Variety (Sep 1946)

60 LKGITIMATB Strawhat Reviews Ifs a Msm's World Westport, Conn., Sept. 2. ■VVs.ilDOrt SifMson ot lillO. Inc. Drcspiila- thm lit .lulin (laWen pl-oUuctUin or i-imicily In IhrfS acta, six scenes, by H.-iaiar Wildi'. JViUufea Doniild Ciiok. t'eijBK (.'onl.-llii. ..I'l- iv.'led Jjv Miirlln Manulis; .scUIllKS. I>,v I-aw- ri-m* UoWwassef. . A.t . WnstDiiM,, Count(-y riayhoiwe, Sept. a Wi; $3.00. to)i. , v llan-y jluiilf..'.... .•..,.Kob©rt_Burton ]'hlUi> :l)Hnl'iii>,.........-.IllPhar<t:tsen<li-i(-l5 . Miirmn.HunC. .. ;Mnvaiirct Ii viiy; ' ■ J.ie.;.. i:.'.. ■. i.'. ,.Hj!(lmar liuyp.soii I H . I.-vsMo .Vons-'.V fjouls Utwll Knni'.y TeminiU.;... ■ •. ■ •; ■ ■ ■ .P^Rsy Cnnltliii KlHS MernllH>,v.;,.i..... .Oarmon MiitliowK. y.aihiirr Moi-rfit't)-. ,. .Diui;ilrt fonk l>iil'otliy... ■...... .. . Jane .\ti(ldli4im MiHS Crnwiler.'.,. ..;. . .Ovape Di'/l.-siHi (iirl III Hiir. , . P"t ■^'"'i U-mU.' Jiui al Bav. ....■■Allen ModslrliT ] I ,,1^ Don (lleon j„HP .Ann Thctniiis ,BolH)«.v'... ■. ■ -TeJ ^.m.iS'> and Robert Burton draw snickers 3s a bored matrimonial pair. Louis Boroll makes . a hand-kissing lor- cignor ' likable and Ann Thomas sfor.'s an ace as .the pickup, pireclion has capitalized, on script s hiuh points, the hotel room scene :be- int(.i!^:pecially good. Staging.oxhiBils, ettoclive welding of interesting-ehar- ac'ter.-s, listonable dialog and amusing situatiofis; Production unfolds egainst a quartet ol serviceable settings, With emphasis. : on : an. attractive _ living room. ■ Plays Out Of Town Cunliiiiipd from paK* SK issas Bone. John Golden has a promising piece Of material here. Characteristic o£ strawhat productions, it needs a go- ing-iover, but it sho.uld be worth, the effort. There's a nugget for Holly- wood in the opus, too. ; Script is fashioned around the upper mitdle class-.and it points-a finger at the boredom' that sets.'/n when financially successful vChildle.ss. couples find thofnselves with littler to fall back on except dull cocktail parties. Dialog has a nurnber p£ poi-j- nant observations on : maitrimpny, rnany of them highly amusing, : .F()r the most part it is smart phraseology.. A competent cast has given script a fine tryout bresk. Donald Cook plays Zacliary Meredith, advertising exec who thinks himself, fed up oh marriage after 10 years: of it with Elsa (Carmen Mathews). An inane Spring's So Sliorl Branford, Conn., Aug. 21. Williiun \vliUiri.t,' unci Anlui (.iriuinis .i^ro. .lift lull nl'.i-onii'ilv in lluve nuta. live scenes, liv William \\liii1nK. t^lm-s Uli V:\lenty. liili'i'leil In Anitii Oi-annla: Setting's. \\ li- liTiii WliiUnn. At Miintowcse I'layh'vu.ie, lirnifi'.nl,' I'iiiHi,, ■Aim. :i<l. '4ti; fli.-W tri). : M'lnfi':.,! Hulmis.-.. ■. ... .^Zaelt^^atcrs 1 I..,.;,,;, Tciviiiif ,.,;..AilPlo llusoliman ' l.'iuniii " ■ ■ .■.( ..<■.'.■■■■■■. ■'..■.-■i*eilt-.Mn.vn I c \,i Jill lu "KinKilon.'^ ;:U.Ili Vojenty I Itex I ■liMiu*iv.;..-'.es'ev.I'loteher i n^'n Vnnei*.. V.-. ■ ■ .v, s. i .... .Clin'k Williams .nil tiniHin;. vV,., ;v;.,.-, .■..,Jrein T.awrtoee j,..,ti,, . .. ; ■.. : . ..l^opliie Men-ill A Vi.irriK Man. .i 1;..:... • .V. vl Ai-vr. Wlrta Probably the only possibility for this strawhat production to emerge on Broadway would be. as a charac- ter study ot a worhan who found the easiest way riot so easy on the home stretch.. Chances of the script getting very tar, per se, are slim in view of a shbvtagc of plot novelty. Familiar situations go hand in hand with fa- miliar dialog, and the result is al- most a case of where familiarity breeds contempt from the boxoflice angle; :: 'i'-. ' ■ faiiiy well written as to lloiMly or Not WW. "Readv Or Not." He was really (.-alli-ig his shots, because it was no- . I where near ready. Ijauyhs were few and the plot conliisin.i!. ■ We'it' -Coast attempt at, another "Call Me' Mister", misses (;lic boat mo-stly because of -the poorly, inoti-:; vated. plot conccrniivg attemlits o£ a "rbuii of . wearers of the ruptured duck io ,gel ail education. There are a ifew- ihirly bright^ spots-^mairily Nanc-,' Sheldon'-s chirping of a ballacl yclent "K I Could Just, Remember, ,Clarke Williams' specialty as a Heinie subnarine commander, arid some ol the impressionistic sets by Gobruegge. Lal1,c.