Variety (Jul 1948)

52 I.BGITIIIIATB Wwliiesday, July 14, 1948 Strawhat Reviews Coining Tliro* ilio Ilye Stockbridge, Mass., July 7. : BerkshSi'B PloyIic>u«e pi mluci iott of ilffl ran • with aonjya In two acts (rt s^"'J>Hjit by Wm- -1-811 IV Slunsell. Jr. Siura Arihiii; ICwnt una JSjmii iWlM'fl. S(ase(l by William Miles; a«|[ilii!;ji, .TaiYies IluHFiell: m'ii^ic suiici'VlseO Uy Kobeit M. l.swla; niusif vlaycii by. KifiBlnin-iJulIocli: Knsonilik. At Berlishlre Pluyhousu, St<icl>brli]ga., Muss, Jcui Aimoui Kililb Pellowj Ab'im liuiiix Amy Doiislass Gavin Haoillloii le«bi!i't Bni'na... Ollbert Burn»... Bcity Pitton John liii-hinniKl. Joliii Bniiltine... , ThiirHLtjii ■ Holmts i', .Arlhttr I^oiU Kay Vty ........3u Hart .Keiidatt Clark >.'csblt i..;ffilm atl'aub James Plndlay. Wallej- C'bllsen 'I'lis 'i'ullor lo«. K. Alcirka Rev. WllUani '...Hiunn Wick jMine9 Annom' Muse Clarke I'rot, DUgfwia Ktawart.,. .I'liilHii tie f!allon Dr. John JlacKensile.:. . .AVllIiam iXtuiiuhiivv Kaueif (Silwoii l*at l»apert Anns M'lehoDs (ClarlnUal. ,... HcK-ii Shields Kttrl of Gleniialrii..............John ytraub Jatie aiax^vell, I>uvh£yia ■ Qt Gordon ........i,...^iii.v Diin.elan.1 T^ailv Alloia Wnllai'i" Oliv Uuiibur l>u'.e oil' GoiOoii Sl:<l>letmi Kent ■William Creech ■ Bruno Wick Warren P. Munsell, Jr.'s second try at playmaking is an cnterlain- ing comedy with music, as judged by the response from the audiences at this tryout spot. However, it lacks sutficient sturdiiiess to with- stand Broadway. The author has taken a period in the turlMiIent life of the Scot poet, Bobert Burns, dealing with his de- garture from the meager-producing lossgiel Farms, to the soeial life of Edinburgh in search of <fame and fortune. With fame and some fi- nancial returns ready to drop, in his lap, the shallowness of his pa^ trons' followers and the knee-bend' ing of the Scots to the British crown irk the poet; he denounces his patrons', and with a charge of treason, due to his writings, hang- ing oyer his head, he returns to • Ayshire. Here he starts life anew on a farm and is restored to his beloved Jean Ai'niour. The final curtain promises a happy future tor the poet of the common man, but history, of course, proved other- :wise. The aura of the Burns* poems and ballads which ai-e woven through, the story may help to gloss over the lightness of the charac- terizations with the exception of that of the poet. The playwright draws a well-rounded picture of the humorous, tender and honest .bard whose .love of all fi'eedom ex- tended to that of . affairs-of the lueart. His heart was ample to cover the affections of Jean' Ar- mour, who bore him two children out of wedlock, and the love of Arine M'lehose (Clarlnda) with a few excursions on the side with the girls of the shire. These situa- tions produce some liumorous but bawdy lines. Better characteriza- tions of Jean and Anne would make for stronger drama. Arthur Kent, experienced in opera, concert and musical comedy, brings a pleasing, easy manner to thS part of the poet. In addition to a fine baritone voice, he knows his way about the stage. The dainty Edith Fellows, co-starred with Kent, injects as much life to the role of Jean as the playwright permits her. As Clarinda,. Helen Shields can give only her looks to a colorless part. The principal comedy is in the capable hands of . Joe E. Marks (late of "Bloomer Girl"), and he gives a good ac- count of himself. Jo Hart handles the feminine comedy part ia ex- cellent style. The regular mem- bers of the Playhouse company. Amy Douglass, Kendall Clark, Gage Clarke and Pat Papert, pro- vide the proi>cr background for un- folding of the story. William Miles'- direction com- mends consideration for the same consideration for the same stint if a Broadway showing is made. James Russell displays his be.st designs in setting.s, especially that of the Mossgiol Fanii. Russ. Medford, Mass., July 7. Tuftg. Si;irrtni«r .Arena. iiroOUc-iioii (jC.nut.^U cal vevtte- with lyrics, luiiHit- ami -hKOj* by i'liyJUa StohK aiiir'.la[!k UiiliT. KiatitMl by ,>ohn 11. WooilriKr. . J;>atnn».» i'lijlli.