Variety (Dec 1948)

50 UBGITIHIATB Appropriation to Set 96 Rep Theatres Gets Equity Brush Proposal for Equity to appeal to i might mean a 10-year delay for Congress for an appropriation of moves toward Government support $100,000,000 for the establishment for legit, Progress toward the goal won't be achieved by "effervescent of 96 repertory theatres has been spurts, but by a long, organized killed by the union's council. Idea I campaign," hj added, is deemed "ludicrous" and "idiotic!' ] Noting that when ANTA was re- by Equity officials and is figured ] activated i.i 1946, sympathetic Con- to have no chance of success. In i gressional leaders advised it to or- ' fact, it's seen as running counter ganize throughout the country to to Equity's plan of agitating for, provide a firm-base for Govern- the establishment of a Government | ment help fo^ the theatre, Breen departmej.t of fine arts, under a noted that there is little chance of full cabinet member. | ever again getting a Federal Thea- Resolution for the $100,000,000, tre. ' He suggested that Equity ap- application was suggested from the I point a committee to work with floor at the union's recent mem- ANTA on a long-term plan. bership meeting and was passed by | ■ Vote of those present. However, the | move wasn't mad^ until near the | end of the session, when raany, members had left, including presir! Wednesday, December 29, 1943 Donald Brian (A Post-Mortem Salute) By JOE LAURIE, JR. MET OP FOR ■ San/AiitoftiOr'D^C'. .2a^ More than a dozen iMetropolitan tlent Clarence Derwent and other . Opera -stars are-listed for appear- I LII. officers. Council decided at the. ances in the four productions of life, next Week's regular meeting not the 1949 Grand Opera Festival 1 to act' on the proposal. , I which the Symphony Society of 1 The $100,000,000 plan was also San Antonio will present next | condemned by Robert Breen, ex- February at the local Municipal ecutive-secretary of the American ; auditorium. National Theatre & Academy, in a 1 The operas will be "II Trova-, memo to the Equity council. He. tore," "Der Rosenkavalier," "La 1 permit him to wrote that such a "frontal assault" I Bohegie" and "Lohengrin." CHARLES G. MARTIN On tour with MAE WEST in "DIAMOND LIL" as Dan Flynn, the dapper consph-ator who plots for the love of his life "DIAMOND Anotlier leading; man in hec Dramatists Guild Continued trOTii page . 2 sa Plays Out of Town The Smile of the World New Haven, Dec. 23. Playwrights' Co. production of drama In. three acts, by Garson Kanin. Stars Ruth Gordon, Otto Kruger. Directed ,)>y the author; setting and lighting, Donald Oenslager;'. costumes, Mainbocher . and Forrest Thayer. Opened at Shubert the- atr*. New Haven, Dec. 23, "48; $3,60 top. Josef Boros ... i....... ■ Boris MarshaiQV A fine gentle man, a fine actor, and a good friend has just gone "it stairs'' . : .1 wrote a "thumbnose sketcii" about my friend Donald Bria" about five years ago. He wrote Ine a note saying, "It's the nicest thinw 1 have ever had said about me"... I know Donny would like it fm- i?i obit. Here it is: ^ On Feb. 17, 1877, Donald Brian was. brought to his parents at ist Johns, Newfoundland, by a penguinr—it was too cold for a stork; Donalrt spent the first six years of his life trying to keep warm. The familv then escaped to Boston where the citizens immediately named their most historic spot after him. Bunco Hill. "At the age of six he was verJ versatile, he could eat, sleep and walk. He went to school and was ih a class by himself, for four years. He finally graduated grammar school. He wasn't exactly the smartest kid in the class but he was next to him;,that is how he managed.to graduate.: .He then took a year in high, school and figured he had enough education to become a mechan- ic's helper at the Akron Iron &' Steel Co,, where :he,followed the head mechanic who tapped steel rails with , a hammer while, oiir hero whistled the Anvil Chorus: When his lips stopped puckering he quit the job. > He changed his whistle for; a; boy soprano's voice.