Variety (Nov 1942)

52 LEGITIMATE Wednesday, November 25, 1942 Plays on Broadway The Skin of Our Teeth IM,- •! i.-.l .1 I-: I,..Mill. V l", ■ 1.-. i.v M -; .• 1 .'.K.-Iii. i^. 1 :i. II i..i.i.. .1 1'. M.ij. h. i'i..i, ;. ■ I-::.;- i l.it, 111.-I. n II. I n.-.-i f- ..Ml -.1. f. l-v i: I.I K..,; .11. i-.;iii...> .\',.,.il .Ii4i;-^ ..■ . S : s.', I, j. S.,l..i.;i 'I'.ill.il.ih ILiiikli. ;! I Ml, l'H.;|.. I. I. K I*: i;. \\ ii ^li.i.l .Ml.. .\iM..i.i.. ri..r-ii.- Kl.lii.l;. tiiii-^.iUi H.'.ii.i Hull..ill. .M.iiiiinoili .-ViLli-.-M lt:.i..i|.h.'ir T.-l.-tiui'li l:..v I>i.l,i.- V.iii l':iil- ii (;i;i.iva I 'l 111- ll-Tii H.-nii- .\I..iil>.-. ii.iv ' lilt Mr Aiili..1.ii.< l-'...|ii. .Mii.h I iiit (..! \i thllr I :i :Il 111 l'lv.f.•>^•i^ IClh.li K-U .1 I Ju.lc.- I. ..i. l.Ii >'nii;.-v llii i.i-i . U.ili '\ I'lillm III Miv- i:. .\lii>.' IMi.h f.iVM-h i:.. M.^- I" .\|.i.-.- I...11 i:"-- .Mi>- M. .Mil.-.- l;v;i .\Ui.li;.' N.''.-.ii 1 .<l..i.;.> ri.i;.M r.i..r II.III. il;ir;. i:il i:lizil.i-lli -ii..!! IMII |-.,li;. I.I i:i..r.|.ili r..iiiiii.- r.!i-i Ki 1.1- ii-.'.i (•Il:.ir I'll-ll.i i:.iil S>.li>^ii I 111 11 I'U.sh.l (•:.li..|l flaiU (•..t.v.-.ii.l .Sl..ii|.> \\-:W ('.•ii\f.-llfi S.-11111 .s l-'lviii. (■..li\ |..Mii-r \ul.l .-v [■■;iM*"H ft.l.M l II. r Sl.'|.lt;iii I*..I.. l:i.i;iili ;i>l (l(Tl.-i:iI, Ml.11..11 |l.ii"..^:;i Ml". 'J'ri-iii:iviK- I'.iilph Ki'H.ir.l Hp,:,.| Kllhil.i-ll.- .\l...iiv 1\\ \'ii.!;i I*o;iii First iiiijht impression Was that 'The Skin of Our Teeth' may not be a smash success, but will com- mand enough specialized patronage to be profitable. There has been a continuous line at the buxofTice since opening. Average playgoer will not be hep to what Tlioi;'nton Wilder aims to convey, his conviction being that civ- ilized man will survive through all world upheavals. The story unfolds so wierdly that (he onlooker is likely to be confused and wonder what it is all about. Until the last act the play is fantastic, but during the final interlude the author gels over his punch, partially, with the result that there is a certain amount of audience satisfaction. In his playwrighting Wilder con- forms to no formulae. That was in- dicated by "Our Town.' which won a Pulitzer prize, and he emphasizes it now to a greater degree. There i)eiiii> pill ill place by a couple of capL-riii.; .iclors. Rolling chairs with coloit'd iillcndiints arc aulhi'iitic (.•iiouuli. carryiiij; the name of Shill. who iimlrul.< the cnncosion at the ro.-Mjri. Om- of the audience bits prolutles the tliiid act. Salvation Army nui..iiriil limr walking down the ai.^lo and nivinjt out with an olT-kt'y luinibcr. si;iiii(icancc of which Sabina wouldn't know either. There is a >horl curtain for the Hiialo and, when il ri.-ii\<, Sabiiia i.< dusting the joint, ju.-t as at tlic start, saying: "That's where you came in.' Miss Bankhoad is tops in the new plu>. Her Sabina :s an attractive wench with shapoly loss and >ho handles most cil llio dialog directly aimed at the audience. She declares she cannot yo Ihroutjh with the scene, while on the ramp, which brings out the protesting stage manager with script in his hand. In the last act she. explains the performance is delayed because six members of the cast were ill with ptomaine poison- ing. That brings on Miss Bankhead's colored maid and Fredric March's dre.sser to portray philosophers. Scene between Miss Bankhcad and March, when she is on the make, is made really something when he gives her an amatory kiss. March by the way is a crack at osculation, for when he caresses Florence Eld- ridge il not only looks but sounds authentic. March and Miss Eldridge team with Miss Bankhead as the star players. His Mr. Antrobus may be a curious fellow, but so are they all. while his third act performance is the mollifying clement. Miss Eld' ridge gives one of her best