Variety (August 1949)

LECITIMAlTK VfdnwJay, Aagugl 8 , 1 «H 9 ShowBizAgainTakesOverCenlralCity toon Drama Fete Drawing 250,000 Visitors, StrawhM Reviews By BILL DOLL Central City, (’ol.. Aug. 2. I Thi.s mi!e-and-a-half ghost town, j V’ith a permanent pojiulation of only 500. is probably the best ex- ample of how show business under ( intelligent civic sponsorship can be ; built into a formidable tourist lure. The Central City Drama Festival, now in its 14th year, attracts 250,- 000 visitors to this mountain top , every summer and as a result brings plenty of hotel and other business to nearby Denver. Whole thing started when the old Opera | House, built in 1878. was presented to Denver U. and restored to the i original condition it was in when Salvini. Bernhardt, Joe JelTerson and John L. Sullivan regaled the | miners. Under the auspices of the Central ’ City Opera House Assn., a non- profit organization, it has grown until the operation has practically taken over the entire town. Asso- ciation runs two hotels, including > the famous Teller House, three saloons, a livery stable -where ' square dancing is held, a group of houses where actors may be housed, and a gold mine. Property is now Valued at $1,000,000. and the over- all gross during the six or eight- week summer season is over $300,000. The whole town comprises show business, and emplo.vees. including hotel, bar. and restaurard help, dancers, stage crew, guides, etc., numbers over 200. Revenue. In addition to sale of theatre tickets, comes from such byproducts as hotel rooms, food, whiskey, the take from about 60 slot machine.s, guided tours through theatre, hotel and mine, po.stcards and souvenir books. Year-Round Employee Despite the size of the operation, ' the Assn, has only one year-round paid employees. This is Business Manager Don Stophlet, who super- intends all of the enterprises and makes an annual trip to New York to cast the opera. In the summer the Assn, retains a press agent. Adolph (Bud) Mayer, former Rocky Mountain News reporter, and it’s spearheaded by Frank M. Ricket- son. Jr., president of Fox Inter- mountain Theatres (he originated “Bank Night"), and Roberl Selig, another Fox exec and president of the board of trustees of Denver U. They are in charge'of the voluntary committees who wdioop up plenty of local excitement, in addition to arranging initial plans for eacli sea- son’s activities. Season opens every summer with* an opera which the Assn, produces Itself (this year it was “Fleder- maus’’i. spending as mucl» as $140.- 000 and Importing top talent and production people. Another fea- ture is an afternoon critique to talk about drama. This year John Chapman. Hanya Hold, i)ay Tuttle. James Michenor and others were on the panel. Windup attraction sees a Broadway sluvw specially transported for the occasion. This year it’s Mae West in ’ Diamond X^il. Naturally, papers in Denver. I he Rocky Mountain News and the Post, go allout for the events, with the Post frequently doing different stories for each edition. State papers and radio stations give plenty of space and time, and a traveling boxoflice. with plenty of fanfare, visits neighboring towns. Trailers are shown in a couple of hundred Fox theatres. Ticket sale is unusual inasmuch as the hoxotfice is located in Den- ver. .50 miles av\ay from the fhe- atie. though a boxoffice is opened here in town one hour l)ef<Me each pertormance. Advance sale for Mi.ss West on opening dav was $72.0()(). .$5,000 short of capacity for the scheduled three-week ruri. Expected .s«*llouf resulted in pro- ducers AI Rosen and Herh Freezer agreeing to extend the ettgagement an additional week (lioss will be $100,000 for the run. For the star it is the first time she has played the role sincty last winter, when she br(»ke hei- ankle and had to call off the New York siniwing. Show will go to Detroit from here and then into the Plymouth. N. Y., Sept. 7. OlJcr.'ition here is verx- pic- furescpie. with this <dd town hang- ing on the .st(*e|) sides of Hu* cj>n- tinental divide. All emplo,\e(*s are dressed in frontier ciistiimes. squai-es