Variety (December 1950)

Wednesday, December 37, 1950 45 Plays Abroad Brlgadoon Glasgow, Dec. 12. Prince Llttler, Jn association with rhei-vl Cfawford, production of musical nlav: booK and lyrics by Alan Jay ,Ler- Ser and music by Frederick LoeWe; pro- duction staged by Robert Lewis; original choreography by Agnes de MUle; dances rUtaged by Peggy Watson; orchestra un- der th^direction of K. Behrens. At Kings, <llasgow, Dec. 11, '50. With Bruce Trent, Lionel Murton, Humphrey Heathcbte, Andrew Rolla, Pa- tricia Woodward, John Talbot, Douglas Ward, Arthur Jordan, Denise Walker, Svlvia Herlots, Ndele Gordon, Bill O'Con- nor, Peggy Watson, John Rae, Ron Tay- lor, LeOn Czerny, Donald MaCLean* Les- lie White and Joanna Duncan. America has done it again in Scotland, this time on the musical side. There is no doubt abdut the pleasure which this musical fan- tasy about a mythical Highland village is bringing to thousands of Scottish theatre-^goers over the Christmas and New Year season. Any misgivings which the cast might have had over Scotland’s re- ception and reaction were immedi- ately dispelled the opening night here. Question being asked most frequently here is “Why couldn’t Scotland produce a musical like this?” Briice Trent and Lionel Murton register strongly as Tommy Al- bright and Jeff Douglas. The fornier’s resonant voice is heard to good effect ii^ the best known numbers. The latter’s dry, sar- donic sense of humor goes over well. Th^e Meg Btockie role is com- petently served by ebullient Nbele Gordon. She has the advantage of Scots parentage, Which probably accounts for her most authentic Northeast Scotland accent. Denise Walker’s Fiona MacKeith is both sung and played with charm. Here is a pleasant newcomer. The success of “BrigadoOn” in Scotland is largely due to careful setting and casting. No audience is quicker to seize upon the slight- est inaccuracy affecting its native land than a critical Scots audience. The only criticism that might be made here is that there are a few too many rolling ‘r’s’ in the open- ing sequence. ' Gord, Rod Dragon London, Dec. 13, Michael Allinsoii, Eric UttlOy, Peggy Ramsay production of drama in two acts by Hugh Hastings. Directed by Jordan Lawrence. At the *'Q" theatre, Kew. Dec. 12, '50. With John Bailey, Duncan Lamont. Richard Pearson. Kenneth Connor. Owen Holder, Violet Loxley, Geoffrey Hibbert, Frank Henderson. Dion le SavaU " (God Knew It) Paris, Deci 12.. Mary Morgan production of three-act comedy by Armand Salacrou, Directed by Jean Mercure, Set by Wakhevitch. At The- atre St. Georges, Paris. Daniel Doublet .Michel Vitold Armand Germain Pierre Palau Dr. Louis Gros............ ..Michel Salina Leon Bonnet Gerard Darrieu Maurice Maurice Sarfati Aziza ....................... Mary Morgan MSathilde .....;..Betty Daussmond Therese Winnie Claud This is the second naval play by the author of “Seagulls Over Sorrento,” one of the year’s big- gest hits. Though much stronger in theme, and equally as amusing in dialog, this One lacks the polished fluidity that marked the other play. It depicts operations in the Yangtse river which paral- lels, by coincidence, an actual sit- uation. It would provide drama on the grand scale for a film scenario, but as is, remains a queer mixture of the sublime and the ridiculous. There is a heroic suicide reminis- cent of Captain Oates’ sacrifice in ,Jthe Scot Expedition, but it is an- tici))ated too early, robbing it of surprise value. All told it is not entirely satisfying entertainment, but provides thrills and laughs. May be smoothed out before ven- turing into the West End. Scene is a junk shop in a de- serted Chinese town where con- flicting forces have converged. Four British sailors are in hiding after their ship has been attacked by Reds. They expect them to pre- vent their escape to Shanghai. One of the men wants to aban- don a young officer who is badly wounded to expedite their flight. Fights ensue with tempers and, nerves frayed to breaking point' with opposing loyalties. The lieu- tenant, after overhearing* the dis- cussion on his condition shocks tliem into silence by