-) .su.hii, Jack. Uold'. Jilvolyn: .Moon». lliiao Carl in. .lolkTiny Kinie, Jolmny Coyl^. .Iwrn l''arr.'n. ICrnest: Rotftnheri;. Itiiby Kunmon-*. Ki-inK MacJJontiueh, Kinunoits uvhis*. At TiirL^- CoUe^e, Medforil, :Ma(j.H. First summer production of Tufts College strawhatter stacks up as a long list of songs of so-so quality Strewn over a non-existent framevirork. Whole is accepf.able chiefly for the personal api>eal ofc Jack Gold, who puts over his own lyrics with a neat tongue-in-clieck fashion. Revue is given in arena styled acts put on and ofi during black- outs. Some attempt is made to costume and stage the 14 numbers, but arena idea doesn't lend itself to a musical show despite John Woodruff's ingenuity in changing the points of focus. ^ Main appeal of the show is the promise implicit in the song titles, most of them based on good ideas. Such times as "My Man of Distinc- tion," "Legally," "When Winter Comes" and "Never Let the Sun Set on a Quarrel" come pretty close to clicking, but the basic horsepower, is lacking. ' Nor are they helped any for the accompani- ment of a single piano, very out of tune, and the amateur vocal qual- ities of the cast. Arrangements and piano playing ai-e by Preston Sandiford, pro Hub arranger, and okay. Show had a good house when caught, audience being largely summer school students and favor- ably disposed to the cast. But it's clear there's nothing of commercial possibilities in this layout, £(ie. . Play out of Town Heavenly 4«estiire Los Angeles, July 13. Bfiii Bard pioaurlion of t'Ortietly-fanlaHy in tJu-ee hcih (4 Bcenps) and iwoloK "by Ray? jjiond' Groaa. Biroirlea l>y 51icl\Ble.l AHaanirf. Openea at Ben Btml Playhouse, A., July 7. '48. ^ Angel Sandy M^cDohald-Boy dft Pf>m!)erion AtiK^I Siini TEitiiin,... ^ Bt)i> Tinman Angel Foreman.., i . ..S. A. HHUiaon Marcella Norton... .*.Perdita (leorge Xorlon^ i............ Irv ULilvin Henry Klrtvvuvt............... .Don Stevfne .Tennle Fratiie. ^.........^..-Ooiris Kpini'ei' .fajift, lite M:ijU , Aliivif"] WaUurli Klsa Ti'ent Mttrs:** Peimbfrton Bou Groasmcyei' .Max MAllinper O'CASEY'S 'GATES' 2D PROVINCETOWN PROD. The Interplayevs, young profes- sional troupe stationed at the Provincetown Playhouse, N. Y., for the summer months, are maintain- ing their superior performance level with Sean O'Casey's "Wi.th the Gates," second of three produc- tions planned for this season. Their first was Jean Cocteau's "The Infernal Machine" and. their next yi'ill be a theatrical rarity, "Him," by E. E. Cummings. : Group is displaying a healthy faring in their selection of diil'icult but worthwhile plays.. But, more important, they are staging them with integrity and considerable tal^ lent. 'Ann Stromberg, as tlie pros- titute torn between flesh and salva- tion, tiu-ns in the top performance. Other players rating bows are Harold Vincent Guardino, Trescott Ripley, Gene Saks, Henry Colman and Anna Berger. Micheal Vincente Gazza's staging neatly Imrdles the drawback of thi:; playhouse's tiny stage with an able assist from the park set by Charlie -Hyman and Bill Sherman. The play, which opened July fi, is scheduled to run until th« end of the month. Inside Stnff-Legit PARADISE Two unusuol New Jersey sacri- fices. Exclusive Estate Section. Ideal for enterldining. Beautiful views. Only 1 hour frorto New York. Would also make ideal year round company rest or vacation homes. Can purchase ^completely furnished including limousine. THE VILLAGE REALTY ASSOCIATES Stat* Highway No. 32 liBtking Ridg*, N. J. ri.una lariKinbvilb B-Uia w 1313 Heavenly legislators, according to this script, are no better than their earthly contemporaries. They'll legislate against anything. Consequently, it comes as no gi'eat surprise when the Heavenly Con- gress passes a^ bill outlawing love triangles. However, , a 24-hour "trying out" period is agreed to, and "Heavenly Gesture" proceeds to explain what happens in an American family when—^for a 24- hour period—only true love is per- mitted. The pi'emise is a funny one and author Raymond Gross has embel- lished his situations with some fine laughlincs and clever pieces of business. Script needs