Variety (Nov 1946)

Wednesday, November 6, 1946 LEGITIMATE 61 Plays Out of Town Joan ol Lorraine Washington, D C , Oct 30 riiis'wi'lKlila V.a. iii'oaui'Uon »t Jraiiui WO ads IS Sfetrea) l.y Maxwell A..,l..,;s- Slip's lnBPi<l B.M'sriinin; fcudirea Midi W an SliivKO Jones; seUiiiKS. l.w Sini..n«.>i . Oct.: i!i>. '■<"■ jimiiiy Wa«lev3. . .. JM • •■ M:iry (jrfy- ■ • • ■•■ • ^libey....■ ■ ■ jurs. KM Barnes. ■ oorilwell. ...... lollnec punvpll........ • •. The ■Kl''''l'''<''"'.''. ^'(llllp........ •. ■ HliPpuaril -.. • liP.s Ward ,........ ■Tesftle. ■ Jeilsoii..,..... . Klpner............ Long ............... Qijirke........... • Itpevps.,.. mm Saillpr. • • <"h.nli|>lalti.. •■• ■ SmiHi,.. .•• Jfarii".. ...., .,,... .Sum Wiinnmul<ri. . . ; . . ..('ilvmirt! JUiyh ... ■.. Iimr'Kl Bi-faniitn .. l^ewiH Mfirliii . , . . . I'ain .,;.Hrviue. ilitll —KptinMli- Tuliev .VMOf\fa Kills ■. v,i r.. iVrtliui' ■ l<. ..'-'rii'Ds ..,...... .T'l'lef: jriiiilW' ,... ...;. . . .Vlai-lln itiiil.v .... .BfH'fy. KiHienPi- . .;.... .'.Uoinnov T^i'cnt .TiinoUiy f/yrin Krarsd .... .liusov IH) Kiiypn .:, ITafry Irvine ,..,.. .Kevtn MrCariyiy .....,..: .. iii'QoUfl VVe.st. ..,. Anri rb'rav ...........Tfmnnn AUhih ....... ..lospph Wi.sfhiati . ^.... ..Slephch Roberts . . .... .. , .Liitlt! Sl.n lsUv Maxwell Anderson's "JOan of Lor- . raine," starring Ingrid Bergman, ap- pears headed for a successful Bio.id- way lun on the basis of its openins- mgiit performance. "Joan" has pol- ish but needs some tifihtonmt! aiui exci.sion . of surplus wordage' to pxit it ill the hit class: Play is a Joan Of Arc legend in a piay-within-a-play ;format, which gives it a unique twist and adds a ROphisticated note. The business of -falliag in and out of character pre- sents the Star and .some of the others ' with every o.pporti.mity to show their stuff,, Thi.s is the story: Of a sijit;lc day's rehearsal of a Joan of Arc coTripany; interrupted .scene by scene for coaching and discussion of the characters and, at the intermission .break,- for the compariy's lunch pe- riod. Sam Wanainaker, as the company director, who doubles in bras.s as The Inquisitor in the Joan play, lectures his crew at the very, openmt! about ; how.sometime they will catch fire. \ >i ,little, here and a little there.. . and ..tjien-the play will fall into shape. Rehearsal starts on a bare stage. VI til a couple of kitchen tables and chairs as the only props, and the en- tire cast in modern clothes. Scene .by..scene, as the show proceeds, the company does catch fire. To improve the illusion, it is decided that newly arriving costumes shall be worn. As the scenes move along, there are more and more costumes and an in- cren.sing number of props: At the very end-it. is virtually a dress re- hear.sal. . Show , ran three hours Opening night and would be much better if 15 to 20 minutes of it were giventhc heave-ho. Anderson has gone over- board to nviect social significance.' In an effort to show a eonneclion between the time of Joan and the present, there are long, rambling, philosophical di.s.sortations on the need for faith, and on faith and the theatre. Certainly it the play is given its head and soliloquies are reduced to a minimum, the temnO will be defi- . .nitely stepped up. • Basically "Joan ot Lorraine" is fine theatre and fine drama, and is beautifully acted. Miss Bergman, back on the boards for the first time since .she did "Liliom" in New York in 1940.. i,s a kind