Variety (July 1953)

A'TtS*****'*" H«.. 122 LEGITIM ATK , l>u<y Twli'o . Slay ’ :■/■',/ Westport, Conn , <Tuly .27. West iicVri1 Country ■ Playhoii.ve pvohcntati»*n oi (’omtMJy In three acts by Lawrence I. Stars Maine Stritch. ■ Seritt Mr K ty; features Clarence Derwent, Alice Buchanan, Butterfly , McQueen, C.atbarine Dbucet. Htaijer by Clliafl.es Bowden, S(;tr.ih«. ami li,fbiin'4' by . Marvin Reiss. ; At -.'West port (Conn.) Country Playhouse. July 27* : * Krnostiiie I himphrey.s B u tt a r fly M cQ uec n Carol T'ra/er . . Elaine. Stritch •John K, Tower V. . . . ... Scott .McKay Poll .('halmm-s John Shay A Join'd -line Ta holt Clarence Derwent Cat rieiii Tower ; Elizabeth EustiS, Sinn Maiusb Stephen Cheir; Aiin. Cr.ih'iin Talbott • ;■ Catharine Do'uect jHefrnione O'Malley • Alice Brichanen 4 • Otto Iluldi . Martin Greene"' Dudlev Viilpoiit O’Malfev • A lit oil Von (lode Schulz Liu re nee 1, itn^ncr fins divided tin* 'hist 4t) ye.'irs between his law p met i (T a n d h i s tti eat re ope r.a l i o ns. iTheatre Guild, and such wi’itijV's as /“Trin'qwihe."!” Henry .Behave,” “The Sc lioo t for 1 1 usbands”. a nd ‘'The Pur.unt.. pi Happiness”), but this, is tin*, first! I line he lias coni1.) i i ic ri c his. . eamma'wl i ng i nt.e rests, i’bi’ “C)nt e Married. Twice. Shy” is a p lay . alio u i. a I awyer’s pri v a t e ! i. le i n which ' .Lamm e r In ps ; h i s . e x per!e.nce. as. a barrisler and as a showman. He is in a (.arefree. m(>od in hot h roVs. ■ ; . ' The author is d ti bipliS; about t he rewards of a conventional marriage . av lu* unite Carol . Frazer, a sue-' ei'ssful writer of .romantic; fiction, ami. John Tower, a young lawyer appioot iced ■ io dm* of those fourname loga l lirnis that can. always can lie (‘bunted on tor ope gulfaw in 1 lie t heat re . They h a vc been '.singularly happy, living put o I wedlock,. but. marriage seems to inake. them . i 1 1 -at-ease, raspin j?, humdrum and sometimes, comic, They cannot even give a dinner party for the. o| her lawyers and .tlveir wives wii.libu I . t I'Ve r oa st s lip.p ini; o ri to t h e flo o r and the; salt thickening the sou)).; ..'■The. despairing wife finally slips-, oil to Reno with, little protest from, her. mate a nil when site returns there; is every reason to he.iieve that they, will go hack to their form or bli ss, a nd t luvy . do. !!■ , Only, for I lie. sake, of a eurt.aip twist ,-. she. reveals that she. did not go tlnpugh with I lie divorce after all. Charles Bowden . lias produced this s(Tin()ii: vvitli iiidh spirit, and succeeds in getting a summer play’s -.quota bl laughs, Me. has, to be sure, the cooperiitioii of. an experienced com parry i n “Once Married, Twice iShv. V ; Klaine Stritcli and Scott McKay fi II the v.pri nci pal roles without en'ort, bid it is tlie seasoned people in the company who. give Mangner’s (day. its . most fun.; Catharine Calhoun. I)ouC(d. for instance, lias only to gasp tlie indign.it.ies that : ca n lie fa 1 1, ti i e neglect ed wife of a : so ri ii> r partner to enkindle the ■acting competition. Bui I ci-lly . McQueen, wlio ha& brought . joy to the theatre before, Is an endearing housemaid in a Voice that ; only be described as a s>(uea'k, ■ And Clarence