ordering them to go oii. They refuse and so while they are asleep, he shoots himself, . There is a mild love interest be- tween the shopkeeper’s daughter and the most level-headed seanian, She won’t leave when the chance arises, and her lover decides to stay to protect her when the others make a dash for safety. Communists are battering in the floor when curtain falls, with the understanding the boy will kill tliem both rather than be taken prisoners; All the characters are splendidly portrayed with their differing ^pes and accents. Kenneth Connor is outstanding as an im- perturbable cockney and Owen Holder a pathetic, finely-drawn sample of disciplined youth. Violet Loxley makes the most of her sketchy role as the Nationalist ( 'iine.se. ... This new Salacrou play was well received and is likely to have a fair run in Paris. Its chances abroad ^pear limited to countries where cSerman occupation once was very real. For. the U. S, and the screen, it will need consider- able doctoring. This is a hodge-podge of phi- losophy, farce and dram$. The philosophical part is a discussion of the Lutheran doctrine of pre- destination. The farce is suppled by a* couple of 95-year-old people reunited after the last war. They had been lovers 60 years ago and during the 1889 World Fair, the man had disappeared and the woman thought he had committed suicide because of love for her. He reappears as an old scamp just trying to get the family’s money and combines with her to kill any chances of losing the fortune. Mary Morgap, as the heroine, acquits herself . well. Michel Vitold, as the male lead, gives a fine performance. The aged couple is amusingly done by Betty Dauss- mond and Pierre Palau. Gerard Darrieu, as an underground man, is very plausible. Two youthful players loom as future bets, Mau- rice Sarfati, as the schoolboy, and teenaged Wirinie Claude, as a young girl. Jean Mercure had a hard job directing a play that is made up of so many angles it is sometimes hard to tell what the playwright is driving at. He has done a com- mendable job. Maxi. Legit, Film, Longliaif Interest in Pinza Tour Unusual amount of Interest, from legit and pix house sources as well as longhair, has been aroused sud- denly over a prospective Ezio Pin- za concert tour. Following exclu- sive announcement In last week’s Variety of the projected tour, Marks Levine, prez of National Concert & Artists Corp., the basso’s manager, in two days got over a dozen bids from managements throughout the U. S. Legit producer Edwin Lester wired from L. A. that he would take any date In any city where Levine has no regular concert con- nections, with NCAC to name its own terms. Marvin McDonald, At- lanta concert manager, who has a series on a circuit of about a dozen large southern cities, wired to ask how many dates he could get. Bob O’Donnell, of the Interstate Cir- cuit in Texas (mainly pix aiid vaude), asked for Pinza for Dallas, Ford Worth, San Antonio, Houston and Austin. There were calls from [ Bill Salkin, manager of the St. Louis Symphony; Harry Zelzer, Chi concert manager, and Aaron Rich- mond, Boston impresario. Local concert managers, who were in N. Y. for a convention, have also been after the attraction. Pinza is being pitched for a spring or summer tour of five to six weeks, five night a week, in a setup with assisting singers and an or- chestra. Triple-Play Garson Kanin has one of the most unusual parlays In show business in his legit- pic-opera representation on Broadway this season. Screen version of his stage play, “Born Yesterday,” opened at the Victoria, 'N. Y., yesterday (Tues.). His latest stage-work, “The Live Wire,’’ had a short four-week run at the Play- house, N. Y., early this fall. Last Wednesday ( 20 ) the Metropolitan Opera preemed Strauss’ “Die Fiedermaus,” with a new libretto by Kanin, in a new production staged by Kanin. m Literati Mario Lanza, who has just com- pleted filming the lead in Metro’s “The Great Caruso,” has been set for a concert tour this winter, in his first big tour since He bit prom- inence in pix. Bookings, set by the Judson, O’Neill 8c Judd division of