poggioli is prima donna.