Variety (Jan 1947)

UBfSllUHUIl'rB W^imfysft Jmmtty ^ 194:7 Plays Ont of Town New Haven, Jan. 16. Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hamtnersteln, II (in ussn. with Joshua Logan) production of comedy in three acts hy Norman Krasna. Directed by Logan; scenery and lighting by Frederlclc Pox; costumes by hacinda Ballard. Onenetl at Shubert, New Haven, .fan. 18, 'it; tS.VO Xott, Mary McKinley,.,. ... .. .v.,. ...Nina Foch Oscar Dugan..,, .Ralph Chambers Fred Taylor Tom EweU John liawrence'. William Prince Senator James McWinley. Loring Smith Mrs. Phyllis McICinley.. Ann Mason 1-t. Victor O'Leary, .......... ;Lyle BettEer George Beechwood .....Max Showalter I.ily Hcrblsh ..Pamela C'ordon BriK.-tien. Hatwood Blddle. Harry Bannister In its present state, as a play, "John Loves Mary" rates only a B on the report card.^As entertainment, that's another story. They say that' BurMnk, the famous horticulturist, could cross fruits and vegetables with unusual results. Rodgers and Hammerstein will go him qne better with this One, They are a)>out to plant on Broadway some com that will no doubt materialize heavy spinach when the stage and film harvest is' in. ■ i Plot is"iraplausibl6 a confirmed toper's alibis but in spite of that, playgoers will probably ' enjoy the production somewhat as' they would a good variety show — except in this case, the performers juggle words instead of Indian clubs; the animal act is confined to making a hrasshat look Uke a jackass; and the entire troupe is on a merrV»go.^round instead; of bicycles, • The ahove "q6rh" c6nBhent stems Irdm such old reliable laugh sequences as the situation where the hero innocently dpflfs his ijants in the presence Of the, heroine just as her parents enter the room; and the obvious complications that ensue when he marries a girl in whom he has no romantic interest, just so he can pave the way for her sealing to a buddy. Play is billed as comedy but actually it's faree with a plush lining. The farce classification • gives script, certain license such as establishing an early problem which could, be sdlved easily in the first act but if it were, there would be no need for the other two stanzas. This observation, incidentally, reflects the present status ot the show — act one sets such a terrific page that the following sessions are going to have dillicttlly ia catching up to it. . Tale teHs of a. GI, John Lawrenqe, about to see his girl for Jhe first time after a" three-year overseas strptch. Girl, Mary, is .(teushter of V. S. Senator McKjhley, living in New Yorlt, and she has cpoked up a scheme whereby her parents will be in. Washington while she ' welcomes her hero alone. Instead; a former buddy, Fred, who had saved the GI's lite in battle, and who had preceded him home by a year, shows up and it's a three-way reunion. . It. develops that Fred had had an overseas romance with Lily, an English nightclub entertainer who was repoirted blitzed: Actually the girl had been located by John who, as a ttiark of gratitude to Fred, married 4he girl as the only means of getting her to America, with plana of a Heno divorce clearing the way for Fred to take over. All this is unknown to Mary, who wants John to marry her, and to Fred who, meanwhile, has married elsewhere, thinking Lily dead. CntaveUing of this mixup IS what serves as foundation for some very funny lines that get a healthy assist from generally expert delivery. Scripter . Krasna ' oif ers herewith another exhibition of his skill at garnering laughs by the proper manipulation, of words and phrases, While some of his situations also involve good comedy ingredients, it is primarily the verbiage department that snares the snickers. ~ Weaknesses of the second and third acts are glossed over largely by diverting dialog. Staging of Joshua Logan works hand in glove with the writing assignment and Indicates a shipshape pmduct by the time show hits Gotham. ' Casting is uniformly good. Play should help to establish William Prince and Nina Foch as a personable pair of youthful thesps.They have romantic appeal combined with good sense of comedy values, Tom EweU walks off with the laugh wreath with a honey of a performance that rings tfaie bell from start to finish. Harry Bannister likewise cashes in on chugkle possibilities as a hrasshat general. I%mela Gordon Registers as the cockney lass. Loring Smith attacks the senator part like an actor who is so anxious to get his teeth into the role he includes the scenery too. His performance requires toning down, which it undoubtedly will £et with added playing, inasmuch as Smith is a capable .acioj-. Ann Mason does well as the