Variety (Feb 1937)

66 VARIETY I EG I TIM A T E Wednesday, February 24, 1937 DANIELE TRA I LEONI ('Daniel in the Lions' Den')' Rome, Feb. . Vla.v."'ln 'th'rc» i;<ls by Giilrto.O:ihtl"l. ]i| ; n- <lii«'p(1. lit,-Qnlrl-no theatre,- Rome,- by' '\'o-> . fi;nn-MiiItfiiTlliitl-Cerv| Co. 'Kt»' *'shV. .•..'<•. .Vi»-. v.'. .'Slfmorlnn' Ch^Um! 1> ".lintrt'%-...,,.. ;.;,..;. .. .,<ilno• < virvl CU-i Iln tt.-r.. , Ovl .MuUnjflui'M Probably . would not. go over ig in America, as the hero is so passive bo ; would have little appeal. But okay, for local audiences. Daniele of this play is a very, timid, thouchtful . young man who. does nothing but 'take it.' Lions are three as .egotistic, self-centered and grab- bing people as you can. Imagine, all very busy" giving poor Daniel all he can take all the time. His sister is a hot-blqoded;. head- strong- person who is Constantly ask- ing Daniele : to help her, and -who grabs most of his inheritance away from him. .Girl -he has loved ever since he was a boy is' also grabbed away from him. .. She marries DanieleV friend Donato, who is much bolder and more ressive than-he, ..' , . , Daniele tries to conceal his sorrow over the marriage and J goes often to; the" couple's house in the- role of an accepted family friend. But Donato has guessed that Daniele is in love with Giuliana and is; hot. slow : to profit by it, He asks Daniele to watch over his wife while he himself goes off on " a • trip with another woman.. Her Knows that Daniele loves Giuliana-. too much to compromise her while her husband is gone.' So Daniele stays to- guard Giuliana and con- tinues to suffer. Giuliana, however, is not one to suffer, i: She is -not going .to play the- • part of the betrayed: wife in silence, she is determined-to' grab her share of happiness' too. She' tells Daniele that she doesn't , love her husband, that she has fallen in love with an- ' other .'man* For a moment Daniele thinks she means him, and is radiant.' When he; realizes that it is not he. he. again, accepts the situation quietly. :. When.Donato returns, and his and' his -wife's -egotism vclajshej?.-' .Daniele, finally-steps--forward and points but ■ that in their xush* to grab their 'own ''happiness they have always over- looked the happiness he might have .had He is so eloquent about all this that he persuades his selfish friends to make up. ; Daniele himself retires ' to look forward, to old age in loneliness. Heln.- memory seen here for many a day. As a consequence, the premiere was anything but a smooth performance, and the much-vaunted sportsmanship of the British public .was. exempli- fied by the absence of any audible comment thereon, other than the Tjurtatn'-'sp^evh^^ Carroll, who thanked-those present for their forbearance. Judged by modern standards, play, is so palpably outmoded that' the question arises whether it Would not have been better to have treated it as a satire, if not actual burlesque; Piece is acted in a perfectly legiti-. mate . manner, and. there are'- three notable performances by Alec Clunes, as-the hero; Leslie Wareing, as the ingenu ; arid Prank Cochrane as a rapacious moneylender.. Jolo. places, the.characters are exaggerated for. the sake of driving home the ■thesis more "forcibly, and the busi- ness angle is handled With astonish- ing naivete. Oh the whole; an essentially; interesting play with many failings. Acting is excellent: throughout. Torzs makes .the figure of the old man stand out, Margit Makay gives, a touching . and noble interpretation of tlie. daughter, Foldeny i and Hajmassy,. sons, are ruffians of the; first water. Jaco.hi. .■ Derby der Kleinen Leute ('Derby of Small People') ' Vienna, Feb. 12. 