Variety (Dec 1942)

so UdlTIMATB Wednesdaj, December 2, I942 Plays on Broadway THE PIRATE Cuin.-li ti> llir. f ii'-iy. pi fyi'itlOtl l»v the rii^v\ii^lu« ■ >> :iii<l 'MiiMlitt <.)uil() n( Mm- tilt II.-. k iliiMiiv. N. v., No\. LM. MJ; \\i I i>> s N. It-iiriuiin rtit'.i) ^tiHk'PAiion In lilt, i.v l ii.lwii: K11I1I.1-. ^trtl-fl Airi-*>U I tint Aifl l.\itu i'.itii:i>iiii*. KoiiiiiKM. J.i'iiiuel Av^rt*: I IIii'.-" WiU-f W'liii'^: iiHiiiii . lit*! borl Kiiti;xi.M. ti:u). . V. ivi-ij >>.|. i: s:t «<:• top. Mhmik-U . .li i» 1 Ta<1>«)Ii M.nif.. ri.-ll.': l*iHi-eii>uv . . llt.-H ( iliUi iio.... I.'/.;.r.l.T P:<ii II ■ ■.. n.>ii ti.*i-i . Tilllo S.-rilio pi oy. . . . .... I.\ nil I 'onliinne .\l>in llopd Vi'iini.iii Iu:inll:i Mtill .\Hn»ll ('on-.-oll . . ^:^l^■Me Wliiwiiofl l;imPi» ii'NoiU .Murirl KAlin ... K'llit'rt Rmhartli W'lilier Mitsby Miiuiu-e KMm Alfml J.iinl . .1 'Ijirniii p DiTwonl 1 Uuliy iliivnr ..." .\im:i Jnrlcun ; l,;ivlhia While lilt'-/, M:i(tht'vvM \ Oiiy mypi'miy ( I'lipv iJiiif-y Al..rnlf"* ftf S.-i.iliii»t Tn'Upr. SuhlifTS :in»l *l„vM,> I.- H.ivhI H.lli-.'. Mill"- !!•.»• H. I .M.im!'< .1..ii-<. .liil'S .lt'lii.><»ti. CliHO K-'ili li.'.h'- M:ti>liiill. c'lirttl.h S«;iiri. Wiu-.n. .i.-rffv r:ui.-M.ic«». ftlii«Mi:<ii<i Ciiiiii.' U.nM. KinmPi Mii- ili. vv. .I..)ui «n. A.l«»l|'bUH « lu.;tlli.iiii. \\ill..ii Dr K-I.ll-' <;ibl'>. .Iu'»n HiMVMi M:iN 111- t. ll.'il».rl (.owriis. M.1I-U I. Vi. M.iiiii-!:i. Is i:;i. . I t; i|:i I •I;' The Lunls are back in town, and so thcies a new hit on Broadway Tha Great Big Doorstep <'iimi'<lv III lliieo Ri-ls (fulir •■"f^nciil liv Kiiliu-r>.'4 i.itinlricli iiilil Alliorl H.ifk^tl. rrnin nii\«»l Uy K. r. D'lJunnell. Ki'aluit-H U-'i- olliy <;i:4h :in<l J^uIh c'HlhPrn: niHtcril liy Hi'rnuin Shiiliiltii: nellliiit by IIowhiiI Pn'Nt*nlFil liv MiTtuHn Sliiiiiilln. nl Mouifco Ihi-niif. \. V . Nuv. 2i:. «l H.iD lu|> ($-l.4U npeiiliiiii. Kvvi# 4'riicliel.. Topiil Ci... hi'l. ., Mtj-. Crin liri .., Paul I'rorliet. . Artliur Ci'Oi-tii*!. Mr. Tiibhi ('■iiniiliiUdri' Jov ilcfrpn .... Je.iiiii* Poikinn Simtli Doi'ulhv i;[hli Dli-lii^ .Wiiniihiiii (icnilil MmMIi--\vx lutk Mnniiiiiii I.ihii .\l..ii.>- .l^ouiH i.'.illi^in Mr. l>u|ii.- N:U H"'"" T:ivo nt'liii'ii'iv Iliilpli ll'll Mpwim- Cirt.-h.M «Muv I'l.'-ni-iit 11<':iuiii>>i>l i"i.Mii.*t .Moilitll I.. Sl-\i*iis |.;,t Itiilli'l-l t."i The Pirate"- is a play that may be de'<ciibed as thoroughly escapist, with no hint of the present, being an imaginative tale set in the glamorous past. ■Pirate" is a love story and tew can act such plays as finely as Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne. Back- grounded in the West Indies of the earlv 19th century, the author screens the fact that it i.-^ a boy-meeu-girl cornedV. and those playgoers aware that the Lunts are lovers on and off. It is doubly charming. As for the others they will be almost as much amused. , ,^ S. N. Behrman, one of the Play- wrights Co.. has endowed his leads with lines that ring the bell. When his heio tells the adored one that they have been kept apart only by a geographical mistake, she just has to believe the guy, even though he li in the tights of a trickster-magi- cian who roves the seven seas with a company ot colored assistants. She is a matron, addicted to multiple petticoats. , . ,, "Manuela (Miss Fontanne) is the wife of Pedro (Alan Reed), rich and rotund. He's a former pirate who changed his name and settled down on the far-away isle after having done a henpecked sultan quite a lavor. It seems that the lattfr wished to get rid of nine wives, so Pedro drowned the dames one by one. There is a price on his head, but only