some re- writing, however, particularly in the third act, where Gros.s, making his bow as a playwright, cut his story off too abruptly. Doctoring should make this a pleasant road farce and it could easily serve as the basic for film fare. With the exception of one raem-^ her, cast is composed of students, many of whom look promising. Femme leads, Perdita and Marge Pemberton, handle themselves witlv assurance, and Max Mellinger socks over his laughline.s as a legit producer. Ray de Pemberton and Bob Hyman draw yocks with their "angel" roles. Cast's sole outsider, Dorris Kemper, delivers a fine comedy performance. Direction by Michael Visaroff is nicely paced. Kap. D.C. Legit Fades In Belasco Nix Washington, July 13. The Capitol's sole prospect of having a legit theatre after July 31, when the National reverts to films, collapsed today (Tues.) with the Government's rejection of the only two bids for lease of the shut- tered Belasco. The oifers were un- acceptable, according to FederaV Works Administrator Philip B. Fleming, because the bidders de- manded to be reimbursed for any renovation costs in case the leai^e were cancelled short of its 10-year term. The federal official explained that the alterations and decorations for theatrical purposes would be valueless to the Government, which had purchased the building with the idea of demolishing it, but has been using it for the storage of old Treasury Department files. Re- imbursement funds in case of can- cellation would have to be ear- marked, he said. Also, one of the bids, requiring the Government to sell steam heat for the theatre, would require an act of Congress. Bidders for the theatre wei-e the American - National Theatre & Academy, which offered to pay $120,000 over the 10-year period, and Joseph H. Curtis, New York advertising executive and son of Columbia Pictures president Jack Cohn. who Offered $250,000 to cover the same period. Both had sought to use the theatre for the .presentation of pre-Broadway try- outs and touring shows. The city's present legit theatre, the National, switches to pictures Aug. 1 rather than altandon its pol- icy of racial segregation. The sit- uation was brought to a head last year by the insistence of Actors Equity Assn. on a clause in its con- tract with the League of N. Y. tiieatres, which bars the union's members from playing the house after .luly 31, unless the restric- tive policy is rescinded. ' Hurt in K. C. Mishap Kansas City, ^uiy 13. Two young actors were injured seriously when they felt out the second story stage-loading door at the Resident theatre during re- hearsals of "Alice of Wonderland" last Friday (9). Elaine Goodman, 18( and Richard Swank, 22, were reported leaning against the wire mesh gate door when it gave way, and both fell to the pavement be- low,' . ■. Miss Goodman suffered a frac- tured shoulder and an injury to the pelvis, Swanak^suft'ered a com- pound fracture of the left arm. The two are members of the Cecil- ian Players, a little theatre group which was prepping flie show for presentation outdoors at Unity Farm this week. ' N. Y. play agents,,usual intermediary between playwright and pro- ducer w ere accused by Maxine Wood, author of "On Whitman Avenue," of being "the bottleneck" In preventing-new scripts from getting out inte the country to be tried out by semi-pro or non-commercial groups. Miss Wood, writing in Sunday's (11) N. Y. Times, said that legit's tribu- tary outlets—university, little theatre, community groups—"feel keenly that the hooe of the American theatre lies in its decentralization and in a better working alliance between the professional and tributary theatre." ■ . "The paradox in the American theatre today is that though the pro- fessional theatre is shrinking, we are witnessing a growth of the com- munity and university theatre," says Miss Wood. If a playwright can't get a Broadway hearing because of high production costs, the tributary' theatre is an excellent and willing showcase. But the agent, she claims/ is apathetic, doing little to utilize this field. "Allegro," which closed Saturday night (10) at the