Derwent, giving foii h a whole senieslor in elocution as, ' the senior lawyer, never tin* less looks and moves as if lie. w ere being presented by Gilbert’ Miller. Alice Buchanan hasn’t n.i lie h to tit) as. the forebearirig.wife of another, lawyer, but she does it well; And t lie vet ef a n Otto Hiilett is excellent as her husband. The setting by Marvin lleiss. is fine, exceiit for a rather untidy diiiitig room table, that restores thal iltmi of furniture to the spotlight it enjoyed, with more alTecfion it. is t rue; in. Frank ..Craven’s “The Fit si Yettr,” a long time ago. •; • •• Dou\. . An Aneievit IiinI im-i Wakefield! R. T.! July 27. !' DiMii.Ud VVolin Wt lUirobl Sebilf uroduc’. tliiir ot (tr.uu.i ; ui tluvo ' at'ls.. I)y. SiiimuncV Milln-. Si a i s . NViia I’oit'b. GloiHta I'a rtT'U,: : E Iuu)m Uy;in: loatiiyos Ui'.-iimvtvll f'U'l ('iH'r,(iVnv 1,\ ons.t)n‘0('tiMi b\ L)a\uf Aio\aTuli>r: '.sFi'Maiy, .Tiriviri v Jti-own-.Tiiiht.inii. J. (7. AmJ.s . At; • Tin* •» l rt». bj. tlu* Sya,' . Maltmui'k. cryptic tongue-lashing for wliich he .gets Ids face slapped by tlie voung wife. The volcanic erupt ion is too abrupt to be plausible; and much of the confusion in tlie viewer’s' nrnd is created by the weak-, ness of th e . motlier-ih-law role in the first act. ; The second .act .has .some ■•'highly com in end;) hi e c.o me dy as t h e I wo ■brothers drink a few. rounds with •and are regaled by the Casariovalch philosophy of life ' of Braimvell F'eteher; an aging' roue. Mis odyssey of the pursuit of the • female .Of . the' specie and tlie idib'•vnerasies of .tlie. specie as she led the nierrv . chase, at ’ ari ever i'nc re • t s in g aye rage . c ost per eo n cj tie s t. . is‘ a w^lebme relief from; the eniotioo'iilv (lVerly-dramatic seenhs. ,r)irou;rh it all -the voting w:ife .fin'S -..'herself attracted to -her Mus•'tvm'd’s; . brother; and finally ! f'dlsfor' li i>. S(i'*' is spii rned as; he'. gi ves l-ie f. '--a' .■.Dsv.e-I-Voahai.vsks which, traces! h'er... ifrifti(lil.v io '.'■'the..-’.'by.ej,ly'-'so1i(K ■i t ioi is j m )v* r i neing g iv e n h (* r . I).v her ■mother. This is. ■ 'followed..! by. a meb oft■r.'uii'v i » e .mother and d a'ug liter jn which. I he daugliter unbtv'^s the moth(,r and ' decides to letye until sji-e can. think .things onl . : Billed as a th foe-act drama, it ins its. fin()m(‘nls. of. corned v. and t ne’ ()d rail i a . bill . t li e 1 ine of dein r(:*il ion .is too sharp and leaves the ..viewer: in a -si' ace of ; cOh fusion as to the a u th or’s ~ i n t(‘h ti on . ", Miss Focli, /is i he confused wife;:. Miss Fai’relj, as the mbther-ifi-law: 'R'ya b, : as t ji e patient h us. band and Bybris. as .tire supposedly un.t.Vre-" dictahle brotlierdn-law, reflect . their lip es . . c ohi m en d a b I y . . Betsy it'ilmer. as Fva Morland, a .sexy ha!)|);v-go:-rucky fe.ni me. fi I Is t lie part, admirably. Fletcher is a gay and refreshing roue. . ; ; Ktfaf-o.'