Variety (Jan 1949)

60 LEGITI9IATB Wcdneaday, January 26, I949 Plays on Broadway All for liov^o Sammy Lambert and Anthony B. Far- rell production of revue in two acts (22 scenes). Stars Grace and ^Pa.ul Hartman. Bert Wlieeleri features Patricia Wymorei MUada Mladova, Sick Smart, .Leni Lynn. Kathryne Mytroie, Milton Frome; Paul Bead. Bttdd Rogerson, June Graham, Kicli- ard D'Arcy. Music and lyrics, Allen Rob- erts & Lester Lee, Michel Emer & Sammy Gallop, Peter Howard Weiss; sketches, . Jane Bishir, Billy K. Wells, Ted Luce, | Grace & .Paul Hartman, Max Shulman; di* have cost $250,000 and looks it. The entire amount was supplied by Wright, Joseph Hayes. It's an earn- est effort, written with a familiar- ity with the author's Indiana back- ground, but it seems talky, slowi wavering and curiously undra- matic. The few effective, passages co-producer Anthony B. Farrell, the fail to coalesce into a continuous upstate New York heir and indus- story, and the play is buried un- trialist who was the sole bankroller der a ponderous production. The of Sammy Lambert's $200,000-pros- result is unfortunate, entation of the musical flop, "Hold , yarn is presented in alternate It," last season. FarresU also spent! around $1,500,000 to buy and ren- snumiuii u.., ovate the Hollywood theatre, which rector, Edward Reveaux: choreography 1 he has renamed the Mark Helling; and musical staging, Eric Victor; scenery, i er, tO house this revue; AH Of Edward Gilbert; costumes, Billy Living- ■ton; '^musical ■ direction, Glay Warnick: ,, orchestrations, Ted. Royal,, Don Walkcii KObert Russell Bennett; Hans Spiclak. . M,. Mark . HeUinger, N, t., Jan. 22, 'm $0 .top ($9.00 opening). . „ ,' „ Cast: Grade & Paul Hartman; Bert Wheeler, Patricia Wymore. Milada Mla- . dova, Dick smart, Leni Lynn, Kathryne Mylroie, Milton Frome, Paul Reed, Budd Bogerson, June Graham, Richard D'Arcy, Jack Warner. ' Singers, dancers, etc:: Janie Janvier, Carol Lee, Priie Ward, Frank Stevens, Carl Conway, Sid Lawson, Tom Bowman, Eric Krlstcn, Tiny Shimp. Peter Gladke, Onna White, Bill Thompson, Bob Shawley, Yvonne Tibor, Helen Weniel. Janet Bethel, Normi Dogctt. .lean . Handzllk, Marilyn Frechette, John Hcnson. Arthur CarroU. Verne Rogers, Gloria Benson, Ann Blackburn, Ruth Edberg. Arlyne Frank, Helen: Schurgot. ■ ■ Seldom have so many contrib- uted so much to so little as in "All i for Love." This revue; for which a ' Sizable fortune has been spent and dozens of people have supplied material and brought their pres- ence, is a strikingly handsome but otherwise hopelessly mediocre show. It represents an appalling waste. When the outstanding thing about a revue is the beauty of , the Scenery and costumes it's a dismal comment on the entertainment scenes on a divided stage, repre senting the kitchen-dinirig; foojn of a farmhouse' ,;ajid: the living roOin of house in town. Two Other Scesnes take place' oil : a country billtOi), The action: involves an eaSer. clearreyed;farm girl and a rather, complex town boy, whose romance' is (JompUcated by tlie. bigotry aiid eynicisfti oif their rfeSpedljW 'l^ iliesj/ r^v':': j./-.,;-; v'^V---' A scrim, Used at the stirt to ih- dicate the relationship of the two mett Rogers/ Directed by Margaret n„:f,„f^^ Iriralpi! nrMfSntlV tt»rid<* Pftrfy; sotting and costumes. Willis [ prinupdi locaits,, pieheiuiy itiiu!, Knightson. At Booth, N. V., Jan. 18, "49;, to impede the action and mar the $4.80 top ($6 opening). i illusion. Also the complicated Archie Fellowes Jay Robinson ^^ .,: ,/ . - , , j ^ Descius Heiss. BoVis Karioii. lighting. Cluttered stage and nu- Margaret Heiss. ... .. ..... .(Mary MacLeod i merous Drops also hinder the ac- 5[iThiide%eis,.;.;.\\;.:'""EthJ?«ls.tors. rinally, the performance Mrs. Catt Una O'Connor seems raggedly paced. Robert Graham......... Philip SaviUe | Corder Morris ........ ;. Emmett Rogers i Steve Hubbard ...i...... Alfred Hyslop which is learning shoW business the hard way, even if he can afford it. Hobe. The Shop at Sly Corner Gant Gaitlier production of melor drama in three acts by Edward Percy, stars Boris Karloft; features Una O'Con nor; Ethel: Grillies, Reginald Mason, Em John Elliot ..........: . Reginald Mason Richard Hart is plausible as the confused but essentially upright hero, while Coleen Gray is appeal- ing and properly forthright as the girl. There are also acceptable per- formances by Anthony Ross as a farmer; Dorothy Typically British melodrama has a deliberate, machine-made quality, with the usual stuffing of elaborate „:„^.„„„„ stage business and eccentric char-I sen -rignieous acters. It has slow pace and ob-; Elder as his disillusioned wife, vious story quality, and is too in- Louise Buckley as a morbidly substantial to pay off on Broadway, ' moral spinster, Mary Linn Beller Plav wa<i nrieinallv done ih Lon- ^" admiring kid sister. William don"te%y^hfvfnrhaVa^ If^^ sympathetic; gaffor year ruH there It was produced in ! Abee Reinheart as - —i-h Jean Rosenthal, prez of Theatre Production Service, who just fin- ished a Broadway stint, handling lighting for the N. Y. City Ballet ]Co„ at City Center, leaves N. Y. i tomorrow (Thurs.) for an eight- ! week toui of college and little the- atres in 50 cities. I Sneak thieves broke into Jose Ferrer's dressing room at the Bilt- mOre, N. Y., last Wednesday (19) during second act of "The Silver I Whistle," and stole actor's j^cket^ ' gold pen and pencil, and other l items ; . . Mildred Natwick back I from Coast after making two pix ' for John Ford . . . Pcggfy Wood I playing a research doctor in Philco ' TV Playhouse production of "Dark Hammock," opposite Sidney Qlack- ' mer ... American Theatre Wing's I Professional Training . Program I moving to new quarters, 121 W. ;54th St., N. Y. Jose Ferrer for-' i mally opening same as guest lec- jturer Monday (31) . . . Scenic de* 'signer Mordecai Gorelik and his son, Eugene, sailed for Rome last ; week ... French novelist - play- wright Maurice Dekobra due in the U. S. seven years ago, .under sirenr David, ^^^^^^ oualitv of the show But that is the title, "Play with Fire,''*bemg i ""^band, Charlton .„:otv,.. a» tTe cEe with "A^Uor Love.''Again , abandoned ^_during its road tryout. , f ghtened bul y Jared Reed as a a soiled ex- as her weak Heston as. a "Leaf and Bough" won a play contest for its author, was (Jone last spring, by Margo Jones at her and aeain during the 22 scenes the Producer-director at that time was i bucolic beau and Tom McElhany deco?ft" e Sgs and st^^^^ Reginald Dcnham, who previously as a philosophic doctor, costumes put to shame the tedious collaborated with the auth(jr, Ed- comedy, monotonous music and,' ward Percy, on ."Ladies in Retire- with few exceptions, commonplace | ment"^ and^ other plays. Republic dancing. "AH for Love" has the ■"" "" hopeless misfortune of seeming longer than it really is. ' The show's merits can be briefly listed. Grace and Paul Hartman manage not to seem foolish, though some of their material is so anemic it's practically transparent. They're attractive and occasionally divert- i fumbles the French accent of the ing,- as in the Bond clothes sign I antique dealer and jewel fence recently released an English»made j Theatre '48 in Dallas and was screen version tabbed "Code of | slated for presentation by the Ex- Scotland Yard." ! perimental Tlieatre when Charles Considering th e dust-covered | P. Heidt acauired the scriot and script, the cast does reasonably I hroiisht in Rouben Mamoulian to well. Boris Karloff, looking hand- produce it. Hpbe. some and distinguished in a beard* i (Closed Satutday (22 ) -after is plausible and ingratiating, but, three per/omowces,) travesty or the dramatic reheai'sal sketch. ■ Bert Wheeler, afflicted with dreary material; extracts occasional smiles from a front-of-the-curtain take-off of Robert Morley and a burlesque wrestling match; Milada Mladova has one graceful ballet number (without program credit) and Jack Warner does a