Variety (Oct 1938)

48 VARIETY LEGITIMATE Wednesday, Octolker 26, 1938 Plays on Broadway Knickerbocker Holiday Operetta, type musical comedy In two acts, presented by the Playwrights, Oct. II), '38. at the Hthel Barrymore, N. Y.; 1>oi)k and lyrics by Maxwell Anderson; mualc by Kurt Weill; Walter Huston, Btarred; Jeanne iliuUlen, Ruy Mlddleton, RUIiaid Ivollmar and Mark Simith, fea- tured; stneed by Joshua LoRan; f4.40 top. ■WaHhlngton Jrvlng Bay MIddleton Anihony Corlear Harry Meehan TIenhoven Marie Smith Vaiiderbllt tteorfre AVatta Ktwaevtlt Franclfl Plerlot DePeyater Charles Amt DeVrles John Jfi. Toung Van Rensselaer Jntnes Phillips Van Cortlandt, Jr Richard Cowdery Tina Tlenhoven Jeanne Madden Brom Broeok Richard Kollmar Tenpln Clarence Nordstrom Scliermerhorn Howard Freeman Peter Stuyvestfnt. .Walter Huston General PofCenburRh Donald Black Mistress Sohermerhorn Edith Angold CASE HISTORY . Drama In three acts presented at the Lyceum, N. V., Oct. 21. '.W, by James Troup; written by Louis S. Baroldy; staged by Adeb'n Uusni.'!!; 't.30 top. Dr. JJm Bnker,.... Ned Wover 13mlly l\ir.lee Ruth Abbott Frank Pardee U. Pat Collins Mnrffnrel Pardee < Ruth liee Barbara Pardee }?\'elyn Mills Dorothy P.-itdee Babs Savape Miss McICee , Grace Fox Ann Muriel Starr Rathei* elementary playwrighting, this medical drama by a Cleveland physician, who is supposed to have the backing of other doctors. As stage fare it lacks too much, and in- dications are the M.D.'s excursion in- to show business will be short lived. Just as well that the Playwrights brought in 'Abe Lincoln in Illinois' before 'Knickerbocker Holiday,' lor the latter attraction does not seem possessed of approachable draw pos- sibilities. Impression is that it will do moderately well. It is Maxwell Anderson's gift to the group's schedule; a departure into the musical field, but rather than the musical comedy as billed, 'Holiday' is more correctly an in- timate operetta. As such, the top of $4.40 does not seem to fit, despite the fact that the show is spotted in a theatre, capacity of which is less than those usually used for tune shows. 'Holiday' is brightly presented, ex- cellently lighted, with the sky as visible from the wall of the Battery, never specked by clouds. In the days of the story, New York was New Amsterdam and what is now Times Square was wilderness. There is one substantial set, within which a small scene is inserted tor a short spell to .show the interior 6t the gaoL It would seem that the production was quite within a budget, modest in comparison to that usually set for musicals, ..> > From a niche in front of the proscenium, Washington Irving pro- ceeds to let his fancy roam about the days when the town was peopled and controlled by early Dutch arrivals, such as Vanderbilt, Tienhoven, Roose- velt, De Peyster, Van Rensselaer and Van Cortlandt. Those elderly gentlemen ran the settlement imtil Peter Stuyvesant of the silver pegleg arrived as governor. One defect is that- Stuyvesant does not come on until pretty late in act one, and as Walter Huston is the head man in the show he certaiidy is missed. In the second part, Hus- ton leads the most lively number in the performance, "The Scars/ going into rhythm-gimping with the en- semble, to. the best returns of the evening, otherwise an uncomfortable, one in the theatre. ,It was warm and in the Shubertian manner the cool- ing systeni was not turned on. Right after 'Scars' came an incon- gruous group of Indians, referred to as Algonquins by Hust6n, who prom- ised to chase 'em back" to Harlem. In the subdued light, the redskins were easily recognizable as hailing from north of llOtfa street and in those days that was unexplored ter- ritory. Play is too bookish and the cast too much a.k. Story mostly is about Brom Broeck, a young man adverse to taking orders. The elders order him strung up, but he beats that rap by having the noose around his mid- dle. Later Stuyvesant orders him - hanged again, despite Brom's brav- ery in ii^ting the AlgoiM^uins, off stage. This time the elders^ cefuse .to"! haul on the rope and there does seem to be too much of the gallows busi- ness, the thing always being, in evi- dence, stage- center. Huston's ■ return to Broadway Is welcome. He is supported by half a dozen oldsters, such, as Mark Smith, George Watts, Francis Pierlot, James Philips and John E, Young, but there are new faces, principally blond Jeanne Madden, who hails from Scranton, Pa., where