Serafin <Lunt), the wander- ing hypnotist, knows the story. That la why the man is enabled to stage his show in the public square. Perdo's perfidy comes out during the performance. Manuela being placed in a trance and given the words to utter by the magician Serafln.' For a change there is good attendance, business in other spots having been very lean. Among the onlookers is the viceroy, attracted to the place by Pedro, who aims to dispose of the fellow because of his Ahofous advances to Manuela. So the fat bad man goes into the clink and Manuela is told she isn't wed to him at all. That cues Serafln into lifting the lady with the voluminous petticoats into his arms, quite like he did when the stars romped through The Taming of the Shrew.' Of course, she goes for the gay stranger and tells him she'll love him for the rest of her life. Lunt has always been a vaudeville fan and gets not a little fun with his latest part, which ftnds him using trick.s of that trade. One bit has him stringing up a clothes line from one tiny balcony to anofner. walking the 'wire' across the court and reach ing Manuela's bed chamber just as she is about to disrobe. The stunt is somewhat unbelievable but comic and therefore gets by. But Lunt as a lover Is undeniable, his playing being at wide variaoc from the performance in 'There Shall Be No Night.' Same might be saii' for the glamorous Miss Fontanne who in the bedroom .'cene makes a start at stripping, getting rid of Iw or three billowy underthings. but with the advent of her new beau she dons a robe. Clarence Derwent rates highly among the supporting cast, appear- ing in the silken trappings of the viceroy, and his precise dialog in a scene with Lunt affords a very amusing interlude. Estelle Winwood gives a likeable performance as Manuela's conniving mother, her consort being a straggly-haired dice player. That part is pla.ved by James O'Neill. Latter isn't that vet of the same name who was around Equity so long and now runs a grog shop on Broadway. Lea Penman is good as a giddy widow on the make. Reed suits part ot Pedro, being a replacement on the road, Jack Smart originally having the assignment. There are several colored players who are in the run- ning, Maurice Ellis, Muriel Rahn and Walter Mosby being in that contin- gent, along with around 10 musicians in character who play the National Anthem at the finale ot the show. ibee. From E. P. O'Donnell's recent novel. Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackctt have drawn a warm, ban- tering and amusing folk comedy. 'The Great Big Doorstep.' It s likely to have a successful Broadway run and. if producer-Herman Shumlin s plans to enter the Army don"t inter- fere, may be repeated for the road. It s a cinch for film adaptation. In a word, "Doorstep" is a hit. It"s a curious kind of a play. There"s little story to it, but rather a gallery of slightly crazy but in- gratiating people, a frivolous situa- tion and a string of goofy incidents. It starts slowly, never really gets anywhere, but generates numerous laughs and somehow adds up to an entertaining, satisfying show. It's kind of a "Life on the Levee With Father," or 'You Can't Take "Your Doorstep With You." And it the Crochet family is not quite as en- chanting as the Clarence Days or the VanderhofT-Sycamore household, ifs sufficiently loony and delightful to keep an audience in chuckles. From the flood waters of the Mis- issippi the Crochets (they"ie Cajuns. of Acadian French descent) have re- trieved a broad, imposing white doorstep, which they"ve placed in front of their Louisiana shanty. Through the ensuing three acts they try to get