of one-woman team who lishts up the whole staffe every time she smiles. Not far behind is Wana- maker. who intrigues by (a) lookins like New York's Gov Dew-ey and (b) turning m a very slick pevf.orm- ance in his two roles a.s company ■ director and The Inquisitor. Rom- ney Brent, as the Dauphin nf France, also does a job which will give the New York critics something to rave about. Other notfiworthy perform- ances come from Lewi.s Martin, as v . the ■Bi.shop of Reauvais. and Roeer flo_Koven, as Georges do Tremotlle. Opening nicht operaleri under con- siderable difficulties. ■ They ranf!ed from tjicketing the Lis-ner aiidito- /■ruim, ill prote.st again.st its whiter :;.:only..policy,' to aqooustical tvoubVe and fits of audience coughrnsr. .Louie.: Miss Gordon. Thi.s attitude was not in evidence at opener here since Hub audiences are provincial enough to be fa.st'inated by the mention on stage oi: such familiar and homelv things as the N. Y., N. H. & ,H., Jor- dan Marsh, Wollastoh, Quincy, S. S. Pierce arid so on, and are, besiiies, pretty proud ot having produced Miss Gordon in .the fir.st place. Whether Broadway will go for this, naive autobiographical vanity or not reinain.s .to be seen. If it does—and it' must be. .said Miss Gordon is frertding ,oil-thin ice—the play and, especially, the performance of the play by Fredric Maroh, Florence Eldridge and Patricia Kirkland, can do a profitable business on the name draw alone. Play .deals with Miss Gordon's 16th year in the Hub suburb of 'WoUas- to.n when, with six months ,tp go to get her high .school diploma, she makes the decision .she will become a great actress.; Her father, a former .sailor , >vith, a .big, black mustache, a habit ol using"! seen" for "I saw. ■ and . a heart of purest gold, doesn t know shewants .to be an actress and plans .a " career for her as a physical education instructor. When, she: fells him of her ambition, he agrees to give- her ^50- and a ,chance"in" Ni?w. York provided she graduates. Oit the day she is to leave he loses his ,iob but. Kacriftces his brass telescope to the cause and sends her off with his blessing. It is a comedy of character rather than plot, and Mi.ss Gordon has char- acterized tire play .with a, good deal of sensitivity, even if it is only too apparent the whole Jones tribe has hearts of gold. Its humor springs on-: tirely from this characterization, which is carried over into the busi- ness with exceptional regard for values and details. But if Garson Kanin's direction -is beyond.-reproach, so are the conc.eptiolis ,of i-thiE ,i:61es by '.he three leads. Frcdnc Marchv once he: gets the Yankee patois straightened out (at opener he sounded more like a Steinbeck fi.sherman than a New England Yankee), gives a remark- ably well-roLinded portrait of the father and, in the scene revealing his own tragic background, supplies a really moving climax. Florence Eldridge as the mother is admirable throughout, lending the play author- ity and poise. Patricia Kirkland's playing of the young Ruth Gordon is well up to the March-Eldridge stature, while the supporting roles are ideally handled. Sets and cos- tumes conttribute enormously to the illu.sion, moreover. , It is hard to .say whether Miss Gordon would be wiser to omit the first-person aspect of the program and the players, or let it go as -is. Perhaps she's made a right guess on ilie novelty o£ the idea. In any case, she's got a play and a