Variety (Aug 1940)

'Vrednesday, August 7, 1940 tE^ITINATE 43 Mattleo,N.t to By HOllE MOERISON i-K/Bianteo^:'N... C,; .Aug. ;3. Three years ago this dtowsjr fish- Jrig village on RoanoHe Island was alnvost unheard of. Pew outsiders initruded ^ ixpbn its dusty, unpayed: streets; ;dilai«dated hwharyes and faded frame houses. : But in the siimnitr of 1937 PaUl Green's folk drama, 'The Lost Colv ojiy,* was first presented In the opert;^ air Waterside theatre oh the shore Of Roanoke Sound; Just , outside the village. And' this summer, Mahleb >yill be visited by more than 50,000 people from ^ail parts of America. Its peririainerit population remaiiis only a few hundred, but it now has paved; streets, a hotel; two ; drug- stores, ; • P^W: Testauratit and an awakeijed local, consciousness.. Man-, teo is still remote a^d ■ piicturcsqUe; but no, lohgei: forgotten, . The I^st Goloriy': would probably Bcem niaive and ponderous on Broad-; way.. Its story of the, founding and subsequent disappearance of the iBrst ^glish settlemieht in the New: World Is the kind of thing that ciin be paih^ fully embarrassing unless skiUfully haiidlecl. But on this sandy, wooded /beach where Sir Walter . Raleigh's courageous little, band defied /the •wilderness; here at. the birthplace ot yirgihia Dare, the first English child born in; thfi Western Hemisphere, •The I^st Cipld^y\ is one of the most impressive, showis to: be .. seen ariy- ■vvhere.:; It is continybusly entertain- ing. But. more ihan that. In this pervasive^ jatmosphere- ;t-, stirs icel- irigs of awe arid pride in one's coun-. try. ■'■ '. :■. v"/ '- /., ' Show .Goes On, Ra'n or v^blne Not the least impressiyt . part, ipf the show is the audienc^f, part,.of which .iis composed of' natives Ayho come again and . again.. . ."JThe, rest are visitors who ^n many cases • have traveled thousands of: miles' just to .attend a single .performance.. Re- gardless:' Gii. the!. . weather, few per- foirm^nces^ icaricelled, - Show caught begari in k drizzle that had continued several .days, but less than a dozen spectators-left when the jdrizzle' turned to a steady /rain and then to a dowiippuf. Once, when it was aniiounced . that there would be an intermission 'until, the rain^slack-i. iens,' there were yells pf protest, so tjte, 'periformance ., continued. ' "The . drenched audience remained until ihle end, while the 260 bedraggled actors . sloshed: through the puddles : oh . the, sand-covered concrete stage.« First presented in ji937 to celebrate the 350th.;anniversary of the settle- ment of Roanoke .Island, .'The; Lbst From Spec to Spec Mariteo, N.C, Aug. 6. Variety m^^ hadl itio« tored Irom.N^w York to see Paur Greenes 'Lost Colony' hereV was, ushered to his, seat by the play-, Wright's iS-year-old sbh, Paul, •Youngster is \i.she^^^ earn mibney; to -attend the New York 'World's. ;Fair.,:,..: ■ ating spot,; with its floWering.niirriosa and magnolia tteos; and Jive dak . and its gardervias growiniS wild: : Except for :'The ; Lost Go.ibny,' in which riiariy - families , have at least one yoUng actor, ;th;e' viUage'f principal diversions, are the .double-feature,, picture . house (with giyea>yays iand bank nights), occasional pHzefightsi sailing, fishing and local .gossip.- . If there ■ happens- to be an. inmate in the .rickety .village jail, the visitor hiay stroll oyer to pass a bottle of- Coca-Cola, thtoush the barred winr. dows , into ■ the ' j^rouhdflobr . cells. Probably one could also pass oyer a revolver or hacksaw;. but: appaiTently no prisoner was ever that.anxious to get out, for. it's never been done;. . B'way. Actors .Go N^ Saloons are illegal in • North . Caro- lina, so there's no . public drinking.' Current Road Shdw^ ^ :^ (^ ^Hold Od(« Tour Hats' (A1 Jolsbn, Martha Raye)—Grand Opera House, Chicago. 