perform- ances on Broadway, though hardly the tigress that Sabina says she is. All three have long speeches in a play that in itself is not over long and some of those interludes are definitely dull. Florence Reed, who is featured, appears only in the sec- ond act, playing a fortune teller. Author's tricks with that character has her saying it is easy to forecast the future, but difficult to tell of the past. Cast is rather large, but there are is ad libbing also asides, but not '"^"y "^'tf- Among others who count in the familiar manner. The audi ence is told by Tallulah Bankhead, one of the leading characters, that she doesn't understand anything in the play and doubts whether any- one else will. Symbolic or fantastic, "Teeth' is as controversial as first indicated out of town. Little doubt that a portion of its patrons will accept it as ex- ceptional comedy, while others will , regard the whole performance as ' screwy theatre. Program note says that it's about 'average Americans at grips with a destiny, sometimes sour, sometimes sweet.. .ultimately bewitched, befuddled and becalmed they are the stuff that heroes are made—heroes and buffoons.' Sabina, the gay maid in the Jer- sey home of Mr. and Mrs. Antrobus, who have two children, says at the start that we survived from the depression by the skin of pur teeth and that applies to other calamities. It is the coldest day of the year, yet the date is mid-August, and to keep the lire burning the furniture is broken, while she appeals to those out front to tear up seats and pass up the wood; that's one of the audi- ence bits. The ice cap is descending upon the people, a miniature dino- saur and mammoth frisk on the lawn. Certainly seems a nutty mixture for supposedly average surroundings of a family resident m suburban Jersey. If that sounds psycopathic, it's doubled at Atlantic City, where the Antrobuscs plus kids attend the 6,000lh annual convention of mam- mals and the couple are celebrating their 5.000th wedding anniversary. Sabina has won the beauty contest and is a siren bent on breaking up the Antrobus menage, so she can marry the guy who she says is only 45. Weather signals Indicate a storni, then a" hurricane and finally the deluge, akin to that from which the Biblical Noah saved the animal king- dom, so that the second act ends with all hands supposedly boarding an ark. At two points there are slides pro- jected upon a screen which don't help much, but instead rather add to the confusion. Production of Teeth' may be described as one of flying flats. Sides or rear of the house tilt, or are lifted to the flies. Last act is the Jersey living room a^ain, with the home wrecked as in- dicated by the angles of the walls. Mrs. Antrobus and her daughter are in the cellar, hiding from bombs. The young girl has become a mother. The son, a vicious kid addicted to sling-shot assaults, appears as a tattered Nazi soldier, typifying the ruthless Huns who aim to hog the world. Papa Antrobus returns from the war, somewhat bedraggled. With the aid of his books, which have been saved, he falls back on philos- ophy, then says that man will sur- vive and existence will have its measure of happiness no matter what happens. Sabina. too, is helpful. Back from her duties as a woman war worker she puts the house in order. Boardwalk scene Is simulated with a runway down to th^ pit, supposed to be the strand, ropes and stanchions are Montgomery Clift. as the son, and Frances Heflin. the daughter. Part of the mammoth, a tiny ele- phant. Is played by Andrew Ratou- shelT, Russian midget who was one of the late Morris Gest's favorites. Reading the program note should be a must for audiences. Even so it's odds-on they will be befuddled when the show is over. Elia Kazan rates a bow for staging so confusing a script. /bee. faces the situation for a