Variety (Apr 1949)

58 V^idnegday, April 27^ 1949 RatcM Renovating Sea CliiF; Catholic Univ. Strawhat Tour Sea Cliff, L. I., April 26. 4— w-,.?/rl*'Hn'„f in the cast will be his wife, Sylvia nered with William Hunt last sum-1 pj^,^ ^,,^5^. p^jg^^ mer in operation of the Sea Cliff ( ^2^^3„ ■ summer theatre, will manage the ' shakespear-'s strawhat as a solo venture this sear •- -- " son. He has taken a 10-year lease* and is making extensive renova- tions to the property. He opens June 28, will operate on a. Tuesday-Sunday, schedule through the Labor . Day , weekend, but: may- extend its season beyond Twelfth Night" will open May 17, with Arnold Ross, Carl Benton.vReid and Neva Patterson. "Night Must Fall" opens May 24, with Lucille Watson. and Donald Buka, "As You Desire Me" bows May 31, with Marta Abba coming out of retirement for it, and Kurt Kasznar playing opposite. that. It will be an Equity spot, with 1 • '"?he Heiress" will be Shown a guest-star policy. Ratcliff, who 1J^^..","" ^""i"??^ "^^i will direct some of the shows and I Rathbone and Martha Scott in the ■■ leads..' Prbt Valentine Wiridt, who di- play occasional parts, hopes to ^.rL r^cfn^l Son k«H kIv ! '-ected the Festival before the war, 5"r^!L^°?f5"^*5t"?!"*.*'l?„?.! again will sei>ve in that post. Bamberger's ^Stand' Hollywood, April 36, Theron Bamberger has optioned "Take My Stand," new play by Elihu Winer, for fall production on Broadway, with Bruce Bennett mentioned as star. A mid-July brealdn at Bucks County Play- house (Pa.) i$ planned. Winer is a producer-writer for Grant-Realm Television Produc- tions. Script deals with a column- ist who returns to his native-Dixie to cover a hot gubernatorial elec- tion. among others, as guest Francis, names. Among the physical improve' ments in the theatre will be an in- Switch La Jolla Name Hollywood, April 26. . .. X ' Strawhatter at La Jolla, down' crease of the seating capacity to coast resort town, will be known '-j650, new. dressing ■ rooms, installa tion of plumbing backstagei larger stage and new lighting equipment. Staff will include Robert Costello, designer; George Maclvar, stage tlvis year as The La Jolla Play- house, Inc. Group of David O. Selznick thesps who are operating the spot are reserving the. previ- ously-used tag, The Actor's Co., for manager; John Newman; press ! the new venture being planned for agent, with Tony Dowling, Louis , Beverly Hills. Latter encompasses Migliorini and Charity Grace pos- sibilities for the resident company. Migliorini would .also stage some of the productions. Because Sea Cliff is within an' hour of Manhattan by train . or motor,, actors, can commute for re- hearsals and performances. ' New Gnerland Plans ■ Boston, April 26. According to current plans. Catholic U. in : Washington will send out a second silo circuit com- pany this summer, with headquar- ters in the home of Paul Anglim, Hub film p.a., at Hopkintbn, N. H a legit and film house on Wilshire boulevard. Season, their third, tees off July. 5 with nine plays to be an- nounced later. Mel: Ferrer and James W. Neilson will alternate as directors. Gregory Peck, one of , the board of directors, will appear in a play early in the season to permit him to leave for Rome, where he'll make "Quo Vadis" for •Metro. ■ ■■ . . . ■ Marblehead Drops Top Marblehead, Ma.ss., April 26. With biz here off about 25% last summer, admission price for the improved. John Hughes of Chat- ham will; be assistant manager. Town is, about 20 miles from Albany, Deertrees Sold t Portland, Me , April 26. Deertrees theatre, Harrison/ Me., strawhat, was purchased last week from Dillon estate by a New York group fronted by A. L. Sainer, an attorneyi and Samuel Wolf, a real- ty man. Purchase - price ■ was not disclosed. ■ Hatter is slated to open June 27 with resident Equity companyi Op?