Variety (Sep 1940)

USGItlMAtE Wednesday, September IX, 194Q IBoys And GirU Together Boston, Sept. 4; ■;. ■.: ■ Rovu» preaantea by and fltarrlngr Ed Wynn; feature!) Xlie Da ■ Marcos.-Jane Plckena. and D.ive Apollon; book, Ed Wynn and ' Pat C. FUfelc;. music, .Sammy Fuln; lyrlca, Jack Yellen and Irvlnsf Kah«l; Choresgraphy, Albertlha Ra^ch;. acenea .de^ ?Jg;uod and executed by Odeh Waller; cos- umeii designed by Ireriis Sharan. executed by Veronica; hats. ;Johri Fredericks; -ot- Cbesfratlohs, Hans Splalek; additional-ar- taWgemeutai Hussell Bennett and Don Walker; muBloa;i director, Johii McMenua; jt Shubert theatre,; Bosipn, .Sept, 4/, 40,;, .Princlpaia: Ltivarre BroR.> Phyllis Colt, Walter Long, Edna Sedgwick,, Al 'Burtin, The Six AVlllySi ' Jack . Connover., Jerry Cooper, Sally Craven, Doi'othy Kostei-, Dot tihd Dick Remy. Xiuclenne and ' Ashour, liorerice Foster, Alice P.ory, Carolyn Marsh, At Valentl, Tt»e Wynnaome Dancing Oirla (17). The Cocktail Hour GUIs (8). This is a smash hit. Ed Wynn is at his best as the intimMe m^c, steer- ing a string: of socko acts through three and a halt hours of solid enr tertainment. The tough job will be duttihg at least • 30 iriiinute^ and gpeieding up the rest." : Most newswdrthy is that 'Boys aind Girls' reveals a new arid better Sid Wynn. The 'Perlect Fool' has toned down for this revue. -He's Jess 'foolish' and more lunny,; On opening night he was a laugh-ar minute With his seeming adlibbmg and joshing about the show's minor mishaps.' It's, doubtful that, he ever deUviered a .better performance. From the very opening, when he steps bUt of a trunk to explain that he's got a different show, he; has •em hanging onto every quip and gesture^ uAtil the barrage of curtain talis at the finale. . - Wyrin pulls some nifties out of his ^bai^f^ riclcs, and the bpst is hiSv playing a piahb . (custom-built on a Tricycle gear) with . Jane. "Pickens ilhgirig atop thei piano while Wynn toedals the fig back and forth in rhythm to her song. In another icene he goes in for hokumi trick ;:shooting and the draping of show- girls in fabrics. And there are plenty more clever comedy touches that Will delight the old and new Wynn 'jtaiis.. - Costumes by frene Sharafl and sets by. Oden Waller get gasps all the Viray and give the show a richness Snd class that have not been seen ere in many a season. Chorebg- rajphy by Albertina. Rasch Is also something to talk about, .and the Eumber that will stir the most gab I her very smart and novel idea of combining all types ^bf dancing Which run simultaneously in a satire .oh a Broadway rehiearsal hall. . The DeMaircds, a rare isight In these- parts, stop everythihg, when- over • they appear—and "they dance often, in a gamut of mopds and rou- tines, each a model of perfection in , grace and sfcilL Miss Pickens sells her songs in Clicko manner and also piroves her- self an able trouper with Wynn; in the incidental funny biz he Weaves into the Introduction. . Tschaikow- »ky* shows off her voice in classical passages, as does an opeiratic: comedy paraphrasing of 'Liable, to Catch On.' Her swingy tune is 'Catsup on thie Moon,' one of the better songs of the show. Best bet is 'I Want to Live,' . sung hy Jerry Cooper, who also duets with Miss Pickens in 'Such Stuil as Dreams Are Made Of.* The nale number, "The Sun Will Be Up in the Morning,' sounds catchy. Dave ApoUon, topbilied with Miss Pickens and the DeMarcoSj was lost at the preem in a bit of vodki hoof- ing in the first act; but showed up .in the. second stanza-for a flock of ' bows on his mandolin playing. Wynn draws well and wisely bn vaude talent, and that is one big reason why 'Boys and; Gifls' should Stay together for a long run. The LaVarre brothers sock over early jo slow, comedy jrisley, which ultimate- iy involves Wynn in a goofy .twist- lip., LuQienrie and Ashour wharii with their Apache turn.. Dick; and Dct Reniy.: comedy acrb duo, click in a iscetie with the star; The Six Willys, riot seen around here before, display soriie gi-dup prer cision juggling:that shdlild make for gpbd- word-bfrrributh ■■. adyertiisirig. Tossing clubis - and hoops, . this troupe aiidS novelty to the work, by acro- batic eriibellishments.. Two pairs of jugglers, double-mounted , with the grbiiridmen. perched pn ladders, fire away at each, other with clubs, .for, their flashiest tirickv"- .. . Sally Craven, tbe-dancer, . and Walter Long, smooth, - fa?t. tapper, stand but among the . vspecialists, Edna Sedgwick, tapper, and Flprerice Foster, toe-kick, also show well In several- numbers. . ■ . Other solo ,sirigers are Phyllis Colt, who iritrbduces. 