senator's w^fe; Lyle Bettger adds good support as a former lieutenant turned Parainount usher; Max Showalter has a brief but amusing role as a Red. Cross representative; Ralph Chambers fits as a hotel flunkey. • A handsome living room in the jSfe. Begis hotel sets an attractive background for • the goings-on and femme cast members exhibit eyeappdalisg .attire. Bone. Jiyeniag ai tJhe E4i]» Stollywood, Jan. 14. , Actors' lAb production of four one-act plays, three by Tennessee Williams, one by fciaan O'Casey. Features Jessica Tandy, Vincent Price, Art Smith, Henry Morgan, Whltner B!s«eil, Anita Sharpe-Bolster. George Tyne, David Clark. Mtey Davenport. Francis S. White. Directed by Jules Dagsin. Hume Cronyn. Alfred Ryder, Roman Bohnen. Technical direption. Gene Callnon; lighting, Milton Starr; settings, Oene Callnon. Duane Finn, l*eter Klnin. .Sidney Dubln. Opened at Las Palmas. Hollywood. Jan. M, '4T; $3 lo3.' Following the pattern of its flr,st professional production, well over twp years ago, Actors' Lab has returned to a series of one-acters, running the gamut from socially conscious, vague propaganda to downright good theatre for entertainment purposes only. Tennessee Williams is responsible for the two "messages" that somehow fail to arrive to Garcia. On the other hand, he also can be credited for one exquisite character study, "Portrait of a Madonna." Sean O'Casey contributes the sole comedy, "The! End of the Beginning," a farce of classic, proportions. The first two offerings, "Mooney's Kids Don't Cry" and "The' Last of My Solid Gold Watches," are bleak studies of frustration. In the former, a ^air of Wretched starvelings and their month-old baby are the subjects on which Williams tries to hang a moral. Whatever Williams' moral is, it is lost in some pretty dull play construction.. "The Last of My Solid Gold Watches," practically a monolog concerning an old die-hard Southern drummer, gives Vincent Price an opportunity to appear as an ancietat, obvious Bilbo supporter. Price tries, in fact a little too hard, but the dialog rambles in an obvious manner. Clinton Rosemond and Whitner Bissell do well by the minor roles handed them. Jessica Tandy triumphs in "Portrait of a Madonna," giving this one gem by Williams everything in the book. As a mentally unbalanced old maid, with sexual delusions concerning a non-existent lover, Miss Tandy works back and forth from gentle sanity to nervous unbalance that sets her among the great First Ladies of the theatre. Certainly no finer performance ever has been given locally. Hume Cronyn did a superb job on direction and David Clarke and George Tyne efface themselves deftly in support of the actress. . Roman Bohnen directed, the final piece, "End of the Beginning," and deserves top directorial award for Wringing the audience dry with laughs, to say nothing of handling his cast. Art Smith, Henry Morgan and Anita Sharpe-Bolster ha^e the chores in this wild, slapstick hoedown. Throwing in, quite literally, the kitchen sink and other household appurtenances, O'Casey shows what havoc can be wrought when husband decides to . do wife's household chores. After themisery of the first three plays, this not only comes as a welcome relief, it almost breaks up the theatre to say nothing of the audience. Production, direction, set and lighting credits are all of topflight nature for this minnie-house. Show should remain and play to SRO audiences on strength of word-of-mouth campaign, to say nothing of rave reviews from local press. Huts. Klttff I^air and jks Yon Montreal, Jan. 14. Donald Wolflt and Co. productions of ShaUeMpeare repertory. Staged by Wolflt and Christopher Ede; settlnss and costumes Ijy Ernest Stern. At His Majesty's. Montreal, Jan. 8 and fl. *4T. .* Kins: Lear Lear Donald WolHt King of France David Dodimead Duke of Burgundy. Georges Bradford Duk* of Cornwall. .Josef Shear Duke dt Albany...... ..Robert Algar Karl ot Kent............. Alexander Gauge Earl of Gloucester. ........... .Eric Maxon Eldff ar Kempster Barnes Kf Imund Frederick Horrey Curan .......,,*..., Malcolm Watson Oswald John Wynyard Tenant.... Georges Bradford Doctor ....Eric Adeney Fool * Geoffrey Wilkinson Officer David Dodimead Herald .Richard Blythe Serrant. ... ...Richard Bb'tho Goneril. . ... ..VtoWt Farebrnther Regan . . . . . ... , . Ann Chglfcley Cordelia. .. . . . , .Rosalind Iden As Tou Like It Duke » ........ .. Alexander Gauge Frederick ............. i ... . David Dodimead Aijilens. „ . , .Robert Algar I'Oi'd ......... .Georges Bradford .Tac.Qucs John Wynyard Le Beau ,....,...,..Geofti-ey Wilkinson Charles Josef Shear Oliver , , ... ,, . , .Frederick Horrev ,Tac<iue.