. least a third of the “Comedy” lines into straights, and playing a few of the scenes with . something less than a full cast on stage. When all the required changes are made, Who ley may find he has only half a play left, but the lad has apparent talent and he. could come up with tbe other 50 1 b .that spells success. . Iiank. Tin* ..An'fgry : Aimvs • v. Pittsburgh, . July !2;1 . White' /Barri . Theatre production . of (trc.ma in three acts' by Harry Itidglev. Directed by Hale McKceh. Seltintj by Carl, Low., At. White TJarn TheatrOi Irwin, Pa., July .20, *53'; $2.50 top. Mr. Jenkins A. . . . E;l ward Mark Carnet Granville ■'. , . . Robert I.yn.n Prlneess . .' Helen Mayoh Rosemary ....... . . . , 'Jris-Jtatner • Jay .i.inke ; . • . ... ; .... Carl I.ow . L.ester Tit tori . .. , . . . .. ; . R uss Den r born . .. PittsburgIVs -No. .1. Slrawhat . is trying put a new drama by Hurry Kidglcy which Blaine Perry has AMim* Tjixis Sea Cliff, Lj... July 27. TI)onv >s (J. Ra tell fi e Sc Trulls (VUii-mil l'n) orodiu'tinn of . Comedy; in three nets ..by Gor*d ini AV holey. Slnrs.. .Riehnrd Npy./QliVu lUa keoey : fea 1 1! re.^ Oil v«( Terri jrlet n r't .. Al i 1 1 i ■ cent ' Rnnver, Wells Rlehanlson. Genr'i.eMilchel.l, . D’u ecieB l>v. Ei;nes'llhe' Te'rrie.:' ■•ccroM'v. HindaCin'dish. At Sea (MiTf (l..|.) Sninmer .-.-.Th'-i I ri*. .Inly 27.. ’5.'l; $:r.CO. top.' rc/lwinn De. Wvsler. Olrve TemnlrOon A dm: -Mex. De. W>'ster Torn'' Rartcli lie . COIe. stlne ' ; .. . . Paulihe Afvers C-iiaw iy . . V JolVn Mairiolt lv-loren.ee'.. Ciirlisworlh . . . Olive Tllidcenov Civnjcis CinMisworih. . . . , . ■; : Riehard, Nev■ f;ei>r>.V‘ Curti.swort.lv . . . . . 'Georfje -Mitchell Tish (.'rn'riHVi' .\ ! W'iJI v; ktaeoir . . .Me.'fsch'rer . y.deritm (’,rescp (IreMoi v Klo resell Moil ; • ■ . Mover .; •. . . Mr, S.mivi)soiV . MiUipenl Rrower yioee'nt Gardenia C.eoree .M.eTver . , . I$l:i(ee Ada hi s . .. . W i 1 1 i am r'ender . . (’aj . l.oi'iiH’ond ■(•‘harh's l.or.i u-oivo Gordon' I). (.'J'a'i'ke" liaAi It I . Jtilv 37. ‘.yt. . I VI be I .(■|i.vinin,il'rii R ilplr (Ji en\ ille . -■Ei ,i Moil am I ;. Ami "(i i"i"i villi; Jc.vV (ii-»*iH.iri.e ,i Olivc.i; A'.ivr> . : (Uenda .'I’a'r.r.ell. .' Eilriioh Ryan . hel h> .Palmer . v _ Nriia poi'li . (ieiie J.vo.ns 11 i .i in w e IT ' l-'l o f c li r i • ;..TIu»..« road * -. from -. Matiuuick ." to . .R roadway is a long one . and “Ail • Antic nt I n si i. net' r \vill ■ Jind.it parr' v /icularly so itv ijs jii'i.'.scn't form. . : • ’lllic / lluMiio. revolver about . the , tori tired emotions "aroused in a -ibung bride' il^in/i FoeliJ,. who finds she. has a frigidity, psychosis, which : is. prevent ing her from thoroughly . ; enjoying her role as a wife. IfeV • doctor . husband . iFdmon Rvaiil realizes his wile's dilemma hut plays a waiting game. The third member of the family, the. young housewife’s .mother (Glenda* Farrell >, is pictured as a fairly lovable inother-in-lavv. With tlie entrance of the doctor's brother (Gene Lyons), a state of confusion arises, both on stage ={tii(Fiii=t|ie-aiidienee^wiietHie^suddenly takes a violent dislike to the mother-in-law and gives her , a Mover from . Mork'niberiter’s Jiimd hleke Ills As d si. »ii Is . .. , . . . t'hai'leS Si-hijl)n,. Ji;,. . .lay Jnslvn. Jr. Abner Moi Jim b(.MT(*Jv . . .AVells ltlchiirdson MMI.-Rnv , . . . . . Joe. Gnvri P. loresridfr Assisianls ..... .Tony Ciimuo, ; ekui Mry';v "■ .’’After Taxes,” tonii(»j;lv t it led •‘(’hint/. • aiui TJi ip pend ale.” which ■bad its.world Diemier tonight .