second tjrne. Parts seem suited to both. CromweU, who staged 'Point,' stepped Into the part when Dean Jagger withdrew for some reason. Elizabeth Patterson, also featured, is an old nurse-retainer whose early comic lines give the performance a good start. One of her comments is to the effect that the war has dis- covered places that only the mission- aries previously knew about. Arthur Aylsworth. back after sonic time in Hollywood, is also very good as a cru>ty old codger. K. T. Stevens at- tractively plays the part of the eldest daughter, not easily reconciled to her dad's enlistment after anti-war picachments. Dorothy Gilchrist is a younger daughter, trying to make up her mind about wedding a flyer. She is also good. Others who count are James Todd. Ann Dere and Margaret Mullen. /bee. ONCE OVER LIGHTLY Aiiit'i'ii-:inl7''il voiHion »r Hi^:iiiiii:ii-<'h.ii.<(' l!iii)ior of Sevllli*.' Willi iii'mii):i| imisic* Wy UiiH.<4lhl: iifw vorfiiiii \*y I.;i9/.U> in-f rti'iiti'il hy Situl Cithn: ilhdni: iiml jtuKis. I.iiiily (iiiftliTi: on^iomMt^.t. Ooort:*' M<'iiil: ;iiMlti<miil illiil>>i;. lloliPil ri(^i|)i>hl I'm^lu'w: Mliieoil liy Um)um-( \\. Goi'iliM): ctiiiilui'titr, ll:ilii.i}!: MtMlinXfi. Itli hiii'd Kyt )i(:ivll;: ohm)* »-lii1»* i»rti(liii-»>r. Hrnrv Ij^'Imi^i". C^in'in'tl at AUiti. N. Y.. Nov. III. tm* (Jtl.IU c\iHt: <.;oi'ln (.Tnhn Do Knii.i. :ilu*r- iKiliO: <:i;U(* rnnvlnl (KninirN \V;ilktni', nltornait^K Vc\\\ Kni^hl (It>>bcri M:ii-m)).iU. Iiornaie): t^iirlitH Ali^xiindi-r t Marolil Kr^i- vitl, nlternnlot: llichnrd WVntwoiih U'hiIdh AleK:in(lor. nUprnnto): AnI<'U«^ Wninor. Myi'on S/.anili'(MV yky (Noid VenietlJ. oliei- MuHlclnnB nnil lioUllorti; \:\y\ Alkln^i. Mnx ltd nlKitini, DU'k nnickon. Anilinny Miixut r.!. Kr;ink K. I'rlrc. >h»rliii Siew;ii i. Inside Stuff-Legit After a oonslderabU Upse, starting early in the summer of last year when two vice-presidentj and eight members of the Equity council re' signed because dissatisfied with the election, Peggy Wood has become active in actors' union aflfairs. Miss Wood was fourth vice-president of Equity, and the group which walked said they might be more beneficial as plain members of the association. The others still remain in the back ground. She attended a meeting of players representing the various talent unions held at the Edison hotel, N. Y., last Thursday (19), when the session went on record to raise the pay of chorus people and performers in niteries She was named chairman. Current edition of Equity's monthly centains an article by Miss Wood entitled 'The First Year" and pertains to the run of Noel Coward's 'Blithe Spirit' (Booth), in which she is appearing In answer to a query as to how often a player appears in an engagement that lasts for a year or more, she says the chances are about once everv 10 years. ' Revealed that John C. Wilson, who produced 'Spirit,' planned to show the cast Coward's highly regarded war film, 'In Which We Serve' as part of the anniversary celebration. There wa.s but one print over here and on that specific day (Nov, 6) the film was sent to Washington at the President's request. There was supper on the stage, however, at which time Wilson presented members of the cast, two stage managers, heads of departments (stage hands) and two maids with a war bond each all of the same denomination. ' YANKEE POINT f'oin'*ily-(li:iniH In Ihi'^o lu.-lj' iir<*H<.|UPd at the l.„ni;iii-io. .\. Y.. .Nov. I'S. liy VM- wui-il chiKiio iinti Miirle l,uulcie Klkins: vvriiii^n li.v (ilH<I^H Murlbut; Kilna HphI. .Tnhn ('i\iiiiwi-|] iinil |.:ilxiili(.|(i PiitUM'srin f4.iiliii'(.>l: sl:iKi^il liv ('roinvvi^U: aruinKH by ili'i l. k Vus : V\ m lup. MW. \\f\i\Mti Klixiiliotli I*alle:-Hun .UM'pni.v Ailiiiiiit Doitithv Glli-tlrlHl Kiili .^>l}ltn^ Julm Croni-voll Aliir>' .\il:iiii... Kilna Dc.hI Diuitir Nli-hi-i-Koti .lunies Toild Ml.