a suitable house to go with it. There's a succession of dizzy crises, with the Crochets quarreling and making up happily, with luck repeatedly thwarting them and then invariably saving them from disaster, and with the fun bubbling from curtain to curtain. They finally get their house, of course, and there's a preposterous, hilarious bit of busi- ness as they leave the old shack at the end. The Hacketts have adapted this semi-mad fable with nice sense ot theatrical values and an appreciation of the Crockets' captivating idiocy. Shumlin's affectionate staging has unerring emphasis and timing. Louis Calhern plays the Commodore with an expansive relish that Is enor- mously enjoyable, while Dorothy Gish's performance as mama Crochet properly alternates between severity and beaming approval. Clay Clement gives a diverting portrayal of a drunkenly generous Orochet brother, with Joy Geffen end Jeanne Perkins Smith offering be- lievable performances of intense daughters. Dickie Monahan and Gerald Matthews are convincing as treble-voiced towheads, while Jack Manning, John Morny and Ralph Bell handle supporting bits acceptably. Howard Bay's single setting is a mas- terpiece of barely habitable dilapida tion. Hobe. to the lifeboats. Three days later, by a stroke ot luck, part of the crew finds the steamer and boards her again. Fire is put out and the engines are started, so the boat with its needed cargo arrives at the Eng- lish port. Performance isn't convincing. That's not particularly the fault ot the acting but more so to the some- what puny off-stage effects of can- non and machine-gun fire. It is made to seem that knocking off a Nazi U- boal is rather too easy. There are a number of grim incidents but tho.se reported are more exciting than those enacted. Rhys Williams tops as the bearded skipper of the tramp. Colin Keith- Johnston the first officer taking over when the old boy succumbs. Dudley Digges is the steward, which he han- dles well enough although he has had better stage assignments. Whit- ford Kane is the chief engineer wnd earns the edge in the playing hon- ors, also handling the play's few light lines. There is some colorful lan- guage but it doesn't compare with the wordage usually heard in Ameri- can war plays. Ibee. COUNSELLOR-AT-LAW (REVIVAL) I'linii-ily in ihrco «rti» nnJ nlti-; m piu-.h Itv l\!iiii>r Kkt: Hliin* i':\u\ Mum: iirivi'iilril liy .lohn (!iiliti-i); »tt;iKc<( liy Klio: itciilnut*. i:;i.v itiumt Siivp> : iipoiti'il Hi U>t.\ j<li> ilMMiif. N. v.. N«tv. 'J4. ■■IJ; i.'C tJl.l" ocoii- ii'R niKht). Ilt'H^ie (.Iropn.... JH»*iiry SiiMMkmil. S:ii :ih Hei-kri. .. A l.tnlir M;in. , \iin 'I'd-tmiis , l^nlii' H:ii ifU .... l.:inK.-4iiO|- , I-Mw in I Inch A l.riiKe Ml'II Iiiy \"i*lu' ZrtiorHh Cliiipin:iu It.'Uy Kelli'y Citlilin ninilsUofr I''i to<l:t AliiiiHii t'h;i|-l0}i M<-l<'»<lili'll iMU Shorli;iii .l.ihn P. TedOHvo Sjnn llonnfll A Hoolltllif k Willi.iiii \':tucl):ii) >yii»ii (.'•ordon (l>i'o: [mc It'i liei l 1 l«w;ii «l \\VinlK*ii;. Km l iCii iKirdn r.fiiM .Sitn.in U'tinii* Mtiw itwii/. Ai ;tnii- S;iii<IIOi' Itilin .Mr(ju»<lr llijin Lniiir ri:im»'!* TjiniiPhill Plays Out of Town THREE SISTERS (REVIVAL) Washington. Nov. 30. Di.nnn In ihroo nctR nnil four Jtrpnen hy A III nil ('lif>kli<fv: preaenipd by Kotharlite Ciirnrli: f^niitroM MIsD Cornoll. 9udl(ti An- iliTMtn. Ruch (ioi'ilon. Kdmund Owenn, Don* nl!" KInK, Ali^xiHulor Knux. Tom Povvi^rn, <;orii-nilr >hii*)tr*>vt>. MrKny Morrltt. \)r\c DivHHier: HiiiKOi) )>y Cuthilc McCllnllo: dol- ilnuH Hiiil rMfiiimif>8 l>v Motley of l^nilon; o|>i>iu>il III Niitinniil (licnli'f. WiialtlnKton. .N'liv. M, -J'J: la.au top. (tli:.