(27) at. the Sea X’l iff Summer The at re. sti f I'ers from t he ! sa me . com pi a i n I as the Federal curse front which, .it derives MS n a hie— Hi ore's just I oo niuclv. of it . Playw'.riglil Gordon Who ley in this, his first entry* on the professional stage, has. done in ore tli an. w r i t e a . fa ice c o in o rl r he has overwritten it! / Heavy Work with bluepenrir and shears is ca 1 led fin* be fore .the produet ion ea:i even hope for a Broadway. stand. Chief fault is that W holey, rather . than play for one. or two socko laughs per scene bu rdens his d ialog .w it h scores o f incidental, and not too funny, quips that, do nothing b|tf confuse the .audienees. Kesult is he gels nothing, but an. occasional till Fr froin seVi*ral. potenlia lly -cood e Dined sequences'. d .Hi c 1 1 a r li Nr e>’ and 01 i y e Bl a k on ev share lop. billing in the st bry aboiU a I'ativi ly of rich New. ; York sooi •* 1il.es living off .money. 1(*ft t hen\’ by -a--;gre.a-t--g-rea;t-gi;-a-t-ul'f;ij her: 'I'he’ aTieesi.or’s will" provided, a vea tvl v ' rneome of . $4p,0()() .‘'after 'taxes”. f,'fr ..a tier.iod' of l.K) years, -Ai .Opening Pfddain Ntvy.; the venous -minded soil of. t he . fa nil iy ! and. li is '. f inancee' Invye 'just'' discovered! t hat. the :1 50>;ear .period'.' o'f:' 'PVfVv.i’cle'nCe-: .ehfpsed;.t.li imt' ..years '. earlier., and -. that -j lie ..fain i ly -has been v]iyihg expansivo;l.v. oti uiibackivcl ^ credit ^ ^ Oyer , since 7 1:he: res.l' of thc :; play .. concerns Ncy’s •.difficulties In!; "getting..', the 'family lt>: recognize . tlieir . iinpoverislied eondition and their ' inability to discontihue, their spendthrift habits.. . . Ney ))erforms well, i n a part that has little cl i s t i irc*.t i o n . but it is Miss Bliikeney : as. his;;' charming dnd frivolous mother who deservedly draws the big. band at. curtain cailk. She’d probably, do even better if the. two sgen'e.s in Which she, poses for cigaret cndorsenient s were rewritten ; To eliminate i nci denial dialog by other members of the family. ^GtlTerHTnpTO re during 1 1 1 e ■ a m ount-. of exp os i t i o n in the opening scene, converting at. White Barn, vviio’s a'sd slated to handle: the rejhs when and if! Miss Pcirr.y and McKeen \vere. ,, together last season on William Stucky’a ■’Touchstone,” too; ■ Unless “.The Angry Apes” is not! only .. rewritten, but a iso ' virtuallyreebnstrueted in its entirety, the TUdgley work! isn-L = likely to last any;' longer . than . ’’Touchstone.” which expired in five perfoi-manees. There-.s an idea here, but very little play, ;ind what has been set; down is pretty ; dra b and . in e ffectua l , Story df an nld. washed-up. magician who lives with his adoring mistress in the past, talks on end) essl .Van d n e-v e r go es any w h ere. ‘ . .The. Great! Granville of “The Angry. : Apes” is a sleight-of-hand Wizard of another gene.r/itioif who .clings, to the illusion that one day lie will coine back • There should be some sympathy for this pathetic bran with a dream, but there is hone. He’s a; frustrated,: arrogant, nasty figure witii a monumental ego, and without a single ..'redeem-; i ng ' fea t u re ; Nobody ;.-'0 ares : what, happens to Granville because, lie isn’t iworlh caring about. ;'!