*s (IlKL'InN Ann DiTft Uiilli l.:i|i'. .Miii-Koi-ot .Mulii'n \\':iir.iiit Olfi.vl 'I'llU-U,, lJuniilil Mi'l'lrlliinil CojiHI f:ii;iril ....Ii,hn l'*iirrtylhi .Sninl.v .M.ii'lin K. T. StovenH Vni-li* I'l'lp Ai'lhur AviHWorlh <;.>„mp |."lnrti Rii-hiii'd ituill .M. TiUiKli TullPy New play is of the war, touching on at least one authentic event over here. While 'Yankee Point' has its moments, it could have been made more effective and first night im- pression was for limited appeal. Gladys Hurlbut evidently based her story on the landing of Nazi saboteurs on the Long Island coast from a German sub. Those men were rounded up by FBI after being tipped off by the Coast Guard. They had plenty of American money and high explosive?. In the play a spy is caught through women doing duty at a beach obser- vation post. He. too. has a lot of money. Dog of one watcher scratches in the snnd and a Nazi uniform is found, also a steel box filled with dynamite. Coast guard is summoned and a message found on the man in- dicates an air raid is imminent. The last act finds enemy planes over- head. Anti-aircraft guns are heard, but the most striking effect is that of searchlights scouring the sky as seen from the large window of the beach home occupied by the central characters of the play, a highschool teacher, who was in the first World War and who is about to join the colors again, and his family. The teacher's wife is the commanding officer of the beach observation post. Shov/ starts out like a comedy and turns Into melodrama, the transition not having been v/orked out very carefully. That women on plane watching duty arc important is one purpose of the play. It al.so empha- sizes the value of the Coast Guard, whose patrol.v v/cre greatly strength- ened after the Long Island epi.sode. Author in.sist< on v/arning people that l)ecau.<o raids haven't occurred yet. they can still happen over here. John Cromwell and Edna Best arc the husband and wife, an affectionate couple with grown daughters. 'They had been wed bift briefly when he first went overseas artd she bravely An opera classic in a jazz pattern! It's one of the anomalies of modern- day show biz. but that's the presenta- tion format of 'The Barber of .Se- ville,' which Saul Colin is currently presenting at the Alvi^ theatre. •Once Over Lightly' is what this 'Americanized' version is called, but the title is the height of understate- ment. 'Lightly' hasn't a chance. Using such modern idioms as 'dough' and 'clip joint' in the lyrics somehow afford only a modicum of amusement, and to those of the classicists who turned out on open- ing night purely for novelty's sake, it must certainly have been a trial. For the singing was excellent, and so was the general presentation, but the transition from straight opera to its more 'modern' aura was too much to even closely approach the possibility of general audience acceptance. 'Lightly.' of course, retains much of the original 'Barber' in its all- English translation, and the cast per- forms and sings the Rossini music for sock individual results. Igor Gorin is outstanding in the cast, the baritone, as the barber, handling all his solo assignments, particularly the Figaro aria, with a neat sense of values. His prolog duet with Almaviva (Felix Knight) is one of the show's outstanders. Most of the revised comedy lyrics fall to Gorin. Knight's tenor was a bit wavering during the early part of the per- formance, but clicked handily thf rest of the way. The same was true of Grace Panvini, as Rosina. Carlos Alexander was the Don Basilio. Rich- ard Wentworth sang Dr. Bartolo. Ar- delle Warner was Bertha, end Myron Szandrowsky performed as Fiorella, and all played the parts to the hilt. Kahii. CYanked after Sunday night; print- ed /or the record.J Play Got of Town THE WILLOW AND I Wilmington, Del., Nov. 21. liluy In Ihreir (h im by .lohn PhIiUIA fluBCil by Uonulil MtaihwolU m-IIInK by Loiiuiol AyfTH; t-ofitumoa Uy Alhie Bern- .Hloln: fi.jilui-f'ii Miirlitu .Scolt Hiid Juiinnn IIhoh: iironrnlcil by lllmkwdl nnil Hxymnml CurliH In iinMiM-liiIlfin with Davlil .NU'irifk 111 thr» I'l.'iyhnu!'