short but electrifying tap routine (also not listed in the program. June Gra- ham also has a notable, though con- ventionally conceived, dance. "All for Love" has no underly- ing theme; but appears to have been assembled from whatever was at hand. Several sketches and numbers start fairly promisingly, - -- - - Son'' who ~i-throttles his blackmailing clerk. Una OConnor has a char-i acter woman's field day with the I traditional part of a comedy maid New York Feb. 3 on the De Grasse with several scripts he's bringing along for production. Rowland Field, Newark News drama critic, to Havana for eight- day vacation. Ditto N. Y. News theatre columnist Robert Sylvester and singer Bunty Pendleton (Mrs. Sylvester) . . . Elliott Nugent is due east shortly to co-produce with Theatre, Inc., "The Fundamental George," by Max Wylle and Johii I Gibbs. He'll also direct and star; i He has just finished directing ^'Mr. I Belvedere Goes to College" for 20th-Pox . . . Alvin Brandt has re- I signed from the ANTA to join the I national office of AGYA . . . With I Mae West recovered from her re- cent appendicitis attack, "Diamond Lil" is due to open Feb. 5 at the Coronet, N; Y. . ,, Sol Jacobson has joined the Richard Maney public- ity office to p.a. the Richard Wliorf edition of "Richard III" pending the arrival of "The Ivy Green," and Ethel Griffies does what she 1 I^S Ooufs de I/Autrnche i forthcoming pro- >.i_„;r.. ^* i:_;__ __ uuction Of Mervvn NRlsnn's n)av can to Clarify the role of the old man's hysteiical sister. Reginald Mason is capable in the small part of a detective, Emmett Rogers is believable as a jewel tliief. Jay Robinson makes the blackmailer thoroughly obnoxious, while Mary MacLeod and Jane Lloyd-Jones are decorative in ingenue parts and Philip Saville is an acceptable juvenile. Margaret Perry's direction is supple, but permits some hokum character acting, Willis Knightson's single setting looks authentic. Opening lights such as the "Edward, My .parody, the "Big Four" spoof of might, curtains and house name choreographers (though both i were badly mishandled, are familiar ideas) or the Hart-I Actors in the version that Den- mans' sea diver skit, but inevitably | ham produced in 1941 included, in fall into slapstick or just peter out None of the music is memorable and the singing is ordinary. Much of the dancing is meaningless hoof- tog. There's littile semblance of 'routining or direction. The. production is...announced to SAMUEL FRENCH . SINCE I8S0 ■ ■ Play, Brokers and Authors' Representatives St . Wesi 4Sth street, Ke«. York loss Bnnaet Blvd;. HollrwDod 46. Cat. the order listed in the cast above, Howard Johnson, Henry Hull, Mary Grr, Joen Arliss, Olga Fuchs, Octavia Kenmore, Thomas Speidel, Horace McMahon, George Spelvin and Arthur Pierson. Raymond Sovey did the scenery, Hobe. ■ (Gidsed Saturday t22) after seven performances.) (THE EGGS OF, THE OSTRICH) • Paris, Jan. 14. Yvonne Printemps and Pierre Frcsnay presentation of comedy in two acts bv Andre Roussin, Directed by Fresnay. Set by J. P. Genlssetv At Michodi^i'e, Pans. Hippolyte Barjas-.. ,;. ,, Pierre Fresnay Henri... .;....,..;. Jean-Henri Chambois Roger............,; . - Clement Thlerr.v Therese - - . .Marguerite Cayadaski Mme. Grombert,...; .Germaine De France Leonie-.,,.. Germaine Lancay EUROPEAN REPRESENTATIVE Direotor-Proaucer: going on biishieiis lour of Burope-^'Will not as coiitaol man. Kes aeripts; tnleiitj inveallBate Idea!