- His. voice was sort of a musical fifth' column.- He. met our old. friend Arthur Hurldy [he beat him Upstairs by a few years] who had a voice like, a fish out of' water, a sort of a weak bass. "Can you sing? " asked Donald/ ''I can't - sing much," answered Arthur.; ''Good, neither can I, then our voices won't conflict." So they got two other guys and formed the Boston City Quartet. They sang ofl^-key so much that they got fan mail from lock- smiths. The;f were ' sort of a vocal riffraff. Their first show was at Lawrence, Mass., in 1896, and in 1898 they joined "Shannon of the Sixth," a play written by E. Ff Kidder, an old Lamb. The show finished in Lansing, just a short way from Detroit. Their voices didn't carry them far; Then they joined a medicine show for $5 a' week and cakes. The medicine man sojd "'Chalmoogra," a blood cure; it proved through otie.. As to Miss Gprdoji, having already suffered one casualty this season ("Leading Lady"), hei* .por? trayal: of the, Sara Boultihg irole is fine V iexa'raple of - the . "Ruth; driishcd. to, earth,- will rise; agaih*' philosophy. While the part is not the meatiest in the Gordon reper-1 Ring's motion to dismiss the,labor Mrs' Bor'os' ' V.'\ nevertheless well done, i union argument. Petey '. Sam .laciwon | Topping the support of the two I Principal witness Monday (27) make necessary script changes was responsible for ^^^.^^^ ^^^^^^^ ^^^^ ^ ^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^ j^^^^^^ the show s failure, and that the , didn't have that nor dough, so broke up the quartet and our hero was Guild's minimum basic agreement i ready to start on his own. He was now at the age where he could look constitutes an illegal monopoly, [at the ladies' side of the laundry list and understand it. The Guild contends that Ring had His first single appearance was at the Fifth Ave. theatre, N. Y., in no right to revise the "Stovepipe" ^90° « » Pl^y called "Three Little Lambs." He then played stock at • r .ii -i. . ji. Richmondi-V in The Chaperons. He was getting no script without permission from the ^^^^^ ^jj^ ^ ^^jp "Supper Clubs," "Belle of Broadway," "Floro- dora," "Silver Slipper," "Myrles ArbOH'''followed;)ih^ then he got the part of: Henry Hapgobd in ''Little, Johnny Jones.'' Stayed ■ under the Cohan & Harris management for ''45 Minutes From Broad- ■ Henry W. Savage to play Prince Dahilp ihi; ''The Merry Widow.''^ H^ Henry Savage to play Prince Dariilo m VThe Merry; Widp opened on Oct. 21, 1907, and became a star. It. niade tlieatricarhistory. He was so surprised at his big hit that, his eyebtbws pushed his hat off; authors, and argues that it is in effect a labor union and therefore is-' not • an illegal; monopoly. > Jus- tice Simon H. Bifkind denied Sara BouitingRut'i"Gordon I Stars Is Stevcn Hill, about whom ■ ^.^^ j^j^^j.^ Connelly, Guild council i Although a star, he did not put on any airayas, his voice wasn't that Steven Hill HpHywpod Will spoi^ - hear it it fv^pmUp- former nrpsident of * strong. But he danced beautifully, With' tears in his eyes; %is shoes I hasn't already done So. His some-, ^ AuthTrf League of America were too tight. Sam Fenn , Justice Reuben Boultmg..,.Otto. Stewart Ossie Dayis , Alice Widmajer Laura Pierpont times laconic, sometimes loqua- I cious delivery, plus a likeable per-1 Parentoilganizat^^^ sonality, is impressive. Laura Pier-1 pg-long wrangle between opbos- A handsome stage setting, some ' po„t (.