Majestic, N. Y., illustrates the various ways a show can be rated a hit or failure. Since" the Rodgers-Hammerstein musical had for many months played to large grosses and a sizable operating profit, and seemed certain-to repay its;' initial cost, Vahiety classed it a hit at season-end recently. John Chap- man, commenting on the show s announced closing in the N. Y.. Nevis last Friday (9), commented on that aspect of the sittiation. Lester' Bernstein, in the same day's N. ^. Times, mentioned that "Allegro" hadn't repaid quite all its $250,000-$300,000 investment, but put it "definitely in the hit column." Actually, though the musical has nOf paid oft' from the Broadway run. it probably .will during its road tour, scheduled to start in the fall and cover the season. Basil Rathbone. star of "The Heiress," at the Biltmore, N.Y., has agreed to a revision of his financial term's for the show as long as business continues in'the current slump. New setup' gives him a guarantee of .i;i,200. instead of $1,500. He'll Still get a percentage if the gross tops $12,000. Beatrice Straight, who recently suceeeded Wendy fliller as femme lead, gets a flat $300. Hers and oUier'salaries in the cast aren't changed. ' \:' : • Plays Abroad Vienna, June 25. Aoadeniy Theati'e„iiroUuv'[ioti of <Mn\ie<.ly in thi'pa acts by Thftj l.inBcn aiiG . Franji Orihil/.. Dirrclf'fl ivy liinseiv. SgIh, YH^-a JucUmami: coatmnes, W. F. A'^elimieller arid A3. *?<jggeii3leiheJ-. . At Afa*lemy theaU-e. Viertnf*( June 25..'*48. . ~ . Stefan,.,,........... f Vn'iiPlia ..; ,... Beliaiie.i.., Cra.'^flUS. r ..... ;-;. « .., PoniptihiK ... . .lullUs C;ieij!i:i:...... *. . PHseuji(..... . ,..Theo J.<ins:6n SusL Nh'Oleitl ,. ..liulitH .lltiliimpister ..,.. 1 termniin Thimis" ........{'uvd Juevj^eiiii ,,Otto VVilhelrii Flsi,-h«r KiJist Ptocfkl ...,. n^L'Iciiid J£iiuncl»ei) Legit FoHownp INIireetear I¥amed llesire (BARRYMORE, N. Y.) The morbidity of "Streetcar" is no less striking with Uta Hagen and Anthony Quinn as temporary replacements in the lead parts created by Jessica Tendy and Mar- lon Bi-ando. Miss Hagen gives a performance that mounts constant- ly in her portrayal of the school- teacher tart, though the same cannot be said of Quinn. The latter hasn't the intensity, the shading or the sensuDusness suggested by Brando, and consequently he isn't as effective. Miss Hagen is' in for six weeks ending Aug. 6, while Quinn is do- ing three ending this week. They, along with Russell Hardie, will do the parts in the Chicago company opening Sept. 21, Mary Welch is another vacation replacement here, filling in for Kim Htmter. , Kahn, If • ' 1 ! George JeAkins signed to de- .sign the scenery for "April Fool," new comedy by Norman Krasna and Gioucho Marx. Mary Grant Will design'the costumes.' If J;.r- . >.' . A dull legit sea.son has wound up with eclat. "Theophanes" is a bright, sparkling comedy, a credit to author., producer and cast. It has real impact, and was well planned, AVith the characters on the whole astutely drawn. Only hit of the season, it should interest audi- ences abroad. Plot deals with- Theophanes, a slave, freed by Pompeius, who ac- companies his master on military expeditions. Yarn deals with prep- arations for another war, sprinkled with philosophy of the famed politician and writer, Cicero. What adds to the Entertainment is the fatt that the old Romans use modern implements. They dial the phone, for instance. Cracks at con- ditions in the old Roman Empire as against present-day conditions, cause hilarious laughter. There isn't a' dull moment. Thea Lingen, co-author and stager, is in his best comic style as Stefan. Judith Holzmeister and Susi Nicoletti play effectively. Hermann Thimig gives an intelli- gent portrayal of Crassus. Curd Juergens is good as Pompeius, the warrior. Otto Wilhelm Fischer (Caesari, Ernest Proeckl (Priscus) and Erland Erlandsen (Francois), are also aptly cast. Mam goes off with a young girl who has always loved him. Leopold Lindtberg, director of the Swiss films "Marie Louise" and "Last Chance," has staged this with great vivacity. It's full of brilliant ideas. Teo Otto's sets are perfect. Music by young Swiss composer Rolf Liebermann matches' the fairy-like character of the play, perfectly. Excellent performances are given by Therese Giehse, Lukas Ammann, Agnes Kink, Kae- the Gold. Andreas Wolf, Erwin Kaiser and others, with fine team- work by the entire cast. Mezo. Budapest, June 29. ^Iiivf^sz the.