Columbia Artists Mgt., call for 21 dates, averaging two a week, start- ing Jan. 14 in Fresno, Cal , and ending March 30 in NeW Orleans. Tour will embrace solo recitals and appearances with symphonies, in- cluding Ogden, Utah; Wichita, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Chicago, St. Louis, Toledo, Cincinnati, Scranton, Utica, Baltimore, Rich- mond, Pittsburgh, Miami, Orlando and Tampa. About 90% of the dates call for a fee of $2,500 against 60% (an unusually high fee for any but es- tablished concert artists). Tour should gross about $160,000, with singer’s take about $80,000. A new big name in the concert field is al- ways of interest, but there are oth- er factors likely to hypo the take. Metro plans using its promotion to tie in with the tour, while RCA Victor also plans exploitation due to Lanza’s disks. Singer made his first film starring appearance In “The Midnight Kiss” a year or so ‘Variety’ Muggs in Print Holt is bringing out two books in the fall of 1951 about or by Variety muggs. J. P. McEvoy’s biography of Frank Scully (and his wife, Alice) was agented, more or less, by attorney Fanny E. Holtzmann, longtime friend of the Scullys. Besides .book publi- cation, it Will be serialized in Ladies Home Journal and given a Reader’s pigest treatment. Mc- Evoy is also a roving editor for RD, and leaves for his Havana, Cuba, winter residence this week- end, with his wife, Peggy, and their two children, to complete the Scully book. The Scully saga also has 20th-Fox film interest.; The other Holt book is “The Spice of ‘Variety’: Show Biz From Vaude to Video,” penned by Abel Green (editor of Variety) and Joe Laurie, Jr., Variety columnist. This is the same project incepted several years ago for Rinehart & Co., but the authors made a deal to follow Ted Aihussen and Wil- liam Raney, former Rinehart edi- tors, now ditto with Holt, in view of their close association with the Variety book. It’s the story of Sime Silverman, founder-publisher of Variety, and the panorama of show business from the turn of the century to date, as seen through the eyes of Sime, the Variety staffers and the paper’s chronicling of the passing show business scene. in this simple story (as told to his son), he tells his adventures not only as an acrobat but as a circus, owner and booker of such thrill at- tractions as Cedora’s Golden Globe, in which the little lady rode a motor cycle in a cage-like globe; Zacchini Family, “the human can- nonballs”; Carver’s high-diving horses, etc. It is all human and interesting. For pix people here is a circus story that holds plenty of action, adventure arid suspense. “Circus” is a definite hUnk of show biz. Alley-Oop! Joe Laurie^ Jr, Shearer’s Gary Crosby Piece Lloyd Shearer’s profile of Gary Crosby,^ due in the Jan. ,6 Collier-s, reveals that royalties accruing to Bing’s oldest boy on the basis of one Decca platter, “Simple Melody,” already come to $12,500, with more flowing in each day. The Shearer job on young Cros- by was a particularly tough one to do since the entire Crosby family has been alerted to keep newsmen away from the boy. Also alerted Is Father Gerald Flynn who runs Bellarmine Prep in San Jose where Gary attends school. Unbeknownst to the youngster, Father Flynn ships loads of fan mail addressed to Gary in San Jose, down to the ago, and in “Toast of N^ew Orleans” Crosby Enterpnses office in Holly- O' this fall. Both are Metro pix. Continued from page 42 1 Love Lydia management .^and investors. As Pemberton revealed to Variety, not long before his death last March, over $2,000,000 profits had been distributed, including most of the proceeds from the film sale. NThe $95,0()0 now outstanding has presumably accumulated since that Continued from page 43 stein have failed to realize that there is no such thing as a “B Mu- sical” ‘for Broadway, and com- posers Jay Livingston and Ray Evans have poured into their lyrics everything they have been pre- vented from writing for films'. The result is a highly provincial show made mildly pleasant by a few fair tunes. It offers nothing for Broadway in its present form and