- lose their novelty, however,, after the first three or four,.and their involved ,structure makes secne- ChanRihg -waits painfully .long. , Another tune, "I'm Through -with the Moon." as handled by male lead Allan Cole, sounds good, despue mis- take 0£ directors Les Darst and Clarke Williams- in pei^mitting a cou- ple of odmics to mugg in the back- ground thrbu.gbout. Same goes^for others, ill the fairly jaz.zy score, which niight .go With the right plug.gmg. . Typifying the whole ]umble is . a tune titled "Whafs Going On Aroun^ Here?" Nothing much, to tell tt«e truth. . ■ ;/:Mtk:e.::; Inside Stuff-Legit Although the brief, two-week sea.'sQn Dave Wolper and James FJIiolt had'at the Spa theatre, Saratoga Springs, N. Y., this summer proved costly to them, duo has an option on the house for next season and plans to resume for six weeks. Season will run six weeks to coincide with the newly lengthened racing season, starting end of July, and employing ;» re.'sidcnt company buttressed with visiting stars, . Duo. took over theatre from Jewell Steven late in the .season, presenting Jane Cowl in "Candida" Aug. 12 and Gloria Swanson in "Goose for the Gander" second week. They had $7.,500 in bond money with Equity .and claim they took a lo.ss of over $5,500 on the fortnight, Including paying oil several bills (phones, printing, etc.) incurred by previous iwmage- mcnt. Duo, however, left the Spa with no debts whatever, the statement that they owe Halpin Advertising of Schenectady a bill being an error, Elliott reveals.. .Elliott, incidentally, is now working on rewriting and casting, of his piay,"Accidenlany Yours," which he'll produce as his fourth ..sOlQ. ,v6n-. ' ture and which he hopes to put into rehearsal in four weeks. ■. '.' ' Legit Follow-Up Play ■ is - - squabble prompts him to clear out i gongfjuctionT and unfolds logically, and head fo" a hotel where he usu- Characters are the typical assortment ally makes .overnight stops when ] genm-aiiy pictured as the professional stuck in town. Elsa's Sister Nancy ... . ^ —i (Peggy Gonklin) and her fiance turn up at the hotel for the purpose of effecting a reconciliation but walk in on Meredith when he is ih,conversa- tion with a pickup whom ho had tgken to the room as a blues-chaser. After the embarrassment wears off. pnd Nancy and her young man have staged a vis-a-vis word battle. Meredith cupids them off to a hasty marriage, leaving his pickup in the room—and that's right where Elsa finds her when she pops'in to put on a come-hoihe-all-is-forgiven scene of her own. Packing for Reno follows but it never reaches a head when the couple realize they stiir have plenty in common. Cook's'performance is first water, as is Miss Mathews' and Miss Conk- lin's. Richard Kendrick is personable as Nancy's fiance. Margaret Irving THEATRICAL FABRICS for COSTUMES DRAPERIES STAGE CURTAINS Maharam supplies every Fabric need for leading -Broddway productions and Hollywood studiot. Tiic House ol Service'' 130 West 4ith StrcM,'New York CHICAGO tOS ANGELES 6 E. Lake St. 1119 So. L. A. St. set—a literary agent, ah embryo composer, a writer, a would-be ac- tress-playwright, a femme soap opera scribbler, and a wealthy sensualist who has surrounded herseli with this .aggregation. .,'/■;: :^,; ' Carlotta Kingdon is the middle^ aged woman Who has been left .a for- tune by a man whom she has taken aw ay from . his . Wife. She uses the money to support a fast- whirl, her, specialty being to attract youthful males via the patron route. A; young composer, who has been supported by her, brings into the picture an embittered ex-GI who is getting no-, where trying ■ to peddle his serious writings. The .former soldier falls in Hne and sWans amour for hisikeep while continuing his attempts to cliek .as a scribbler. : ;■ . ; . ^ Unlike the other cases, Carlotta really goes for this lad, so when he is weaned away by the daughter of the man who.