d;»nce exhibitions go on before and alter the show, atid ! and ring bells in an effort to get the customers out of the saloons and into the theatre. The actors are having a heck of a time, breathing fresh air for a change and feeding on buffalo steaks. And on Saturday (31) Steve Cochran and Billy Van were out panning for gold. They washed out about $9 w'orth. Colleano, Jr., Looks Set For London ‘Streetcar’ London, July 26. After auditioning several Eng- lish legit and film names for the top male role opposite Vivien Leigh in “Streetcar Named De- sire.” Laurence Olivier, who is pro- ducing the show' in October, has practically set on Bonar Colleano, Jr. Colleano is an American and son of Bonar Colleano, Sr., w'ho I has been appearing for many years in the Maurice Colleano standard vaudeville offering. Act is cur- rently playing Australia. Colleano is currently appearing in Jack Hylton’s “Together Again” at the Victoria Palace, having re- placed Bud Flanagan, who has been ordered to the south of France by his medico. “Streetcar” goes into rehearsal in September, with show due in October at Ald- wych theatre. I Theatre Guild Protests | Ala. Group’s Name Use j Mobile, Ala., Aug. 2. ■ The Montgomery, Ala,, Theatre Guild has received a protest from the Theatre Guild of New York against the use of the words “The- atre Guild.” The New York organ- ' ization charged that “confusion does exist” resulting in irreparable loss. A representative of the Mont- gomery Guild called the charge j flattering but ridiculous. “We are ' fiattered that our organization of amateurs . . . would be confused with the professional ability of the ; Theatre Guild, Inc.,” he stated. ; Attorneys representing the New | York organization have “been in- structed to take such legal steps as many be necessary to protect ! our client’s valuable property right.” 'The Elmer Rice-Kurt Weill mu- sic-drama. "Street Scene.” seen on I Broadw ay in 1947, holds up pretty ' well in concert version—a severe test by all standards. Presented sans costume and .sets, in abbrevi- ated form, at Lewisohn Staudium, N. Y., Saturday (30), the w'ork , came off remarkably well, as a ’ stirring combination of melodrama i and music. ' Perlorpiance itself was abbrevi- ated when a thunderstorm broke , up the second half of the ai fresco I se.ssion. I The N. Y. Philharmonic-Sym- phony, soloists and ensemble w'ere led by Maurice Abravanel, who conducted for the Broadway pro- duction and who here seemed to be as much, or more, in his symphonic element. Several members af the oi'iginal Broadway cast repeated their roles here, including two of the leads, Polyna Stoska and Brian ■ Sullivan. Other repeaters were Marie Leidal. Peggy Turnley, Mar- ! cella Uhl. Kenneth Remo, Joseph I James and David Thomas. Abrava- nel used 13 singers as principals. I with an added choral ensemble of 4-12 more. i Mi.ss Stoska. as Mrs. Maurrant, ' was in excellent voice, and did a ; superior job with her "Somehow 1 I Never Could Believe” solo. Sulli- van was particularly impressive with his "Lonely Hou.se” solo, and ! in the "Remember That I Care” duet with Dorothy Sarnoff, Mi.ss Sarnoff. taking the Anne Jeffreys role of Rose Maurrant, was fine support in the duet, and registered admirably with her solo, “What ' Good Would the Moon Be.” Nor- I man Atkins had Norman Cor- I don’s original role as Mr. Maurrant, I doing a hangup job with his solo 1 number. "Let Things Be Like They Always Was.” Support was in every instance fiist-rate. Jo.seph James, the orig- inal janitor, again repeated an ex- cellent “I Got a Marble and a Star.” and Kenneth Remo repeated the amusing “When a Woman Has a Baby.” The ensemble scored strongly, especially In “Ain’t It Aw- ful. the Heat” and “Ice Cream Sextet.” Bron. Legit Follow-Up Off-B’way Show Tool >lHnv ThiinibM OIT Kruadway. Iiip., production of com- edy in two act.s by Robert Hivnor. Di- leiled by Curt Conway; settlni; and IlKbt InR. Charles Hyman and William .Sher- man. At Cherry l.aiie, N. Y., July 27. •4fl; $1 80 top. Psy<-hye . Sadie l.onR Smith Dick Robbins Johnson Eddie Frost