*; promotions. Leaving March 26. ■oxV-12, VwUrty 154 W. 46»h St., N«w Yerli H. N. V. This comedy is locally a smash. This is mostly due to the way Pierre Fresnay makes palatable the brazen exposure of a family's breakdown. It's doubtful as a picture theme even here, where homosexuality Is not yet considered screen ttiaterlal, and for U. S; it may debar it from Broadway. Fresnay, as a typical French businessman, is kicking about the way his wife has brought up his two sons, 20 and 17 years old. When he reproaches his wife, she answers that h6 should have seen himself what was going on, that he de^ Iiberately blinded himself to it, like an ostrich hiding its head In the . Heidt presentation of Rouben I sand to forget^anger. production of drama in three -r^ . ^ST^ ■ ■ Fresnay IS effective as the father, .making role typical of the French bourgeois whose moral standards unchanged for generations; are suddenly deteriorating due to ^sngesjn theJFrench wayJitfiJife.j His lines are packed with eollbqulal expressions which he mahages to deliver in a way which though^ coarse makes them both aceeptable and funny, ■ The younger son, done by Clem- ent Thierry, is also most realistic. "Leaf and Bough" represents a Cayadaski, as the disappointing start for a new play- r^^l^^,^^ y'^^^' »^ a'so very good. — * Germaine de France as the mother- Leaf and Bough I Charles P I Mamouhan _ ' acts by Josepli Hayes. Features Richard Hart, Coleen Gray. . Directed and lighted by. Mamoulian; .settings, Carl Kent. At Cort. . N. Y.i Jan. 21, '48; $4.80 top ($6 opening).-'. - ■ Bert Warren.............. - Anthony Ross I Myra Warren,............ .Dorothy Elder l Attle Warren .'r77".7; ,".'T. - liouise-Buckley Mary Warren ....;.- .Mary Linn Beller Grandpa ..Nelson.........William Jeffrey I Nan Warren ........ i Coleen Gray i Laura Campbell .....Alice Reinheart I Frederick Campbell..... .. -David White j Glenn Campbells......, .Charlton Heston I Mark Campbell . .Richard Hart Harlan Adams. - . . . . -, <Jared Reed Dr. Vincent Cullen.....; i .Tom McElhany THE FIRST OF AN INVITATION SERIES BY AN AMERICAN PLAYWRIGHT 3 Oulitanding Comtdin: SHAKESPEARE COMES TO BROADWAY THE LAST AMERICAN PAGING A ONE MISPLACED EYEBROW An Invitation Is axtended to all groupi actively Mgagtd In tlw produc- tion of plays to try tilt temptr and raiigt of th* new. Each a compUt* eomtdy. Caeh ls pt a mood and distinct charaetw. Your nteds can -bast dttarmin* wMcb OM of tha above plays you may want to produca •^pu ean glxa as many at six performances wtthoiit tha need to pay « royalty. Further, a copy of the plays will be sent without cost. iyrffe: DILEO PLAY PROPERTIES 1407 7ath ST., NORTH BERGEN, N. J. No performanra m avthon'xed un/ess permhsion h .first Hbtvimil in wrUiugf and, of necessity, the toyaliy free offer made ih conneetlbn with tA* oboira mentioned plays mill terminate at midnight, April 30lh, 1949. in-law, Jean Henri Chambois as the relative who always was a silent admirer of the wife, as well as Germaine Nancey as the maid^ servant, acquit themselves Well of minor parts. The comedy is a true and cruel indictment of the current way Of living in many French families, where the children are morally deviating from the straight and narrow without the parents doing anything about it until it's too late If a foreigner had penned this ' stage exposure of current French parental carelessness, he would un-' doubtedly be accused of .slandering 'this country. Fresnay's savoir faire and the clever dialog make the audience like the play. Production is simple, with one set showing a middle-class drawing rnnm Frcsitay's direction is un- I duction of Mervyn Nelson's play ' about Charles Dickens. Wayne Tolman, who is on a two- year leave from the Utah Univ. theatre to get practical theatre management training, has been placed by ANTA with the Barter Theatre's touring production of ."Hamlet" . . . Patricia Reynolds, correspondent for Theatre News- letter, New Theatre and Drama/ London publications, is in the U. S. for 'a lecture tour and to gather material . . , Additional stage manager assignments are Walter Wagrner, Scott Jackson, Maury Tuckerman ("Anne of the Thousand Days"); Lamar Casein, Alfred Teberfeld ("At War with the Army"); Ambrose Costello, John Craven (''The Big Knife"); Del Hnrhes, James Gregory ("Death of a Salesman'^); John Sloper, Michael Kenne ("Diamond Lil"); Charles Snyder, Michael Bey ("Favorite Stranger"); Buford Ar- mita£:e, Louis Borel,. Richard Hep- burn ("Figure of