- erations will be on a corporative basis a-S )Deertrees Theatre, Inc., with Robert H. Harris as manag- ing director; Fred Spooner as gen- eral manager and press represent- ative, ?ind Cy Roossin as produc- tion manager. The Deertrees property; consists of a 16-acre parcel of land sur- rounding the modern 400-seater/ and a six-acre parcel on, which are located a seven-room house and three cottages. . . . , I coming season has been lowered Group would give a season of ( from $3 and $3.60 to a top of $2.40. repertory in the community build- i Another step taken to curtail any c ? ^^^T^a/ x?^ "^Z?,"' * further b.o. decrease is the use of iScifeHs^let'^as^diSr^??; i K% or^"^'^"""^ '"""^^ l';r°S"^th1^Lr«»n^gi,,^:''« .North shore players start July 4 ■ I theu-eighth operating season July The' Wellesley Summer Theatre ' aid will remain for six or seven ' " • • ■ weeks. Only play definitely set is William McCleery's "Good House- keeping," which Will st3r; Helen Hayes and ber daughter, Mary Mc- Artliur. Producer John. Washburn has plans for doing a condensed version of "Stnajl Wonder" if he can get the right stari The; other plays have not been selected yet, though Washburii ! may do "The Heiress.'' - Each, play will run for and School launches its third sea son June 30, with opening night set for July 11 with a five-week sched- ule. Eldon Winkler, director of theatre at Wellesley College, again heads the staff as executive direc- tor, with Henry B. Williams, direc- tor of Experimental Theatre and assitant professor of English at Dartmouth, as associate. . Others on the staff of this outfit, C. Cole of Yale, Charles E. Rogers of Amherst, Leo Lavandero Of Tulane, Betty Coe Armstrong of U. of Oklahoma, Dorothy Lusk, Alice Stetson Kelly, Peter ; Larkin, Philipe DeRosier, Eugene Wilson, CaroU Lusk* Delbert Mann, Lewis W; Stoerker and James Powers. : Powersi radio and television con- sultant for the school and theatre, is a Yankee Network staffer. The School offers courses in acting, directing, scene design, cos- tume design, production technic, radio and-television. ing," and Homer Fickett is sched- uled to direct one of the. produc- tions. :• Cleve's 8-Weeker Cleveland, April 26 Eight-week season of shows done i duction, Under the skies is shaping up for' season. Gain Park's municipally-operated ttrawhatter. which gets going June 8 with "Firefly." Basil Langton, British actOri di- Saratoga Spa's July 4 Bow - Saratoga,, N. Y., April 26. John Huntington will open his third season at the Spa Summer Theatre on the State Reservation, July 4, and will continue it for eight weeks, until Aug. 28. Because he believes "the going for strawhats generally will be much tougher this year because theatregoers "do not have any ex- tra money," Huntington says he'll try to get the biggest names. He may sponsor a Shakespearean pro- as was the- case last ■ Madden ;BrIdge Siispehdis Maiden Bridge, N. Y., April 26. _ „. The Maiden Bridge Playhouse, rector and producer, arriv^d heVe ■ """iginally known as the Nell over weekend to do some prelitti-i ^'wynnv theatre and one of the inary casting work on second prtj- o'dest strawbatters in the Albany duction, George Bernard Shaw 's ' area, will suspend operations until "St. Joan," which he guest-directs Week of July 3. Langton, now on the drama faculty of Catholic U. in 1950, when it is expected work of enlarging theatre to 40O capacity, providing a larger stage and in- Washington, formerly supervised stalling better ^facilities will have Birmingham's British Repertory ! "^^^ coiTJpleted. Theatre and London's King James theatre. Barn spot has less than 100 seats, [Which made operation on a profit- Operated by the city of