-itri* oi-tidm-IUth .of dninia In three aots by J.illinn Jlpllmali, Iranslolfd b.v liui'e Kuiii i ve.-i. .Suir-1 Jrtive .Apufliy. \'ej'a Hennyel, J.jKsiilo J'-olfirtaiyl, .Ktiniln-i. T>t- reotUm and set b.v ZoKau Fabry; At iVUn'efszi' i Budapest. Ben llul)l>ai:'l..............l,asi-/.to Foldenyl Hoi-aoe Giddeiis. ............ Ini.ve .^pailiy .Oliviii Vera Sennyei Helty :^kirgll T. Tui-Ko <'liarl«M Jluijlutid....... k....... ,.lun'o.s .Birdie........... ....lui-i Kmnloa . (5tu-ry,.... .. . .,l..-<Rislo Deliaiiy .. William Mar.H)iall......loxsef Kepp,'*s<j' Ailrtie, . ..Mai'ta Komiy L'al............... ;, ...Uyula lierl. Dor KHia^on (THE SHADOW) Zurich, July 6. Si-littusiiie.lliaiis prodnolion of eotn'edy In lliree acts Ijy .lewseni) Seliwartz. Oerraaii tranaluiloji by Tua 'I'liiKinann Ktuijed by Ijeopold^l.incitbers-. Sel.i, Ton,Olio; miml( Kolf .Ijieberniann; At Kurlcli The- Stljolar.........:.... Shadow. .PletVO... A nnuii'/.la t».. ,', Julia Gjnll Frinces.*!.,.. . Prime Minister... . . ..sii^fiVcl'seimei^-nVei-K (.han.-illor......,...,... «•„]( Benec.ketidorff Physklau ,, Bdwin Kaiser Schatiavlelhilus' ...... Andi-eaa. Wolf .. .I.nl{aa Animann ....Gunslav (vnutli i....;.'l<f|pthe Gold .......Th^re.^je Glohse vAgnea Finlt This IS another interesting and successful preem, the last during Zurich's June Festival and of the legit season at Schauspielhaus. "The Shadow" will be put on again, beginning of next season, With same cast. The translation from Russian into German by Ina Tinzmann is good. Play would ap- peal abroad; in the U. S., too Play is a delightful comedy with many gags and satiric highlights. It's a fairy tale about a young scholar who sends his shadow oH to a.beloved princess to bring her his love. But the shadow material- izes into a human being, wins the princess' love and then tries to de- stroy his master, the scholar. The latter is beheaded, but simultane- ously the shadow's head falls off Both are brought back to life by a magic lotion. But now the shadow's power is broken and the scholar • ,• • , ......It,.'.., The Mqvesz theatre has scored consideraBle success with recent preemings of American plays like "The 'Voice of the Turtle", and "Deep Ai-e the Roots." "The Little Foxes" is ■ another success, and probably will run all summer. . Besides the play's leftist tenden- cies, chief success is due to the re- markable performances. A young newcomer, Juci Komlos. in the role of Birdie, gives a surprisingly dra- matic, touching performance. Imre Apathy, in the role of Hor- ace Giddens, has breathtaking dra- matic moments and in his last, dy- ing scene, is terrific. Vera Sennyei is excellent in the role of the cold- blooded wife, Olivia, Laszlo Foldenyi, as Ben Hubbard, plays with natural grace. Margit T. Turzo, also a newcomer, is good too. Janos Zach, as Charles Hub- bard, is also fine. .To-/sef Kepes.sy as Marshall, Marta Fonay as Addie, and Gyula Keri as Cal, fit perfectly into the ensemble. Direction of Zol- > tan Fabry is brilliant. The set, also made by him, is first class. Goal. Klpness Partners With Mt. Bookers on Musical Joseph Kipness will be part- nered with John Pransky and Al Beckman, resort-circuit bookers, in the production of "That's the Ticket," musical comedy with book by Philip and Julius Kpstein and score and lyrics by Harold Rome. It will not be a co-producer setup,, but will be billed as Klpness "in association with" the new pair, who are understood bringing in a sizable share of the financing. Show, to be staged by Jerome Robbins, is slated to go into re- hearsal late in August. No one is set for the cast thus far, but sev- eral Hollywood names are being sought, as come-on for investors. Kipness, a New York garment manufactm-eri is co-producer with Monte Proser o£ "High Bfutton Shoes."