-! luillih Anilri'fon M.iMh.i K'lihitrlno Coniell ]rln:i tjcrtruile Muacrovo A Miild ■ Piitrli-lii Cnlvcrt Huron Tii7.«>nl)Ht )i Alexander Knox CupiHln Si>lyitny MoKay MorrlB Doi'lm- t'lii'ljuiykiii Kdmund Gwenn Nuix* Alii-o Itolmorfi CIIITe I'ViHpnni Arthur Chatterlon An Ordr'i Iv Kirk DouRlnn Culonnl Vfi>l)linii DonnlH KInR Andrcy I'ln/.i-iuv Krlr TireasJer K u (Ik III Tom l*ower8 N.'K.isliii Itulh (lofilnn l.liMiiiMiiiiii I V.iiii iu Sl.mley lifW l.iiMiN'niiiii Uii.|df> Turn .Mt-Dcnnott AnitilKM' i>ftit.-i Wnltrr t'nilK Mjild Miirlo raslon to Huy. .\ DiM'wIn... iH>;r> Siniiin. 1.1 Siiiinn , . . A Woniiin LIFELINE .(':llfli (Uiiv .AlfxaiKloi- Cliirk I'liill .Nflini ,,..l,t;in Wi^lltliil,. , ...Ifiiie ll:iii\lllitii Meltiili'.iinn In Ihrfp a4*lH. iM-«.iteti|ov1 f,t lli4^ BHii«,ii. .N. y.. .Niiv. M. i2. I)v 1,111 Milloi : willlfii liy Niiriiiiin AriiiRd .ittt: HtRXOfI liV Dti'llPv DiitR(*H; Molliiiii. AM:1>; f'.m lop. l';iMPV OllilI*.v DiCC'^)' Ituniilc Il,>li Willi- l.iiriy OuKitii :<tiiiil,-v |Miilli|,„ IVI'T ).«U»i-li',' Cwiiii Krlth-.lvhn>Y%f, DpniilM riiiiiiii'i r,<.f,iKe k-hiu* I-'ivil .liiJil Kveieil r.hile.v I'.ilHuiii .1. .M.CIi'Hih tllivH Willi.till). .Iliii l.loyil Whiifni.l Kitn,' Kit MiiiKi*!'}* il<.i,i)(>* nnois "llpp^' TiiiKi'i \i,-l,>r H^'f-oTl Push K.l\v.,i.l Hur.: .Miltf !>Oiiiiiiiii MiilllK-) >J.-iii4 Gilbert Miller has two English war plays to start his production season. First to open is 'Lifeline.' which looked doubtful at the premiere Monday (30). and the impression is that 'Flare Path.' in rehearsal, will prove more sturdy drama. General reports about 'Lifeline' in London were on the favorable side, which may have led first-nighters at the Belasco to expect the unusual. Import failed to register after a too- conversational starting act. Plays will all-male casts—of which this is one—.seldom get across, though it was Miller, it will be recalled, who came through with the succes.'sful. nil-male 'Journey's End.' also from London, which pertained to the first world war. 'Lifeline' deals with the Clvdes- dale. a 5,000-ton tramp steamer tar- rying hi^h-test petrol to England. Though Its engines are faulty the boat starts overseas, with its 'life- line.' the convoy, lags behind and the commodore finally orders the other boats to proceed without the tramp. An enemy sub attacks but is sunk by the steamer's guns. Soon after- ward a Nazi plane sets the vessel afire. The bridge Is destroyed, the captain gravely injured, and, with the ship afire, he orders all hands In view of Paul Muni's sporadic success during his too-infrequent re- turns to the Broadway stage of re- cent years, it was inevitable that he would one day re.sort to what has probably been his greatest stage play. Last week, at the Royale theatre, he revived a once-happy association with Elmer Rice in bringing back Counsellor-at-Law,' the latter's fine drama of the early '30s. A decade has tailed to dim the author's excellent character studies. If anything. Muni's portrayal of George Simon, the Ghetto boy who became a successful lawyer, has as- sumed greater stature. John Golden is making the cur- rent presentation, and this, too. is in the nature of a reunion; it was Golden, in the '20s, who gave Muni his first real chance in the English- language theatre after the latter had performed in the 'Yiddish idiom for years under his real name ot Muni Weisenfreund. Rice himself orig- inally presented, as well as staged, 'Counsellor.' Counsellor' has become somewhat 'modernized' to conform to certain topical standards, but actually it's much tlxe same production that ran for some 3S0 performances a decade ago. There