Variety (Nov 1945)

58 LKfilTIMATB Wcdnrgtjay, Noycmiier 21, 1945 ■■J-.- Inside Staff—Legit Frank Fa v. starring in "Harvey" al the 48th St.. If, Y.. went on the air <WEAF> n' Y with Mary Margaret McBride Friday U«> but didn t men- Mun'the show, merely saying that he is in a "play on 48th street." Actor could barely be heard, and when Miss McBride ;,sked him how people could' hear him unless he faced the microphone, he replied that "it didh t make much difference." : ; ,.- , , . . u Fay was flushed with flattery tossed his way at a Philadelphia -luncheon the dav before on the publication of "How to Be Poor" (Prentice-Hall), a book he wrote, but book reviewer Harry Hansen, in the World-Tele- gram N. Y„ smacked him down, charging that, the actor "maltreated his typewriter . . . biggest job of boring with words that I have opened in years . . a parade of piffle." But Hansen went to town in praise of "The BOWS" (Harcourt, Brace & Co.), the Army's abbreviation of "The Barrets of Wimpole Street," the story of the European foxhole tour of the plav and the Way the GIs received the company headed by Katharine Cornell and Brian Aherne. The book was written by Margalo Gillmore wiliran assist from Patricia Collinge, the former having been with the show. Reviewer said the "high spirit animated by the players in this company casts credit on the American theatre" and. incidentally, the American Theatre Wing, which sponsored the troupe. "And because this book reflects this spirit and is packed on every page with appreciation of what the youth ot America did on the battlefield, it is by far the finest of books written about the entertainment of our troops in the hard days." Boston legit crix. still remembering Tom Weatherly's yarn in The New York Times a couple seasons ago about elbow-bending Boston critics, are hotter than Tophet over new report filtering in from Broadway via John C. Wilson that producers have to give n cocktail party if they want to get a good notice in Boston. Wilson, producer of "Day Before Spring.' didn't give a cocktail party for the press in Boston for that show and never has for any other. Yet. "Day Before Spring" got rave notices. So crix point to this and many another inconsistency and are roaring with indignation. "Last House on Left" and "Girl From " Nantucket" are among recent shows w hich did gi ve parlies, and caught punches right on the nose in the notices. ' Nobody knows how custom of,heaving parties In. Boston came into being, although one theory given is that it's the only' city where all the crix— movie, legit and music—get along together, so it's most convenient to get them together and let them interview ca t, producers, etc.. all at a crack. LIVED LIKE PAUPER, ACTOR LEFT $250,000 It's been revealed through Equity that actor Conrad Cantzen, 68, who died last June after living a casta- way's existence, left an estate valued at approximately $250,000. He was buried by the Actors Fund but willed $5,000 to. the actors charity organization. Safety deposit box contents indicated he had more than $100,000 in Government securities and cash on deposit in savings banks, the balance of the estate be- ing realty, including at least two apartment houses in Newark. Yet, he lived in a tumbledown house on the outskirts of Jersey City. There was no furniture except a bare bed in the place, deceased sleeping on the floor to save linen. _ Cantzen willed that the balance of his estate be used to buy shoes for indigent actors. He spoke at Actors Fund meetings several times, say- ing he would establish a fund for that purpose, but only a tew pro- fessionals were aware of . his finan- cial position. Cantzen had not ap- peared on the stage for years; he played bit parts when he did. Equity 'is directed to administer the c.:tatc. Met Op Chorns Settle With AGMA The Metropolitan Opera's chorus, which quit Met rehearsals last week Plays on Broadway Stale of the Union t.plaml Hiiywaiil production lot tllrW-tii'l (fc.m m*nM> ciulidl.v-llruma 1>y Howard liiMiwr and rtuNMi'i-c'1'iuinr. stars■ itutpli l»ellatU> arid fHithilfHsso*;.Tc!ituiffl Mfton MoC'nrnili-lt. Minor