Variety (Dec 1948)

XfvAntxAaty, December 22, 1948 LE«ITIMATB 49 PLAYWRIGHTS BRUSHING CRITICS? Madge Evans Getting Author Credit | g' With Kingsley on 'Detective Story I Madge Evans, actress-wife of* Dlavwright Sidney Kingsley, lias collaborated with him in the au- thorship of "Detective Story," which they will co-produce with T gland Hayward. Question of actual DToducer billing for the show isn't set but the Kingslcys will be part- ners in the venture. Miss Evans is definitely slated to get co-author credit, as well as play the lemme i.lead.. . Kingsley will direct. Boris Aron- 6on will design the setting and the venture will be budgeted at $75 000. There is no pre-produc- tion film deal for the show and no picture company money will be in- vested, although Joseph Mosko- witz, eastern studio representative of 20th-Fox, is expected to have a personal share. One of the prin- cipal backers will probably be Howard Cullman. Show is a one- setter requiring a cast of about 25. It's to go into rehearsal as soon as possible, probably right after Hayward is finished with the new Richard Rodgers-O.scar Ham- merstain, 2d, musical, "South ■ pacific," of which he's also-a CO* producer. Paul Kelly, currently starring in the touring "Command Decision," Is being sought lor the leading male role. Hayward has discussed the proposition with Kcrmil BlooiJigarden, producer of "Deci Y li[[l5 ,Lee Shubert Testifies for Ring In AT NEW IQIUjH I '^^"f^W^' ^ 'Monopoly' Joe Laurie, Jr. rtcallt a elastic anlkology of . : '^Famous CMrlnin Lines" on editorial feature in tha 43d Anniversary iSiimbiT of Out Soon 'Play Backers Repaid lOG Are the playwrights using new tactics in their perennial teud with the critics? Are they now trying a { technique of ' studied eilence rn ! place of the sporadic accusation i and hyperbole that enlivened so many former seasons? Broadway i.S; beginning to wonder. - Bringing this , speculation to a head last week was the failure of the Playwrights' Co to take dis- ! play ads in the dailies; featuring 1 tavorable critical quotes about 1 "Anne of ihe Thousand Days," at the Shubert N. Y. Fact that the I notices were, so enthusiastic and that the .show involves such a large ! investment (therefore the raanage- ; ment presumably-would be inclined (to .spend more for :exploitation) i seemed particularly signifieant. . j One of the notable, developments j ol the current .season has been a I shift in the placement :o£ display ■ ads for Broadway shows. There has .' been a marked increase in; the number and size of .such ads in the Sunda.y sections prior to openings Lawrenee T.,aiigner ro-1/nj*. Director of ihe Theulre Guild hat ..a...- Formula for Prolong- ing Longevity of Legit •on editorial feature in. the - 43d Amiiversary Nttmber of out soon. ■■ . Unions Eye 'Hellz' For Jurisdiction Cla.ssification of the new Olsen and Johnson show,, "Hellzapoppin of 1949," has been a matter ot and; a; decrease in thi^ display space Revival of Ferenc Molnar'S' 'tThe i'used tor Play's the- Thing," which closed I ifter tliti operiliigs; It's belieyedru Saturday night (18) at the Booth, likely that there's any general N. Y., has repaid the backers only agreement among managements [ concern ;to theatrical unions. . Cast about $10,000 of its original .$40 - about this, but it's regarded as sim* is .cpiripqsed niostiy: of vaudeville- 000 investment. Considerable ad- : ply an individual reaction of dif-.l nilery pertormers.ratlier than teg^ ditional money has been earned terent managements to. various new j players, so the production is con . ,, T. » T> 'iri ., .1^.,..„ ■ ,,„ 'back during the six months on' factors sion," but Kelly s availability may B^j,3j^gy p,^^ ^^.