'Comedy;..In four nets pyFrltz Gotlwnld; Dli-opled. Ivy Hans Wensraf; eots, Il+inlftlus fleye-rllrig:'. at Academy then tie, V Vienna; Mi, \'t7. ■ Alois St.iWzI......, ,., M.elerhorer Retty Hseolineyer....;......... .Puenkoesdy Mtesjl .'Huber......;.', w...... ..Kranie:- l'\ dlboeek.., i........-,' .4 .. Wen*rnF linns Scbniltz. , ■.... •. .Pranger . A brand, new -idea" - of the much used- and'ever good testament plot. Rich -mart' wills. *.his race horse. Amalia, to the doorman, of his house. Poor-rich doorman wants to. sell, it, but his daughter changes his mind. Amalia is- to. start, in -the Derby. Fortune teller predicts the success of Aschenbroedel, horse of the door-, man's enemy, whose daughter Joves his son. He sells his horse, bets all qn Aschenbroedel and wins a for- tune. ' I. . Very, funny at times.. Excellent- acting and set. Should make-an okay film. Maaps. '"-. A Szuz E* A Godolye ('The Virgin and the Kid') Budapest, .Jan. 21. ■ Tiny In . three- acts' by liajos Zllahy, at M.-njynr Theatre, Budapest. - G'Vflt: Mai-glt. Makay; Uona Tltkofl.,' Eugene T6i'x.i>, Mlkloa Hajmnaay,. Laezlo- Foldcnyl. - ReAD- TO-RUIN - London, Feb. 12, Ciwriedy-hielbdramn by -TliompB tlolcroft,' ■revived .by Sydney C-ii-roU at Ainbnssndorfl, London,. K\>]>. 11, . '-7. Produced by JJnllol Holloway, assisted by Val GlelRiul. Mr. -.001-111011. :*... .Ballot Hollnway Mr..-Snilth.....:»';. . c>orKe Sklllan Ml-. Sulky*.-..'.';.'. t ,'V; \ ranklln Dyall A Mr.n-Servttnt, i; alcolm. -Graham Hn-i-jvDoVntnii i ;■.'.'..;,-.V. .. Alex Clunea .Tack llloid........ v. . ..Dpupla9 Mathews 'J.>nny' : . .Llndlafm/io Ha'nillton Si>iiin:».. ...v- Slw, Whvron,.;... Dm i-ies Goldftnch. Jh)>61> .. ,.;.. uk- silky a Hosier..'....\... .Ijesley WnrelnK- ydney Fnlvlmithor .tiay Pctvle ....... yiTney •'Rronilt'y ... .Frnnk -Cocliriine ;i.Clement Htimeliri Amore. Scadenza a Tre Mesi ('Love Falls. Due in 3 Months') Rome. Feb. 9.. Tiny in' tiiree iicIb. by''■}!» Dmtaiv. pro- rlii -p.i «t . Olliniil-v theril.v". Mlln' -.by; Tn r . r.Mno-MiiltnjjIln/l-Ceivi Cti- rioli-o.. ... i-Rlo Tlfjmo; ■Auiv". .......,.':...-..' .Maltapllntl 1'Vi-nnntlo....'.... .'. . . .••... '.Ciinii Cflrvl. SliiTomi. .(.ROBCttaTofiuio Interesting revival of- 4 a. sterling old English comedy-melodrama' how nearly 150 years old. It has not been. .done oh . the' London stage for the -- past 40 years. 'Seldom; has. a- production -been' ^ dd.7ged by such bad luck.- Two days bafpre. the openihg.'-C:- M. Hall.ard fell..ill and,. »aliol. Hollpwaj', stage director, was requisioned. for one of the. longest roles in the piece., Lat- ter was in. the throe? of memorising eight Shak-»spearean parts for the forthcoming. Stratfqrd-bn-Avon sea- son. . Hay iPetrie, -. low Comic, was, stricken on the opening night with :. one of the worst cases of loss of 'The irgin and the Ki is the title of a valuable* classical painting that has been in the Huben family for . three generations, 1 a sort of symbol of the family's respectability and prosperity. Old Huben, incar- nation of the. honest, high-minded business math, whose ideals go beyond making' money, in; the wholesale -grocery-tradey-sets-great-store-by-the. picture, but when he goes broke he is compelled to sell it in secret, re- placing it by a cop'y; . •Soon as the genuine; painting is •^one. luck and the ideals of the Hubens are shattered: the . old. man dies, , his good-for-nothing sons quarrel. and destroy .'the firm's good nams. scandal follows scandal in the. family, and only the .daughter- ruined- by, her brothers. . umSolds the. old ideals and clings to the better things- in life ; • She/gbes away with the