'Jitterbugging with the Yourig Folks' arid 'Liable to Catch: On,' and Carolyn Marsh, who does.'The Latin in Me.'. Future producers of revues may take a tip from Wynn ariaTTdrget the blackouts. which today .farely bat well.: (jleah. comedy arid ace variety, talent aire riifty substitutes, as sho\yn; here; ■ In orie of his skits Wynn.dippied.off a sample of a stair carpet and tossed it into the audience to' prpve the quality' oif the. merchandise used. ia staging 'Boys arid Girls.' M?iyb.e It's a symbol that he's shot the works— but it . sure looks like' he'U get it-hack r^and plus.. . Fox, medical missionaries who knew Mary qari he have surcease. It is claimed that tho "script read better than it jilayed, but that ii boen to a difference of opinion. There are riiedical terms with which, tlie average playgoer Is unfariilliar, especially in the first half of the play. At iiriies, too, the actors seenied to mouth Their words.: \ Fairly gobd cast is seen. With- Alex- ander Knbx and Jessica Tandy play- ing Venrier and Mary, the leads. Miss Tandy, ^vhose work In 'The Wlllte Steed' gained attention on Broad- way, makes Mary .the only, appealing character in the play . Knox, a Ca- nadian, better known in London than- New York, gives a rather autheritlc reading of the. young scientist.^ Edith Meiser- is very good, as the sbnibre matron. . Charles Jordari,/ as a. salesriiari for a. medical product house, is. aririifsing Iri . a small . part. Reginald Mason la likeable as an elderly doctor who soriietimes utters sage reriiarkSi Nancy Sheridan as the wife and Philip 'Torige as her doctor husbiand are' the, best; of the others. Ibee.; ..Continued /rom page 43i JUPITER LAUGHS . Drama In three,acts by Dr.. A-.^'J; Ci:6nln; presented, by Bernard Ki:^\yans . (for War- ners); staged by ' Reginald . Dephifm;. set- tings, Raymond Sovey; opened at BUtmore, N. Y.. Sept. 9 ,'40; |3;30 top.. Dr., Richard Dre.wett...... Reginald. Miie'dn Dr. Oeorge■ Th'cirogobd. . ',.. .'. .Carl Harbord Dr. Paul Venner.. i ...'.;..; Alexander :Knox Matron, Faiiny. I^ieemlng......Edith M.clser Dr. :Edgar:Bragg.-.:... r....... ...Philip Tohge Dr. Mary. Murry...i,,Jessica: Tandy Jennie,....... .Mary"Orr Gladys Bragg .Nancy .Sheridan Albert Chtvers...v..Cliarles Jordan Martha Foster.........,... .Esther Mitchell piainarits; Ideal. presentation; b a one-scene; . small-cast: play/ but: few shows of that type have clicked in recent, seasons: Biggest majority of scripts .call for :mbre than: brie' set- ting and, are written for fairly large leasts.:'. ■■ Weather has been one.: of the most Important angles ' delaying the start of th6 legit season. The record cool of. Augiist; hbidlng-over into :iearly: September, wai; unforeseenj biit has been a! real, break for the few shows that played through the season. It's contended that Brnat^- .Continued frbmpaKt 4$. America'*, .blstlnctlve :Ehtertalqer ■VClftWENTLT'- CAU-NEVA LQDiGE Washoe couNiiv; nevaba • Mgt^: VVM. KENT ^ 1776 BVay. New York First new play of the Broadway season Is a British importation, hav- ing been" authored by Dr. A. J. Cro- nin, best-selling British , noyellst- medlcb, though it has not been pre- sented . In England as. yet; It's too heavy for more than limited appeal Iri. times when lighter works figure to heiye. the :call. • . . : . .'Jupiter: Laughs' is drariia with a feW; comedy interludes. Last act seems best: probably because of■ Its sentimentality arid: despite the ab- sence, of the play's most attractive character, wiped out by . tragedy in the second-act, It Is set within•, the cbriunon, or. living, rooni of an English sanato- rium ioir nervous disorders, and the principal characters are v the. staff, physicians. There are no patients on view. one or two being mentioned In the course of the play; Dr. Paul Veriner is a brilliant research work- er ba the verge of perfecting a sub- stance which through injection will revitalize shattered. nervous sys- .teins. .. Venner is moody, a genius who