Variety (September 1952)

yif i»<ln66<i^y? S^ptetfiL<&r 17*^ 1952 LEGITmATE 71 Legit Bits rrine what-Jose Ferrer-will-do- «pxt sweepstakes got a new stimu- fns tto w«ek with a report from T nndon where the star is appear- i^John Huston’s mm, “Mou- Rniiac ” that he will partner Jack 17 ‘The ?rrike‘-Tnd‘’“CaM the Sky.” however, he will, first return to York to stage Kermit Bloom- warden’s touring edition of The Ihrike’’ with Van Heflin in the So lead which he (Ferrer) rrpflted last season on Broadway. Ferrer is also still talking about Starring in “Musical Comedy Man,” a song and dance show using un- published George Cohan tunes ^ John T. Sloper will be stage iiianager of the Cornelia Otis Skin- ner show, “Paris ’90 ” on tour. Dorothy Heyward, co-author with \ her late husband, DuBose, of the book of “Porgy and Bess,” sails Friday G9) with her daughter to attend the London opening of the opera . . . David .Kanter is gen- eral stage manager and J. Myles Putnam stage manager of “Buttrio Square Celia Johnson has taken over as femme lead of the original London production of •'Deep Blue Sea,” succeeding Peggy Ashcroft, who withdrew to take a rest . . . Oscar Hammer- stein, 2d has revised the second act of his and Bichard Rodgers' “Allegro,” and the new version is being presented this week at the Lambertville (N. J.) Music Circus. Hugo Schaaf is company man- ager, Robert Downing stage man- ager and Sheldon Wile assistant on “Seagulls Over Sorrento” . . . Stanley Gilkey is general partner with Guthrie McCllntic in the production of “Bernardine” and for the U. S. tour of the Greek Na- tional Theatre . . . Sam Byrd, who appeared last season in “The Chase,” has acquired the right to “The Perfectionist,” Reginald Den- ham-Conrad Sutton Smith thriller adapted from a Margaret St. Clair story, and plans a London produc- tion followed by a Broadway pres- entation. The play was formerly under option to pressagent George Ross .. . . Anthony Buttitta, p.a. for the San Francisco Civic Light Opera, will go ahead of Danny Kaye on the latter’s tour of the northwest, so he’s postponed his trip to Italy until winter. “Trio,” the Dorothy and Howard Baker play which provoked a cen- sorship furore when presented on Broadway in 1944-45 with a cast including Lydia St. Clair, Lois Wheeler and ' Richard Widmark, opens at the Arts, a private club theatre in London, tonight tWed.) under the title, “Two Loves I Have.” with a cast including Sonia Dresdel, Elisabeth Henson, Michael Gwynne, Christine Silver, Mark Dignan, David Carr and Ann EIs- den . . . Roger- Stevens, a mem- ber of the Playwrights Co., and Bill Fields, the firm’s pressagent, planed Monday (15) to Chicago to hypo the ballyhoo for the touring “Fourposter,” which opens next Monday <2) at the Blackstone there with Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn costarred. They’re due back in New York tonight (Wed.), however, for the premiere of “Mr. Pickw’ick,” newest Playwrights of- fering, Victor Samrock, general manager for the two shows, will go to Chi this weekend for the “Fourposter” opening. AT Goldin will be general man- ager for Joseph M. Hyman . and Bernard Hart on the Moss Hart play, “Climate of Eden,”'taking a leave of absence as company man- ager of “New Faces,” but con- tinuing as g.m. of the latter show . . . Alan Schneider returned last week after summering in England and on the Continent. He staged an early Thornton Wilder play “Pullman Car Hiawatha,” for the British Drama League. H© leaves shortly to direct “Desire Under the Elms” for the Arena Theatre jn Washington . . ; Bruce Milhol land, who authored the origina script from which Ben Hccht and Charles Mac Arthur adapted “Twentieth Century,” has written a new play, “Passage to India,’* which he will send to Samue. rrench. He recently returned to Vienna after a visit to Italy and Tangier. Audrey Hepburn is due back ironi Europe about Oct. 1 for a ^ week or two later of Ligi ’ at an unspecified Broad- M^eatre. Producer Gilbert Miller is also due back about Oct. J iroin England . . , Publishers of Chicago Stagebill, legit theatre program in the Loop, are sending opening night editions of the pub- hcalion to all New York critics • • • Perry Bruskin will be stage !!f‘V?