^e slightly illiterate ; »ng lawyers, with tl}e jury retired, good writing, stellar acting and ■ mother of the justice, adds a good i he was finally permitted to testify capable direction should normally ■ comedy touch, and Boris Marshalov i about the services rendered by a add up to a gratifying theatrical registers as a temperamental pho-' playwright and to relate the his- experience, but in the case ot the, tographer. . I tory of the formation and early breakin of "Smile of the World — staging follows tlie pace of a progress of the Guild, they don't. Premiere turned out to ^3^^^^ ^^^j^^^ ^^^^ a f„,l gaUop, 1 Fverhodv Has Flons be a situation where the merit of 1 ^^^^^ apparently being selected as ■ Lverooay Has nops some individual ingredients _ ex-, a„ adjunct to the script's leisurely ' Asked about his qualifications to ceeded that of the overall product I cotjte^t It is onfy ^^e third ' speak on the subject, the drama-i low tide, i or a while he specialized 1 While "Smile" will prohably not, ^ j g between Boulting 1 tist said that his "Green Pastures" 1 Island Eggless. His early experience exactly bring critical frowns, it is doubtful if this conversation piece will nudge its way into the hit column. Whether or not this script is basically biographical, and is in- tended as a mild expose of the private life of a 1923 Supreme Court justice, is of small conse? . quence to the paying customers. Fact is that the play as presented involves considerable verbiage and ■. Very little action, a condition that pegs it strictly for class, rather c-than mass appeal. Story has a split and Sam, that the pace quickens to , had won the Pulitzer Prize, but he distrust of an egg. He gave up his chicken farming and ran a tight. Other big hits followed, "Dollar Princess," "The Siren," "Girl From Utah," "Sybil," "Buddies," "The Chocolate Soldier," "Just Married," "No, No, Nanette," "Castles In the Air," "Yes, Yes, Yvette," "PEivate Lives," a revival of the "Merry Widow" at tlic New Amsterdam in 1931, a tour in"Reunion in Vienna,'' " Music In the Air," "Fly Away Home^' and many others. A few vaudeville tours with his gorgeous and tal- ented wife, Virginia O'Brien, with our pal Git? Rice at the piano. Donald Brian was a full-fledged matinee; idol. Girls called him- the ; Dream Man, because he ate hamburgers before going to bed. , He-has a. nice place at Great Neck, L. I., rather a fair-sized place at ' low tide: For a while he specialized in chickens; raised a herd of ;'Long as an actor taught him to have a dra-' any degree of intensity. V A - superior setting of Washing- ton living quarters, added to Miss Gordon's attractive ■ wardrobe, makes an appealing visual contrir bution. . Bone. Don'i; Listen, Ladies Montclair, N. J.. Dec. 26. Lee Ephraim and .Tactc Buchanan pro- duction of comedy in two acts by Saclia Guitry, translated by Steplicn -Powys. Directed by Willard Stoker: setting, Leon Davcy. Opened at Montclair , theatre, added, "I've also had < plenty of f ^^tic school with his accomplished wife in Great Neck where they flops---everyohe has;" When the i-teach actors' and industrialists' children the arts of song,, dance, ballet Guild attorney asked if he'd also ' and drama [and it's still going]. They retread their voices and save authored "A Storv fof Strahgers" ' the kids frittering away their tonsils. Donald Brian continued doing occasional radio, jobs; between times and plays character jparts in an occasional show,: After over 45 years as a gi-esit trpupei*; hej was ^ stagestruck. ■.^■^,';:'':', '\':'S Donald Brian ' possessed the most serviceable Of.: all .qualities,: -pst* sonal charm: He was regarded by his biother Lairibs and-the pro^^ sion in general as an accomplished, .warih-heaitted,^ s^^^ rbrofheclsi genuine man. To a tworsyllable fellow like me I can sum it up in just of how she had piit $10,000 in tiie three simple words—"a great guy." show; when Irving Gaumont had 1 That is what I wrote about Donald Brian five years ago. Now Donald. (which did a fast fold on Broadwiiy early this season), the playwright remarked, "Oh, do you still re- member that?" Another defense witness was Mrs. J; Nicorsia. an investor in the "Stovepipe" production, who told personality an that it ^steps :P1T Vh Daniel Baciieiet.'