mail, •who has bought the- original..paint- in?, tp build a new life on- noble foundations, in the backwoods of Canada. . . ...:''. Zilahy is . at great pains to make this story symbolical of the whole —isoect of life nowadays: the painting : stands-for the higher things in life. It all is intended to mean that in the murdcroiis.. struggle for prbsberity. mankind has lost its-noble ideals, but may recover them if the few good neonle who are left continue .to strive after the .better things. The'-ri is certfiirily far more in this olnv ; thnh in the average product n'een on the stage: the author has a messa**e to convey, and. never chean- dvi imself; but emnloys a real "riist'f: method. But the symbolism : x oonfu^infr. the action lags in- many ight comedy, nothing particularly brilliant, but entertpini " t ,.. Could be dope in America just as v/ell as here, as the- theme is by no means local. Pietro is a writer wIt> is terribly, in love: with Agnes?; Unfortunately Agnese is: living'"'"with"; another man, That's bad enough, but when Pietro hc-vs' that Asnese is 'gi'ihg- off to In- cto-Chira - with her -lpvc:', it's more; than he--, can bear. He decides to kill himself and. beir« r ; a writer of ro-n.-intic literature. 'h»- decides to kiU himself;in a rom-inti. -way. , Preoarations for his' romantic de-: pa-vture take sbme days-rlbng- enough for Fernando and' Simnn-a. his best friends, to ftnd. out \vhat he is up to. They tilze away his gp.. ; and at the rani-! time.-take awav his reason for. suicide, by - announcing that Aghese hpsn't gone away at all: it's her lover w'io hss gone to Intl^-China/ and wM wiJl be: gono for three months. .Then the helpful' Fernando / rushes over to. Aghe-e and Mis her that Pi?tro-h?s-been-wanti rto kill him- self on her account. Aghese rises •nobly; to the oe'easi. .... She- an- ppunces that, she will '.live".'-with Pietro for. the, three months that he» ; lover is away; in th?t time she th*-».?•? ictrp;v/ill h"ve h?d'..enough.' .N-:: pet shows Piet'*P tg'ahg liis marlicln^—first on l?"d in .a lonely idyllic mountain res- s "t. ani- thih on ,tho ssa. At the end ;of three -very flneimpnths. Agness needs treatment more than .Pietro; does. .As the end' of h«r interlude with.. Pietro an-, proaches. she. decid.es to kill herself: Her. preparations are taken with the same care and in the same, romantic soirit as Pie+ro's were three months previous. Fsrnandp and- Simpna have, to step in again, take away her Irlaps of poison, break the news to Pic A ro thnt he is wanted for life, "and tell the gentleman who. returns from' Indo-China that he is not rneCde^— - — —-Rein. — realized the futility of the people among whom he has sought his ideal. He falls out of love with the lady and finds happiness in the arms of the-unselfish and devoted servant girl- Play might have beer turned into a brilliant, satire, but there are only flashes of it here and there. It is "diluted with sentiment, especially in the scenes with the little slavey, ElmS Bulla, splendid \artist though she is, lacks the jhildish simplicity needed to make such a . character •beh'evftble:-««he.^trike»,^too ;par. thetic note,. Pager, however, mlflces a 'brilliant character study of the larne grocer. This young actor . is. one of the freatest assets of . the Hungarian s^age at present; he , is surprisingly versatile; It is chiefly i rluc to him: that 'Million' is a..success locally., Jacobi. ."' HODITAS ('Conquest') . . Budapest/ Jan.- Oonipily jh tlirpip'nets; by Ad6rju '■ lit- NHtiont'l The?tre. ' iHlu^cat, '.'