^a fortune she had Inherited wron!!fully, the' experience breaks her up. Curtain finds her alprie.With her maid as one after anotbei? - of. the entourage deserts her. r -^- LUi Valenty impresses favorably as Carlotta, indicating better possibil- ities in a more extensive bitildup of the role. Zack Waters, as the liter- -ary_agfinti Lester Fletch er., the com- poser and Ciark WilliamsT the v/ritcr, do capable jobs, Adele .Buschman reads lines competently but lacks the glamour- required by the actress role. Peg Mayo make.s her briefle as the maid count, and Joan. Lawrence is decorative as the radio scrlpter. Dii-ectidn keeps action from bog- ging down, and an apartment setting, though limited hudget-wise, displays, a clover motif. Bone. American Theatre Wing, starting the second semester of its. Gl school:. Sept. 23, will inaugurate something new. .in four workshORs-T-theatre, opera, radio and television. There will sictually be two opera workshop.s, with students of opera training working on Qperas with complete .stage and music business. Theatre workshop will consist of members of the advanced acting class working on plays, with eight top Broadway direct tors Coming in, one each week, to criticize and direct an actual rehearsal. Alfred Lunt has been added to list of instructors'in acting course, with Myron McCormack, Marc Daniels and Ezra Stone continuing in that de- partment. New voice and diction courses have been set up under direc- tion of Fanny Bradshaw and Marion Rich. JULES PFEIFFERprestnrs BELASCO THEATRE NEW YORK CITY NOV/ (N fTS 9TH SM>ISH Vf^EKl SAMUEL FRENCH aiNCK 1830 Play, Brokers and Authors' Representatives 2,". Went tm\ Stroi-t, Nnw York Hll West 7tli Street, \.m AiiRelCH Dallas Season Dallas, Sept. 10. ;' Fifth season of the ciVjc-sponsored Dallas Starlight Operetta, recently closed, has been most auspicious to date, with manager Charles ■ R. Meeker, Jr., specially honored by the Junior Chamber of Commerce as . reward. Ten-week season had gross receipts of $275,000, for about a $25,000 profit. Audiences totaled. 226j000. Leading show was "The Cat an I the Fiddle," with Allan Jones, which attracted 30,000 people. Staff included Giuseppe . Bambo- schek, musical director; Jose Ruben, stage director; Carl Randall, dance director, and Karl Koecki scenic de- signer. Newcomer to legit production is Edgar Levy, whose family owns a string of film theatres in New Jer- sey. Has opened offices, but as yet just reading scripts. 'Central Park' Doubtful B.O. in H'wood Bowl; Weather Seen Factor By JACK PCLASKI . Hollywood, Sept,. 7, -Mike Todd's open air version of "Up in Central Park" opened in enormous Hollywood Bowl, last Saturday night (7), and it was so chilly that some first-nighters walked long before the finale. Musical is in- ter 22 days. The weather will be a: big factor,in the show's boxofflce. Besides that, it's not the same "Park" that clicked on Broadway. Scenic effects are radically changed from the indoor presentation. The Bowl apparently was made for mountain Climbers, especially in the upper tier. . First-nighjer's in the' know came with blankets, and top- coats, and even then couldn't keep warm. There was a rush : for . hot coffee at intermission by those who didn't bring thermo.-; bottles or other 'warming refreshment. No such ballyhoo for musical com- edy has probably ever, been seen hero, That was possible because the dailies gave a big play to fact that charity is participating in the gross. It was also the first tiro.e a street parade for a legiter wras .permitted. It was funny and plenty, cdrny; de- signed to_attract the 'yCkels who lined Holiywood boul.eyard.r Tlie. biggest first-night press list on record was set. With Todd's p.a.. Bill Doll, distributing.300 pairs of tickets to all accredited members . of the press, who Were seated in upper-tier boxes far from the- platform stage con- structed especially