trio of play- ers who .seem certain of holding their own. They've got a career on the road no matter what happens. - . Elte. forces the father to sign over every- thing to him The play ends with the lather broken and pennile.ss while the children begin plotting to cash ii) on the coming industrializa- tion of the south. . Miss Hcllnian develops her plot With .surenoss and skill, and her in- tflligcnt handling of the characters adds much to the success of the play Inside Stuff-Legit Richard Rodgers and 0.scar Hammer.stein. II, launched at .Sardi s. N, Y,, .la.st Friday. II I, sitting at a table from ,Which they could .glimp.se a. long boxoffiee line' at the Broadhurst, whore :th<?ir "Happy Holiday" opened the night before. Although the notices: were rather mixed. revjewov.s hailed the performance of the .show'.s star, .Helen Hayes, There was an and "Carpu.sel," authored by R. & H.. attended. Another afternoon pre- view. y.'ilh players of their "Annie Get Your . G un" out front, was. given on Tliiirsday i,31), whicii: is ..uhusijai. a.is, the premiere was givpn'that eyen- :ing; ■,:■,■. V ■.■■■'.':■:.■■■'■■-':,-J ^ H'.: ,-V 'i',;'''',",, , Fir.st -iiighter.s cotiimcntcd on the shabby condition of the Bioadhurst proscenium and the following day painters .started to doll it up, but after most of the critics rated "Holida.':"„ :a hit. "There, wa.s complaint, :to<i, abovit , -loose boards on the'aisles. '" . :■ - , - ■ ' ' 'I- -.-t ■'■ About the only pleasant person in 1 afternoon preview on Wednesday, when the companies of ''Oklahoma!" the, play is the ,half-crazed mother, who luially achieves-her anibitibn df openin.e a .school jfor colored chil- dren, Shc'.s expertly played by Mil- dred Dunnock, A? the eldfer Hub- bard wlio Rot'his start as a: Civil War profiteei-, Percy Warani is in fine form. He builds vip a real char- acter and even inspii*es:.Some >sym- pathy at,the ,ehd. :-::..■■'-,',■:)::'..:■....:;. : : ,:■.—^—. ■' ' Leo Genn is excellent as Ben,.and:'' r^i. -nv n au j ^ j. ■ i ' ,i , Patricia Ncal's Regina is^ grade A^ ^^'^ Players ; From Aboard, new group of foreign-language thesps, actirlg aU the way. The younger son '^^"hched; its first German-language production , with Hans Yaray'S;"I,st, is Wfell playe^d by Scott McKay, o'th- 1 Gexaldine, ;Ein Engel?". (','Is Geraldine ah A.nger;'') .at'lhe Hotel Barbizott. ' ■' Plaza,: N- Y',, last/Safurday night. Plans are auider way to prodt\i;:e the . comedy m English, on Broadway,, according .to Felix G. Gerstmah. Vman- agbrof the outfit.,-''■. '''--^^ . Although stocked with a: strong cast headed by . Oscar Karlweis, Lili Darvas and John E, Wengraf, the play is a statically conceived cpnycrsa- , tion piece without much originality. Plot revolves around the bid chest- nut of how a couple of wives out-philander their philandering husband.s. Other players, included Kitty Mattern, Fred Lprcnz-Inger, Elinor Ven- tura, Michaela Stoloff and Julius jBmg; Yaray dftccted, ors in the ca.st rating bows are Mar .garet Phillips. Jean Hagen, as a trol- lop; Beatrice Thompson and Baftlett Robin.spn, T.he author directed with author^ ity, Jo ,Mielziner's settings and, lii/ht- ing arraiigcment.s are outstanding; Lucinda Ballard's .striking costumes help .set tlie 1880 period of the play. ■ Kiep. ToplilKky (»f Noire llanu' Boston, Oct. 31. \\'illianv '-.-ihn pro.iuf't^on of muwical in l.V 11 w d ';i.-!.