Watson and Kay Jctlllt- si'pn. Slasml Uy BrotalRiie WutilUHt: sd- ItilKti Itv Raymond Snyey: opened Hudson. ;N. v.. Nov. II, 'IS; Jl.8(1 toil. ....... Minor Watson ... Myron ,\H:C'onnl<'k Kay .ihitiiaon Itulph IKMIaniy .liitnc-s Conover. . Spike MrMamis. Kay Thomdyke. (trail! Mttllltewa Nora it , Mar> Matlliena. Sifevens Ui-llhoy : W (liter; Satn Parrlatt.... Swenson .lloleii Jtn. Uulli llniwy ..........John Ilowc .... .ttovvnrd (iralinni ....... .Itolierl Tom')* , .Heiberi ttoi'S .. , Wed Ayres Culluit .liulu-e .lofft-rson Dtnis Kl»xund>r (i. Ml'df Siiilllt Mrs, Aloxmuior Jennie Mrs. Draper William Hard},... Senator l.nutertiacU . .Ma idol Tilrnnt ... ..Madeline-. Kln« ,.. Aline MrPerninll . .Victor SnI lifi land Ueorjte l-a-aai>y Theatres. Inc.. newest group to sponsor repertory is a. socialite outfit, headed by Beatrice Straight, president: and Richard Aldrich, general man- , f three d s because ot contractual ager. Miss Straight is a kin of the Whitneys. She and her mother spon- sored the Chekhov Players, who tried Broadway several seasons ago, casts coming from a drama training school at Ridgefield. Conn., With Certrude Lawrence and Raymond Massey co-starring, first revival will be "Pygmalion." On the schedule, too, are Sheridan's "The Critic." plus another short play and a revival of Gogol's "The Inspector General." Danny Kaye. baek-irom the Pacific where he entertained GIs. is sought as the lead for the latter. Also considered is "The Liar," a musical put oh by the Catholic University. Washington. D. C. Will Morrissey has been supervising the routining of "Passing Show," assigned to the job by J. J. Shubert, who gave him a contract calling for $ir,0 weekly as long as the revue plays. Last week in Washington audiences appeared to enjoy the show but at least one reviewer was puzzled as to its origin. John Maynard, in the Times Herald, mentioned some off-color bits and was evidently fascinated over a skit in which HoW'ard is supposed to be a South American diplomat looking for the gents'room. . ' Joe Flynn. in Chicago press agenti.ng "Laffing Room Only" (Olsen and Johnson. Shubert), is sporting an arm itva plaster cast, having fractured the elbow. He immediately got out cards which he handed out in news- paper offices when making the rounds. It read, in part: "I broke my fumiybone. Please help a deserving P.A. who's starving for publicity." Flynn says he is getting no sympathy in the Loop, where they think his damaged flipper is one of <his gags. He swears that on Olsen's recent birthday somebody led a cow down the aisle during s performance, with dire results. ■''.•■'.. Morris Jacobs, manager of the Music Box, N. Y. ("I Remember Mama"), detected a youth prying open the window of a parked motor car near the theatre one night last -week. When the culprit tried to escape Jacobs nailed him with a right hand and the fellow was then taken into the the- atre. It was found that the youth had a flock of keys to midtown hotel rooms which he tried to discard. Detectives quickly found out that a Navy officer who was stopping at the nearby Lincoln had been robbed. The guy then started to brag about his pilferings. it being indicated that he had committed around 75 thefts. Rehearsals for "St. Lazare's Pharmacy" started last week but not exactly amicably. Miriam Hopkins did not appear lor the first day or two. saying that she saw no need of attending until the supporting cast learned some- thing about their lines. Most of the players are French-Canadian and arc- not too familiar with English. When the attraction goes to Montreal, where it will debut, a flock of containers will be taken along filled with fluid that is to-be sprayed on theatre seats before performances. Idea is to supply an odor or scent supposed to pervade oldtime apothecary shops. Columbia Pictures is reported interested in" the film rights to Edmund Goulding's "Ryan Girl," currently at the Blaekstone, Chicago. An offer of $150,000 is mentioned. PAUL SMALL DICKERS FOR COAST 'LUCASTA' Chicago, Nov. 20. Paul Small negotiating with John Wildbe'rg and Harry Wagstaff Crib- ble to randle the "West Coast pro- duction of "Anna Lucasta." Cribb'e has lined up a half-dozen Negro thesps here who are enrolled as understudies and will probably take over leads in the Los Angeles company. Small, it's understood, will cast Negro talent on the Coast for other roles. Hejman Home From Hosp Naming Memphis Theatre Cues Stew Memphis. Nov. 20. Town is in throes of a feud over naming the Overton Park shell, scene of the Memphis Open Ail- Theatre's Summer musical season. Spot, nameless since construction, has come to be called "The MOAT." abbreviated name for civic organiza- tion that stage? operettas in vacation months: This is confusing since place is also used lor concerts, chin ch services and .other events. Harry Martin, amusements editor of The Commercial Appeal and Variety mugg. suggested . it • be named "The Dunbar Bowl'' for jRalnh Dunbar, late impresario who produced first shows there years ago at considerable effort and sacrifice. differences between choristers and their own union, the American Guild of Musical Artists, went back to work Fri. -(16) with a complete victory won over AGMA. The Met. itself, was out of the dispute. Settle- ment came after the Four As (As- sociated Actors and Artistes of America), parent body of entertain- ment unions, stepped into the pic- ture. Conflict revolved around certain clauses put into basic agreement which usually accompanies the con- tract, between Met management and AGMA. (Contract covers pay; basic agreement covars working condi- tions). The chorus, consisting of 94 singers, claimed the basic agreement was not attached to the contract when it was offered them to sign, so that they were ignorant of the five clauses contained therein. They wouldn't sign the contract. One- clause, pertaining to sick leave, was the main clause in dispute. Walkout, however, came when AGMA suspended Anton SchubeU delegate chairman of the chorus, 'for failure to deposit copies of the choristers' contracts with the Met in the AGMA office." The chorus re- fused to sing unless Schubel was re- instated. Chonis not only got Schubel re- instated, but also a change in the sick clause to which it objected. Clause called for the Met to pay up to four weeks' salary if a chorister was ill. with pay then ceasing and the Met having the right to drop and replace the-singer. New clause still calls for ending pay after four weeks, which was satisfactory to the choristers, but singer still remains a Met member, being able to return to work when he's well. . , Chorus also won a revised agree- ment calling for a one-year working contract and one-year basic agree- ment, when formerly the basic- agreement ran two years. Pay was raised from $75 to $84 in the con- tract, before the "dispute. Chorus is anxious to have autono- my as a union within AGMA, with the privilege of negotiating its own contracts with the Met. Chorus also feels it has a minority say in AGMA. so that its interests aren't fully rep- resented. AGMA's board of gov- ernors, with 37 people, has three Met choristers on. it. .others being 32 various artists, and two ballet dancers. SkvilrlU Rita Hassan prodm-i Ion or drama In Hire, acts l«y Harry Kleiner; Stalled liv Ko\ Pur. Krave: sets and costumes h\ Utofw;* ; 6n?ii(*l jit Bolftaon;. IS'. Y„ "Nol, IS. •<>,: JH.iv tu ($11 o|ienln>i nlxliO. ■ 1 l-rlvalf l-aitl Kt-nnard T'anl C'rnliirea Corpora! Komir-lii UVody.., Kll|ni i -Sullivan tYtvair >r(Uro.\ lionovan ,.. Arthur kpoxttn I'rlvatf Mario lliioi-llt. ./nchtiry A. Clijnlea l-rlvaii*' ICdvYim! I'VeHnR. ..William t'liatnliem I'o-i'Hoi l-rlviJI.' N.ifliH- (W (Mi M... . NrrKPNiu Holier! li-rant-ay Diinny Mm. BiiifUI.... Mr. . rlnoflll..... AllKnltna Andru rt-tll. .Hid .M:, it off .'.... .