.',... . .^. . . .'jacic Buchanan i tirst planned it, and had brought < has gone "Upstairs" and the show world still will remember him as a one direction to point up tading Henrlette , ; . ,^Joan^scton i Ring into t - .. Madeleine . I'. . . . -. .Moira Lister Baron De Charancy. , :... Hugh Miller Blandlnet.. .:......;....;.:..: .Ian Lubbocli Julie BiUe.En.Bols........Ivy St. Heljer Valentine ..: i... v;..,..-.. .Adele Dixon A Porter......;..... i . ..Bartlett Mullins Michel Aubrion,:,.:....:. Austin Trevor marital love, meanwhile propound- ing a premise relevant ; to free speech and Supreme Court han- dling of that subject. Script fails to establish a definite conclusion in either department; Sara Boulting has been married ' The battle of the sexes given for some 20, years to Justice , g French accent in Sacha Guitry s Reuben Boulting, whom she had | charming . little comedy, "Don't selected for a mate because of his | Listen, Ladies," which stopped over Idealistic attitude towards life and | at this Jersey spot for two days people. The passing years have 1 before going on to its New York fine gentle man, a fine trouper. He has left his wife and daughter a great legacy. And to the show business he has left a mark for the; young kids to shoot at. Show business is gonna miss him. vealed she's currently suing in ! N. Y. supreme court to recover the coin from Ring, who subsequently took over the "Stovepipe" show. Dr. Edward Pauker, agent for; the three '-Stovepipe" authors, Harold Spina, Edward Heyman and Walter Hannan, was dropped from the list of defendants; Han-1 u i j i.A • ^ xr „ ■ ■ . » ,1 *k«; nan has also been released fTom \'''^° '^""'^ ^"^^ ^our Gun" m Pans, pomts out that the financial liability in the case, al- idemands.of American authors for a straight 10% royalty fora Yanknit Inside Stuif-Legit Cynda Glenn, American comedienne longtime resident in France,. diluted those: ideals with the more j opeitiingTDec. 28),> The piece, done. ! though the; plaintiff reserves the I is too much for the French producers to shoulder. practicaiAaspects^;of^ existence, to I by a sprightly ... - such ^ an extent that approaching jgi, past headed by Jack Buchanan, seems-to be far from: sockeroo in general .appeal;; Biit. there's always ah' awdiehce fpr :smart pblit^'farce, and the 'GHftry plaj' shpnld. ring tip a'sizable:" succg'ss-.; ■;..'';,'■■.■,■'.:.■-■;.■■.:. Guitry -must, hav.e^,'^^^^^ "La- middle age finds a widening gulf between the two. Sam Fenn. youth-^ ful: new apprentice to the justice, : strikes ,a: responsive chord in Sara, who sees in him a replica of her ' husband during their first roman- tic j eai-s. Sam, like the early-year . ^ie^^'foV him^Wf^'ThiT is'obvious V?' Wr fiery advocate of f,„,„ structure, which combines l^nlrilt-^ i^^^^^^^^^^ v ro^,,.^«'' l 'P;. I artificial entrances and exits in the ? P."^!?!!."!-, .^il'*" l.^''-' '^''"Sram for j,j li^, fashion, with direct-ad right of injunction to prevent him from; disposing of his share in the title to the script. ^ Over the objection of Ring's at^ torney, Connelly told of conditions before the-Guild was formed, when he said authors were; at the mercy of legit producers, sometimes get- ting as little' as $10 for their scripts. In those days, he ex- I plained,; an author's work could be This leaves but 2% . for the French adaptators, whereas she feels the Gallic librettists merit at least 4% since there is necessity for so much dramatic transmutation: of book and lyrics. Under those circumstances, if the American authors and producers refuse to. shade their royalty demands a bit it's impos- sible for the French managements to undertake a venture which con- sumes 14% off-the-top, even before they start. «hiv n\^,^HH'„Ti Changed at the whim of a pro- Bn.