Macklebee Gene Saks Jenny Macklebee Kim Stanlo Too .Many Thumbs Nehemia PersolT Professor Block Ernest Summers 'The first of Robert Hivnor’s plays to be .staged. “Too Many 'Thumbs” might, with proper doc- toring and a more profe.ssional pro- duction, make the grade on Broad- way. This Otl'-Broadw’ay Inc., offer- ing starts off weakly but builds in- to an amusing and fanciful comedv. Ktnploying the theory that man is deseendanl from ape. Hivnor pre- sents his audience with a chim- panzee who in thg midst of .scien- tific observation develops into a htmio-sapian. Hivnor s .script also approaches in a satirical vein the conflict be- tween science and religion, with Gt'ne Saks’ portrayal of a religious tanatie the high-spot. A particu- larly funny bit involving two chimps of the opposite sex is not- al)le at the tail end of act one. Nehemia f’ersoff as the male of the species has the title role and gives a restrained performance in a diffi- cult part. His transformation from heasi to man is both pathetic and humorous. As the struggling scientist con- ducting the observation. Dick Rob- bins i.s effectively methodical, and Kim Stanley, as his liancee, has little lo do hut lend charm to the proceedings. Sadie Long, a.s the female ehimp, handles her* role well. Eddie Fro.st. as an attendanl. is ok.ny, and Ernest Sommers’ por- trayal of a successful scientist is good, though his exit line in refer- ence lo a nude picture is slock stuff. ushers partlde through the streets reclion. Entire action lakes place in a comhinalion lahoratory and office. Curt (’onway handled’the able dl- Mister Roberts I (.ALVIN, N. Y.) After 18 months’ of almost solid .capacity business. "Mister Roberts” ' remains one of the top straight- play hits of Broadway history. And I despite considerable recasting, it’s lost little of the entertainment quality that made it an instantane- ous smash. In the comedy-drama category, there’s been nothing newer to compare with it and, from present indications, there’s little j prospei t of anything doing so. I’o a repeat playgoer, several ■ things stand out in tlie show. The play itself, combining 'Thomas Heg- . gen’s basic story and Joshua 1 Logan's skillful stage craftsman- f ship, is an irresistible blend of humor, poignance and dramatic i wallop. 'The casting, including the . various changes since the preem, is , brilliant, while the performances are excellent and the physical pro- duclion superb. 'The performance is remarkably clean for such a long-run play. It has broadened heie and there, par- licularly in the smaller parts, but not seriously enough to mar the aulhentieily or vitality of the show'. Hem'y Fonda is still ideal in the title part. His playing, seemingly a trifle tnore emphatic than orig- inally, is perhaps even better for that reason. 'The other original lead. William Harrigan. is also skillfully loathsome as the patho- logically ly rannieal skipper. Rusty Lane, subbing for Robert Keith, on leave for a Hollywood picture assignment, is good as the philo.sophical ship’s doctor. And Muiray Hamilton, although lacking the style and fier.sonal impact David Wayne gave the part, is ef- fective a.s the juvenile officer. Pulver. With the exception of mild overplaying in some case.s. the smaller parts arc all well handled, wilfi Rufus Smith contriliuting a notable hit as drawlingly eloquent Shoi'c Patrol officer. Logan’s staging is even more im- pressive when seen again, and Jo .Mielziner’s scenery registers strong- ly on further inspection. 'The at- mospheric lighting and expressive l)etw«*en-scenes sound effects are also helpful. Incidentally, too. the tlu‘alie is kept comfortably cool lliroughoul the performance, which is the exception rather than the lule in legit. Jiobe. Second play of the U. of Texas dr;ima dep.