are several other orig- inal members ot the cast in the present version, notably Jennie Mos cowitz, as Lena Simon, the mother, and Sam Bonncll, as the other half of the Simon & Tedesco partnership. To the initiates versed in the Rice 'message' of class consciousness there may seem to be a decline in that dramatic element as compared to the former production. It's still there, of course, but the emphasis now seems to be more on people the nu thor knows well. People like Lena Simon, the Jewish mother who fos tered her son's ambitions to be a lawyer: Bessie, the flighty phone operator in the office ol Simon & Tedesco: Miss Gordon, as the secre- tary with an unrequited love for her boss: Cora Simon, the cold .socialite wife of the adoring George Simon: Weinberg, the law clerk from Har- vard: Harry Becker, the young com- nnini't: McFadden. the process server; Malone, the politician, and sundry others. To say that Muni dominates all these would be an understatement. The star is the propelling influence for a cast of performers almost wholly dependent upon him for the cohesive show that is the rcs'.ilt. Muni is alternately the passive, lov- ing husband and son; the mercenary lawyer who thinks nothing of raising a divorce fee a couple of thousand if he thinks the client can pay; he's the successful attorney who vtill ha.>-:n't forgotten the friends of his youth. Of the supporting cast. Jennie Mos- cowitz contributes a quiet, restrained performance as the mother. Sam Bonnell. Jack Sheehan. Olive Deer- ing. Joseph Pevney and Ann Thomas arc within the proper metier. Joan Wetmore plays Cora Simon, a thank- less part. A new generation ot theatregoers has grown up since the original 'Counsellor,' and the play is as timely for them as it was in 1032. It has lost none of the bounce that distin- guishes so few revivals of .smash hits. Its people are those ynu can still find, and will continue In find 10 years hence, in the corridors of 2 Lafayette street. Kn)tii. Chekhov s. play, written in 1900, with all the brilliance of its diamond- .'itudded cast and magniflccnt decor, will register with mo.st modern play- goers as a drama of frustration and defeat, moving ponderously to its lachrymose climax. Mme. Litvinoff. wife of the Russian Ambassador, serving as guest col- umnist for The Washington Post, summed it up thusly in a penetrating analysis: 'The Tlirec Sisters' S'eeiiied jic.tt OS reniole Jroiii t)ie lires of the audience when 1 first saw it at the Moscou! Art Theatre in the early '20s as it does from the lives of a vioderii Aniericati oti- diencr. Why it should take three perfectly health]/ young women tuitli a price of a ticket in their pockets four acts not to get to Moscow needed as mxtch e.rplati- ation then as it does now. Pos- sibly it needed more, for there was no housing crisis. Perhaps the difficulties of the sisters are interesting just because they are imagiiiari; {plenty of people are still glad they're neurotic). Per- haps the elimination of any ma- terial obstacle in the path of Moscow made it possible for Chekliou to use everything done and said us symbols. Perhaps it is only because )iis sj/mbol.'