-> .'A levitation secret is bis only asset, and the wily manager of an U p-a nd-com ing niagico tries to pry Granville loose from it, at ''the same .time making a play for the oldster’s mistress;' Who will ;do '..almost; -.anything. to get her idol a job,, even a teove'e benefit; In the end, the dame’s illusion is finally shattered by Granville^ hatred and suspicion ^r-she’s ; reinained as. . pure as. the d riven sn ow.du m ig.all t h e finagl in g —and she walks otit on the crushed . shii tiered has-been! a . rel ic at loiig last face to face with himself. . ! Script, is mostly static, and after a dull first act it’s . reasonable to expect something wil l . happen in tlie next two. Bid the author has nothing lip his sleeve, and the little pieces of., drama never eonio togo tli e r. Fac t. is th at t here, j ust isn't any straight point here to go forward from. A ding for a suhi me i*. s lock presentation with one week of prep= a ration isn’t had although Helen May on, a gifted, able character -woman of the resident: company, is. badly miscast as the aging magicinn’s assistant and throws the theme out of balance. Bobert Lynn, as Granville, authenlicates the shabby qualities of the has-been; hot it’s, a tOIc so iiatently spurious t hat' nothing , much comes of the perfoi'inance. Carl Low is excellent as the shrewd agent with, a roving eye; Russ' Dearborn makes the s ingest ruck shoe salesman . pretty valid, and Edward 'Mack, as a garrulous G rcenw I ch Vi I la go I an d 1 or d. and Iris Balner! as his precocious granddaughter, are satisfactory in minor roles.. ' ‘ ” ; On the basis of what materialized in the White Barn, production. ”Tlu\ Angry' Apes” seems to be a V> I ay of. s m a 11 c on seqtte nee an d \'e ry lilt Ic Chance! '■ Gnlicn.--'-■ i n^en«‘inlM‘r I Spring.'Lak(', N.J.; ,lulv 2'2. • 1 Rra Jolni r„owvr.s i>i'(*s(MVt;>Tion of voin ,'t:.l\ -(ii tnvn in throe ftets by Elaiiu' i’.u-. | i inatoiv,, Kpii.timv; "GheslM'" Striitton, Gi-ice ; Cowers, Rill, (iriffis; IVit ectecl by (’luuJoti . '.K night. ; At Ivy 1’o'we r PlaVlimi .se . ‘ S i> r i n t> ■ E-ike.,. IS, Jit July --20. ' '53.. ■ . • • .-Jen Miller , h:)Ul Roebliiitt i Mtir.lha 'MiJlCr. ; . .. (inice -Powers Ron'. Ml) lor: . SielMoNnir v.'.v Mi-S Puffy . . ; ’Pel v» iMtet')} .... . . . . , Henry. Winters . . ; Jiick Rennet ' Rob Graves . , ... .:. Diek. Stevens .-. . .Col.. Jirmny (iaylot'd , :Gnv; Theofloi'e Blake Major Tlvovpo . I’hotosraphei' . ; , . . Report.or , ... . . . V . V. Rill . G rif f i v , ,V . . . C’arol Lee . . (.'harloit Khikhl . . F,s IT re i; :' Ja ne('o rye 1 1 R Lehard ; M idfile v . .. . • Anton LSncli . . Robert M.: Trover . . Riehard Ashe . . . ('hestei' Stratton . . . . , .'. . Mark-Eliot ; .'. , ;Bohert.Wylie . . . ... . : Anton I.'ynch , Tony Spalding =■ interest of the average theatregoer. Billed as a “pre-Broadway showing,” the piece is a rambling affair based principally on how the homecoming of a Korean War jet air ace afFects a family in a small ( Indiana town. It ‘develops in the. second act that the mother’s ; “skelelon-ih-the-closet” is the fact | that she became pregnant through , a highsebooi romance with the flier some 18 years ago, Mate ri y 1 is great, stu if fora /housewife to absorb vicariously ; oyer a panful of soiled breakfast ■’ dishes, but hardly sturdy enough, fare, to held Broadway theatre patrons. Development of the yarn is. : very stock: and trite; ; In : light of ..what , ' it has to work with,, the cast favorably .a'■,quits " itself. . Chester! Stratton is suitably:, suave as. the ...jet vaeP* ■ Cira (*!