■ Cnst: Gl-/.y Rijor, VjuiI .Tnvor, , Lily •Bcrky, ■ Fereiic 'Tn%v, Julius- Gnl, Female town councillor who con- ducts the affairs, of a city .in an ad- mirably businesslike manner' and. negotiates a complicated transaction with a. big oil conCer , is a modern enough heroine' for' a play. : For all her. 20th-century activities, howeverv this- heroine of Mr. Bonyi's :might have walked out of a Victbriah novel for young girls. Way she lets herself' be: conquered by the; reekless and naughty junior partner in the oil firm is in. the best 'Taming of the Shrew' tradition—as it has been done in innumerable comedies, musical and otherwise; on the contemporary' stage, .-'•: .' . Still, it's a pleasant and amusing play, its. characters; and. Main-Street atmosphere are the work of-a clever craftsman, and the National's uh- sophi^ticated; public thoroughly en-, joys -.' . Pity that a splendid a.rfis't of Gizy Bajor's . calibre so seldom finds a part, worthy of her talents: she is" charming, in this play, but ou?ht to do finer thi . Javoi% as the oil prince, makes it, quite Con- vincing. Entire performance is go'Pd. Jacobi: OUT TO PLAY London. Feb. 10. Cornedy In 'tbrep nets by. .lolm Sand, nnil Krih'ny Jocplyn. produced by lfidAVnr'rt Stir- llnT nt Arts Thsntre Club, Ijondon; Feb. U. '.".T.- ■:'-•.. ' -■• ' Antbony lAwrence.-. .- Kvely-rtiirlleld Mr,. Pavenjiort.....'.,, M'ijnty Moi'^iiit.'. ....... Stls.s 0?citb"rne T)ptilS(» Gi-PvlllftiV..... Dr. Kennetlf-Lyndon. Mr. Hert.min Scully'.'.' MY; Simon -Wobb . Sir ThomnR Arbutb Mrs.- Ijyhdon..: CJIaJyn i..-; .....Peter psborn '... .. ;-.>llarM Janes v.Fi-.-vnk Ne\vin;«ri Ponuld FcrKiisKOn ...... .Buenn Knh.t ,.. ..' .'.Molra Lynd ...'.Horiry IXullutt ../Arthur Urnnrtpr .;.Fr.'i nk- neynnldH ,'. -. , i Arthur - Bui-ne. .. > .Chris Cnstor .. .Mai fjavet Boyd Belated theme of this play is sex education. Threadbare topic of the feasibility of giving schoolboys and schoolgirls a sane and rion-s-^ns."^ tional knowledge of biology. Thosis is a plea for tearing down the cen- turies of prejudice against co-educa- tibn.. Piece in construction and eventua- tion is altogether too obvious for stage purposes. 'As a treatise, it ar- rives at no definite conclusion. Be- tween the two. thero is hsither a good play nor a good lecture. Jolo. EGY MILLIO PENGO ('One MlHi>h Pen Toes') -Budapest. Jan. Comedy; hi three acts by'JJy Koil. at Dolv.-"-o.«-,r thputro';-Jludnnr-et. . (■'■>sl: IBlniii . Bulln. Ant'M Pniter. Arnvln Mex,\v. MaH.ska Vizvni-y; "ICiiliiinn • tozsu- l»e»yl. . ..ii^.t. play by an''unknown author., hailed by much blaring of trumpets, and certainly showing Uncommon talent, but by ho means making, the bast of a fundamentally excslleht idea. : Plot centres around a middle- i"2c', olain and crippled-trades man, h-imble' and awkward, who wor- ships a lovely young ladv. customer of hi.s grocery store. She is mar- ried, respectable, protected by family and ..'social standing, ,-fpr": above, "him. Love-sick grocer sc rccly.. dares, to rp.isa his eyes to her. .Only her little servant girl. Who in tuvn worships the grocer, knows of his plight and tries to comfort hii .. • When the grocer inherits a., mil- lion, -he offers it to the lady if she Will consent to spend 0'->.e night with hi Real thenie of the play is to show how respectability, honor, matrimonial bliss and all the high ideals of bourgeons society are thrown to-the winds when the vision of a million dazzles the young lady's 'fine family. Way is found to save the conventions and grab the mll- I lion, but meanwhile 1' rocer, has BECAUSE WE MUST London, Feb.- 6; • Coined.V In- three hc'ls by. .Tnc;nret Glff.-ird. Priiduced by Norih:i'n M^rsh-ill,-n.t Wyiv- h'lni.'a'.thoatre, T.ondo'n; Pel). B, '87. ' Mrs. (lOU'linp-ffrehch....... .Mnrpni-et ■ Ehidcn Mrd. MiilUwurliiK. ■M;iri,'.