^8er and Howard Graham as- on “Two's Company,” for mir? already set as jp;i stage manager . . . tlirect “Those familiar gpints,^ Kermit Bloom- garden’s production of the new Arthur Miller play. Nat Karson, A^’ho returned re- cently after producing a season of revues at a London variety house, will remain in New York about a' month before going back to Eng- land . . . Robert Alda and Ben Segal have postponed the start of rehearsals of their production of the musical, “Herald Square” . . . Ned Armstrong will pressagent the’ tour of “The Shrike,” opening Oct. 16 in New Haven . . . Jack Schlis- sel, business manager for Kermit Bloomgarden, was in Pittsburgh this week for-a board meeting of the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera Assn., for which he was general manager last summer . . . Alex- ander H. Cohen, w'hose production [of “Be Your Age,” in partnership with Joseph Kipness, goes into re- hearsal Dec. 4, goes to London in October to attend the premiere of The^ Man Up.stairs,” the Patrick Hamilton melodrama which he will present on Broadway next spring in association with Rita Allen. Geraldine Brooks will have a fea- ured part in “Time of the Cuckoo,” starring Shirley Booth .. . Bruce Becker, production assistant of Joshua Logan, vacationing in Quebec province with his actress- wife, Honey Waldman, a member of the resident company this sum- mer at the Theatre-by-the-Sea, Matuhuck, R. I. . , . Edmond O’Brien^and Viveca Lindfors will co-star fn John van Dniten’s new play, “I’ve Got Sixpence” . . . egit-TV actress Patricia Jenkins playing an airline hostess this week in a training film being produced by Henry Strauss for Pan-Ameri- can Airways, . S. N. Behrman is reportedly set to do the American adaptation of ‘Cuisine des Anges” (“Angels Cooking”), current Paris hit to be presented on Broadway this season by Saint Subher . . . Paul Groll is company manager of “Buttrio Square” . . . Paul Beisman, man- ager of the American, St. Louis, in own this w'eek to line up bookings or his theatre .. . Ruth Mundy and Mona Gross have optioned “Deedee and the Brave,” comedy by Lionel Stander, for production on Broad- way this winter. Author is featured in the cast of "Pal Joey” . . . Walter Gould, formerly with the James A. Davidson agency, has joined the ntertainment Management Corp.: as assistant to Walter P. Chrysler, Jr., executive vice-prez . . . Kermit Bloomgarden’s production of ‘Those Familiar Spirits,” the new (Continued on page 72) ‘Madam’ Bright $41,200 In Denver, Salt Lake ■ Denver, Sept. 16. “Call Me Madam,” brought to Dwiver by A. M. Oberfelder, packed the Auditorium to a near- capacity crowd for three nights and a matinee, doing a big $26,- 400 for tho 3,000-seater at a price range from $1.80 to. $4.20. Only a few of the lower-.priced seats remained empty. Oberfelder next brings in “Bell, Book and Candle,” Oet. 24-25. B’way Perks; fish’ $51,300 Tops List, “Seagiills’ $45i in 4, Hayes $21,3i, “Banana’ $34,4i, ‘King’ $45,500 for 7 $14,800 For 3 In Salt Lake Salt Lake City, Sept. 16. In two evenings and a matinee last Monday-Tuesday, (8-9) at the 1,400-seat Paramount here, “Call Me Madam” grossed a hotly $14,- 800. ‘Girl’ liy2G, Frisco, T San Francisco, Sept. 16. Moon Is Blue,” with David Niven, Diana Lynn and Murray