«) ■ l)y ,(Jtjtirf^o Marian, Jr WW St.y;iil iiiui J. ICdwiiril Broin- iln.s Van. Miu^ic. Sammy i-i-s. ■ Riil.crt- Siilnov; Ijuiilt di- I.invlo .Mvtriill .'iPls. Eilwilril Clll- .Dnfs, -Ken Tlarr. . At .Sliiilt^-:-!. 1. HI., l-lli; top. . .. , ;rlly,lli.=! T,vniiP (laii'Incc. Montfrnnitiry ..........Harj.y l-'lfi'i- ........ Vivienne l^yffa! ..: .. . Warrle - Donovan .......... - ,;Vtttia Kaye ....,.'. Wattet: r>nng k.,..... .■ - .\',Oua -.Van ....:.:-. .HstpIlB: Rlosii K*Uvarfi. iir6iii.i>er]Ht '..... Margaret. Pholan. ...Bob .Bay ,.... .i'Yank Marlowe ......Koral Rayinomi pci'lH-.' .Si.nr.'^ Viv lipi-ii-; ii-j J'-aiii; A: rfi'lod hy Iicn: .\i-in-y .A nuif.]..,,, . tU.i-nrdinu .\nKf*l l.iunM 51 IS.: AiLSf l". , . lii-vcvly,,, Iloffor...., MonslK'ntir Diriln,..!-, -■r.'inlrulvj-; I'.uliln . ... .M',-ulni,in . I.f.:n-y. ... II. Harry Segall has received $2,500 in advance royalty on his fantasy, "The Stars Weep," but When the show- Will be. produced is somewhat problem matical Arthur Hopkins was to ha\e pieserited the play but relinquished the, rights to: Joseph Kipriess with the' assent of the author. Transaction stipulated that Hopkins, get the advance royalty back frorn Kipness.' whO is in the garment business but has had interests,in several stage mistakes. - Likely that Jack Small, an agent, rwill-team in the presentation of "Stats" if and when it reaches the boards. Scgall's "Heaven Can: Wait;" now called "Wonderful Journey,": is due next month. Theron Bamberger and Richard Skinner present that play even though there are-no picture right.s, original script having resulted in : the,*'lick film. 'Here Comes Mr: Jordan. " Wars Aj«o , Boston, Nov.: 2. Max (Jonlon ,i)roaij(,!lIon of i.oim.il.v-ilvania JJI throe acts (four fa'Cnca) l,y ItiiUi (li.rdim. Slaftpi! by Gr,r.son Ka'nin; ."iClUnK-s. PohalrT Oensjasicr; i'iwt:Hiiiii'<. ,|-ciiin Hovt. ■ .\t I'on- I1D.SI f lialon ,Ionn."i,.,,,, , Annie .Ione.s..;,,,.. Kuth: (loliiim .rone.t ■ivatiiorijip h^jlieit.. ,Amin. wii.hatw,,,.,. J.fil WliUnrarah... J r. .SliMi.r.iw, . ;, , , . J)-. HllKl-y JliSR -Oiiivm . .,. . .,■.: fnn!,, .: SH.lill ..Frclric Jran.h . Vlorciv f lillili'iits'- ;,ratri.-ia Kirlilaliil . ... ..lii-llu-j ;r.i'K(i.e . . ..If'Tiniff r T-iiilitiP" Uicll.'irf] -Siniiin ,. ..:,.. .Si.Ill Ali-Hil.l .l.'rf.li-ri.,-k ri-':-i.n .•.. ..liMlirli c^riiill ..;>:..'.....:..:: \ Ca! AnoilK'r Part of the F«»rcst Wilmington, Del., Nov. 1. Kcniiil Bloonisavilcn proilui-tion of iliMina II ihroe aijtii l)y I,tlUan Hellniar. .Slasji-il by t lie author; siHIingsi and liBhtlnpr by .lo .\1 ii'l'/.ini'r; coslumi's, fcuoinda Ballard; oriK- iiial niii.slc. ivrari-, Bmustein. -At Plnyhouso. VMlniinslon, Del.. Nov. J-2, '4G; top. RPKina HiiVvlKird,.., Jolni naslry,., i,; .:.. I.;iviniii ilablia'rtb ('-"nraioe. ...... . ilarcutt Ituliijavtl,',. IU'ii.i;iluln llutdjard. .l!U>0l), . . OKi'ar ilubbiird. Sini'tn Tsil.'ini Ilinlio llai-'lry. . , . , . I tarold IVnninian ., tliibcrt .luKKfr T.alirf 1 le Hin(.r-(^.... .......Pairieia Nf^al . . .l-3artlett Kobinson . . .Mildred Dunnock .Beatrice Thonip.-^on .Percy AVarum Leo Gcnn ..Stanley Gmone .Kcott McKay .(Iwen Coll .. .Sftirffaret rivilliDH ...........Paul Poi d Gene O'Uonncll ........ ..lean lla.tjcn . . The erstwhile "Miss Jones.'' neatly .done Over again and known now as V years Ago," gets oft to a slow start and is often too rcniinisccnt of oilier Wcent family dramas of the "Life With Father" ..uptiru, but it builds .Steadily and finialics strnnslv. Given proper cutting, .this autobiog of ac- ,iress Ruth Gordon seems set for: a moderate Broadway ruii at least-,: and undoubtedly pic matorial. . „The thing that could throw it is the .unpredictable attitude of N. Y. first- nighters in connection with the al- — - -. , , „ ,*4?'21t_ Shameless self-glorification of with Ben, coming, out .victor,.. He No contemporary playwright has keener dramatic sense than Lillian Hellman. and .she gives it full sway in "Another Part of the Forest." It's leally a sequel in reverse, being in earlier chafiter ■ in- the ,lines: of the Alabama Illibbards, the villainous family of her '"The Little Foxes." And like Its-predeces-sor thi.s one has all the quahties needed to lift a play into the hit class. It's not a pleasant tale that unfolds behind the footlights but it packs a punch, and , never, once is audience intere.st .illowed to waver. At,pres- ent the play drags in the third act, but the main defects can be reme- died. : The elder Hubbard sets the pace for hi.s two sons and daughter in the race for mohe.y and power. Greedy and unprihciplcd, the' quartet adds lip to as iinpJea.sant a set of char- acters ever let loose on a sla.go. In the beginning; Rcgina, beautiful and stopping at nothing to gain her ends, is' hcr father's -favorite, Ben. the older brother, equally, determined, bidcvs his time while Oscar. thc -WCak- willcd younger: .son,: is more :ihter- c-sted in spending money: thah mak- ing- it.- ,-■ Rcgina wins round after round m the battle of wits until Bon discovers th'ai.ljis mother, who's on the balmy side, ha,s evidence again.st his father that Would mean a lynching parly for the old matt. In a finely ,staged sceiie father and .son use all their wiles to win the Old lady's favor. Based on a ,story idea .so:muddled it sometime.s seems positively sur- realistic, and told with all the light-: ncs.s of a herd of: elephants trotting t.o a water hole, this rah-rah college niKSical can have little hope of long- evity no nciatt;e:r;what they do with it here, : ■ ',' ■ Story appears to .spring from the idea it would be amusing to have a husky angel, on a year's, leave of ab.scnce from heaven, get the berth as star halfback for Notre Dame. When Vivienne Segal, lately carried oft' io heaven by the angel, is ap- pointed guardian angel to said an.gel in his mortal forni,: :stage is set for eoni plications,: It ; seerns she's an Army rooter. Meantime, the angel appears in the cafe of a Notre Dame enthusiast name<i Toplitzky, who has been con- tributing: to the support of an or- nhan with a view to'making him a '"roat Notro Dame star.- It- turas out, however, that the orphan is :£i girl and that Toplitzky has been the vic^ tini of a fraud. The angel, falls in love with the girl and, through a .s'Witeheroo. gets into Notre Dame on: her scholastic credits,-promptly Wckr ing the hell out of all opposition. Just before the Army game he de- cides h? wants to remain a mortal, and this wish is granted by the:,hea:V-:- only hcsts. But now he is ,ho:ion?er under divine protection, so hi.s guardian angel, who wants Army to win, confounds him. She relents in the end. however, and allows:.Jiim to dropkick the ball:l05,;yards#o : Win the gome. ' ' Into this incredible fabrication Is somehow woven a Catholic monsig- nor (played by. Gus 'Van), an Arab, a bunch of rooters male ana female, and one of every faith but a Prot- estant, who is notably absent. Tlie inter-racial and inter-faith amity is as treacle, in which the entire ca.s-t Dlods up to its knees, emitting the mo.st alarmingly unfiJnny witticisms ever emitted. 