'Life With Fatber^Iackstone, Chicago. • ' •Meet ' the P^eoplet .— Playhouse, Hollywood. ' ,'\ . . 'Mecjt the. . People'—Geary, San Francisco; :''^:':.\- ■■' . 'Mornine Star' (Molly Picon, Jos- eph Buloff> — Brighton, Brighton Beach, .N/ Y.: •' ■■ ; . . . 'Kiss .the Boys Goodbye'-^Windsor, Bronx, N. Y. .• , ♦Pins and Needles'—Ringside! Long Beach, L. J. [ V^" \- • .V; ^Tobacco Road' . (John Barton )— Garden Pijer, Atlantic City.: ^Ladies in- Hetircmeni' (Flora Rob- son i^Maplewood, Maplewbod, N. J. •Skylark^ (Gertrude Lawrfehce)— Curranv San Francisco. ;■ : "ronigbt at 8:30'—El Captain, Hol- lywood. . ; •./ Ardrey's Thuiider Rock' It London Click on B'way B.O.S Decline Stfll Further; '8:30' OPENS IN L A., TEOPLE' GETS . Ne\ys from London last week that Robert A rdrey's 'Thunder Rock' is a hit there* and has: been moved to a W st End theatre for a regMar: run caused ironic comment aniong - the playwright's friends: Play's, click in London, is . the second time it has Los Angeles, Aug, 6. til Capitan theatre in Hollywood relighted last night (Monday) for three .'vveeks . of Noel Coward's 'To- night at" 8:30,^ presented jointly for BiritiSh War Rel^^^^^^ and the Motion Picture Relij^f : Fund; . Biggest names in the cinema colony have been lined up for the nin'e playlets to be given over the three-rweek period. 'Meet the People,' now in its sec- ond edition at the Playhouse, Holly- wood, continues to attract business and take last, week was again around the $5,000 mark. For some publicly , undisclosed reason sponsors of the revue have hot taken public" into its, confidence in advising, that current revue is by \ a : No. 2 company, the original troupe having gone to San. Francisco. Billing in; front of thea- tre remains Same as it has been for, past -seyien months. brought Ardrcy recognition, sincef Liquor may be purchased in licensed I the Group Theatre produced it un- stbres, but bottles may not be successfully Brbadway last fall, opened until taken home. New York . bthier occasion was When 'Rock* won actors ' in . the compariy,. . most; of annual Sidney How^ :whom board in priyate homes, usu ally gather after .the performance iat one < or the other of these places. And true to local custom, they stick ard awaird as the .best play of the season by a new playwright.,. : 'Ardrey, is currently in HbllyWobd on; an RKO. commitment. He to rye rather than^t^ Knew What on Broadway. They tend, to go ^hey Wanted,' from,Sidney How- native' in dress, too.. . According to local report, Paul ard's original stage play, and ■ is now doctoring 'Passport to Life.'/ Both Green, the ^^uhtzer Prize . winner , Qarson Kahin directing jobs, who wrote^ ;Lost Colony, ^is writing ■ ^^^^j^^ execs have already praised se>^r^l other hi^oncal dramas, m Uj^^ .^^^^^^v ^ h^ye ^ given addition to the dramatization with' ^^^^ ^ 50^^ ^^^^^^ boost. How- Richard Wright; of the latter's novel, 'Native Son,': for Orson Welles. Be- sides a pageant to be presented an- nually, beginning next summer at restored Williamsburg, Va., • he;s ever, he's reported coming east next month, probably with at least an idea for a new. stage play. :. 'Rock' was presented June 18 by readying a huge musical folk'drama.j Hf^b^^l^ ^^^^^^ the actor) at to be pPbduced- in the mountains of] Jhf ^eighborhood^^eatr^. j,_ s^ .North Carolina, ; Although ..he; was j:; artistically and: financially succes.s- fUl on IBroadway and in Hollywood, Green is understood to have no plans for: re-ienteririg tbe commercial theatre or pictureis.. He. lives at Chapel Hill, 'Mr. Dickens' Tryout Ctoionyi'wiTi^cipuiar'^n^ be I P«baps the mOst interesUng back repeated the f ollowing year and has ground of the new plays .to be tried subsequently become ah annual, sumtrierTlong spectacle. It Is given. Wednesday through Sunday nights. Waterside theatre seats . approxi- mately;; 4,000 ■ ('standees' perch in . trees); and, from now until the rest of the season, will draw virtual ca- . pacity, particularly weekends,^ W most tourists attend. Scale is $1 for adults and 50c for children; but con- siderable extra coin is realized fiom sale of, programs, back rests and auto-parkihg. Weekly nut is about 14,600, with the non-proOl setup sinking all coin above expenses back ,into improved and expanded produc- tion iand/pihysical layout. A few 'Broadway actors forrn the nucleus of - the cast, but others are recruited from the Carolina Play^ '.makers, at North (TiarQlina Univer- .sity, Chapel Hill, while the rest are boys from a nearby CCC camji or local residents; Idea is gradually to have the .townspeople take, over all the parts and already, thefe •" . in-; ;tense local pride in .the' sftow. • Stage On Wiiter ^ ' Stage of the .Waterside theatre ex- tends out over the waters of Roanqke: Sound, which may have something to db with' the remarkable acoustics.' P.a, is .use.d b;y" the.: narrator,, but the subscription undertaking away from the. reguljir theatre district. ■.. Michael Redgrave had the lead. part. Play was given raves by , the, critics arid drew potent business, being 'shifted to the GiobeV in the West End. ;ln a dispatch from London; to the N. Y. Time.s. Vincent Sheean expressed the opinion that the play's success was beciause it. 'has come nearer than anything else to a statement of the emotioQs^l or philosophical content of many minds in embattled England today.' A rdrey has little chance of receiv out in summer stock next week is 'Romantic Mr pickens,' which reaches the boards at the Community Playhouse, Spring Lake, N. J.. . Wednesday (14). Play is based on' ing any royalties from the play s the life of the English author and \ London succe.ss as long as the war was written by'; H. H. Harper, | continues, as the British government wealthy New. Yorker, in collabora- has, curbed the export of credits. Estimates for Last Week - Key: C (comedy) ^' Dr <drumn), R (revue) , M (rfvusicol), F (fan^f), O (operetta); tiori with his" wife. Marguerite, Un derstood he paid $35,000 for private London click; of -Rock' is the .first success Ardrey has- bad, although Dickens letters, from which much of for the last, several seasons he s been the text was obtained ,. /, repea e^ly re^fred ^ Cast - will be headed by Erin j ^pg play wright,' a term that has^be- oSieh.Mbbre!^Rjbert • Keith /andjco^e increas ingly irritating :to hi^ Zolya Talma, It is being presented j s4''S2J,roSri'"?mr h "Sg ^ Hampden's 'Calamtty* Just sort this week on a combined vaca- AUantie eity, Aug. 6. : tionV but will. commute to NeW York Walter Hampden, Kum> during the s'tage play's showing tol rn^r'? :'Successful/ Calamity,';; ended resume her radio appearances. She an n.g week'.s/fengagement at Gar' ■; V.;;.;:Ghicago,: AUg.-.6;... iDecisibn has been made to keep 'Hold Onto Your. Hats' here for an additional fortnight, making it a six- week run in the Grand. With cooler weather, the boxoff ice has responded satisfactorily. Ruby Keeler has left the show and Eunice Healey has taken over, place. ■Life with Father'- also upped brt the weather break and is a cinch, for many more weeks in the-Bliackstone. Estimates for List Week > 'Hold Onto Tour Hats,' Grand (3d week) (1,300: $3.85). Bounced .back to better money figure, on thermome- ter's ielreat and came up with $21,000. ., ... ■ : 'Life With Father,' Blackstohe (24th week) (1.200; $2.75). Came back also with, better: weather, taking $11,5.00. Stfawfcat Tryputs .. THIS WEEK ■ ' ; (Opened Mondov .<5) ,. unlefif dtHer- .. wise Ttoted) 'Carriage Trade,' by Robert Thorn- sen, at Stamford (Conji.) Commun- ity playhouse. •Alwayo Romance,' by Taylor Holmes and Norman Clark, at Pirie< Grove . playhouse,. .C a m b r i d g e Springs. Pa. 