-Hlmenf summer sea.son will he "(’oinmand Decision.” for three days opening Aug. 10 in t Au.stin. A in III*- rouiiir.y Westport, (’onn.. Aug. 2. Weslporl <'ounlr.v Pla.vhoo.s** prespiita* tion of Einl.Mi WilllHiiiK' adaplatiuii of comedy by Ivan 'rurx()eMev. .Stars Ruth Gordon; features Kdmon Myan, Howard St. John. Scott McKay. E f!. Marshall. Directed by Garson Kanin. David M. Par- doll. as.sociale producer; cftshinirs. Maiii- bocher Theatre (’ollerlion; .settiiiK-s and lightiiiK, Elh vtin Kent/ow. At Weslpoit, Conn . Aug. 1, ’4tf. ' Vera Ha^el Dawn. .Ir. Shaaf Rex Williams Anna Yslaeva Fraiu'es Brandt Lizaveta Bogdanova Diana Rivers Natalia Ruth Gordon Rakitiii Kdmon Ryan Kolia CliHord Tatum. Jr. Beliaev Scott McKay Matvei I.ew t-Xkels Doctor K G. Marshall Yslaev Howard SI. John Katia . Peggy Cass Bolshintsuv '. . ... Jesse White Ruth (Jordon and Gar.son Kanin hope to lake this new Emiyn Wil- liams’ adaptation of ttie traditional Turghenev Russian comedy lo Broadway, which has not liad sueli a revival since Naziinova coiled through a Theatre Guild produc- tion two decades ago. Kanin has given this Westport performance far more than the attention usually lavished on a summer tryout and the management lias given him a liberal hand. Williams’ version, recently suc- cessful in l.ondon. is not as crisp nor as inventive as was expected, and the play’s chief pleasures stem from Kanin’s skill in conjuring oc- casional vignettes in which les.ser characters, not caught up with Natalia’s impatient roinanee. brigtitly illustrate their own prob- lems. This new version of tlie Turghe- nev legend hitroduces some low comedy of the Katzenjainmer school and also a new ending. The unsuspecting intruder goes off to Moscow with a faithful and elo- quent family friend rather tlian with the highborn heroine’s pretty ward. ! Miss Gordon, so .successful In Guthrie Mc(Mintie’s revival of “Three Sisters.” is a disconcerting- ly mobile star this wtrex. She has little time for patrician repose and the familiar and admired Gordon characteristics are abundantly catalogued. She looks youthful and winsome, however, as she whips around the stage in a succes- sion of handsome Mainbot'hers that add much atmosphere to the proceedings. There’s no Slavic lethargy here. Outstanding in Miss Gordon’s company is Hazel Dawn. Jr., as the dependent who also loves the tutor. Lovely looking offspring of an un- forgettably lovely mother. Miss Dawn brings new freshness, nice modesty and a singularly promis- ing technique to tlie ’ Westport stage. Diana Rivers is excellent too a.s a snuff-inhaling duenna, equal to every artful suggestion I that is file index to me hne Kanin I talent. E. G. Marshall gels Into 1 stride a.s the eouniry doctor and I Jesse Wtiite has a liilarious lime I with the role, of an awkw'ard suitor. I SeoU McKay is .suitably hand- j some and obediently ill-at-ease as j tfie tutor, and Howard St John and j Edmon Ryan are riglit in other as- signments. Doiil. 1 ‘ iirilav • Baltimore. .Tulv 26. Doll Swann produc-linn of mii.siial .oin edy in two ails Hook hv Dorothy l,f>» Tina; lyiics and inu.xir by (. Wood: staRcd by Ooii{«* Srhaelyi; danrfs bv Khha Von Saleski and .Mhi* Solo*!. syt>. .\op| 'I'avior and Georxe .Sullivan f'a.st: Alice (ihosllcy. Vlaitine RaillcIt. I IMI eiud’homnip. Davis Cost, Archie l.aiflf. Joseph .Sopher. Bi in e lewell. UouKlas Henderson. O. Tolhei I Hewitt, r l ances Oliver. Robinson .Slone, Klaine Swann. flilT Col hern \t Hilltop theatre. Baltiinoie, .luly 2H, '49 Ambitious attempt at a musical, with clioral ensembles and terp in- terludes lo round out a rather in- volved story line and a highly pleasing musical .score. conu*s off rather well. George Schaefer’s direction is standout and pianisti« musical accompaniment bv com- poser Wood a real assist But there’s not enouKh for Broadway at the moment. Book is a killer-diller. It deals with a mythical town w'liere every Saturday i.s C’hristmas and every- one tells the truth. Added to this. Santa i.s a racketeer who rides in a TarK^v sled pulled by his wife, who wouldn't mind engaging in more hectic pursuits given tlie op- pot tunity. Into all of this is a love triangle, with the village belle, famous the country-over a.s the joy of visiting traveH’ing men. sought by a mamma’s boy and a bookish villain on Ihe ruthless side There are other chara'Jteis. too. hut noth- ing jells mid the humorless lines and heavy-handed situations. Music and l> rics are ximcthing el.se. 