1'he good monsignor, for pxample. in a long and ostensibly comical routine, allows that Notre Dame-mu.st have gone red; because "its backficld .shifts to the left. The music, barrin,g ofie tune that miaht yet be heard from ("Love Is a Random ThiPg">., and one novelty tune sung by Van ("Mclnernv's Farrn")'. is as tindistihguished as the book. Only three numbers,in the en- tire .show deraon.strate the slightest lift, the first and by far,the be.st be- ing "I Wanna Go-to City CoUege." which introduces one,:qf the stron'Sc.ft notcntial comic characters,, since Danny Kayo onehcd here in -"Lady fn tho Dark," This is a big lad named Frank' Marlbwfe. who, if he weren't' Ijuried' ill so dismal a show, could well develop into a .smash. A: good 'bet to watch, in .any ca.so,, Tlie "other two are-a dance snecialty by Estelle .mbitn and Van's "Mclherny's Farm" number, OnTv other'thin.gs on the c'-ctjit side are Warde .Donovan.. a, pi-hiiiislng leading'man with' a nice VIlice rind pci-.smiality. and: J, Edwrtrii Bi'omhf.i-t'. who works hard and (jflcn .su.;-ce.s.ifully to make Toplitzky a liitlc: If--, than the supreme-bore lie :i,s. MiNS 'Segal, with an .nponiiii.* and ckxsing number and nothing. In betv.^r-cn. i.-; le.ss ,«ucces.sful:tfying to be a naughty angel. :- : . . ' Priidijctiort is okay, though «irls ai'f! l)')vp are.hai'dl,'^: Inspired either as t'l look.s or talunts, and direction Katherine- Dunham's;colored dance revue. "Bal Negre," due to open a four-week date at the Belasco, N, Y., 'Thursday (7) and credited with bet- ter than $21,000 per week out of town, is said to have operated m the red at the level because .of high operating ccsts., Principal backer is ..stalejl to be. Dr. MOrtroe Greenberg, father-in-law of Neksoh L. Gros,s, who presents the.attractipn with Dan Melnick, treasurer of the Ziegfeld theatre. Dr. Greenberg's investment is around $25,000, Cost of settin:gs is not supposed to be high, as rnost of the production was used in "Garib Song," also: topped by Miss Dunham, which flopped: last season: She has a dance .school, usmg;the grads in the ensemble for the most part. Understood that those from the school used in the show receive $35 per week on a 52-w,eek :baBis.--: Jolin SlapletoH Cowley-Brown, fir.sf drama editor of the Chicago Aitier- ieari (placed there in 1902 by Arthur Brisbai'ie on recommendation of Clar- ence Darrow, then Hearst attorney), and now living in N, Y,, attacks N. Y. ! critics and theatregoers in a recent letter to the Sun. Fire is centered on brushoff given, John Webster's "The Duchess of Malfi,":-:, Cowley-Brown writing that "That criticism of the drama is at its nadir in N. Y. the recent ; newspaper notices of fMalfl' is proof positive." Calling'the, critics nitwits,; he went on to .say: "The theatregoing public of N. Y. of 1946 would seem to be wholly illiterate. Smair Wonder: ::Webster fails, to excite and-thrill lis imagination. The antics of a luscious Hollywood beauty aftd a hairy- chested Hollywood he-man are what they crave. O beatr insipientes!" Marguerite O'Rourke and Harriet Hayes, who were in the boxoffiee of the Booth, N. Y., are both seriously ill and not expected to resume their RO.sts. Betty Barker arid Jack Melnick replaced at the Booth. Arthur Lowe, treasurer qf the Coronet, was