for "Park." New scenery was required be- cause of the stage's vast- expanse. Drops look miniature and are changed in album-like manner. Ac- tors find it difficult, to make sleeper- jump entrances and. exits. Front of platform is lined with microphones but principals seem to yell their lines regardle.s.s. If weather doesn't moderate Todd will have to estab- lish a clinic for actors with colds.. Todd wanted 65 deckhands but couldn't get 'em. He was .in the light and cue booth directing the crew at the opener. .Orchestra has 60 men. In view of the high, nut, plus part of the proceeds to charity, it's hard to figure how "Park" . can operate profitably, unless attendance is inore than normal for the Bowl, ' which never is filled, except for Easter morning services—and then it's for free. ' . : Top is $4.80, with $16,000 for the first- night's .gross much, under ex- oectations considering that the pub- licity cost possibly as high as $50^000 for the outdoor production, which will po.ssibly be u.sed in arenas and auditoriums'. Both a.m. papers gave "Park" favorable notices. About 20 min- utes of the original .show was. dropped, with vaude specialty acts aj.'d bagpipers added. Single newspaper, announcement in Washington that. Ingrid Bergman' Would play the Lisner auditorium in VJoan o£ Lorraine" Oct. 28 brought 516 mail orders to the: theatre and another 50 to the Playwrights' Co. olTice in New York. Since no prices for the engagement had been printed, checks enclosed were tor various amounts, most of them wrong. First news ad is scheduled to run in Washington, Sept. 22, six weeks ahead of the. engagement. -Playwrights' Co., incidentally, is starring Judy Pai'rish and Richard Widmark in the Chicago company of "Dream Girl," as of thi.s week, as result Of Chi .critics'raves. Maria Karnilova. premiere ballerina in "Call Me Mister" (National, N. Y.) who stepped out of the role last week for an operation, injured her foot during rehearsals last March, thought it was a torn ligament, and continued dancing in the show. Subsequently injury was discovered to have been a small bone break which healed improperly and continued i inconveniencing the dancer. ' Last week she took off a month to have the bone reset. Kate Friedlich. who replaced, has been in show all along ; as a specialty dancer. She's George S. Kaufman's niece. Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo's "The Bells" ballet, which preemed at City Center Friday (6), has apparently been jinxed by several varied mishaps, latest being premiere ballerina Alexandra Danilova's pulled knee tendon. Its probably keeping her out for the entire 11-day-ballet stay. "Bells" choreographer Ruth' Page stepped into role lor Friday's (6) preem. Sharpest attack oil a legit producer in many years was launched in Boston last week when Elliot Norton, drama critic of The Post, went after Oscar Serlin in a Sunday column, claiming that, "somebody should be soundly thumped" tor bringing, in "Life With Father" in such a bad Condi- tion with such a second-rate cast. "I have seen the play 10 times with five different casts," he said, "and they've all been good until nOw." Press agent Bernard Simon has left the George Ro.ss office to set up by himself, taking Joe Phillips , with . him. Separation was amiable, Sunou taking "Front Page" and "On Whitman Avenue" with him as his accouMts, : leaving "Call Me Mister" with Ross. NEW PLAY By Expenencec/ P/aywrisibf Just flni»lK'<l. Not rfiMl to <l»t<- by iin,v oi>6 8 PEOPLE-2 SETS OFFEHED FOR IMMEDIAtE PRODUCTION Write for Script BOX 75 THE PLAYERS, 16 Gramercy Pork, New York, N. Y. Tiio Glass Mnna)ij(>ric (.NIXOX, riTTSBUKGU) (FolloW-Up) Pittsburgh, Sept] 4. Nobody's going to complain about the touring troupe of this Broad- way .smash. It's about the best dupli- cate o£ a hit that's Come along here in .some time. Eddie DoWIing did the .staging and he's put together a .show that compares favorably irt almost every respect with the original. Pauline Lord's superb in the Lau- reite