('! Powi'is portrays the mbther in an appeal irtg, understanding'! iiianiier. Bill Griffis handles .the : role of hu hby Ben with.: a. Milauej loastish restraint. Paul : Roebiing f is inclined to overact as the teen; ;tg(* son. ! Caro I Lee, as the son's , girl friend, shows promise. Sup^ . portirig players are adequate, as is C’harloit Kniglit’s . direction. ' >'■: ' : ■ Glib: : .1. • ■ ___J_ j Tlie Indoor Sgiori j Slurbridgo, Mass.; July 25. . j MtU'i-.v.-Go Rpund Theatre production of . comedy-'iii three, acts (four scenes) b.v Jack j R; Perry; Directed by Howar4 R. 'Orths. At Merry Go Round . Theatre. StUi'bmljSe,. j'Ma.ss;, July 21. $ 1 .GO top. ShefTji M.ulison . . ; . . .. ... .;. . Doris Payne I MaKctie Ciosky .. . . . . . v C’athy Martin j Ellen • IF. |rrfU';e . . Elaine Bi)ilis Ornvs I tiarv; Madison. ., . .-.. ... ..; •; . . ,, Jack 'Perry ! (’,hi;p Ree«e.n .‘;_C* : Jim Asp : j Jefferson CP'nnally-, -.Sd-..-';. John Stone ; Musicians . . : : , . , Allen. Good, Marmot .1 . Hartman; MiHIcent Lott •From.. Stuibridge, Mass., To/ / Broadway is ;an approximate five-’.' ^Iiour jaunt by motor Car. “The. Indoor Sport.” breaking i n here, will; probably find it a longer journey via the! play production foute. /. . However, discounting the trad ij. tional tolerance and local ehlhiisras'm ' u Till Avhicli the' average., back[ woods audience . accepts tryouts,. I there must! be Something basicaily / meritorious about a play. that; holds tile .interest of a cross/sectipn of playgoei s over a : tvvo-hour span; In the case of “Sport!” that something is a combination of good; diaj log and good . production, . 1 In its embryonic state and pre: sen l ed;: .wit bin . the restrictions of an abbreviated arenaVstyle playing area, this •■(k).medy.'/'by./-:'dack B; Perry offers tire nucleus of good i laugh diversion. .With a name cast j and proscenium ' production, plus I skilled doctoring, there’s. no telling how far it migliL gOr“' : : Script is now limited .fj’om the r story ; : jiiie. its theme being the fa in iliar orie about the feat ure writer who bops around the globe at a moment’s notice in search of a yarn. . leaving his bride to twiddle li e r tli'ii mbs unt il h e shows up again.' I i!i this case, the bride takes i up wit h a muscular pro football ! player who attempts to arrange a divorce, in the , “adult, ; sensible” \,ay: Obvious outcome is a bustup of the latter romance arid a return to marital bliss for the original couple. Play is now a mixture Of straight comedy and broad farce. Its best’ outlook is iii; latter category, inasmuch as its. more pungent lines* situations and characterizations lie in that category. .Cooperative troupe, wit h William Martin as manager, offers a uniformly good' cast. Doris Payne ' lends blonde attractiveness to the I Wile role: Perry . doubles eompe" tently as the Fourth Eslaier; ; Cat h>r -Martin’s version of. a busyi bo d y maid i s a m u s i n g ; E 1 a in c .. B u Ilis prins and .Jim Asp are good i as an individually disappointed/ih: love, hero w ho winds up. rOmanci (ng. and John Stone docs well by V I he pigskin hero who leaves wiiat •••-. h 1 ‘) j h ? I1 e h a s o ri the : g ri.di r oh wh e-hf Howard Orms has overcome the 1 '/iii itat ions p.f.. arena . staging' witii l a fluid .job/ that .pi’cschts the opus' •to .