!'. WllnilnKloii. L»oI., Nov I'll •Jl. rj; SJ.-.fJ toil. Hi-i'>le Mulro .Toannn itooi. Tiny. M:il;i Suli'd. . .. Iiiilll>y 'niiM.l.ii,- Sun.I. .Milllo .^UU'O.... Mr. (illior lliibin Tiiilil riiik" Tuilil MiiliH Knklnnil Tixlil. Dr. Trubcc .Al':iiiini|:< Htinilnliili .Miirtl'.i Srlill I-Mwin .... K.lw.iril I'iiwlfy ..I'lMii Whh'^miiiiiin . . .Ttiili'^l'l II.Il l Hull Crt'Kory J't^i-k ....Aloe Knulaniloi- >■ >. .Fiiulin(> .Mfyc (Iroirnrv l"p»-k nicli'inl (HiKl.in A play of violent emotions and p.sycopathic impulses, 'The Willow and r must depend on femmes for popular appeal. For two acts it is compelling drama. The third act much too talky, drags on to a the- atrical ending. Broadway chances appear limited, but It's one of those plays that can develop into hit pro portions. Set in a southern town at the turn of the century, the play opens with two sisters falling in love with the same man—a handsome young doc tor. The older, sensitive sister wins out, but on her wedding day goes in .sane when she prevents her younger sister from committing suicide. Later the younger sister marries the doctor and has a .son, who succeeds his father as the main male interest of the play. Play then switches to the present day and the two sisters are found living a hermit existence with en alcoholic father. Electrical storm (Continued on page 55) By Jupiter' last week. Us 25th, recaptured its nearly $120,000 over-all investment, and from here on the $5,000 average weekly profit is velvet to the investors. Show actually cost $80,000 to put on, lost $20,000 opening weeks during break-in, and there's a $20,000 bond (approximately) nosted " ith Equity, hence the 120G. Dwight Wiman and Richard Rodgers (in association with Richard Koll- mar) are the producers. Backers are Meyer Davis, Howard S. Cullman the Shuberts, and Benay Venule's mother-in-law, Mrs. Deutsch. Miss Venule is on straight salary, but Ray Bolger, starred, draws erounti $1,500 against 10% of the gross. Ronald Graham also gets e small percentage after a certain figure is reached. Backers got their 70% back and 30% Is in the reserve. Subscription lists of the Theatre Guild, in combination with the Amer- ican Theatre Society, have greatly expanded in the past several seasons and the number of stands successfully campaigned considerably increased but the number of subscribers in N. Y. has shrunken. Guild's peak was in 1928, when the subscription season covered a six-week period, whereas now it is three weeks. Subscribers have been asked to secure their tickets within that lime for 'Mr. Sycamore' (Guild), because its staying chances are doubtful. On the other hand, subscribers are given a wider time spread for 'Without Love,' Guild's first hit this season, at the St. James Out of town subscription strength is refiectcd by the excellent grosses of attractions even prior to N. Y., and explains why the Guild has been able to put new shows on the road profitably without a Broadway rep. Keep It Clean' Is a musical comedy planned for production by Barney Gerard, idea being to satirize burlesque and those ettractlons which ap- proximate that type of performance. Title was used before, it having been the lebel of e summer revue presented et the Selwyn, N. Y., In 1929 by Bill Duffy and John Rickey, Jr. It was Will Morrissey's idea, he being the main man and m.c, ranging the aisles sporting a battered top hat. Once the orchestra walked out because the ghost didn't walk, end Morris.sey pleyed piano In the pit dur- ing the performance. At another time