bias the. knack of gaining enmity rather than friendship. He particularly wins the dislike of the matron whbse po- sition in the institiitlori is rather strange, .she having the confidence of Dr. Bragg whb^cond^cts the hos- pital. Venner is carrying on a dila- tory affair, with Bragg's wife and the matron discovers; the irelatlbnshlp. .. . When young:; DK Maiy Murray joins the staff, Venner's attention: is drawn to her, ' although his actions belie his affections; Within a few months they declare their love. Miary is about to leave fbr ; China to do r ;sslonary work, as did her father. Venrier .has virtually pi-omlsed .to go along, but later she agrees to stay so that they can be wftd. Elderly Dr. Drewett is skeptical of ' their alliance, pointing but - that incompatibility miist result In a ; union wnere the wife believes in religion ■While: the hiisband Vis a scientist. Climax to story comes in second, act when a| patient under treatmient by Veriner Sudderily expires. .The doctor had Earned that while.' the man's mental conditiori had cleared up under the. reaction of the Injec- tioris,; h^, was quite ill, With a weak heart. .-The sinister and spinsterly hiatrpn contrives to have his labora- tory ; locked. ; Later, she.. gives the key to the "Jealous wife who attempts_ to. burn his papers. '■ Mary. rushes In to sittve. the. valuable formulae, there is ari-exploslpn, and she, dies;, : , In the firial act, wheri Venner Is recovering frbm a riiutilated hand sustained' when he attempted to save Mary, "a .medical journal prints the results of his new treatment for mental disorders and the highest honors'i-are'ihis-.for^rthe. acceptance, .Instead, Venner, brooding over the death of his 'beloved,; goes . Off to Chiriai. there to: continue his research, BtB; feels that only there amidst the way has rarely had as few as seven shows In late August, which is the case this year. One manager claims no,: such coridltipn has existiBd for more than 25 years. He: blames it on .the playwrights pririclpally. Whatever the reason It is noted that for once Hollywood Is not Tneri- tibned as bianiable,v.aIthough aiithors who turned out hits are still on the Coast lots. . . ■ .:..: .;':-No\ More Giin-^Beailhf -. Most; managers to: beat the: Labor Day gun 'by. opening in August have ceased to; do so. For one . thing the re,al theatre .crpWds are scarce In the city during the montii, . while visitors; are too w^ary to attend shows that have no repu- tations.: .-.They know what they want to see before coming .to l^ew York. In. addition, August and' earlyrSep- tember premieres In .fprmer. :years was a. virtual succession of flops and it. would appear that producers are rnore .wary of showing tlielr ^wares dvirlrig a. period when the . chances aire least advantageous. . . The . season,. 1940-41 ppencd last week with revival, William A.. Brady offering Grisibe George > (Mrs. Brady) to a generally favorable press arid fairly gopd : attendance. The veteran a'rgues that Other show- riien. will folipw his lead by staging other revivals. . He Is one Who be- lieyes there Is a gteater dearth o; good material than ever before. Brady; points out ;that a wo'^tbwhlle new play was riot even dlscbvered I for Helen Hayes, Who is to appear version' and Grace Gebrgt in 'Kind Lady.';/-;-:-;.-.- Grosses Below Eixpeolaiioiu Witii grbsses far below expecta- tibns over much of the cbwbarn cir-^ cuitj the theatre operators were wringing their hands for several other reasons. Cbmplairit of many bf the, manageriientf was of excessive salary ^ demanids of ; name .players. Explained that whereas -in former- years . stars were .willirig to , db sum- mer theatre appearances for nominal salary; real names this sumirier geri-. erally : demanded guarantees of $1,000 week and ii percentage of the gross. Managers, admit they themselves are to ■ blame for the condition because they , built- up the straw- bat 'star .. system' ■ arid ; educated audiences to.; demand, names. But they now assert that the big trme; sal- ary demands- of the name, players have eaten up the chance of making a profit. Several Of the . managers explain that they woiildn't mind gambling with the stars—either giv- ing flat salary or straight percent- age. But they - claim that with the. nariie players refusing to