^t^na'c , n.l!-LnIw.o^^^^ f„ stcm from Pirandcllo As mixed ducer. And in the case of a sale Sana's ro"LnticTearnes ca^ the Gallic play^vright- of the film rights, the producer to turnTo sam,'X"i\n^^^^^^^^^^^ f,^[°^,v^'L:;i::r"^ ""'t^r r^'^' nf her and an affair follows M,nf- "^e protagonist. la small share of the proceeds to ters reach a climax when Sara "'s also fairly talky theatre fare, I the author. After the Guild was Inl. Boulting discuss The" affai? ^r"i»'^VH''.'i'-"':'ilnt^'?^ 1 ^^^B, he declared, steady frankly just at a time when Sam is disillusioned as to the personal -stature of the great justice who, he ; thinks, has let mankind down in ■ a of wisecracks .and an exceedingly | progress was made in protecting debonair atmosphere to lighten the ; the author's rights, load. Buchanan, looking for all the 1 „ i.- i. , world like Clifton Webb and minus ^^^9' apparently not the bongs and dances that he used ' specifically covered by existing "Death of a Salesman" title for the new Arthur Miller play is being retained at the; author!s insistence; Co-producers Kermit Blooiiigard<!n., and Walter Fried don't like the tag, figuring it has a sombre connota- tion that may tend to repel prospective playgoers, besides being: a story tipoff. However, Miller has been adamant and:;under Dramatists.GuiW; rules has final: say. Somewhat simCar case involved "Brother Hat, some years ago,: In that instance co-authors John Monks. .Ir , and FreO Finklehoft'e stood pat against the advice of producer George Abbott. Title was figured; to ■ have delayed the comedy in establishing popularity and to have shortened its run. ?ara" denartl nn^'hpr own^'lpavmB I'Daniel'Bachelet to perfection"" This | show business circles"and there are , man Ewing, and Giovannr CardelU," as^genVrar'p^ Sherman an inconclusive curtain as to the P^^^s him as an antique dealer . rumors of irnpending damage suits I Ewing and Cardelll as limited partners with investments of $25.00U decision regarding free speech, aor^doVs" tire""'Guilr7 VoirVf, is being closely watched in Sara departs on her own^ leaving ' R*!" an inconclusive curtain as to tlie f „- . .. . . . . - , , ^ 1 <^.ijij ar^i^ - , j , final mitfmnp nf thp whnip <!itiia-! Pans Who IS having trouble with against the Guild if the monopoly each nnai outcome 01 ine wnoie situa ^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^.^^ Madeleine. They charge is upheld. According to | Justice Boulting in the hands of disbelieve each other's stories about | Guild officers, an adverse verdict 1 "Jenny Otto Kruger, becomes a definite extra-marital affairs anad are head- might wreck the organization, fore- ! duction i personality, not only as to digni-''"e for the divorce courts. fied appearance but also in regard ' The comedy adds up to a humor- to proiiection of the character if- resigned lecture on women self. His performance is a smooth ' Continued on page 52) "Rape of Lucretia." which premieres tonight (Wed.) at the /^iegfc'^' N. Y., is budgeted at $50,000, an unusually low figure for a musical show. At leaist a partial explanation may be that there wa.s no outrOi^ town tryout, which normally involves a substantial loss. Limited partf nership agreement for "Lucretia" lists Co-producers Marjorie and Sher- Kissed Me,^' at. the Hudson, N. Y., is the sixth Broadway . , , ,. _ ... ta' -which -Alexander 'H-;':'Coheti' has ■■■beien- associated; .. . PreWtg., mg it into banki-uptcy and possibly , ones have been "She Shoulda Stood in Bed," "Bright Lights," "DuKC i" to disband. Whichever way the de- Darkness," "Ghosts For Sale" and "Angel Street," in which he De- cision goes, however, the case will came associate producer by supplying tlie final $3,000 financing J"''' undoubtedly be appealed. | before the New York opening. The others were failures.