-ii-.»t C'lHnsy .:. . T)l-'t.a Vellows.... M:\ry: ........ Sir l nsll Grnhn ... Panola .Goiainrr- .rndlth Chnnsy .,; .■ . ()|f,.i ; .lovons........ liilda" Ma In-vnrln'er; ■.. rUehnrd Dobba'. i, lloiold Ocerlrjr...... -UTigh-rGreatore x..... Preston-...'. .'i UlrlA .... : .. Knld I^Uidwy .:.-..'.....■*Inry l^lnt.m .."'..'.-., Catherine liai'oy ..Peltry .Tdlbpt-Danlel : v....Alan Napier ..Vlyl«n TiSlRh. ............ .Jill Fur.Mo ., .Anno Firth ;. : '..»;;.... .Ann Gascon ......Wallace Douglas .......Penya Blnkelock riv-.-i-.-T-A«thony--lTeland- Margery Weston ......Ellznbeth Gilbert Domestic comedy; of feminine frus- trations. Nbble art of compromise, as practiced by most women when disillusioned, forms the .crux' of the plot.; ■ Although splendidly acted,- doubtful if the play has sufficient backbone to warrant a Broadway gamble or eh'ough-drigihaljity. to. jus- tify -trahsf^rr|hg' to the screen. :; • Girl, ih love with one mr.n matrics . - pnother out~of pique.rtakes a-lbveiv-^ Rose^^the _wJseTCraeking, hard then confesses her. ttyo years' inflr delity to her husband, counled with the announcement of aoproaching motherhood, claiming her husband is the. father. Another girl has ambi- tions to become a famous dancer, which can only be achieved through influence to which strings are at- tached. Third girl ea^rly awaits a second honeymoon with a husband returning from abroad, only to re- ceive l cable of his death from fever. M?my trpe-to-1 ife characters, deftly handled, with- Vivien Lenh and .An-' thmy Ireland scoring in principal role?. Perhaps the story is too true' to. li to attract amusement, seekers. Amazinsr Dr. CMtterhouse (Contimicd from page (54) <»ahg. Frederic Worloclc as the law- yer turned in a n?at bit. Sets very well done, especially short scene on a warehouse roof where crook gang are carrying, out fur robbery. Plot a natural for pic- tures'-with soma of the,British sl'an" cut...out, but Hays.OfTice may'6breef, to win up where .doctor, after scenes of-robberies and one murder, apparently gets away with it. Si legit try-outs are concerned; The last three have been particularly distressing.. Number 3 is 'The Mea'i Ticket,' a comedy by Herman J Mankiewicz which Richard Myers and Richard Aldrich are presenting at the Erlanger. Two Of the five local crix were ex- tremely kind .and saw chances of it eventually amounting to something; the other three said no emphatically and it looks as if: they were righ There, is the kernel of a good idea in The Meal Ticket' but kernels : donM>-^ma.ke.^successfui ...stage^play^ As it is,..the author's, idea is stretched- so. perilously over ' three, acts that one. isn't surprised when it snaps '.a' couple of times. To conceal the lack of substance* a veritable vaude show has been,dragged in by the heels, but despite a few: laughs, it Only serves to irritate the 1 beholder;, '••; . Story-Concerns the Sinclair family,: ex-Vaudeville r .outfiti : . and consisting of Rose (grandma), Jim (her son), Jim's wife, -May, their daughter, Dorothy and their son, Wilbur. Iri .the old days, .the Sihclairs have been hard-working group , of hoofers, used to long jumps, toirh hours, bad spotting,.one-nighters and all. the rest. .Then young DProthv won herself a job in Hollywood and the . family quit work.. She became their'meal ticket' and they took 1 1" easy which included plenty of cock- tail parties and' general .entertai ing. " .. * • Dorothy, however, didn'tr take to screen acting, thereby proving her- self 5 something of seven days' 1 mira- cle. After telling her family some pretty straight facts, she -finally packed lip