probably will not even arouse much local interest outside the. film colony. Corn pops freely in the Epstein book, the gags are just too preciously punny and local, and the situations strained. Idea to modernize the Sheridan classic has at least as much merit as the modernizations of “Taming of the Shrew” and “Amphitryon,” but the idea needed to be carried through with greater finesse. In the modernization process, Lydia has become the heiress- niece of a hotdog dowager and Prince John poses as a union or- ganizer. This permits a few labor- type jokes, including some gibes about the Holly wood strike. , Score has some okay comedy numbers, like “One Last Fling” and “Give It All You’ve Got,” and a torch possibility in “Wondering Who,” but at least two ballads are desperately needed before there can be any valid hope that the . show can float along on its tunes. ^Chiet trouble apparently is that Livingston and Evans in the past have been single tUnesmiths rather than composers, and the scorfe chore was a little too much.. Cast injects a lot of enthusiasm into the proceedings despite Terry Kiiburn’s sometimes spotty stag* i ing. Best results are obtained by Kathleen Freeman and King Dono- wood each week. Magazine also achieved mild photo scoop when Collier’s lens- man, John Florea, trapped Bing and Gary outside CBS recording studio. Once caught, Crosby pere was gracious, agreeing to pose with Gary but insisted upon wearing his. usual stylish hat. Atlantic City Sale Hitch Court action has been resorted to in Atlantic City to compel one of the heirs of the estate of the late Paul J. O’Neill, Sr., to sell the Press-Union Publishing com- pany stock owned by the family. Plans to sell the stock to the Beth- lehem (Pa.) Globe Publishing Co. were announced last week. The Press-Union publishes two dailies and a Sunday paper in A. C. and also owns radio station WBA6 (CBS) and WBAB-FM. Other members of the O’Neill family have gone into superior court to force the third brother, Thomas Paul O’Neill, Of Bethle- hem, to consent of the sale. The action was brought by Paul J. O’Neill, Jr., present secretary- treasurer of the company and Richard P. O’Neill, of Turtle Creek, Pa. According to the complaint filed, the O’Neill estate’s shares are to be delivered to the Betbleheni company at the price of $1,320 per share to be paid Dec. 29. In the event of non-delivery, the com- plaint states, the deal will be auto- matically terminated as far as the O’Neill shares are concerned. Freemah’s ‘Melodics' “The Melodies Linger On”. (Cen- tury House, $5) is an interesting, once-lightly-Over history of 'Tin Pan Alley authored by Larry Free- man, Who has some dozen books on antique furniture, silver, toys, lamps and other items to his credit. Main asset of this volume, how. ever, is not the text but the pro- fuse illustrations of sheet music title pages, which through their personality photos and fashion styles, more effectively portray the evolution of the pop music busi- ness over the past 50 years. Beginning with the barber-shop harmony tunes that were a la mode at the turn of the rentury. Free-/ man traces the songsmith’s saga through the transient eras that Were dominated in turn by the hand-cranked phonograph, legit musicals, Vaudeville, radio, sound films and. the contemparary re- . emergence of the electrified phono- graph and disk jockey. Passing through the pages of this volume, of course, are such show biz fig- ures and composers as Gus Ed- wards, Weber & Fields, Lew Dock- stader, Victor Herbert, George M. Cohan, Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Eddie . Cantor, A1 Jolsoh, and others who left a permanent mark on Tin Pan Alley. At no point digging , much be-^ neath the surface of events, Free-^^ man set himself the Unpretentious job. of striking some nostalgic chords by writing about the famil- iar facts and prominent personali- ties from a non-professional view- point. As such, he has succeeded particularly In the earlier years with an indispensible lift from the illustrations spotted on each page. Freeman, however, shows a glar- ingly weak background in his