'The composer lias a score of eonsideratile merit The rhythm Is on file modern side witli a good hooge.v in*,at and some splaslies of all rigid melod>. Numbers arc not smartly spotted for best coni,;«,» and maximum selling. Alice Ghostley, in the lead, dominates the show witli voice of considerable quality ana she holds up the acting end’ whi enough. Best among the re.sl ni the cast are O. Tolbcrt-Hewitt ana June Prud’homme, particularly Supper”; Elaine SwanJ and Robinson Stone, a.s Mr anH Mrs. Santa Claus; Dougla.s Hendei son and Cliff Cothern. Solo dancii spots by Ebba Von Saleski and Alice Sobel, who staged the nuni bers, are well handled, and set* tings are above barn average With book given a compUde re write and score refitted and shaped under practiced au.spices. this one might provide potential inalerlal particularly as an all-Negro ooii« in the “Hot Mikado.” “(’armen Jones” motif. Bor/" CoHege Show ^liinall Beer in j (CATHOLIC II.) Washington. July 27. I Catholic U production of ciHiiedy in I three acts by Joe Coogan and Oan Rod den. Staged by Sally Schari>er; and I lighting, James D. Waring. At Univer- sity theatre. Washington. July 2 .y, *40 $1.80 top. Tim Kilty Don Waters ; Agnes KUty Wenona Matthews ' Philip Scharper Kellogg Edward ('. Justii-e Willie Dooley lohn Rodney Hannah Mildred Wolf tdith Pat Carroll New play by radio writer Dan Rodden and magazine freelancer 1 Joe Coogan is given a Itetter pei- I formance by the (’alholic li. Speech and Drama Department j than it deserves, j Play is set in a saloon in Philly, ; called the Galway Tap. Its piin-* I cipal character is Willie Dooley, {the charming, doing-nothing bar- ' room philosopher w'hose career ] consists of writing letters to the I editors of newspapers and hoping I that his solutions to all the ills of I the world will get lop position in I the letter columns. Saloonkeeper Tim Kilty would like to get rid of ! his sister-in-law, a maiden gal in her late 30’s, and Dooley decides ' to get her a hu.sband. Of course, sister-in-law Hannah I has had a secret crush on Dooley I for years. Just about Ihe time he i gets a middle-aged truant officer to propo.se to Hannah. Dooley di.s- : covers that he, too. loves her. So I true love finds a way and Dooley I agrees to take a job as a file clerk to support his wife. And tlial i.s the i story. John Rodney, a former Catholic U. student, Is starred a.s Ihe philo- sophic Dooley, playing tlie part complete with auld sod brogue. Rodney gives a lively reading lo the role, a fat one decked out I w ith long speeches. However, he ! never manages to lift the part over i ttie barricade of incessant jabber, I which interlards the tliin plot I Play i.s reported to he in tryout with a view to Broadway produc- tion. However, in its present form ' it offers little w'hlch would coax ; customers into plunking down $4.80—or any fraction thereof—at the boxoffice. I, j ‘Peter’ Sydney Interim; ‘Booms’ for Melbourne ' Sydney. Inly 26. British comedy. "Fly - Awav- Peter,” with British plaver.4 J. H- Roberts, Pamela Bygrave and Bea- trice Smith, will pla> a limited i run at the Royal here, before Rolv erf Morley, in “Edward. Mv -Son, ' comes in in early September j “Annie Get Yonr Gun’’ winds up a year at the Royal, and heads for New Zealand. In Melbourne. June Clyde and Hal Thompson come into the Cou'* edy theatre, for J. C Williiim!«)n; .Aug. a, with “Separate Rooms. Show will do general .\nssie run- around after the Melbourne run Kamber’s Program Servic* Philadelphia Aug 2. Bernard Kamber, wlio puls )ui programs for the four legil housen i here, has launched a new assooa- lion of program publishers for towns outside New York Faihn* ill recent seasons lo latcli m* to t ic big national accounts led •'» move, . , So far. Kamber’s gron|) hJ^ up 15 theatres in four ciiie.s -Bos ton. San Francisco. Clevelsnd h) Philadelphia—and tlu‘> !•!'’ a New York central olfice ")■» of new’ outfit calls tor solicit d'O of national accounts foi P'j In all cities, proceeds to he h' io pro-rata.