taken to his home, at Long Beach in an ambulance, thence to the hospital, Saturday i2>, pneumonia being indi- cated. He was placed In an; oxygen tent and his condition quickly: im- .proved. At a party held Friday (1) night in Sarcli's, N, Y., to celebrate the second anniversary of "Harvey," Mary Coyle Chase, hit's author, spoke briefly. In lauding producer Brock Pemberton, she told of a tootball star who. when praised, said; "It ain't me. it's the coach," That was a bow to Pemberton. . . Recent Variety review of "If the Shoe Fits," musical, which preeraed-in Detroit, omitted name of Eugene Biyrien from the credits, Bryden.dit-eetq^ ■ the book for" the musical. opener. They'll undoubtedly im- prove this before it leaves town, but Its like combing a steer's hair on his way to Chicago. Blie, ' Apple of His Ey« (Grlanger, Buffalo) (FOIXOW-DP) Buffalo,: Oct., 11. Waller Hu.ston, back less than a week frorn his recent, flve-inohth Holhwood stmt, re-illummcd "Ap- 13le of His Eye" for :the.-seasp'n..b<'fore a receptive audience at the Erlangcr. The vehicle, assisted no little by-Hus- ton'.A . apparent enamoredness with, the leading role, is smartly geared for road consumption, and its rout- ing, which will take it to the Coast by New Year's and continue it there and back through the middlewest un- til the end of June, is indicative of its. rightly anticipated hinterland: ap- peal. Hampered at the teebff b.y, a heavy cold, the star nevertheless turned in an ingratiating perform- ance, and while :the,,play ;is prp'oably overly on the CQi-n-fed and bucolic ,side for ir.otropolitfin consumption, the keen response from an alert local aiidienci is the tipofi as to,what can be expected in, the provinces, ,: The" production is touring:; under Guild-Arnprican -Theatre Society aus- pices; which is the finar guaranty of its .suecc.ss at the boxoffiee. Burton Despite initial difficulties with the mechanically intricate Stage effects, the performance moved oil with an clan and pace .which was a tributei to .sterling direction, and an intelli- gent cast. ■ As . long' as Mady , Chri.sttans is a\'ailable for "Mama," its popularity and Ibngovity are assured. The role and her portrayal are happy blend-: ings 'pf e;xqtiisite writiilg; acting and direction. Caist substitutions ihcllide Kurt Katch in O-scar Homolka's orig- inal role of : the. Vikingesque Uncle Chris,: to which he lends a some- what more biinnpy strain of cotnedy.. and a less streamlined projection than hi/! predecessor, and without the latter's' subtle oyertoning of the part, Diane Chadwick gives a warm and understanding portrayal of the girl- ish heroine, while Jean Ruth's crisp Christine is a more than helpful foil. Richard .^Bishop, Oswald: Marshall. Bruno: Wiok anil William Pringlc con-: tinue with .their distinctive contribu- tioas. -<;,:,: Burton. f llomcinlM'r Mania (FOLLOW-UP) Buffalo, Sept. 20, ; If there i.s anyone who still doubts the heart-warming, power and ap* pealinji efTectiveness of "I Remember Mama." enthusiastic audience reac- tion, hienV-'at; the Erlanger, fOllo*ing a ,<iiimmei- layoff atter two seasons on was in dioss leheaVsal st?ifie «t Bioadway, bhould settle t^e point. THEATRICAl FABRICS for COSTUMES DRAPERIES STAGE CURTAINS Mahoram supplies every fabric ncicil for ledding Broodwgy productions and Hollywood ifudios. TA? liouic of 5wv!:e 130 WMt 4<rii Sfrttt, New York CHICAGO ICS ANGEIES 6 E. Uk« U. 1119 im. L A. ft.