Cleve-1 ^^y^L extremely difficult, ad land Heights, which cut its 1949 ,,ru^"*'' Wood, owner-man- budget and playing time consider- ably, the 3,000-capacity amphithe- atre will emphasize large-sized mu- sicals this year. Calendar includes "Girl Crazy," week July 12; "New Moon," July 19; "Blithe Spirit, July 26; "Look, Ma, I'm Dancing." Aug. 2; "Countess Maritza," Aug. 9; "Poor Nut," Aug. 13, under gen- eral direction pf Dina Rees Evans. ager. Wben reopened in 1946, with Eunice Osborne (Mrs. Wood) as director, it had a virtually all ex- GI cast, chiefly drawn from the Goodman theatre in Chicago. S Plays for Ann Arbor Fete • Five plays have been announced for the Ann Arbor Drama Festival starting May 8 for five weeks in the U. of Michigan's Lydia Men- . v.; delssohn theatre. The festival is contracts with Dean Goodwin for New Barn at Chatham, N. \. Chatham. N. Y., April 26. The Crandell theatre, will open its first season of summer stock June 28, with "O Mistress Mine" as the attraction, owner C.'Dayton La Pointe, announced Saturday (16). La Pointe, who has operated the 600-seat house as a film center for some years, said he signed resuming this year after having 'ts operation been discontinued during the war. Equity one. Scheduled are Eugene O'Neill's "Ah Wilderness," starring Ernest Truex, as the opening play. Also House will .be an In preparation for the strawhat period, the Crandell has beeti te- decorated and the stage faeilitieis Other Strawhat.:Jotting:s . "Command Decision" is available for the strawhat circuit, but gen- erar feeling among producers is that it's not too good a bet, due to the all-male cast and recent re- lease of the film . . The Show Shop, Canton, Conn., starts its eighth season June 7, for 14 weeks, offering each ^show for two weeks . . Olney, Md., playhouse is open- ing May 27, for 16 weeks, with "Good Housekeeping," st a rr i n g Helen Hayes,' scheduled for one week starting Sept. 12 . . - . Mc- Garter theatre, Princeton, opens June 6 or 13, for a 14 or 15 week season . . . Leonard Altobell has taken over sole manager' of the Litchfield (Conn.) summer theatre . . . St Louis Municipal Opera is opening June 9 with "New Moon," followed by "Bloomer Girl," "For- tune Teller," "Firefly." "Chocolate Soldier,'^ VBittersweet," "Irene," "Vagabond King," "Roberta," "Red Mill" and "Song of Norway." Last- named will play two weeks, the others all playing one. Ruth Gil- lette, currently under contract to 20th-Fox, viall appear in three of the operettas, "Chocolate Soldier," "Firefly" and "Fortune Teller." Guy Palmerton, who will open his Worcester, Mass., Drama Fes- tival May 27, Is negotiating for a July 4 tryout of "Pretty Penny," Jerome Chodorov and Harold Rome musical . . . A hew musical drama, ''River Fire." by Richard Valente, was tried out at the Stage, Atlanta ... "'John Loves Marv" will tee off a 20-week season at the Hilltop theatre, Eutherville, Md.. starting May 2. In addition to the scheduled plays, which will be pro- duced by Don Swann, Jr., and di- rected by George Schaefer, the management is offering an experi- mental workshop, which will give performances in a nearby barn un- der direction of Lyn Swann Wagon .., Eugene Fitsch return.s as scenic designer for the Cape Playhouse Dennis, Mass. . . . Bryn Mawr (Pa.)' Summer Theatre .stafl' will include Frederick Then as director, Robin Lacy as producer and designer, Miriam Goldina as acting labora- tory director and Maurine Holbert as acting and speech teacher The-^ atre has also scheduled lectures by Agnes DeMille, George Freedley, Oscar Hammerstein, II, Walter Kerr and Margaret Webster. Barn Playhouse. Bolton Landing, N. Y., will open an 11-week sea.son June 21 after renovation that In- cludes an elevated floor, uphol- stered