Hamilton, returns to the United Nations-Alcazar Sept. 22 for two stanzas. “Bell, * Book and" Candle,” with Joan Bennett and Zachary Scott, follows “Country Girl” into the Geary Sept. 29. The Drama Quar- tet’s “Don Juan In Hell”, is pencil- led in at the Curran for two weeks, starting Sep' 22. Estimates for Last Week “Country Girl,” Geary (D-$4.20; 1,550) (Robert Young, Dane (5lark, Nancy Kelly), A neat $17,500, “Lady’s Not For Burning,” United Nation.s-Alcazar (D-$3.60; 1,157) (Vincent Price, Marsha Hunt, Beulah Bondi). Held to a steady $16,500. ‘POSTER’ OKAY $25,800 IN SEAHLE STANZA Seattle, Sept. 16. “The Fourposter,” with Jessica Tandy and Hume CIronyn, grossed on okay $25,800 here Tuesday through Sunday (9-14) at the Metropolitan. The 1,500-seater was scaled from $3.75. Advance sale on “South Pacific” is heavy, with sellout indicated for the six-day engagement at the 6,000-seater Civic Aud. ‘BAGELS’ OKAY $21,000 IN FIRST BOSTON WEEK Boston, Sept. 16. “Bagels and Yox,” making its second trip here this year, pulled an okay $21,000 for its initial week at the 1,700-seat Shubert. Origin- ally skedded for a week’s stand at the Shubert, then moving to the Majestic for a second, revue is con- tinuing at the Shubert, due to can- celling of “Buttrio Square,” with the originfel tw'O-week Hub booking extended to three. House is scaled at a $3.60 top. Legit season picks up tempo next Monday (22), when the Uta Hagen starrer, “In Any Language,” bows into the Plymouth, and the new Mary Chase comedy, “Bernar- dine,” preems at the Wilbur. Both plays are slated for two weeks. ‘Toes’ Winds Olney Season With Solid $8,000 Take Olney, Md., Sept. 16. Strawhat version of “On Your Toes” brought the Olney Theatre season to an end with a solid $8,- 00() for-the week’s run. With a critical score of three to one in its favor, plus added factor of no competition from D. C. or Balti- more. legits, musical built to a near-capacity weekend after a slow start. Take leaves a comfort- able margin of profit for manage- ment. Maryland barn, midway between Baltimore and Washington, had an unusually spotty season, but winds up in the black. Bolstered by two record breakers, Faye Emerson in “Dangerous Corner” and “An Eve- ning With Bea Lillie,” ledger was more than repaid for three or four poor weeks. ‘JoOyanna’ loon’$13,701), LA. Los Angeles, Sept. 16. A new weekend heat wave seared local legit after a few mild days last week and both offerings wound up below hopes. “The Moon Is Blue” finaled with $13,700 for its fifth frame at the 1,636-seat Biltmore, tally giving it $94,900 for the run, repping an operating profit of around $25,000. “Bell, Book and Candle,” star- ring Joan Bennett, rekindled the UBO house last night (Mon.) for a fortnight. “Jollyanna,” last of the Civic Light Opera musicals for this sea- son, drew $48,800 in its first frame at the 2,670-seat Philharmonic Aud., in the lowest opening week of the season. Take was virtually all from season tickets ‘Pacific’ Whopping $59,625 For Week in San Diego San Diego, Sept. 16. “South Pacific” grossed a whop- ping $59,625 for a week at the 2,401-seat Russ Auditorium. Stand was the first in a series of dates in smaller Pacific Coast towns which the musical will play for the next six weeks, before starting back east. House was scaled at $4.80. Show moved from here over the. weekend to the Pasadena CMc Aud. for a week. ^Camera’ Capacity $26,700 In Second Detroit Week Detroit, Sept. 16. “I Am A Camera” did a capacity $26,700 at the Cass under Theatre Guild subscription rates last week, in the final week of a fortnight here, to open the Detroit legit scdson* The first week gross at the 1,452- seater was $22,800. ‘Ladies’ 16G, Philly Philadelphia, Sept. 16. “Good Night, Ladies” clocked