Taylor role. She gets every- thing there, is out of it. She-wasn't completely sin-e of herself at opener but cmce Miss Lord swung into it, the packed, house knew it was s6e- jilg ..a. pprJ^pi-'ipfinte, SJie's csip.tured all of the bitter-sweet fragrance of a faded belle of the old south who has nothing left but her memories of gal- lant beaiix, eotiUion.s and" warm eve- jttiugs along the_.delta, and sJie. has captured, too, the awful terror of a mother {.who wants more tor her daughter than she knows she can hope tor, "Menagerie'' is boimd to do a lot for young Richard Jones, heretofore an obscure Broadway actor . ;.who's been understudying Dowling in the Broadway production. As lhe narra- tor-son, he turns in an eas,y, effective, natural job ot make-believe and gives Miss Lord sure and stead.y support. Edward Andrews, last seen here as Lenny in the road troupe of "Of Mice and Men''—and a Pittsburgher, by the way—as the gentleman caller, and Jeanne Shepherd.. the crippled daughter, are going to be okaywhen they have .a few more .'performances under their belt. They were a little shaky at the getaway but it was obvious they knew what they -were about and would some around. AH in all, "Menagerie" is still safe and .sound, and stiH an exciting ex- perience in the theatre; ' Cohen. The Play's Thing (FOLLOW-UP) . Montreal, Sept. 10,. Combo of three Broadwa.v. thesps and members of local semi-pro Cana- dian Art Theatre turn in acceptable job with Molnar's comedy, but if there are any New York plans in mind, there'll have to be a few changes- Casting is the big necessity Adrienne 'Ames takes the part .of Iloma, and it's a fine piece of under- playing. Philip Huston's ham actor, Armady, hits the jackpot with some sock contrasting overplaj'ing, and- Herbert Berghof turns in a smartly polished performance as Turai. Plenty of rehearsal and a perking- up dl effects like lighting and set- tings, production should be okay oh Broadway for a limited run, Molnar lines are still sparkling, and with proper direction (Berghof is doing it now) any'sign of datedrtess can be eliminated. Play is now seen on strictly strawhat lines, with every comedy line being milked to the ut- most, , : ' Present: settings are okay for what was available, and remainder of the semi-pro cast. Noi-man Taviss. Rudy Stoeckel, LeO; Ciceri and Douglas Pe- ters, register in their respective parts. Joy Thom.son designed the sets, Laza. AFM Strike May Force Equity Meeting Shift From N. Y. Hotel Astor Unless there's an interim truce in the musicians' hotel strike Equity will have to shift its first quarterly meeting of the new season, skedded for Friday, Sept 27, at the Hotel Astor, N, Y., to a meeting place Where the strike cgnditlon doesn't : exist. Both American Federation ot Mu- sicians and Equity are American Federation of Labor affiliates and the actor group consequently would not pass through AFM picket lines 1o attend the meeting. The Astor has been meeting spot of the actor group, for many years', and since a large turnout is expected at meet- ing, it would requii'e.an; auditorium': comparable, tp-grand ballroo.m o£ the.-. Astor to accommodate the affair. Leve on Baylor Staff Waco, Tex,, Sept> 10. Two Broadway figures will be as- sociated with the Baylor University Playhouse here, which will be re- opened this month under the direc-. tion of Paul Baker, the: founder, One will be Samuel Leve, scenic . designer, who will design production for the playhouse and teach c<)ui'ses in scenics and costume designing. The other is Alexandei? Koiransky, Russian-boni director. r Joins Drama Faculty Dr. Robert Klein, onetime general ' manager for the. Max Reinhardt theatres in Berlin, and a former- Berlin theatre owner and producer himself, has .joined the drama faculty ot Goddard College, Plain- field, Vt. An organizer of the studio theatre at the New School for Social. Research, N. Y., more recently he.. has been associated with drama, de- partments of various collegeii. Ho came to N. Y. from Germany