seats and new stage facili- ties .Martin Schwartz, who did publicity for Welleslev and Cam- bridge summer theatres, to do p.a. chores for Richard Skinner's Olney, Md., strawhat this summed . Martin Ritt signed as director for Richard Aldrich's Falmouth Playhouse, Coonamessett, Mass. Penn-Mill theatre, Millville, Pa., employing an Equity company, will open May 27 with "Snafu".. Mar- garet Webster's production of "The Taming of the Shrew" will be pre- sented at the Bucks County Play- house, New Hope, Pa., Aug. 1. Hunt Harrison/SalesmanrKate Get Tonys at Annual Awards Coast Group Bowing With 1-Acter Program Hollywood, April 26. Theatre Co., new legit outfit which will concentrate on impor- tant classic or contemporary plays, kicks off at Assistance League Playhouse May 1 with a. group of five one^acters^ Program will be re- peated May 7-8. Heading administration of the group are John Haggott, former producer - partner of Maurice Evans; John C. Wilson and the Theatre Guild; director Benno Schneider and film and stage de- signer George Jenkins. Actor- partners are John Archer, Jayne Meadows, Arthur Franz, Diana Douglas, Irene Tedrow, Marjorie Lord, Walter Burke, Jacqueline White and Stanley Johnson. Opening program of one-acters consists of Tennessee Williams' "Hello From Bertha" and "At Liberty;" Dorothy- Parker's VHow We Are;" Robert Middlemass'"The Valiant;" and Noel Coward's "Red 'Peppers." Legit Bits Ernest Martin, co-producer of "Where's Charley?" returned from the Coast over the weekend . . . Lawrence Langner due back late this week . . . Elliott Nugent has returned from Hollywood and has opened an office in the Hudson theatre, N.Y., of which, he's co- owner . . . William It.: Katzell, currently, in Chicago, has report- edly optioned, a musical comedy. , .'. Maurice Evans, who winds up a two-year run in, "Man and Super- man" with his forthcoming engage- I ment at the City Center, N.Y., will I summer on his North Salem (N.Y.) I farm. He's looking for a new play { for next season . . . E. Y. Harburg land Fred Saidy, who co-authored j the book of "Finian's Rainbow," I are collaborating on a straight j play . . . Bert Gruver, production I stage manager of the . touring "Mister Roberts," is a patient in Kingsbridge VA hospital, Bronx, N.Y. Eddie Dimond is subbing for him ... Charles Gaynor, author-1 composer of "Lend an Ear," is working on a bobk musical with a between-the-wars Vienna locale. . . Paul Grohl quit as company man- ager of "Finian's . Rainbow" to vacation in Europe. Alex Nicol leaves a bit part June 4 in "South Pacific" to join ':Mister Roberts," succeeding Ralph I Mefcker. The latter is taking over for Marlon Brando in the original company of "Streetcar Named De- sire." ■ Helen Hayes will be too busy starring in "Good Housekeeping" in the strawhats this summer and on Broadway in tlie fall to appear in Jerry Wald's film production of "The Glass Menagerie" for War- ners. She says she's been receiv- ing bids for the screen ;assignment for three years, but has "never given them a shred of hope." . . . George Tozzi sailed last week for London to sing the lead in Sit Charles Cochran's production of "Kiss in the Ring," new musical by Sir A, V. Herbert and Viviari Ellis ... Irene , Selznick sai led Monday (25) to see about a West End presentation of "Streetcar," with Vivien Leigh starred and Laurence Olivier directing. , Martita Hunt and Rex Harrison aloiig^^ith "Death of a Salesman'' and "Kiss Me, Kate," copped the major awards Sunday night (24)— for "notable contributions" to the 1948-49 Broadway legit season—at the third annual Antoinette Perrv Awards dinner held at the Hotpl Waldorf-Astoria, N. Y. Miss Hunt was honored for her performance in "Madwoman of Chaillot" and Harrison for "Anne of a Thousand Days," both current hits. "Sales- man" and "Kate" got awards in the "dramatic play" and "musical" categories, respectively. - "South Pacific," the Rodger*. Hammerstein-Logan-Hayward mu-. sical smash, received no mention since it came in after March 1, the deadline for the nominations. It is eligible, for the voting at next year's "Tony" awards dinner, In- cidentally, during much of the evening tunes from "South Pa- cific" were played by the orches- tra.'