('ail Stipcht .Kll Wallarli - Mfird U>u>r. ...Olive ixwltiir .....M-n-ty M'dter I<!.li I'lllMlly u . Wolt> -ltai^ti U"Ki|t: C.5I0 .MUM* llofnitttin Marcus Heiman. who was operated on to correct faulty vision in both eyes, is due home from the Medical i Notion brought enthusiastic response Center. N. Y., today (21).. Doctors j from everyone associated with early are reported, satisfied with the re- j days of al fresco shows here. But suits of the surgery but because of present leadc"rship failed to respond, medication he will hot be permitted•! especially the Memphis Park Corn- to read for several weeks. His sight mission, which operates the shell as appears to be clearing up. S'inwm?n is head-TOf- the li'iiiled" Booking O.tir • and League of New York Thcaties. p<jivt of the city's Ovefton. Park property. ' - -. . ■ , , Hot controversy continues via the press columns. . • .- > •'."•;•' Cornell-Hardwicke In 'Antigone' for Toledo Toledo. Nov. 20. American premiere of "Antigone." starring Katharine Cornell and Sir Cedrie Hardwicke. will be held in the Town Hall theatre, Toledo. Dec. 27-29. announced Mrs. Flora Ward Hincline.- manager of this city's new legit house. . This is the second play scheduled to open its American run in the Town Hall, with the Lunts coming here in "O Mistress Mine" on Dec. 22r24. ■ . • • . ' • ' Firstjeal standout of the season is "Stale of the Union." by Howard Lindsay and Russel Grouse, who wrote the record-run-comedy. "Li'e With Father." There seemingly has never been a better play about poli- tics, nor as funny a comedy-drama on the subject, Lindsay and Crouse. who also pro- duced the long-run "Arsenic and Old Lace." have imbued "Union" with satirical humor stemming from cur- rent events, not from magazine stories as with "Father;" "Union" touches on the -problems of the na- tion in no flippant manner. Persons high in the Administration, in Con- gress and in labor, are named. The play is topical, often vibrant, and the punches thrown at present .Wash- ington.trends land on the button. When James Conover. a Repub- lican chieftain, is asked what the difference is between those in his party and the Democrats, he dryly replies: "They are in and we are out." Conover has selected Grant Matthews, plane manufacturer, to be groomed as the Republican candidate for presidency to run against Mr. Truman in 1948. Matthews is to make a trip to cities where his plants arc located and make speeches in each. It is necessary that his wife Mary accompany him to dispel correct re- ports that Matthews is sweet on Kay Thorndyke, a divorced newspaper publisher. Mary says that for a year or more her relations with Matthews have been purely political but un- derneath all she loves her man aud decides to make the trip with him. Scene in a hotel bedroom, when Mary learns that Kay is nearby, pro- vides one of the funniest Of curtains. Matthews is supposed to have newspaperman Spike McManus as campaign manager, but that lad, even with his keen sense of humor, can't control the embryo candidate who takes a sock at both management and labor and wins the respect of both factions.anyhow. He changes his views on reconversion when mak- ing an address in Detroit, the rea- son becoming known 1o Mary when men and women Republican person- alities gather in her New York du- plex apartment for dinner and to consider campaign plans. That third-act scene builds steadily. Mary is burning and breaks her promise not to take any cocktails. She tosses off plenty, inspiring many- biting comments during the dinner, cracks she doesn't remember making until sobered up. Then comes Mary's payoff declaration as Matthews and others are about to depart for further huddling. Matron says, in ef- fect, she is sickened at talk on how to win the Polish, Italian and other foreign-origin groups: "You are thinking only of how to get votes in- stead of the next generation, whose welfare can only, be ensured by in- ternational amity." That brings • Union" u"p to the minute as to the nation's muddled foreign affairs, jurisdictional strikes and other puz- zles of national concern. Ralph Bellamy as Matthews and Ruth Hussey as his mate are co- starred and surely- play up to that rating. -Miss Hussey's Mary is always a splendid performance. Not her fault that she has the play's one corny line. "I'd rather be tight than president." That could go but. and about 10 minutes of script deletions wouldn't harm. Miss Hussey's stew bit is a delight. Bellamy's perform- ance indicates him to be a perfect choice. When