^ ^^^^^ ^^^^ I„ ^^^^ „f hmge on how long the William ^^^^ ^^^j,^ j^^^ summer, but cision not to take extra-space ads Wister Haines drama continues on ^^ j^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^ distributed. ■ to display the rave quotes is stated the road. Gros.ses have generally , onerated in the red for » ' to have been for economic reasons, been disappointing and, with the »now operatea in tne rea tor a ,, Anderson author of the raipscp rtfltp for the oicture ver- number of \weks (^uring last sum- ' iviaxweu Anoerbon. aumor oi me release aaie lor ine pitiuie vci i „ , ^ . , onH has alcn I Play. first mentioned the subject sion moved ahead, bookings for the mers Doxonice slump, and has also i g ' Broadwav ooenine is- niau mav hp ciirlHileri ^ared poorly during the general > "^^""^ oioJuvvdj/ oiieiuiie, li nlav m^v he cuitdilea. business decline of recent weeks, i ^"ing instructions that no quotes Production is laying off this week,I J'e/used. regardless of how.^^^t^ then reopens at the Locust; Phiia-|:S'WW might be received.; - delphia, and is booked to tour the 1 HayWard's Idea, After five days of testimony, Carl E. Ring's $420,000 damage ■ suit again.st the Authors League • of America and three individual ' writers continues today iWed') m; IJ S. district court, N Y., with Justice Simon H.' Hilkind presid- ing. Plaintiff charges t h a t the; Dramatists Guild, an afl'iliate Of ' the League, is an illegal monopo*! Iv. and he; seeks triple damages;'; for an alleged loss of $140,000 in the production of "Stovepipe Hat" lour years ago. King was on the; stand from the .start ol trial last Wednesday .(.15)' through Monday (20), explaining;, how he took over control of. . "Stovepipe''.from Irving; Gaumont;,- alter investing $50,000 in the pro-. v duction. He cliarged t Ira t the Guild's minimum basic agreement i prevented him f ro nv making ' thanges in the show which would ; have made it; a hit and. as a; re'? suit, that he was forced to close.'; itduring:, the; Boston tryout. The' ;; co-a uthorsi Harold ; Spina, Edward Heyman:. and. .Walter Bannan, co- defendants in" the suit, relu-sed to waive their rights under the Guild; agreement to permit him to make the revision-he. wanted, he said. Lee Shubert-vwas a witness-for. Ring yesterday (Tues.), testifying that it is; frequently "impossible" to produce a play under the mini-- mum basic agreement. E. S. Green- balance of the season. Louis Cal-1 The day after the premiere, at i Company manager is Joe Moss and joined the Guild, so that their hern is starred. > ' ' the usualPlaywright.';'Co. meeting,;P ... ... Naples Gets West Opus New Coast Musical SPANISH 'STREETCAR' IS MEXICO CITY CUCK Mexico City, Dec. 14. Definite flick is Spanish version i are the presenters of the revival, of Tennessee Williams' "A Street- ^ in association with Qilbert Miller, car ;Named Desire," presented by j the Teatro de la Rel'orina (which I Seki SaHo recently organized here),! •t the National Theatre. Production^ after some annoy- i ance to cu.stomers during the first I lew performances becau.se of de-1 Stage.—as authores$: Her old play, the "Anne " production had already | ej patio having fallen through sev- lays In starting, is now running '"Sex," is on the schedule of the . gone over the original budget, eral weeks ago smoothly. Mary Douglas gives an" Cort theatre, Naples. ' Members of the Playwrights' Co, outstanding performance. i It will be staged by Anton Giulio agreed. Bragaglia, who has introduced! Although Anderson has not ex- rOiir Town;" "The Little Foxes," plained his; reasons for not wanting sidered within the jurisdiction of baum, attorney for the League, the American Guild of Variety Art- nought to show that the Guild is ists instead of Equity. However, ^ot a monopoly, forcing Shubert the company manager and p.a are to admit that the production of from the Assn. of Theatrical Press ' Hellzapoppin," in which the i^hu- Agents & Managers. berts were associated with Olson Production, with a cast of 91, has & john.son in 1938, was not cov- been rehearsing in New York but ^red by the agreement. However,, IS slated to leave today iWed ) tor j^e producer argued that the show Des Moines, where it opens ne.xt ^y^s morel- 'comedy sketch," Monday i27). It may play Madison ^ot a play. . .yway, he i^aid, Ol- Square Garden during the spring. ■ j^on and Johnson subsequently James RussO' and; Michael Ellis ! co-producer Leland Hayward, who I was also present, suggested that no display Sds. be; used, apparently :tiiii aiteare of Aiiderson's previously ex- pressed Wish along the same lines. According to Hayward, the cost in-1 voived. in extra-spape ads, estiroat> | hg^e , late ;n*!xt ; month later shows were produced under Guild regulations. Heymani appearing in his own behalf, was permitted to testify yesterday so he could return im- mediately to; his home on the' Hollywood, Dec. 21. "Take It Fro-n.