up a strong $16,000 in its first week at the Erlanger, flooding the town with twofers plus a heavy ad cam- pdi^n* . * Despite critical panning^ the Jules Pfleffer production drew big audience response In the 1,880- seat house. Boxoffice is also get- ting plenty or customers paying a , straight $3.80 top. ‘Bell’ $20,300, Portland; Extra $1,500 in Seattle Portland, Ore., Sept. 16. Joan Bennett and Zachary Scott in “Bell, Book, and Candle” wound up a five-day engagement at the 1,500-seat Mayfair Theatre here last Friday (12) with a fine $20,300. Show played five evening perform- ances and two matinees,, with the house scaled at $4.20. For the second timo in two weeks, the cast limped into open- ing night and proved that each is a real trouper. The company en- trained at Seattle early Monday (8) expecting to arrive here about five hours before curtaiii time, 'rrain was delayed indefinitely at Chehailis, Wash., halfway between the two cities. Manager trans- ferred the troupe to a bus and got to the theatre at 8:10 p.m. The curtain went up after only a five- minute delay at 8:45 p.m., with the cast eating on the run. The com- pany had a similar experience about two w'eeks before en route to Vancouver, when a bridge washed out at White Rock, B.C. “Bell” picked up $1,500 for an extra performance in Seattle the previous Sunday (7), for a week’s total of $21,800. ‘OKLA.’$28,400 IN SEVEN FOR THREE-CITY SPLIT Springfield, Mass., Sept. 16. “Oklahoma,” playing seven per- formances in thi;ee different stands, piled up a total gross of nearly $28,400 last week. Theatre Guild production nabbed over $11,300 in two shows Monday- Tuesday at the Lincoln, Trenton; added $7,200 in two more per- formances Wednesday - Thursday (10-11) at the Majestic, Perth Am- boy, and finaled with $9,900 for two evenings and a matinee Fri- day-Saturday (12-13) at the Court Square here. Rodgers - Hammerstein musical is playing the Royal Alexandra, Toronto, all this week. Hub Strawhatters Fold; ‘Time’ $9,000, ‘Song’ $8,500 Boston, Sept. 16. Conv. Hypo Chi; ‘Dolls’ 37G, ‘Stalag’ $23,400 Chicago, Sept. 16. With 30,000 engineers here for a national convention and about 15,- 000 various delegates atpther con- fabs, legit boxoffice took an up- ward swing. Although still on its second subscription week, “Stalag 17” jumped up. “Guys and Dolls” also took on a better hue. “Dolls” is dropping Wednesday matinees Oct. 5 and adding Sunday perform- ances. While the midweek matinees were big during the summer, they have slackened off the last few weeks. “I Am Camera” had a healthy advance for its opening yesterday (15) at the Harris. “Fourposter” also looks good, with mail orders coming in already, although it’s boxed in by the other openings. “Poster” starts a 10-week run at the Blackstone Sept. 22. Estimates for Last Week “Stalag 17,” Erlanger (2d week) j ($4.40; 1.334). Farce is hitting hard Hub’s strawhaters folded last; with $23,40() take. week, with Boston Summer Thea- “Guys and Dolls,” Shubert (30th tre winding its 13th season* with week) ($6; 2,100). Back in the profit the Denise Darcel starrer, “The [ledger with $37,000. Happy Time,” which grabbed a fair Rev. Vincent J. Brosqan has ! been appointed chaplain of the ' 4. U « A — J A i $9,000. “Desert Song,” which rang down ^ ^ . the curtain on the first season of i Catholic Actors Guild of America. the County Playhouse, the Lee Falk-Al Capp ozoner in Framing- ham* wound with a 50*so $8,500. Rev. Francis M. Costello, who had been acting-chaplain, will continue as the Guild’s treasurer. 