■ gooeb. ad vantage. If re visions f a i 1 to land ■ ‘ Sport’' o ri 'Broad \\ ay . it ■ can always -count on stock— rrancl ' perhaps a JUi.n -.progranimer/ / .j :' •!! • . ! : 'Boric.; ' i i. T„..T ■ Westwood; Cal;, July 22! '! Zb0*'* : nf . 1 Reatre A tt ^production I \ rn. three Hots (four, fft'enejs) bv J-jimes Allai'diee. Dirtetcd 'bv Edward hV John' H. Jones. At j o"' bnV ,A’ Wt'5.t.Wopd.. Cal,. July | $2.40 ton. I 4 ' i . % I. . 4 .. 1-1 ' ' r * • . Ved lies Jay, July 29, I953 to highlight its summer workshtin season, but. if the initial offer is any criterion the trio vvilT do little more than provide pleas h 1 divertissement for regular a subscribers, • • * A . Initialler is “Repeat After Mr ’ written by James Allardice penned .-At War -Witii the Am , ' ! It s a mild comedy about a voii'r > couple who discover, oh their fpiii wedding anniversary, ... that > the/r' marTiage^isn’t legal; sihee thri Ju;!: tme of the Peace Was uniicehsect when he performed the cereinonv' Avrecentj2°th-FQx film; “Web-e Not Mamed,” has milked the field ' as far as. celluloid versions ' ai w . concerned and a similarly-then.eri play, J, B. Priestley’s. “When . W e Are : Married,” had a run of cm;v ' about 20 weeks : bn Broadway during the 1.939-40 season. ;Ahd ‘‘M/ii-riedn' was /a bettor play;, Allard ity : who ; vyrato -this a few years -..a.1 0 • • ^ besis Vi, |iil(? a.. Yale s;tudi*n t a job as head of a new marriagecounseling institute. !. • Crewe ut; cast is adequate to the demands of the script but .it deserves an extra plaudit for looking: passably, credible in the vastness of t he . Ro.\ ce Hail stage, \vhich i^ better ..fitted to .a production of Ben-Hur than to mild. .. comedies of this sort; Direction by '.EdWard Hearn is okay. ;'•;•• kHd ;■ ' .Cbonamessett, Mass., July 27. . This new comedy by Nathaniel.' Bench ley, .Which he has adapted ’ from a series of stories he wroteoriginally .for the New Worker/ , keeps .the audience, here at Falmouth Playhouse in .a state, of chuckles and laughter at least for the first two/ acts. '■•..•••• . Play shows that Bench.lev has. inherited some of his late lather’s flair for the absurd and talent, lor gentle spoofing of human foibles. Not too /strong on plot, “The. Frogs Of Spring” concerns the fortunes bf two married Couples;! the Allens . and the Bpldens, adjoining brown stone hbiises . in . New York and ■ share a rear. garden: ! • It is the garden that is.The scene ' Of the comedy's activity. In it: after their day’s .work/' James Alien, a , sociology, . professor, and . Charles. Belcten, ah advertising, junior, executive, relax and concoct ■wild, hair-raising projects. These involve such props as a .tank of helium (inhaling the stu fiV docs wondrous things to the . human voice); a house', on stills for the. kids,, and -finally, the. purchase of an Arniy surplus water storage tank which the two schemers set up in the garden as' a swimming p o o 1 . Tli i s 1 a 1 1 e r in o n s t r o s i t y c a u s e s . a. minor cataslorplve and lead the men’s wives;, both of whom are fed in),, anyway, by their husbands1 projects, to open rebellion.. ; First two acts, even though episodic ini nature; are distinguished bv some good dialog and plenty of; m i rt Ivpro vok i n g sil.ua t ions , Allen and Belden are really a couple of Huck Finns who. despite the fact they don’t have the wide Mississippi as a selling for their .schemes,;. still manage to provide plenty, of confusion on their own little pint, of ground. In addition/ Bench Icy satirizes skil lful ly the/ small .boy latent in most grown men. Several of . the episodes are, really f irst rate ebiiiedy. A secondact, .sequence, in which Allen. Belden. and a character called Tile Man in the Window; all becoming increasingly mellowed by. shots of Bourbon, discuss such earth-shaking problems as suits, without, vesls; women, Grant’s Tomb,; and incli(Contnived. oti page 126) Payton Illness Mars ReeordTostman’ I Elaine G/uT’ington, who's written 5ucii radio soap serials as “When a Girl. .Marries”, and ‘‘Rpsenvary.’’ unfortunately retains ifer same basic; scripting style in “Rcmem; ber Me?” For her: new play. Which: 1:2 l^b Vd a . six-day tryout at : this : ZsTidte resort's ivy Towner Playhouse . Monday (20), fails to; generate enough drain a Lie '/impact to hold Gin Hutvlllns V. ..R'ose . : . ... . ... ; . : David ITutc.liUi.s . , JimmyMitchelL ., . Martha Baxter . I)r. (ieor«e Cirijet't' (l«M’t,i ucTc* 'Gilbert . . Douglas Morrison Donald L. Price : . . Rev, Charles Baxter lSdwarrl Qui.nco ; , . , • , , • . . , . , Gail .Kobe. Harriet Curtis . . Riehard Castello . Dick Alirrtan , < , . Mary Jane Moffat < • • Preston Held . : ;F. Mary McAU.liffe . ., Jack Nelson . v. . . . A, J. Carothers . . . .v Bruce Meeartea ....... Marvin Rosen Alure Tavlor Jennifer A. Hicks 2!;. s®?.n>r • -/'•••:• • • • • • ! • Mi'ng-Chb Lee' .LHie Adams . . . . ... . . . Katherine Pierce T lire e 'v\o rid preniieres”~in^as many weeks have been scheduled by the UCLA Theatre Arts Dept. • . : ! Chicago, July; 82r/ Barbava Payton collapsed in t ^ 2 consecutive performahees of “Post: hi a ii 'Always \ Rihgs. Twice” . la>t vveek at tiie VDhiry !Lane !sti;a'w;hal*. tetv '.{ind' ^ fees 'lin'd la be. returned '.lb. the-' 1 ctV s to m ers . on .' bbt li occ.a s i on;s; Ailment is! said/ to be :a nervous condition ! in her leg.:.. Which is riot . Serious. She returned to ;the':b.pard.SFriday; night .(24) after: trcalinent in an Eva ijst on hospital/ < ./. . .;■■/. The. Paytpii-Torri Neat production has bebn the biggest . grosser .to. date at Drury Lane and would have topped .$10,000; if the two. midweek performances hadn’t beeji can: 'celled. Show, still has another Week to run, and advance sales are; said to be lieavy;; . Michael Jflhodes; Brooklyn -bom baritone, formerly with N. Y. CityOpera Co., at the Basle • Sl^di* Theatre, -ini Switzerland— Sept. >_ singing the title role iii “Boris: Go donov,” with Hans. Muench conducting/