^Me." Coast. He told of Ring's "unrea- te musical, will be P'oduced , ^^^^j^,^„ a^itude regardmg script Rome, Dec 14 , ed" arS4,000:$5;0007was'more "than, H^ntera^^ Mapes. ''Theptre l^"lflu^}'J%V^?u^^^^ Mae West is to get on an Italian they were worth, especially since, ^yin be inked this Vteek, deal for *"Vu i ou "pendants, -- , . . .. . . , .... .1 vMJi ^'"-^ , 'v pJus Robcrt E. Sherwood; former^ Guild presideiit, and Luise M.; Sill'i Show; with Sketched by Hunter ;P°^' League^ ;exe(mtive^,^ and Charles IFaber, has Ij^en if='5.:^!"=t*i.J" 2 New Sketches Due budgeted at around $25,000. Coin, plus a cushion of some $10,000, "Winterset," "Smilm' Through/' to "se quotes, his attitude may go]\vas raised after a private preview _.,„™„„ "Seventh Heaven," "Rain" and back to his lift with the critics j „£ the script at the home ol Harold ^ii^!^'^ p^^^;^i time this week. Among the name' .luthors in court have been Moss ■ Hart, current: Guild prez; George .S. Kaufman,'Marc Connelly and For 'Manhattan' Tour muen of Eugene o'Nein to itaiy. Continued on page 52) Lloyd. . Two new sketches'and .» new j; ; musical' number are going into "Make Mine Manhattan" when Bert' Lahr joins the cast for the road . tour. Around the same time, but ; possibly before, Jrfk Albertson' succeeds; Joshua Shelley as one of the featured leads. . Revue doses j Jan. 8 at the Broadhurst, N. Y.. and ; /Starts its, tour with a three-week, engagement in Boston. Lahr re- places Sid Caesar as star of the [ snow, latter being slated to top a weekly television show in N. Y. New number being inserted is called "Manhattan in the Spring," by Arnold B. Horwitt and Richard Lewine, who supplied the lyrics and music for the original show ; U will be sung by Jean Jones and ' . Barf William. New sketches are by Daye Freedman and Nat Brooks, respectively. "Mrtnhattan" has now earned back its entire original investment ot $165 000 Backers have been lepaid 75% and the balance is ready for distribution. An over- ' call of 20% was never used and was returned immediately after the NcAv York Dremiere. GRAHAM'S Musical Iryin Graham will clef the score ot Impromptu," new comedy with Dook by Sydney Sheldon and '-asio Bus-Fekete, slated, for « iPiing bow on Broadway. Script was completed six months ago but was kept shrouded until the deal was made for the music. r,i v!^*'''^ has a Broadway theatri- cal background. OUT SOON! The 43rd Anniversary Number OF R/ETY Forms closing shortly Vsuol Advertising rotes prevofl Special exploitation advantages Copy and space reseryations may be sent to any Variety office NEW YORK It 154 W. 46th St. HOLLYWOOD 28 CHICAGO 1 LONDON. W. C. 2 A311 Yucca Si. 360 N. Michigm Ave. 8 5t. Martiq't Pfoc* ; Trafalgar S<|wir«'' Ring's attorney is Allred S. Julien, while Philip P. Wittenberg represents, the three authors and, besides Greenbaum, the League is represented by M. Roseninan, M, Ross and A. Lindeyt with Edward. Colton, Guild attorney, present. . LAWRENCE TURNS TIDE' INTO A LONDON HIT ' London, Dec. 2L Gertrude Lawrence won an ova- tion lor ; her performance in Daphne du Maurier's "September Tide," which bowed at the Aid- ■■ wych Wednesday (15). In making-; her first appearance; here in ;12 years, the actress was universally acclaimed but the play itself isn't considered worthy of its star. Play ; should run on stars draw; Preem at the Aldwych was pre- ceded by a ; len(»thy tour of the provinces. Receipts from these : situations were sufficient to del ray the cost Of production. . Prince Littler Seeks 'Love Life' for London Lou Wilson,, personal rep of Lon-; don legit producer Prince Littler,' planed: into N. Y; over the week-^; end to negotiate a deal with Cheryl Crawford for^ a British production I of "Love Lite," current on Broad- .. way.'., ' J Wilson will also look over other shows and is expected to sign the 1 leads for the forthcoming London version-of 'Brigadoon," which. Lit-. I tier is doing in April,