the shoe man ceme and grabbed the footwear because the bill was unpaid, and the girls performed bare- footed. John Golden issued a herald which was distributed in theatre programs last week, stating, in part: 'Since I announced I would revive 'Counsellor- at-Law' I have had scores of inquiries from friends ranging in importance from a millionaire first-nighter to a booking manager, from an ex-presi- dential candidates to a Variety Mugg.' He then proceeds to say thet he contacted P&ul Muni, who appeared in the play originally, and found the star willing to reappear in the show, which he always rated highly. 'Counsellor' was originally presented in 1931 at the Plymouth, N. Y., by Elmer Rice, who wrote it. Revival opened et the Royale lest night (24). At the request of Gilbert MUler, the Association of Theatrical Agents and Managers has admitted Harry Saltzman, who will be company mana- ger of 'Lifeline,' which the proaucer will present at the Miller; N. Y., Monday (30). Union's rules stipulate that applicants must have had the- atre experience, but exceptions have been made and in Saltzman's case he was admitted because having been In show business abroad. New member who was born in the U. S. was in the Cenadian Air Force but grounded because of injury while training. Exceptional business being done this seeson by the Devidson theatre in Milwaukee is attributed not only to booming war industries, but to the fact that outside billing has been resumed after being in the dlscerd for a number of years end resorted to only on rare occasions. Twenty-five pictorial 24-sheet stands, placed in advantageous locations about the town, are credited with big repeat biz done by Ethel Berrymore In 'Corn Is Green,' for big advance sale for 'Tobacco Road' on Ite sixth visit, and IS also out for 'Arsenic and Old Lace,' with Boris Karloff. Leo Shull, who edits a mimeographed news sheet (Cues) for actors, sported a shiner which looked like the result of a left hook. He says he got that way in a scrap with one David Weiller, after objecting to the latler's conduct towards young players. ShuU claims he broke the other guy's nose, also otherwise messing up his mep. There was a complaint, but no police charges were pressed, pending further developments. 'Janie,' first new show of the season to be presented for N. Y. highschool kids, was given at the Miller early last week, 10c being the Admission. Dialog was right in their alley and the youngsters howled, often antici- pating the progress of the performance. Comedy has drawn repeaters and strangely enough Tomnvy Manville heads the list. Marrying playboy has seen the show four times. Invariably sitting in the first row. 'Winter Soldiers," a war drama to be presented at the Studio, Greenwich Village, was supposed to have opened Sunday (21), but reviewers were advised that the show was not entirely ready, date for them to cover the play being Saturday (26). School of Social Research, which will present the play, claims to be an educational outfit. As there were tickets sold to various organizations, 'Soldiers' is playing this week, performances being regarded as previews. Ouida Bergere, former film writer and an actress before that, has writ- ten a play based on the life of Franz Liszt, the composer. After the dialog has been revised, probably by a collaborator, script will be offered to managers. Miss Bergere is the wife of Basil Rallibone, slated to return to Broad- way from Hollywood. Another minor expense item for legit theatres has been ordered, a union again figuring. Pointed out to managers that some stage doormen have been required to be on duty too many hours and, where there are two doormen, a relief man is to be employed. Cost Is $7.50 per week. Other houses have three men, each working eight hours, Sundays figuring in the new arrangement.