>i. . Davlil Dodimead Orlando Kemp.stcr Barnes Adano........ Eric Adeney Dennis. . Charles Oliington Touchstone. Dona Id Woint .Sir Oliver Martext. ..David Dodimead f ofln • • • • Jilalcolm Watson Silvlua , . , . Ward Blythe William Joief Shear If ymen Robert Algar Itosallnd. . . . . . . ., , ., .fiosalind Iden ceiin .Penelope Chandler I'hoehe. , .„ . .Ant> Ohalkley Audrey Marion Marshall It's hard to say yet whether Donald Wolflt's repertory group will hit the financial jackpot, but on the basis of audience and critical reactions, it looks favorable. British thesps are drawing weU-flUed houses at every performance. ^ If the group does go to Broadway. Cnegdtlations are now under way) chanees iov its success appeat okay. There'll be a natural tendency to compare it with the Old Vic but that difficulty will probably not count to any great extent due to the fact that Wolfit is doing at least two things that haven't been seen in N. Y. for years: "King Lear" and Ben Johnson's "Volpone." Besides that, the group has three of the Bard's top attractions in its repertory, "Merchant of Venice," "Hariilet" and "As You Like It," which should in themselves keep the boxolfice active. Opened here with "Lear" Wednesday (8) and followed by "A? You Like It" Thursday ihatinee (9); Wolflt, doing title role in "Lear," showed himself a powerful figure who plays the tragedy to the hilt, ijroadly and with full force, ignoring the subtle underplaying used by many presentday tragedians. The picture of the monarch slowly going mad is drawn in bold strokes, so much so, in fact, that Wolflt's Lear stands out above all the other players. And this is perhaps the main fault, if it can be labeled a fault— the other thesps suffer by comparison. Through no fault of their own it is Wolflt's show. Balance of cast all do solid jobs. Most notable is their elocution and clarity. of speech. Sets, ana costuming in "Lear" are on the shoddy side, the reason being the British need for skimping and saving during the War. "As You Like It" finds the group doing a complete switch, and it's a happy one, with the rest of the cast looking, more like participating than supporting players, as in the case of "Lear," Wolfit himself takes a modest role, that of Touchstone, the clown. Gbihedy lines are played to the hilt. Settings are: on the debit side of the ledger, but deficiency can be overlooked. Laza. ■Montreal, Jan. 16. Donald Wolfit repertory production' of play in two acts by Ben Jonson. Staging and settings by Wolfit. Musical arrangements by Rosalind Wat.son. At His liajesty'a. Montreal. Jan. IS. '47; $3.32 ton. Volpone , .......Donald .Wolflt Mosca John Wynyard Voltore...,, ...Frederick Horrey Corbaccto. .Brio Maxon Corvlho. i . Alextinder Gauge Bonario. ..... . , , ...Kempster Barnes Sir Politick Would-Be......... Robert Algar Peregrine. ....... .. Malcolm Watson Nano. ... , , Richard Blythe Castrone Geoffrey Wilkinson Androgyno. ............ ... .David Dodimead Celia .*>-~.'nr:';rRosallnd Iden Only non-Shakespearean play done by Wolfit group appears to click even better than some of the Bard's works in which Wolflt is a specialist. Jonson's bawdy comedy is treated in best Elizabethan tradition with all the villainy and f oxiness played to the hUt. Wolfit, naturally, stands out above everybody else, his Volpone being played, asi are his Shakespearean parts, in a broad ^manner. Broadway success, however, is a gamble since there's much com hwe that may not register. Main fault With the Wolfit productions, the r so-called stock style of playing, is evidenced here. Supporting player? aren't given free enough rein. Sets are on the shoddy side as is the costuming. ■ Lozo. Dishei For Pix? Continued from page S ; office, but that there probably will be no full-scale move to cut down quantity in favor of qualit?';. There's a new type of fitolly wood film executive, rising out of the writer ranks and therefore more inclined, to judge a film artistically as well as commercially, Bernhardt says. "Dore Schary is representative of . this type, Bernhardt stresses. "He could well develop into another Irving Thalberg, Who hasn't had a replacement, in Hollywood." Bernhardt maintains tfeat foreign film competition is having a healthy effect on Hollywood production. In Contrast to the easier days, when Coast producers were just competing among themselves, director says, "You can feel the growing uneasiness in the studios as a result of the growing threat of foreign films. _ We're going to be forced to more " careful production." So far, he adds, foreign films selected for disti'ibution in the U.S. have generally been better than our