and eloped to Africa with her boyrfriend, a doctor. ings looked bad for the Sin- clairs, and Jim actually considered going tq work. At this exact mi- . nipnt, precocious ; young Wilbur sir- rived., with the-news' that he - had. taken screen tests and had a fine juvfe" offer. P4pa Sinclair reverted to type;, .he started haggling over terms. Perhaps Mankiewicz .figured this would have been a little too unpleas- ant an ending; At any rate, he ditched it by having young Wilbur speak up shrilly, for $50 for imself and then having the father, im- pressed by this outcry, decide against the whole thing. He told Wilbur the contract was all out. and that he him- self" would be, the family wage- earner. As the curtain fell, he. was paddling his young offspring which was something needed for a long time. The vaude show is .'brought in by means of the party sequences at which the Sinclairs and some of their old friends indulge in all their two-a-day specialties. There, are card-tricks, juggling turns, magic phenomena and a shadowgraph ex- hibition. First night audience liked it.h<»—lat^namcH s hut it's rhiin h too long. End of Act II has all the hurly-burly and excitement that marked 'YoU Can't Take It ; With You,' but isn't onertenth as effective. Best part of it at the opening here was the escape of a Couple of pigeons: into the footlights as the. curtain fell and frantic attempts to cap- ture them without raising curtain i full again. Cast is very uneven with honors undoubtedly going to Leona Powers, boiled Grandma of the "outfit. Part is- funny and. so. is Miss Powers. Joseph Greenwald is capital as a friend of the family, Charlies King seems to flounder a bit as Jim, but may work into the role. Peggy French is okay as the charming Dprothy apd Ruth Holden gets by as . Jim's wife. The precocious Wilbur is properly objectionable in the hands of Raymond Roe. Harry Wagstaff. Gribble's direction isn't up to his former standards but, then, it isn't his type of play... . Looks like a Herculean task to make anything Out of this one. Waters. ('The Meal Ticket' was with raibn : from circutaiion at the conclusion of .Philadelphia . week. No Broadway showing before September at least) THE MEAL TICKET A poin'pdy' In 'A; y.\o\y\.("/.i- pi'oiliK-eil ■T.lch-ivilsnn Mypi-H yt-iiV -tTi ! ll»]>if: si'll >• >m:o.i1'' Ml. lOi-liin^r 1T, ••■«-. -•" M.VI'H : ' l'ii'|-bf>>(.. I:)o.! ; o'lii.V... .Si ru'luir. A)llPr.t .'..'■:. .:. ..-.',-'.. I.Psler Mm-kowllz AVjlb'uv. Slncliilt-. . .Mm ■Slpc-lnlr.-.'.-,;-, l*;Uph 'AYIlli.-im*;. llrisc- Sltu-l.-ilr, . .... M;iy--.Sinclair,..;-. Il>d.. ..v..-.. :..„..;. Whitney Stone,.-. : le^ircp M.-irlow-. .-.' lU-rlbii Alarl(i«-... "nroll hp llolipj-ls. l-:d<li.P- KoIp'mMh. .,-. I.connril (ili-sli.... ila ' . Feb. 1ft. ■k'-Ih by llcrniiin .1. .Man- by Tlic-lliird ■ .Vldi-ic:b rinil : slnsrril by Harry. -Win'}'' Hit*' ; l>y '-.lnlin Itoolv' • l'i-p- i^'.'l'lHliiil'pl; lila, t-Vliru.-ii-y .'.-.'.-.' ;..TPfin 'Ciisln. ■: .... .. . .iv^irv ri-cncli .,; .-..Killjih Moi'.choiiM.' '..;-.'. ..lo.Mcnh .(.W'c'pnwaM . i...'..;l:!iyiii()iid Km- ,'...... .Cb.-irlps Kliis .. .'..;, uincs- -.Um i-h'ioI-p :-..Tipuna- Piiwpi-s ,.............. Rut li IlolOori , ... .l-'i-.-iiK-ls J.riil t, Jiv !ob"l-t Krlnhnrt ........... (ijjcar'S(trllri.u'. . . ...;. -Miiii J.Veklisiiii .; i. . .•<;■;.•, ..All'-pji Pop. .... . ...Vbllln Miiiirneirr . . .ClilTiiiil- l.lunstiin Hunt for 'Tony's Wife' Hollywood,. Feb. 23. ictures player, is going to in April for Feldman's play, Wife.' Musical is slated to open Longacre, N. ., April 26. After a good start last fall. Philly has fallen oh evil days as far as "Red, Hot and Blue,". , N.Y