gamble, in- sisting on both . a guarantee and percentage, the . management has only an outside chance of making a proflt, ' , ■ . .', :■::';-.' V Gaest Policy Skids' . Several of the establishied theatres which V operated ; on a guest-star policy \ had ' unsuccessful seasons, while certain other spbts,' either with or without itars, .c lieaned' up as well or, in some cases, even better, than usual; That has lead s.everal straw- hatters to declare they intend try- ing to do Without names next season. Figured the principal requirement for success with a non-name policy is to. build; up: a. draw • gradually on the basis of smboth. all-around per- formance.. .Also to establish the regular' m embers. of the resident company as personalities With a local following.., Admitted that, is tough to dp, frequently taking several sea- sons of painstaking work. But It has been proved to offer the best chance of making a substantial proflt over a period of years. . Secondary.film names meant virtu- •ally nothing, It was said, while Wji toppers sometlriies clicked and some, times didn't. , Although Tallulah Bankhead was surefire, Ethel Barry, more was In-and-out. And when one of the Connecticut, henhouses had; a. flrst-class attraction, all thi others suffered. Frequency with which tha barn theatres change hands also has hurt them. Most successful house of tht lot in Cbnnectlcut is Ivory ton, which has been operated for 11 consecutive years by Milton StlefeL "There Shall Be No NlffhC Instead of ; becoming dated and losing its inipact as the events it de« ' picts are crowded into: .tht back* grourid by current headlines, - 'There Shall Be No Night' still explodes in the theatre with the immediacy and concussion of a, bomb. At the Alvin, N. Y., where it. reopened Monday night .(7) after several weeks' layoff,. it left the- audience stunned and limp; The Robert E.. Slierwiwd drama was overpowering .when it.' opened last spring, but with the battle of London ,ringlrig.,in every spectator's ears, the play is an ex- hausting, emotional experience.. , The performance has. certainly lost • none of its edge. First few' scenes seemed a trifle hurriedly played and the audience giggled frequently at the coniedy touches. But as the pnwpihfnl «PPnnH art rrilU npvp.ss ih^ 'soon In 'Twelfth Night,* with Mau rice Evans co-starfing. -; Seasbn Is really' teeing oft this week with the $8.80 .debut of 'Hats' a^ the Shubert and the opening of 'Jupiter Laughs,' Biltmore, while 'Thiere Shall Be No Night' relights at the; Alvin; Added ts a magic sTiow, .'Sim Bala .Bim,' which opened at the Mbrosco. •The . manager - author - production setups are not said to have much more material than producers •who say that likely material Is not at hand, but whether that Is correct will be. evident by Noyeriiber -when the season shbuld have reached its stride. :■"•,', Stanley 'Richards, and' ■ Marten Clarke are completing a ..hew; rinusl- cal comedy, 'Here and There a Star/ Richards, a press agent, Is doing the .book and lyrics, while Clarke, ar- ranger, for Harry James' band* is composed the score. Clarke recently.. . cpmpleted a straight comedy, 'Quan- tity Beach,' , Lyn Murray wUl do the choral arrangements 'for: 'Panama Hattle.' •It's his first legit show 'since 'Swing- in the Dream.' He does the choral arranging for the Lucky Strike 'Hit Parade' ai;d composes the' back- ..groundi.iscores-for^.-IEliery^ .Queen,'^.... .Elmer Kenybri out ahead of 'Phil- adelphia Stoiy' tQur, ,, Conn. Barnyard Season Generally a B.O. Washout Hartford, Conn., Sept. 10. Waning barnyard season has been pretty, much a flnancial washout in Connecticut., In addition to hard- ships of bad weather, . inability to get a; sufficient number of top b;o« names and general apathy of po- tential- audiences, there were twO new houses this year to. siphon off part of the ' take in . this already over-theatred tierritory.. How thin tht grosses had. to be spread Is evident from the fact that there were 15 houses. Operating along and nearby the Connecticut shore of Long Island Sound, plus three in nearby Westchester county, N. Y. This gives the area probably one of the largest, number of houses of any area In the country of sim- ilar size and population. It's esti- mated to be at least twice over- seated. , ' .;■ New