'The Adam Family,' by John Sand and Fianhy Jocelyn, «t Stony Creek (Conn.) theatre, ; 'Dark Horses,' by Harry Antrim^ at Chase Barn theatre, Whitefield, n; h. ■■ ' ■' ■ 'After the Ball/ musical satire by Edward Eager, at Clinton (Conn.) pliayhoose (opened last night—Tues- day). . ■ ■;■• • 'Private Confusion,' by Hardie .Al- bright and Peter Austin Parkeir, at Rye Beach, N. H, (opened last night .-r-Tue-sday),, 'Sleeping Partners.' by Sacha Guitry. adapted by ,Seymour Hicks, . ^DiiBarry Was a Lady,' 46th St. f35th week) (M-1,375; $4 40). Grosses continued to : decline; 'despite the paucity, of Shows, the heat during the latter half of.:July singed the boxoffico; $16,000 was low for en- . ^agemeht;: virtual even br^ak. . 'Hellzapoppin,* iVinter Garden (98th week) (Rr 1,671; $3.30). Won- der draw holds to excellent profits; went: off. last week, when the gross : was around $21;000;' 'Ui<:hcr and Highcr,'~Shubert (12th week) (Mr 1,405; $4,40). ... Resumed Monday (5) . after having, laid; off since June 20; was rated one of the musical hits of , last season. 'Life With Fother,' Empire (39th week) (C-1,095; $3.30). No exciep-; tion last' week lot froiit-ruhning ' straight show, which eased , off and ,; was quoted at $15,300, plenty profit. : 'Louisiana Purchase/ Imperial (10th week) (M-1,450; $4.40). .Off: slightly at night, but afternoon per- forrhances capacity and . not; muchv change in gross, whibh Was around . $31,000 level; easily b.^st grosser. ; : : 'Man Who. Came to Dinner/ MuSic Box (42nd V/eek) (C-1,012;: $3.90). SIipped with the others; takings ap- ; proximated; $8,500; maybe slight profit at that figure'. 'Separate Booms,' Plymouth (19th week) (C-l;075; $3.30). Has . been bettering even break right along, £l1- though grosses of cut-rater are quite modest; slightly under $5,000; may stay into fall.. : ^ 'There Shall Be No " Nleht/ Alviii (I4th -week) (D-1,375; $3.30). Sus-;: pends .performances Friday (9!» . un- til September 9; about the sanrie, with the takings bit less than $10,000. 'Tobacco Road,' Forrest (256th week) (C-1,107; $1.10). Another week to go for 'dramatic freak that • broke the run • record; takings Ht, lowest scale on/ list about $3,500.;.' .. SUSPENDED ; •■■■ •■ 'Keep 0|f the Grass.' -Listed to re- . s.Ume late this mbiith, but nothing definite about relighting as yet. has iarranged; to take care of the ehild of a London friend for the duration.; den- Pier Saturday night (3).: Show j g^. Spring Lake (Ni J.) Community grossed approximately $3,000. j playhouse (opens tonight—Wednes- In Hampden's 'company are 'Tam- d^y); : ■ J'.. ara Charles; Harry Neville, Atden Young, David Leonard, Mildred More Strawhats Fold • ■:- '[.Baker. Bob Kerr, Arthur- Tell, 'Alex- Dismal business, which .has i arider Campbell. Norman Stuart, plagued the strawhat theatres •con- ; Hem\V. .'•. Mowb and -piorence:. tinuously this season, has forced the . Young. ;...■;-.;:. "shuttering of several /more... West- ;'. John Barton'. ' ;; .'Tobacco -Road' Chester playhouse, Mt,:Kisco,: N. . Y., .j opened . Sunday .night (4) at Garden: voic^S^rtke^others^^^e^^cit^ fied and; .yet ;are clearly audible in [start of the summer, -has announced.; 1 nighl .audience .so lar this season . ali; parts of the -huge amphitheatre : : Backwall of the stage., light towers and stockade surrounding the thea- tre are built bf logs, .carrying but; ; the: ;. scheihe .. of ; restored : pioneer •buildings.; .Only scenery is the.log bndkwali; and .several ;s(;r£^^ for the London scenes it will fold this Saturday night (10) Stamford. (Conn;) Community: play-; house goes dark the same nigiit.;the Hunterdon Hills' playhouse, Jutland. N. J.. closed last Saturday (S). and. the County theatre, .Suffern, N. Y-..: failed to give a performajfice. Mon- day ight (5). Last-named' spot. , 'White Pony,' -by Marion ..Lloyd,' at W'Qodsto'Gk fN. Y:.): piayhOuse::^(^^^^ tomorrow—"hiursday). (Open Order Exam of Lee SImlwrt m Lee Shubert will be examined be- fore trial Aug. 15 in N. Y. supireme court in connection with a $25,000 action against the Shubert Theatre Corp. brought by Sidney Wilmer and Walter Vincent, doing bu.siness as Wilmer & Vincent. Justice Felix Benvehga ordered the examination yesterday (Tues.)