! ore so artfully glad in rerisimilitude that Clielchou has gained the rep- utation of a realist.' While this seems a savage ,ip- praisal. with more or less emphasis on a playwright who visioncd Rus- sia emerging from its chasm of sor- row, one can see political Implica- tions in the official dressing-down of Chekhov. . Two weeks hence Washington will .see the Theatre Guild's production of Simonov's The Russian People,' blessed by Stalin and built up by the Soviet through simultaneous 'presentation in some 50 theatres under Kremlin spon- sorship. It is evident that modern Russia prefers Simonov to Chekhov, since he writes ot Russia today. The Katharine Cornell version is loyal to the original script. The art of adaptation is" the task ot trans posing creative material of one ppo file to that ot another, without vio- ence to its essential quality. An ocean may represent a vast differ- ence between the taste of two iieo pies. National treatment, tradition or any one of several other mani- festations, including international boundaries, are factors in its recep tion. which Is to say that 'Three Sis lers' to the modern playgoer is 'dated.' remains a fragile story of defeatism, with no moments of great suspense, no thrills, no heroics, but with an abundance of appeal and honest-emotional stress. It is for the library audience. Like the earlier allempl to vitalize Gilbert Chesterton's 'Magic' All of the magic ot Guthrie Me Clintir's direction, which points up the gay moments, and all the Equity skill of a cast which can give wings to words, fail to make Chekhov be- come alive and significanl. Blame it on the world debacle which focuses on more dynamic things, and thus one may have the solution. Most playgoers are familiar with the story of the Prozorov sisters Ma.sha (played by Miss Cornell) has been for seven years married to ihe stodgy and complacent schoolmaster, Kulagin iTom Powers). Musician and linguist, she yearns for more vigorous romance, finds this con genial companionship in Colonel Verishnin iDennis King), whose life is complicated because he is unh;ip- pily wed to a .shrew, mother of his two children. Frustration here be- cause both are slaves to convention. Irinia, the youngest sister (Ger- trude Musgrove). prates, constantly of the glories of Moscow without having the courage or spirit to go there for her true love. Eventually she forms an alliance of duty that makes Moscow possible; then her fiance in killed in a duel. More tears, Olga. eldest of the sisters (Judith Anderson), is wary of schoolteach ing and would like In escape from provincialism. But she becomes the head mislre.s.s and remains anchored to boredom. These are the fundamentals of Chekhov, with the olher characters who find the world an obstacle' either philosophizing about it or ac- cepting It with neurotic complaint There is, tor instance. Dr. Chobutv kin, played magnificently by Edmund Gwenn. Though he has a medical degree his mind has long been in a mental fog, stagnated, and occasion- ally he drowns his futility in vodka This offers Gwenn the finest of on- portunities to stage an alcoholic scene which is a gem ot pure theatre artfully contrived and beautifully acted. ■' Natasha, played by Ruth Gordon _ the sislcr-in-law with a vicious acquisitiveness, the ambitions and vulgarities of a strumpet, a giddy gadabout. Because she is modern id gay, by contrast she offers relief the moody doings, and her role stands out in exuberance and the gaycty predicated on ignorance. During the evening the spotlight travels from one to another of this brilliant cast. Miss Cornell has been ;enerous with her associate playrs n the distribution of opportunity for -jurels. She dominates, when the script permits, by the skill and force of her playing, but her role is by no means singly important. Judith Anderson, as Olga, seems to this ob- server the most understanding and full-dimensioned character of the play. And Miss Anderson serves tlie part beautifully. Gertrude Mu.sgrove as Irinia is hardly as beautiful as the lines indicate! but she is an ac- tress of parts and has perhaps the most appealing role ot the sisters. Dennis King. Tom Powers. McKay Morris. Eric Dressier and Alice Bel- more Cliffe deputize with distinction. McClintic's direction is superb, and the set decorations by Motley of London are visions of charm ;.nd loveliness along with the costumes. Over-all, "Sisters' is a .sombre-hued pattern, with the sisters' sorrows seemingly overemphasized in a world of direct action. Arkp. THE SUN FIELD Boston, Nov. 25. r'uiti.