a Girl"); Kevin Smith ("Forward the Heart"); Ward Bishop, Donald Mayo, Wil- liam Lining; ("Kiss Me. Kate"); David Kantor, Peter Lawrence, Raymond Katzell ("Lend an Ear"); Robert Callen, James Wicker, Jules Racine ("Love Life"); Willis Gould, Bill Chambers ("Mad- woman of Chaillot"); Walter Wil- liams, Ralph Edingrton ("Man and Superman" on tour); La m ar Coselli (New Stages); Peg;g;y Mur- l^y' „^"J ^f*"* '"O Mistress Mine ); Herman Shapiro, Richard Martin ("Red Gloves"); Walter Russek, James Field ("Show' Boat"); Earl McDonald, Guy Toma- i jian ("They Knew What They, Wanted"); Robert Griffith, Daniel' Sattler ("Where's Charley?"). I ^ Danny Newman takes over flack I chores tot Dante, the magician, at I Studebaker theatre, Chicago ' Blitzstein and Robbins' *GuiBsts* in Provocative Preem by N.Y. City Bai|(S Composer Marc Blitzstein, whnw musical version of Lillian Hpii man's "The Little Foxes" will hp produced by Cheryl Crawford next season, and choreographer Jeronw Bobbins, who will stage the dances for the Irvjng Berlin musira? "Miss Liberty," this season, S combined for a provocative piece of dance theatre in the ballet "Thn Guests,", which the N. Y.' citv Ballet Go. premiered at the Citv Center, N. Y., last Thursday (20) The work is Blitzstein's first score written for a ballet, and Bobbins' ■ first choreographic cre- ation in two years. Choreographic! ally, the ballet is thin in spots and often not cIot. The libretto ap- parently is :icerned with dis- crimination in society, and Is stated by'means of a group of caste-mem- hers who refuse to accept an alien into their midst. In one sense this is too simply stated; from another it is too complex, or blurred. But the dance movements are intrigu- ing, and in the central pas de deux ' (which Maria Tallchief and Nich- olas Magallanes dance Superbly) they are beautiful. Blitzstein's score is tangy iii modern rhythms, tat: times pleaS-. antly dissonant, generally melo- dious, and much the better of the ballet collaboration. It is good : musical theatre writings as often Broadwayish as not. . It is also . strongly positive in character and highly listenable. The N Y. City Ballet troupe danced the ballet with great spirit, Francisco Mohcion;- as leader of . the 'caste-members, dancing and- miming with great authority, ^ind; Miss: Tallchief- and Magallanes bringing sensitivity and style as well as high technical excellence to their performance as the strange "guests." Bron. Roerick Quits 'Heiress' For 'Happiest' Revise William Roerick has withdrawn from the touring "Heiress" com-; pany to collaborate with Thoma;: Coley on revisions of their, ^pldyi .' "The Happiest Years," for a pros- pective Broadway production. Comedy was tested last summer at the Berkshire Playhouse, Stock- I bridge, Mass., and was considered Iby several New York managements at that time. Kirkland Preps'Adam' Jack Kirkland is putting the finishing touches to his adaptation of Pat Frank's novel, "Mr. Adam," and will produce' it himselfvon Broadway. Understood he's dickerr. ing with Arthur Hunnicutt for one of the top roles.. Story revolves around a lone male to escape sterility following explosion , of an atom bomb. 'CAROUSEL' 54G. BICHHOBO Richmond, Jan. 25. Theatre Guild production of "Carousel" stood up the town here last week with a gross of $54,000 at the Mosque theatre. It was a powerhouse all week. Attention Producers Leaiss now available for legii ttagtr ihow productions 1949 season. BEAUX-ARTS THEATRE 1 749 S. Beacon Avenue Los Angeles 14, Calif. SUMMER THEATRE (With Bar and-Restaurant) ■. - One of tlie Bert Known lip New 'EitKlnnil - OI»«rt unusual opnortunlty (or tw« uartneri, ill«nt or «ctiy». For Details Write Box N«- Variety, IM W. <Otli St., N.V. 19, »•»• Immailiata ActUn NNtssary! room, erring. MainJ VIC HYDE CURRENTLY Emile Littler's "HUMPTY ftUMPTY" CASINO THEATRE. LONDON Pononai Maiiaftmmt: NAOMI HORRABIN PtaWMOHBt Thtairo iiiiMiii«, Dm MoIum, Iowa lONDON: HARRY FOSTER'S AGENCY