houses art at Stamford and Indian Neck, Bramford, both draw- .ing from . tht NeW Haven arid Bridgeport territory. Others de- pendtng on the same, audience are at Westport, MilforC, Stony Creek, Guilford, Clinton and Ivoryton, al- though those from Stony Creek to Ivory ton get some, trade from Hart- ford, in the Hartford territory proper are Litchfield, Rldgefleld (two theatres), Bolton,. Salisbury, Canton and Suflield. Within draw- ing. . distance in Westchester are hoiises at Mt. Kisco, Pawling and White Plains. ; Ditto Next Yesr Despite ;the flriancial shellacking taken by most of the barns, it Is fully expected that at least the same- number; and perhaps iripre, will be at It again next yea:i:. ,:In rriost .cases they are angeled by dilletantes. The Intimacy of the whole operation is jnore entiping than the Commerclalr Ism of; the'Big Bright Way. ; ■ .*.. .:- There seem to have j ust as many :visitprsyfrpm NevO: ..Yprk.-s along the shore this year as In the past but a survey bf managers re- veals that far fewer were attendlrig the barns, this, seaspri. As one ppr erator, burned at the cheap produc- tions being staged' by some pf his cpmpetitibn, put it; : 'Appairently they've wised up to the strawhats.': First-class film names were. said by ' the ■ bpefatprs ■fo the ..only" b.b.' draw that could absolutely be de- pended. :up6ri, and these werie- rribre: difficult to get than, ever before. ■ ■ , ■■■ ..-.v.....:■ ■ ■ ■ v' footlights it engulfs the audience with emotion bordering at times on hysteria, .; Alfred Lunt's and Lynii Fontanne's performances, on a steadily rising intensity, are linques' tlonably the finest of their brilliant careers and among the greatest one may hope to see; iri a lifetime of playgoing. Richard Whorf, Sydney Greenstreet and the entire company play with irresistible conviction.' •This devesting effect of the play win surely have a. similar result when ;'Nlght'. goes -on tour,: as it's scheduled. to do. after eight weeks. If road aiidiences are not repellqd and shocked by the show's emo- tional' impact, it will at least have an; Increasing effect on public senti- ment, in the U. S. Kobe, Tbulslan^ Purclvuit' \ Currently in its fourth month at the Inipcrial, N. Y., thia Irving Bei'« lin-Mprrle. Ryskind musical contin- - ues to draw standees to most per* forrriances—and deservedly so.. Shov^ has held up Unusually ; well for. a musical. Chorua has grown some- what careless and the dance routines are therefore a trifle ragged, but the principals do little clowning and, in the case of Victor Moore* actually seem even surer than at the opening.: Score has also grown familiar via radio, several of the tunes having developed into hits. Vera Zorlna's dancing retains Its crisp grace and, although she breaks up occasionally, her generally distinc- tive; Way of reading lines gives them intriguing values. Billy Gaxlon'i playing is even broader than before most of his lines being punched home from downstage center, but he continues to supply drive to tho whole'show. Irene BordonI retains her skill at putting over a song, and Carol Bruce also continues to build up her vocal. nimibera. Bobby Do- lan's handling of the orchestra It notable. Costumes have been kept in fresh condition; Entire produc- tion shows first-rate handling by B: O. De Sylva, the presenter. Hob«, iHi MoBti/Producer Milli Monti, whio. recently closed In the unsuccessful tiyout 'Little Dog Laughed,' has been given a waiver by Equity to appear In a new show, 'Conquest In April.' ; Actress-slhger is an: alien and would ordinarily. be required to wait six mbriths before taking another legit engageriient, bxit she is listed as co-prodiicer- :of the new show with Louise Du Pont Car- penter, "so the Equity okay was granted. Latter, a member of the partner- ship of Flnch-Carperiter, which last season. sponsored the road : tour; of. •Impprtarice of . Being -Earnest,''w^ the niajor baClceie^ pf 'Little Dog.' I berson's New Spot; -'•;.; '• . . ~ Chicago, Sept. 10. Sam Gerson, nrtidweist manager for the ShUberts, has taken personal lease ,on the; Grand. Opera.Hou.se and retains Interest' and supervision of Harris and Setwyri. V In new house rnariagerial setup*. Abe Cohen' be'come.V m Harris and Andy Ca.se the Selwyn. Van Seilz named manager qL the Grand. . i