her people con- duct the best hotel in town. It is her first Broadway chance and she lights the,femme lead^ As Tina, she loves Brdm,' but the pegleg from Amster- dam desires her, until 'convinced that she's too young for a guy like him. Miss Madden figures in several num- bers, doing best duettine in 'Will You Remember Me* with Richard Kol'- mar, who is Brom p'*'^ vrb'» ••>''•-> J" new on the stage, being mosUy a radio performer up to now. Score is fairly attractive, including •How Can You Tell An American,' sung by Kollmar and Bay Middleton, whp does Irving and whose opening numbef.is strident. Kurt Weill sup- plied the tunes to Anderson's lyrics, no trick for the prize winning dramatist, some of whose plays are in blank verse. There are commentaries -about politics, which ar6 supposed to re- flect on the current time. One re- mark was that democracies are run by aniateurs. That made the Presi- dent laufTh in Washington, but the first nighters didn't think it so funny, in fact the show is distinctly shy of lau^h-getting material. Jo Mielziner's setting Is attractivey with a mind to the ever present blue heaven. Ibce. The chasm between the established practice of materia medica and the newer faith healing known as Chris- tian Science has been discussed be- tween individuals, but this is the first time it has been used as material for the stage. Maybe there is ah id,ea; but it seems difficult of application to dramatics. Author seems bent on laying C.S. to rest, but at the last moment there is a concession, one that has and is sometimes set forth by doctors— that they take care of physical ail- ments while Mrs. Eddy's healers take care of the soul. In other words, intelligent physicians recognize Sci- ence as suitable for the treatment of neurotics. In the short cast, one-set 'Case History,' the Pardees have one daughter recovering from infantile paralysis, but With a stiff leg, an- other child being healthy until sud- dently stricken by appendicitis. Dor- othy, the kid with a gimp, has been cured, but refuses to attempt walk- ing, until tricked into making an at- tempt by Dr. Jim Baker, who is al- most one of the family and whose fiancee, a nurse, is the sister of the kid's mother. Latter, discouraged over the child's condition, has called in an elderly woman piractitioner who lives next door and no'thing ^an convince her that the healer did not cure the girl by absent treatment. Comes the time when the elder child becomes ill and is given Christian Science, until at the last minute the practi- tioner suggests a doctor be called in. Girl then has a ruptured appendix and dies several days after an emer- gency operation. ^ Mbther beconies a dipsomaniac and nothing seems effective in snapping her out of meloncholia. It is here that s Dr. Baker suggest the prac- titioner come in on the case, "rhere are times in the third act when the story is interesting, principally be cause of the good playing of Ruth Lee as the sorrowful mother and Ned Wever as the doctor. However, the subject matter gen- erally, becomes tiresome. The as- siduous application of the mother to Science, forcing her husband to fol< low suit, is.fahiiliar to anyone close to devotees of the Eddy cult. This is not the only authentic display in the play. How the lightness goes but of the houshold when the new ad- herents to faith healing verge on the fanatical, also is known to occur. Perhaps the medical folk figured that 'Case History' would be con- troversial enough to attract Scien tists, but the impression is that group will prefer to pass it up despite the sop at the finale. Ibee. Shows in Rehearsal 'American Landscape'-^Play- wrights. ^'Where Do We CSo from Here* —Oscar Hammerstein, II, -and Dwight Taylor. *Rocket to the Moon'—Group. 'Blow, Bueles^ Blow'—Jerome Mayer & Leonard Field. 'Henry IV'—Maurice Evans 8c Joseph Verner Reed. 'Blackbirds'—Lew L?slie. •Lorelei' — Richard Aldrich, Dennis King, Cedric Hardwicke and Richard Myers. 