4- Business spurted again last week on Broadway, The improvement was general, all shows profiting a bit and the overall total registering a healthy boost. Attendance picked up Monday night (8) and held the pace all week. Indications are that conditions will continue, healthy this week and, with minor excep- tions, through" the fall period. The total gross for all 13 shows last week was $382,300, or 82% of capacity. Week before last the total for all 11 current offerings was $342,000, or 80ro of capacity, compared with the previous week’s $321,500, or 83% for 10 shows. A year ago last week the total for all 14 shows was $440,900, or 87% of capacity, a rise of 5% over the week before. With “King and I” playing only seven performances (the Tuesday * night show was cancelled in defer- ence to the memory of Gertrude Lawrence, whose funeral was that day), “Wish You Were Here” be- came the top grosser last week, hit- ting a new high for the run, “Seagulls Over Sorrento,” last week’s sole opening, drew a gen- erally poor press and slim business. Helen Hayes, resuming “Mrs. Mc- Thing,” started at a lively b.o. clip, while “Top Banana” another re- cent returnee, made a substantial jump over the preceding week. This week’s only opening is “Mr. Pickwick.” Estimates for Last Week Keys: C (Comedy), D (Drama), CD (Comedy-Drama), R (Revue), MC (Musical Comedy), MD (Musi- cal Drama), O (Operetta). Other parenthetic designations refer, respectively, to top prices; number of seats, capacity gross and stars. Price includes 20% amuse- ment tax, but grosses are net: i.e., exclusive of tax. “Fourposter,” Barrymore (471h wk) (C-$4.80; 1,060; $24,996) (Betty Field, Burgess Meredith). Over $15,600 (previous week, $15,000). “Guys and Dolls,” 46th St. (95th wk) (MC-$6.60; 1,319; $43,904). As usual $44,400. “King and I,” St. James (77th wk) (MC-$7.20; 1,571; $51,717). With the Tuesday night (9) .show- ing cancelled in memory of Ger- trude Lawrence, the gross was nearly $44,500, or about capacity, for seven performances (previous week, $51,300). “Male Animal,” Music Box (20th wk) (C-$4.80; 1,012; $25,903) (Elliott Nugent, Martha Scott, Rob- ert Preston). Same as previous week, nearly $18,800. “Moon Is Blue,” Miller (80th wk) (C-$4.80; 920; $21,586) (Donald Cook, Barry Nelson, Janet Riley). Nearly $11,300 (previous week, $10,500. “Mrs. McThing,” Morosco (23d wk) (C-$4.80; 912; $26,800) (Helen Hayes). First week of the resumed run almost ‘$21,300. “New Faces,” Royale (18th wk) (R-$6; 1,035; $30,600). N-arly $29,- 600 (previous week, $26,600). “Pal Joey,” Broadhurst (37th wk) (MC-$6.60; 1,160; $39,602) (Vivi- enne Segal, Harold Lang). Over $39,000 (previous week, $37,800). “Point of No Return,” Alvin ’(35th wk) (D-$4.80-$6;^ 1,331; $37,- 924) (Henry Fonda). Almost $23,- 500 (previous week, $20,900). “Seagulls Over Sorrento,” Golden (1st wk) (C-$4.80; 776; $19,195). Opened Thursday night to three mildly favorable notices (Coleman, Mirror; Hawkins, World-Telegram & Sun; Pollock, Compass) and five pans (Atkinson, Times; Chapman, News; Kerr, Herald Tribune; Mc- Clain, Journal-American; Watts, Post); first four performances grossed around $4,500. “South Pacific,” Majestic (17ath wk) (MC-$6; 1,659; $50,186) (Mar- tha Wright, George Britton). Near- ly $44,500 (previous week, $42,100). “Top Banana,” Winter Garden (42d wk) (MG-$6.60-$7.20; 1,519; $51,881) (Phil Silvers). Approached $34,400 (previous week. $27,100). “Wish You Were Here,” Im- perial (12th wk) (MC-$7.20; 1,400; $51,881). Reached another new high for the run and topped the town at almost $51,300 (previous week, $47,900). OPENING THIS WEEK “Mr. Pickwick,” Plymouth (CD- $4.80; 1.063; $29,019). Playwrights Co. production of play by Stanley Young, based on the Dickens novel; opens tonight (Wed.); production financed for $80,000, cost about $45,000-$50,000 (excluding $10,000 in bonds and about $10,000 loss on the London tryout) and can break even at a gross in the neighborhood of $16,500.