- , . ■ •, ■ Held under auspices of the American Theatre Wing, the awards committee honored 18 the- atre people in 12 different cate- gories, in perpetuating the memo- rial to Miss Perry, one of the founders of the Wing, The Wing's board of directors made the selec- t-ions.; ■- Others given awards were: au- thor Arthur Miller, director Elia Kazen, producers Kermit Bloom- garden and Walter Fried, plus actor Arthur Kennedy, for their "Salesman"; Cole Porter, Sam and Bella Spewack, and producers Saint Subber and Lemuel Avers, for "Kiss Me, Kat6"; Gower Cham- pion, for his choregraphy on "Lend an Ear"; Shirley Booth, for her supporting role in "Goodbye My Fancy"; Ray Bolger (Wliere's Charley?") and Nanette Fabray ("Love Life"), for musical per- formances; Jo Mielziner, for his overall excellence in scenic de- signing, and Lem Ayers for overall costuming. James E. Sauter was in charge of entertainment,' and he and Brock Pemberton shared the emcee chores. Pemberton made the awards, which consisted mainly of silver medallions, and scrolls in some cases. Arthur Knorr supers vised the. production, and Meyer Davis' orch handled the show and dance music. Entertainment comprised: Yvonne Adair, Anne Renee An-, derson. Gene Austin, George Bauer, Carol Channing, Alfred Drake, William Eythe, Dorothy Freitag, Golden Gate Quartet, Lisa Kirk; Gene Nelson, Peck and Peck, Lanny Ross, Lfee Stacy, Lawrence Tibbett, Betty Jane Wat- son, Paul Winchell. Shows in Rehearsal "Bruno and Sidney" — New Stages. "Respectful Prostitute" and "Hope Is the Thing" (road)—Les- sor Grosberg and New Stages. Carlson ftuits'Roberts' Chicago, April 28. Richard Carlson, lead in Chi company, of "Mr. Roberts." leaves cast June 1, at expiration of his contract, to return to California. Role will be taken by John For- sythe. last seen here in "All My Sons." Indde Sbiff-Le^ ' Membership in Show-of-the-Month Club, the subscription audience outfit run by Sylvia Siegler, had reached 1,577 last week, of which 60% ive »i the five, boroughs of New York city, 20 % from New Jersey (notably the Oranges), 10% from Westchester county and Long Island, I 5 '0 from Connecticut and the remaining scattered elsewhere. There ,are regular subscribers in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland. Georgia, Missouri, North Carolina. California, Florida and Illinois. Most of tlit;se appear to be businessmen who visit New York tairfy regularly. The organization's monthlv bulletin also has readers , (Who are not members) in Nevada, Texas, Iowa, Michigan, Kansas and I Mississippi. Last week Miss Siegler received an inquirv from a New , Yorker visiting Paris who had read about the outfit in a copy of VARinf there. . SOMC has revised its dues scale, effective May 1. Instead of $10 for an memberships, the fee will be $15 for those getting orchestra loca- tions ana $10 for mezzanine and balcony patrons. N. Y. dailies in their obituary notices on Jules J, Levenlhal listed him as producer of "An American Tragedy," the Patrick J. Kearney dramatization of the Theodore Dreiser novel. Louis Cline, wlio was T. *'■' o"t that original production was done by r»5f^fi. /Ti^''' Longacre theatre, N. Y., in 1926. However, hr» 4 v^'? produce a revival of it at the now defunct Waldorf the- atre, N. Y., two years later.