'Boys from Syracuse'—George Abbott. •The Flying Ginsbergs'—Vi ton Freedley. •Walts in Goose Step'— Jacques Chaqueneau. •Kon, Sheep, Run'—Blackwell and Curtis. •Too Moch Johnson'—Mer- cury. JPbys Out t)f Town GREAT LADY Philadelphia, Oct 24. A new musical comedy produced Dwight Deere Wlman and .t, H. Del Bon« dio; booy by Barle Crocker and I^owell Urcntano; music by Frederick Lowe: lyrlca by Cr6cker; staged by Bretalsne- Wlndust; settings by Albert Johnson: ctaoreogranhy by William Delar. At the Forrest, Phll«- dclphla. October it, '38. Offlce Boy. Anthony Abbott ISdltor Charles K. Olrard Reporter ....lEdward Kane Betty Brown (later Eliza de lO' Croix) Norma Terrlff Pierre de Moreau Shepperd Strudwlck Cap Jacqtues. Joseph HacAuley Freelove Clark... .......Helen Ford Nicky Clark Edward Cmven Stephen Jum6l ..TulMo Carminatl Mme. Colette. Irene Bordoni Louis XVIII ...Robert Qrelff Premiere Danseuses. Leda Anchutiana, Annabelle Lyon Cut-Rate Parking Deal , Jams Up WPA in Chi Chicago, Oct. 25. WPA Federal Theatre found itself in a tough spot last week when it franked circulars through the mail to advertise a special parking discount for patrons of the Great Northern theatre, where it is currently pre- senting a modernized version of 'The Mikado.' Deal on the parking rate was made with the Lydy Co., with the Great Northern customers getting a 35c. re- sate on all $1.1Q theatre ducats if ■;hey used the parking lot near. by. This compared with regular 50c parking fee generally charged by parking lots aroimd town. Rival parking stations rapped the free mail privileges under which the circular was sent out, and also squawked that they should have been permitted to enter bids on the park- ing deal. President of the Chicago ! Parking Assn. stated that he thought it unfair to do'^such advertising with the, taxpayers' money and that it would' be fairer to let the theatre patrons go to other places as well as' Lydy's. As soon as the squawk was made the FTP stopped shipping the circular^ through the mails until it looked up the postal regulations. A Woman's a Fool—To Be Clever Comedy In three acts (four scenes), by Dorothy Bennett and Link Hanna. Fea- tures Ian Kelih, Vera Allen. Staged .by Frank Merlin; setting by Donald Oenalager. Presented at National, N. T., Oct 18, '38, by John Wlldberg; piM top. 13ddle Sommers ICdwIn Phillips lilajor Bddle Qreen JefC Foster Ian Keith Clwlstlne Poster Vera Allen Minerva Hlmmet Sandra Stanton Nina SuCneva Halla Stoddard liCW Lerner , Donald Foster Josephine T.-(>rni>r Edith Melser Rosemary LlttleproUd Margie Ana Kaufman John Wildberg, theatrical attor ney who has previously remained in the production background, makes his entry as a presenter with this in- nocuous trifle about a playwright- ing couple and a young actress trol lop who almost breaks up their Ber muda home. Comedy comes to Broadway via the strawhats and a road break-in, where it was reported to have received intensive doctor- ing. Still too anemic, however, anc a brief stay is indicated. As far as the mechanics go, 'Wom- an' might be stencelled from a corre spondence school course in 'How to Write Plays—in Five Easy Lessons, It's all neatly confined to a single set and the unities of time are care fully observed. The opening scene establishes the locale and introduces the characters, and thereafter the necessary pattern of entrances, exitsi situations, laugh lines and mdnufac tured climaxes is worked out accord- Engagements Helen Warren, 'Heaven Can Wait.' Ruth Weston, Leo Kennedy, 'Run, Sheep, Run.' George MacresKly, Sylvia Weld, Theodore. Newton, 'American Land- scape.' Harold Johnsrud, Leo Chalzel, John Boruff, Mariana Fiory, Henry Oscar, 'Waltz in Goose Step.' Royal Rompel, Albert Mallinger, Michael Pober, Chet Wayne, 'First American Dictator.' Natasha Boleslavsky, Edgar Mason, Matt Briggs, 'The Flying Ginzburgs.' Carroll Ashburn, Haidl Vassler, Byron Shores, Cliff Dunstan, John O'Shaughnessy, Burl Ives, 'The Boys from Syracuse.' Although there has been a notice- able trend toward costiune and his- torical plays this fall on the legit stage, and although 'Great Lady' is as elaborately and painstakingly pro- duced as any of them, it seems r.ath- jer^-doubtful if this Wiman-Del Bon- dio offering can hope for , more than a mild click. No one can complain of the lavish- ness of the show's investiture, and Frederick Loew^ has turned in a creditable, if not sensational, score. On the other side of the picture, however, it must be admitted that the book is inclined to turgidness and often dullness. The leading character of ih^ piece (historical and not fictional by the way) is Betty Brown, who in her younger years was a 'fancy woriian' on the streets of Providence, but • who later be- came the wife of a vice-president of the United States and sdso of an enormously wealthy French wine merchant, who gave her a mansion to live in and all the luxuries her heart craved, and Betty