* , > ; Action seeks an accounting of profits received through the stage and screen presentation of the operetta, 'Countess Maritza,* the rights to which were owned by the plaintiff, and turned over to the Shuberts in 1924 for 10 % of the net profits. It is claimed that the profits through stage presentation and sale Of film rights now exceed $250,000, but the plaintiffs claim they, have been paid nothing. 'EAST WIND' OPENS WELL IN ST. LOUIS ^ . ^ St. Louis, Aug. ; 8. "'East Wind,' the only Sigmund Romberg romantic musical to be presented ^ during ^ the current sea- son ; in the Municipal Theatre Assn's Alfresco playhouse in Forest park, began a week's engagement last night (Monday), with the blistering: hot spell that lasted 12 days broken, rain - on opening night didn't dis- /vp-Y-r wii'FK\ courage A mob that dished but ap- (NE^T WKEK) , . proximately $3,000. Aug. ,12, unless oihftrv:xse ■ Cast includes Sterling HoUoway, noted) . I screien comedian; Nancy McCord. 'The World Walks In,' by John : Walter Cassel. Vera Marshe, Joseph Gampliell Cro.«by and .lohn.Golden,IMacaulay;, Bob Lawrence, Doug at: Ridge way theatre, White; Plains, ! Leavitt. Helen Marshall. Ruth Urban, -■-Watching—a—pei'foi'manc darkness,: one has, only eyes, slightly to ;see the floodlighted. Wright Brothers' memorial; ..mbnu- inent gl^arhing :bri the ^d Hawk two or; three miles' across Roanoke:. Sound. It offers a ciirious Portland, Ore., Aug. ,6, .; i; John Charles Thomas as guest 'art- ist with Portland; suirimer .synip.hony litage; hai^; oiitdooTilast riight riMonday)' ■drc\y N. Y. 'Dollars Frederic. Perisson. Ai ; Downing, ahd Horse' Seme'^ bv ^ J^mcs Gillis and Nancy Healy. Miss and.. Horse Sense, oy , jyjgCor.d, a click in 'Apple Blossoms' grieal crowd. Gross ;;estjmat€d :at '^SiObO;; to lift his been having, financial troiible.s Ayith \Equity. Management claimed , the hou.se would relight; last, night (Tuesday').' •. '■ ' ' ■ ^ , \ \^ Amonii the spots that had pre- , .. . . .. vi^^^losld- Srefe-the. StiHight ;^summer.;th€atre^gagements^rid-is, contrast of the^p^stand^ the:present,:Uheatre^.Pawl^ of long-vahished pioneers and ; the [ land Park theatre, R0chest^er,.N^^^ I her talher, George Abbou great nation they helped to build, : ' : and; the Portland (McJ ..Civic Ihe- j Rpanpke Island itself . fatcin- atre; Judith Abbott has completed her. Laittet is' ' (lue; bifiCk v~(3(.\\ { from the . Coast. to ready: his laH:;sHoW.;;■ :";;' at Cambridge, Ma.s.c. -, ; " Holloway, both making local, bows, 'Very Liberal. Arts,' by Muriel !;seeks-bvei" the comedy fole.s.. , Roy. Ballon, at Coach House tH'ea'tve,.!.; .'With'.12; sec the; piece, the ' "Thii A«ioiii<hi>ii Oslricli • bv Ar-'! fQi* the. first time thisiSea.'ion, . Mirer- ^•I vV a'^X > * ."r^^^^ I car.'Director Jacob Schwartzdorf . ii :plftbald ..M^n2ies, .aV,.l.obe.:ft. T:h^ Santa, Barbara, . ■.. ^ . : ,, , ]{eot wave; that did-.not break un- •Not in Our SlarK,'.''by: RogmKld..^ Saturday (3) and was Xol lowed; by Lawrence, at Newport .(R. 1.;) Casi.iio k :heav.y;do.wriijdur of . rai.l ci-'impedi theatre (opens Aug; 13..;i. >. j b;b^;^acUvity;for.'Anything Goes'and ■ ■.'Eomaiitfc'.Mr; Dlcken.Si'' at ..Spring ■. piece,. •\vh'ii'<h■ eudcd: oncVv/c'ck stah'd h^ice . (N. -J;) Community ■•liiejitiit; . Svirid.i'y. i'4), :g»'$«.s6rt:,'f.n,-'ap'proxjm''ate., (opens Aug. 14). S.OO.tKJO, .below-av: .: ^ ;