he takes off his stuffed-shirt allitude at Mary's sug- gestion, he's a likeable guy right tip lo the finale. , - ' Many of the laugh lines come from Myron McCormick. as the news- paperman. Spike McManus: he's an actor who knows timing. That goes for Minor Watson, who as politician Conover gives as suave a character- ization as the authors could wish. Kay Johnson stands out. too. as the other woman. '.Maidel Turner is a highly amusing a.k. Democratic, cocktail-consuming wife of a Re- publican jurist of New Orleans: G. Albert Smith doing alrighl. too, as that cracker-dialect politician. Bretaicne Windust. director of "Father." again scores with his han- dliiijg of a crack troupe, while Ray- mond Sovey's settings look like ex- pensive, authentic interiors.' Ibee. "Skvdrift" is much too confusing to make an impression on Broadway; Noisy and harrowing, it adds a hec- tic tempo that makes the contusion twice confounded. It can't last. As near as can be made out. the play concerns a septet o.t paratroop- ers, killed in a transport plane-over the Pacific, who decide to return to their various homes for a last word with their loved ones. A young hus- band tells his bride of a week that she should sock another man. A for- mer big-league' player tells his son to keen "pitching," Two brothers tell their mother to devote her thoughts exclusively to the living. A disillusioned lover tells off the girl Who couldn't wait for him. So far, so good. ■ . But the playwright interjects into these homely; if hardly original; philosophies a contusing -welter of ideas about pacifism, politics, poesy and lovfc, so that the audience is never quite sure where it is. The dialog, often overwritten, is as often -maudlin or phoney. The play's whole tempo is much too high-pitched. There is constant shouting and . screaming, especially in the plane. Paratroopers on a dangerous mission are more likely to be quiet, tensed. Roy Hargrave has directed with apparent care., so. that the first-act ( scene in the plane is persuasive and technically, very interesting. The sets, by Motley, are noteworthy, the realistic plane scenes being in strik- ing contrast to the impressionistic flashbacks of the later scenes. The acting is average to good, with Olive Deering as a young wife, and Alfred Ryder as the disillusioned sergeant, in poignant characterizations. Broil. (Closed Sat. (17) alter sere?i per- formances.! Prep Railway Suit In 'Brides' Crash Suit against the Rock island rail? road for destruction of the "School For Brides" production, caused by a wreck near Louisville recently is being prepared. Separate individual actions will be filed by several ac- tors who were injured, with Equity counsel probably representing them. Equity has been asked to fix some measure ot compensation to the company for loss of time due to the accident. Understood that Frank McCoy, who presented the split-week troupe, will be required to pay orie week's salary, or one-half the usual mini- mum, in lieu of no notice. Sound Experts Test Chi. O. H. Complaints Chicago. Nov. 20. VChi's Civic Opera House, which 10 years ago was recognized as having acoustics among the world's finest, is now getting a complete going- over by sound engineers, who claim the theatre's amplification system Is just as good as it ever was. despite complaints about "dead spots" from customers and critics. Trouble lies, according to the engineers, not in the house itself ta 3.642-seater).. but in the custonv- evSv whose eats have long since lost their sensitivity because of blastings from movie sound tracks and their home radios. Shows in Rehearsal "Bream Giii"—Playwrights Com- pany-. v .. .' "Sl?">|jn:aie's Pharmacy" — Eddie Dowling and Louis J. Singer. • Would-Be Geiitlcmau" — Michael Todd! "Pygmalion''—Theatre, Inc.. Bea- trice Straight. Richard Aldrich. "The fcute Song"—Michael Mye<- berg. . „ "Of All People"—Monte Proser and Walter Batchejor. "Hamlet"—Michael Todd. "Pick-up Ciil"—Harry BaUet. "Nellie Ely" — Eddie Cantor at'd Nat Karson. "\ Joy Forever"—Blevins Davis and Archie Thompson. "Muider Without Crime" (revival) —Theoclore ftuskin.