was some craver. The spicy history of this girl's rise to affluence has many elements of interest and human emotion, but the average playgoer will not whip him- self into any frenzy of interest over a woman whose name is practically unknown. A more interesting book could have been built around the calculating lady from Providence. Cast is fine throughout. Norma Terds returns to the stage to make a warmly-human and interesting Betty, and Tullio Carminati is an en- gaging Jumel. Irene Bordoni has little to do as a dress-maker, but does that little well enough, while: Helen Ford is amusing and piquant as the heroine's maid. Shepperd Strudwick creates a plausible char- acter out of Moreau and sings with Miss Terris one of the show's most notable songs, 'I Have Room in My Heart.' Miss Bordoni has one of her typical Gallic numbers in 'May I Suggest Romance.' Scenes at the Court of France; the elaborate and well-executed ballet numbers and the attractive charm of the costuming add much 4o 'Great Lady,' but its staying powers are doubted. Waters, ing to formula. Exactly by rote, the husband and wife are separated for the second act curtain and inevitably the third act is designated as 'The next morning.' But it's all just too pat—and completely transparent. . Kernel of the matter, of course, Is that Dorothy Bennett and Link Han- nah have merely turned out an ex- ercise in pTaywrighting without writing a play. Apparently they didn't have anything to write about, so they just went through the mo- tions Maybe Hollywood will be in- terested, but Broadway surely won't. With such frippery and tissue-pa- per characters at his. disposal, Frank Merlin has directed the production with tongue-in-cheek skill. Ian Keith plays the vain playwiight for as much , as its worth, and Vera Allen accentuates the wife's dullness. In the glittery and shallow part of the actress alleycat, Haila Stoddard acts as strenuously as she can, while Ed- win Phillips is as direct and plaus- ible as the part of the - wisecracking ■young actor allows. Edith Meiser makes the fatal mistake of being vis- ibly amused at herself as a produ- cer's acidulous wife, Eddie Green, announced as making his legit debut, gives a broadly comic flavor to the part of a butler-of-all-duties. None of the other parts offer much. In fact, the whole thing is neglii^ible. Hobe. (Clo-sed Oct. 22; printed for the record.) YANKEE FABLE Boston, Oct. 19. . Comedy In three acts by Lewis Meltzcr. Presented by Cheryl Crawford; staged by Otto L. Premlnger; setting by Hariy Hor- ner. At Colonial, Boston, Oct. 10, '88; |2.76 top. .Teremtah Robert Pitkin D.avld '....Barny Sullivan Luke Robert Strausn Asa ,... Maynnrd Holme's Sydney ...HoIUa Mitchell Mary - Maxlne, Stuart Susan Eda Helntanann Mrn. Lorlnda Bleeker Miss Ina Olatre Major Creel Claiid Alllstor .Sergeant Hornlsh '....Ralph Sumpter ncn. Sir William Howe, John WilHams Col. Timothy Bleeker "WUUam Brisbane Ina Claire gives a mediocre script a tremendous lift and covers herself with glory by making unexciting lines soarkle and trite situations en- tertaining, but the affter-effect of the play adds up to pale- word of mouth. Dyed-in-wool Glaire' fans will en- joy her characterization of Lorinda Bleeker, but outside that coterie 'Fa- ble' hes limited appeal. Irf>rinda is the wife of a colonel in the British army of 1776, at the height of their clean-up campaign in the American colonies. But Mrs. Bleeker is also a coquette and a sympathizer with the Revolutionary cause. When Gen. William Howe chooses to drop in for tea on his way through New York to make his final charge on the disorganized army of George Washington, Lorinda senses an op- portunity to serve Amerida in a great big way. If she can detain General Howe long enough for the Colonials to remobilize, she can save the Revo- lution. Over the teacups the suspectible general tumbles to her invitation to remain overnight. Tenaciously he pursues his amorous cainpaign, but there are many interruptions, mostly engineered by a bothersome Major Creel (Claud AUister), who vainly tries to break up Lorinda's plans. The unexpected entrance of the husband is insignificant compared to the cook, who almost assassinates the general to avenge a relative-soldier's death, the capture of spies in the Creel- hoine during thdTiight, interruptions by a drunken sergeant, and the dis- couraging .technique of Lorinda in keeping just beyond his nocturnal reach. ' By daybreak