own. While in N. Y. Bernhardt is gandering Broadway legit and pronounces it appallingly bad in comparison to previous years. He says that high costs have choked off originality apd made it necessary for producers to have a pre-tested product to sell, which results in the use of old, tried formulae for shows. Interlaced union rulings, which have almost trebled a producer's labor nut, form a large part of the total overhead, he adds. Bernhardt's contract with Warners is up Feb. 1 after seven years with the studio. While he has no immediate plans outside of a trip to Sun Valley, he says it's unlike^ that he'U go back with the studio except db a freelance basis. Plays OH Roadway Sam Nasser production. In association with Harry I,ambert, of drama In three acts (one scene) by Hugh White. Features Otto Kruger. Jessie Royce Landls and Wallis Clark. Staged by Melville Burke; setting by Watson Barratt. Opened at Miller, N. T., Jan. 10, '47; J4.S0 top. Aaron Storm .Otto Kruger I.uclnda Storm, ..„,.. .Jessie Royce Landls Mary Howard, Ottllie Kruger Phoebe PalritW.. ...Frances Bftvler Clyde Painter, i . . . . .Harry Mehalfey Dr, Duncan Brown,,,,,,.., ...Wallte Cl»rk Donald Stdf m Robert. Willey A well-intentioned presentation by a managerial newcomer and an author new to the theatre figures to evoke a difference of opinion but is doubtful of drawing enough patronage. . First two acts are fairly interesting although the performance seems much too quiet. Final act veers to melodrama arid there's a bit of unbelievab}e gunplay which switches the story from the psychological to the lurid. It is very well enacted, however, by two name players plus the supporting short cast. Also "Little A" is performed Vcithih; ah excellent interior. Otto Kruger returns from Hollywood to characterize Aaron Storm, who operates a northern Coast cannery in a small town. His father, who ownied the plant befove him, was known as Big A and the appellation of small is given the son, because the heir hasn't the father's dynamic personality. Jessie Royce Landis, one of Broadway's leading actresses, appearing as Aaron's wife Lucinda, seems a bit too voluptuous for a deceptive wife, but the performances of both are of the higher plane. Aaron, who likes classical music and plays chess with his doctor friend, is a quiet, mannerly fellow dominated by Lucinda. For 19 years he has had the suspicion of not being the father of their son Donald, back on vacation from college. It is not until the youth strikes Aaron, who berates Donald for attempting to rape Mary the maid, that the truth is conceded. But it's late in the play when it develops that Big A was the boy's actual fiaieai and that Lucinda tormented Aaron's mother until she lost her mind and died. The play then becomes lurid. ' When Aaron erupts he" is minaed"' to commit murder. First there is a poison potion but that is discarded. The deceived husband then toys with a pistol and then hands the gun to the hated Lucinda, which seems to be incredible. Luckily she is a bad shot for, after aiming at Aaron the slug strikes Donald. Whether he dies isn't Indicated, as the curtain then drops •Wallis Clark does well as the friendly doctor. Ottilie Kruger, daughter of Otto, gives a very good performance as the maid Mary and scenes beteween them are the pleasaht inteirludes in the El«y. tbee. If in tlie Cireenwood . Blacktriars production ot play in blank verse In three acts by Victoria Kuhn. Staged by Dennis Giirney. AtBlackf rlarR" Guild Playhouse, N. T.i; Jan. 19, '4T; $1.8» top. Elena .Katherine Hamilton .Tohn Barron Mark Ray Colcord David Landor .........Edwin Ross Father Benedict. .............. Joseph Boley Peter Conrad... .,....„..,.. ...John Young Robert WItde. ....... ........Paul Gregory Anne St. John, Ann Linsley The Blackfriars have made anything but a nappy choice in its attempt to transfer this blank ver'se opus from the written page to a stage production. It may have read great but it doesn't come off in the transition. It's doubtful even if the most arty-minded followers of this semipro group will evince much enthusiasm over it. First nighters, exclusive of those who had accompanied the youthful author, Victoria Kuhn, from Washington for the preem, were decidedly non-committal on appraisal and for the most part nearly as bewildered as the cast reading the lines on the other side of the foots. The author starts out with a Closeup of nations %reft of a lasting unity between the powerful and the weak. Locale is in a mythical country, which would recall its former leader to carry the ball in the unity stakes. After much stilted gab and actionless meanderings, it