few comments on jazz and jazz men, as, for example, calling Bix Beider- becke a Negro musician. Freeman also completely misunderstands the nature and intention of the bebop movement. These errors, how- ever, are incidental in an other- wise readable, arresting book. time. , , . - ... Plaintiffs ih the joint Suit, all of . van, who earn solid l^aughs with whom have retained Edward E ,Golton as attorney* include Mar- garet Perry Fanning and Elaine Perry Stranahan, daughters of the late Antoinette Perry, director of “Harvey” and tot years Pember- ton’s production associate; actor John Alexander; Armina Marshall, production associate of the The their portrayals of the dowager and the deposed king. John Craw- ford poses a little too much as Prince John, but Margot Powers is an eye-and-ear appealing Lydia: and Bunny Bishop is visually and vocally Winning as Lucy; Maryin Kaplan, who clicked solidly in a recent production ^ at this same repertory theatre, is run on and atre (?uild and wife of Guild co -1 a number of small roles, director Lawrence Langner; John generating chuckles each time. It’s George Hamid’s Autobiog Do you like the circus? Do you like acrebats? ~ DO you like Horatio Alger Stuff? Then you’ll like “Cir- cus,” by George A. Hamid (Sterl- ing; $3), the biog of a tiny hungry Syrian kid who started on the streets of Lebanon doing flipflops that brought him-to—America and the Buffalo Bill show when Annie Oakley wasn’t a character in a mu- sical comedy hilt was the attrac* tion with the show sharing the spotlight with Buffalo Bill. The kid in America through a series of more flips than flops became one of the greatest outdoor show- men and booking man. in the fair and circus field. His name is George A. Hamid. In a contest among tumblers of the Buffalo Bill show he won the championship. (I wonder was his CHATTER Keith Monroe assigned to write a three-part yarn on Joe £. Brown for the Satevepost. Jean Renoir wrote an introduc- tion to the new Rumer Godden novel, “A Breath of Air.” Joseph Barnes, ex-foreign editor of the N. Y. Herald Tribune and former editor of the N. Y. Star, is joining Simon & Schuster, Jan. 1 as an editor. Stephen Slesinger, syndicated comic strip producer, was given the “Man and Boy Award of the Year’* last week by the Boys Clubs of America for his work in behalf of the clubs. “Vienna’s Golden Years of Mu- sic,” collection of Eduard Hans- lick’s reviews, 1850 to 1900, edited and translated by Henry Pleasants, will be published by SiniOn & Schuster Jan. 3. MacKinlay Kantor, back from Korea as war correspondent, closed his New York apartment and moved permanently into his home on Siesta Key, Sarasota, Fla. Kan- tor will devote the winter to maga- zine chores. With an occasional lec- ture date when time allows. Xpnsiir 12G, D.C. Washington, 26. Battered by the prerXmas lull, second week of “The Consul” dwindled to a thin $12,000 last week at the Gayety theatre. Edward Arnold opens tonight (26) in a revival of “Apple of His Eye,” Advance was fair.“Apple” is scheduled for two weeks, and; will be followed'by a single week of Cornelia Otis Skinner’s one- wbman show. ‘Roberts^ lOyaG, Syracuse Syracuse, Dec. 26. Second company of “Mister Roberts,” with Tod Andrews-in the opponent Charlie Wilson who, at j title part, had tough going at the nnS time, was with the Luggi Empire here last week, grossing a airecior juawrence generating cnucKies eacu uiuc, xua i u V the nt'e-rhri«;tma<i Opdycke, husband o£ Guild co-; | running gag that would be lost .Pledro Troupe and who tumedJO |Slim410.500 for tM pre-Chri.stmas director Theresa Helburn; produc-'elsewhere, however, and it typifies j somersaults ^Tom one cnd_ofMadi- stanza. ... glmbf ‘ Rarhara Pavne ticket broker the strictly Hollywood-family-type i son Square Garden to the nther'M Fiayea movea lo ine^ onuut Lou® SchoS Md Hamid became the owner of Detroit, last night (Mon.) for others. Played moved to the Sbubert, various humSr'with which the production I Hamid became the owner ot, uetroit, last .night (Mon.) for • I is larded. Knp. Arab troupes, circuses, fairs, and two-week engagement.