he Is awake to the trickery that has delayed the entire British army long enough for the Colohials to reform their lines, but he still has a yen for Lorinda, and there is promise that he may return to her after the wars. John WiUiams as General Howe is a thoroughly convincing foil for Miss Claire, capably assisting her in mak- ing 'Fable^ seem more vital than it is. AUister clicks as the nasty, super- efficient, meddling Colonel; Barry Sullivan is okay as a young rebel spy; Maxine Stuart clicks as his win- some fiancee; Eda Heinemann regis- ters as the menacing cook, and Ralph Sumpter hiis a good drunken scene as a blundering sergeant. Harry Horner has turned out a beautiful Colonial drawing room set which frames the entire play, and the lighting and costumes are very good. Lihbey. ROYAL SPRINGS Los Angeles, Oct. 18. Comedy drama lii three acts, six sconen, by Barton Browne. Directed by Ben Bard. At Ben Bard Playhouse, Los Angeles), open- ing Oct. 18. Cast: Earl Jamn, Bill Thomas, Gone RlzzI, Richard St. John. Richard Bart- lett, Wallace Gregory. Janls Chase, Robert Kmerlck, Bill Mason, Grace Hamilton, Martha Hartford, Ro)>erta Wilson, Frances Cllpplnger, Bide Robertshaw. James Gibson, Stephen Lott, Frank BIsholl, Robert Markel, Earl Richard, Barry Bernard, Charles Ron- deau, Ralph Bowman, John Gray,, Douglas Hatton. • Barton Browne, for years identified with hotel life, has written an insid- er's impressions of what is and should be entertaining behind the scene in the operation of a swank hostelrv. In his ambitious essay—the title. Royal Springs, designating a resort— the authoY achieves a certain amount of brisk comedy and a few moments of tense dramatic action, but too much time is devoted to conventional depiction of hotel routine, in itself not sufficiently novel or significant to rivet sharp interest. Play stacks up as mildly diverting, with consid- erable revamping necessary to give it a chance on the big time. Plot concerns efforts of a neighbor- ing resort, operated by racketeers as a gambling joint, to take over the high-class hotel in a campaign for better patronage, and, failing that, to break down its repute and ruin the place so that it may drop into the lap of the gambling syndicate. These maneuvers are well contrived. Against them for comedy are played the endeavors of a wacky titled mother to get her three daughters married off advantageously. A press agent's blurb has given the Royal Springs an imwarranted repute as a matrimonial hotbed. The daughters get their men—not of a rank antici- pated by the mother—and the hotel is saved from the gamblers' machi- nations by teamwork of the manager and loyal employees. Cast, alternating on successive nights for the principal roles, is com- petent, and half a dozen characters stand out for arresting possibilities, with more polish. A gay, on-the- make marquis who cuts in on the love affair of yoimg employees, ably played by Barry Bernard; the ex- uberant and resourceful press agent (Bill Thomas); the resort owner- manager (Wallace Gregory), whose lines and attitude are virtually a bri^f for the ideal In hotel manage- ment; the femme secretary (Janis Chase), who detours her affections for a department head (Paul Chry- son) in temporary dalliance with the porsuasive marquis; the Lady Amble- bro'Vt role (Grace Hamilton), and the racketeer (Elde Bradshaw). Final act moves fast and concen- trates the comedy and' melodrama, but first two will profit by consider- able tightening and elimination of superfluous dialog. Curtains also are arbitrary and lack sharp punctuation. Sets show hotel lobby, cocktail lounge and booth in the gambling joint. 'Dame Nature' to Chi Chicago, Oct 25. 'Dame Nature* opens the legit sea- son for the Erlaiiger, coming into that house Nov. 7 as the third play on the'^h'eatre Guild-American The- atre Society subscription series. Slated for only a two-week stay. Patricia Collinge heads original cast; which comes in from New York. Future Plays 'G*lng to Town,' comedy by Fran- cis Dewitt about a screwball can opener inventor, now casting for « January tryout. •The Wedding Day,' another script ,from the acid pen of Clare Boothe, has been promised a New Year (H)en- ing by Max Gordon, sponsor of her 'The Women.' 'Merchant of Yonkers,' a new play by Thornton Wilder, -has been desig- nated as Herman Shumlin's seasonal bellwether. Max Reinhardt will ar- rive from the coast within a fort- night to direct rehearsals.