appears that a man must put his own house in order before settling the problems of troublesome nations and the world. Sex romps in by a clandestine affair between the man's wife and his chief adviser, which carries on to the ultimate denouement, when after practically cursing the man, the culprits find solace in suicide. At the tag, the man has regained -strength by their act and will carry on in his purpose. The cast does the best it can with the material at hand, and Dennis Gurney has directed with his accustomed skill--t6 little purpose. £dba. Ruth Draper i©i®I®gs ' Reveal fa id iagic Returning to Broadway after a five-year stay abroad, Ruth Draper in her collection of character sketches Is proving an artistic success during the first two weelp of her limited engagement at the Empire theatre, N. Y. With the playhouse temporarily vacant at night, pending resumption of "O Mistress Mine," Miss Draper switched her schedule of perforftiances, largely booked for matinees, to wehing shows mainly. The one-woman show is set for about 40 i^rformances^ an unusually large number for this type of attraction. For the current series, the diseuse is introducing two new sketches to her gallery of female portraits, both based on contemporary war themes. Bulk of each show, however, consists' of Miss Draper's best-known pieces including "Opening a Bazaar," "Doctors and Diets," "Three Women and Mr. Clifford," "The Italian Lesson," etc. Diseuse is displaying her best form in the familiar pieces, especially in her characterization of the jaded Mrs. Clitford where she mixes a bit of acid with lier general sympathy for the distaff side. One of the new sketches, "The Re^rn," is a sentimental affair, divided into two scenes, depicting the homecoming of a wounded English officer. Miss Draper makes the milk of human kindness overflow the brim in this piece. The other sketch, entitled "ViVe La France," is an effective dramatic hionolog, delivered wholly in French and concerned with the wife of a young Frenchman who is about to sail. to join DeGaulle's forces in England. Herm. tyrano' Switcheroo Draws Ferrer iMios; ShIis Trot Stiff f Well Jose Ferrer is to be commended for his sound theatrical, enterprise and business judgment, as well as the artistic gesture, in scheduling two performances of his "Cyrano de Bergerac" with understudies taking the • lead parts. A good-sized audience that included managers, agents and other theatre gentry attended the first special matinee Thursday (16) at the Barrymore, if. Y., and undoubtedly was impressed with the proceedings and with Ferrer's stated hope "that other producers will follow suit, and thus establish a helpful method of uncovering and' encouraging proihising taleht for the general bettemtent of the theatre." It was a good performance, with the . substitute actors giving a competent account of themselves. William Woodson, who ordinarily plays Le Bret, took the Cyrano role. His voice lacks the dramatic bite of Ferrer, and he bounced around a little too ;hectically, but otherwise conveyed the poetry, the tortured frustrations, of the long-nosed lover with intelligence and skill. Patricia Wheel, the Orange girl, made a sweet, appealing Roxanne. Stewart Long, normally a lackey, was a bit boyish but otherwise agreeable as Christian. Charles Summers, a guardsmah, did a fine job as .Raguen'eau. Nan McFarland* playing the duenna, and Robert Carroll, essaying . De Guiche, made individual portraits of these roles. An added gesture that proved as much fun to the actors as to the audience was the taking of bit parts by the play's regular leads. Ferrer was a porter and ragged poet; Ernest Graves (Christian) a lackey; Ralph eiantoh '(De Guiche) another lackey; Paula Lawrence (Duenna) a flower girl and nun; Francis Compton (Carbon) a cook, and Frances Reid (Roxanne) a soClbret and nun. Hiram Sherman, normally Ragueneau, made the bit part of a ragged poet an inspired one. Admission charge of $2 for orches^ tra and $1.50 for balcony helped cover sailariies and incidentals. , ''.Bron. Bri^h Legit lio^ Japan to Act for Tominies Tokyo, Jan. 14. Ten British actors and actresses arrived in Kure last week to present the plays "Patsy," "George and Margaret" and "Peg O' -My Heart" to British Occupation Force personnel in Japan. Troupe arrived from Australia, where it gave ,2,0(10 performances to servicemen. Group consisted of Beverly Myles, troupe leader; PhyUis McLean, Lois Roby, Gloria Robins, Jack Dwyer, Allstaif Roberts, Jack Guest and John Alden, producer. / Also arriving was Czechoslovakian ballerina Evelyn Ippen, , who is scheduled for a six-month tour, of the British area.