^iiv 111 iiiifi. iict.H ir.' iu'(.iii.i,> i,y mil. Ion I.iixiu-IIH rri,lil li,ivi.| by llrywuiHl Itl'tlllli, pifROnletl hy Htiwiinl \Mnii iit |lit> ('1,111111:11, H(i.4ton. Ntiy. NJ: 8l;iRHtl liy Kilwiiitl I'hilk l.lll*\v: prtHlii.-lliin ilmlKni^d liv l':rnost (:itiV|.r: Jiifl A>lil,'\ Hllil t'liiuillii .MiMU:iil lt;Htlli'e<r. $1'.T.^ Iiip. I.rriv llriiili ii'kH. Hill Diiyl,- 1*111 1 lilllKldlpIl . . . Inck Keiiiielly... Whiicky Ciistuitl . .MiK. bnylf JItii niM-. li Mil*. IttM'.-n (l,^(,l'Kt* W'.illiii'i.. . Wiin,-ii Y.i.-( 'Tiny' Tyirr Kmyl DiiiniHi;... .IllilKli WInlliiii Jiiy TlrnHHrii'liI Ilnlii'i't l.inn Km I Nhiliirn Ki'tink (i((d Kieil Slii^nniin llulh ^^'«Blun I.fwli4 Cli.irlen. Kiilhrilni' Mi>»ki:i .... l.H wi'pnt-(» I-'leU'lier 'I'piii 'rully JppI Aehlpy ... l''lnri.iir«* SiinilMtronl .ClHUill.'i Miii-k:i(i Hell l.'iiplnlii RfKls Joyi-0 lIuKli I'lil.'i Wlllliiiil RnH.'ll. Mllilrrd l>ni;:iin Kny llukrr noKhl.. (JpuriElii Hui'ka Wnllivni. Pni',i||l\- f<;jllnll Saiiiu..! I>l<-k,.iiiiiin Ili*i'li^i'l Diifry nonkic Kli'hanl MiilKli>y nniliii Vnl, 0 Hill flPin While the ba.seball stuff in The Sun Field' is merely a sort of au- thentic novelty background for a conventional romantic comedy, and so shouldn't frighten away the non- sporting theatregoers, both comedy and romance will need considerable building to secure the play's future with either element. It that by no means simple job is satisfactorily ac- complished The Sun Field' has bet- ter than average prospects. Following the general lines of the novel. 'The Sun Field' relates the love story of a brashy baseball brute who knocks off home runs and dames with equal bravado. A brainy girl writer comes to do an interview with him for her slick paper maga- zine, and is attracted by his primiiive masculinity. He falls hard for her erudition 6nd. althou;th she'd much rather prefer an affair with him, she marries him. He promptly puts her on a pedestal and tries by dint of study to reach her level of education. This is pre- cisely what .she doe.sn't want, and in the ensuing scries of crises between them, he loses his home-run knjck and his team comes out second best in the pennant race. This washes up the marriage, and the home-run king, recovering his egotism in the arms ot a camp follower, begins di- vorce proceedings. By this time the girl realizes she wants him back, arid gets hiin b.v dropping her broad accent and smacking down her rival. Joel Ash- ley, a refreshing personality of the Victor Mature type, lends consider- able credence to ;his situation. ii"d he's helped all the way through by type-casting in the baseball charac- ters. Tom Tully and Karl Maiden i" particular. It was mainly the characterizaMon of the girl by Claudia Morgan that threw the opening performance out of focus, for her condescension :ili- enalcd audience sympathy in favor of the tart played by Florence Sund- strom. It's assumed the play Is a comedy, but it doesn't emerge '.hat way notwithstanding the valiant la- bors of Ruth Weston. Fred Sherman. Fay Baker and others who are given comedy lines. Some of the dialog is uuusuall^ outspoken, and one line which gets n terrific slow-burn reaction, and one (Continued on page 52)