Variety (October 1953)

90 IJWITIMATE Wednesday, October 14, 1933 Plays Out of Town ous, insecure and entirely too ani- ■ mated in the part to suggest the j detached and cerebral qualities as- soc-iated with the masted detective. ) kll , lp | nM in a one-nightor at the Granada Where Holmes was inevitably i a rni filmhouse and despite the theatres abstracted and engrossed. Rath- New Haven, uci. «■ outsize for a legiter. it came off bone is emotional and extraverted; In‘»5« W 4r'iiJFbv m sa°inuVi r»> • as though it had a season on ! where Holmes was cool and icy. ini' si<iis \iari5ar**t Suiiav.«n. Joseph . Broadway under its belt. Bestseller ; Rathbone is hot and hasty His 5 S d ;V!, l r. t ‘ n iiu N X*u t V.oiVm7. ! I f enn a n _ Wouk has woven’a" coin- ! stage deportment, as well as his S ou Mc'kav, Robert Puke Directed r»v II ( P«tt*>i. seiimK and lishtinK. Don- al>| 0 <misI.iK«m . i " tmne xiinerv ixion. Mi 'iw* S'rix -k A* S'lubeit. New Haven. I let H ‘33. $4 HO top .lull.i Ward MiKnllock Maude l.»rrabee M iri’ai «•' I .intis l.armbee, Jr II tv id I .an.dice iiretihen I.inns l.'iratiee S bi in.* I'alri hild F trcHj'd Y'liini' Woman Yotirt*' \T ui Another N'ouii" Woman Anotlic v <>iiii" Man I’iiul l>' \i renson I.uella Gear ( athteen Nesbitt Katharine lliht . . . Joseph Gotten Scott Mi K iv lluth Woods John Cromwell Margaret Sid la'an Russell Collin* Harriette Selby Gordon .Mills l.oraine (trover .V* hael S'ee'e Robert Duke CiiomcnUiig in terms of initials before "Sabrina Kail" can hope tu ap'iroximoi#* SRO it’s going to reqi'i'a 4 an M l). Depending on road tryout ((‘visions, this one can become either a moderately amus- ing plav or a distinct theatrics 1 dtsaooo ntment. It doesn't seem to have the makings of a solid click If re'ease of »»ie now-in-orodur- tion film version is contingent noon the length of tlr* play's run. it ma' not have long to wait. Per- haps the wider latitude of a screen- play can infuse something substan- tial into this story, hut as vet the stage interpretation has failed to do so. Played in two acts of two scenes each, first half is an inelTectual gabfest that establishes its charac- ters as a highly polished segment of Nojrth Shore Long Island so- ciety, but d'-os !ittl“ toward stirr- ing up audience interest. Plav’s final scene is rewardingty amusing polling stage piece, played flaw-, speech, is too racy to provide a lessly by a superb cast headed by convincing glimpse of Holmes at Henry Fonda. John Hodiak and ; work. Even when he sneaks be- Lloyd Nolan. It’s directed smooth'v hind a curtain in Irene Adlers and to the hilt by crooner-actor > dressing room he does it entirely Dick Powell; produced with taste too quickly and furtively; Holmes, by Paul Gregory and Chari *s ; after all. would have known he Laughton and Is destined for smash could get behind the curtain with- boftoffice and critical acclaim i out being observed. He needs, in wherever it plays. Laughton also I short, a great deal more work to lent a hand in staging in final week get into the vein as Holmes and prior to opening | so display the character without Siaiiinf; borrows a note Iron, i “«*iiuf him any more absurd than "Trial of Mary Dugan" and audi- ls *° beilin with, ence is placed in the role of court- As Watson, Jack Raine is visual- room spectators for all of the l.v perfection, but the script is in- action except the dinner sequence dined to make him out too much at the finale. This type of show- the breezy old duffer to be slapped manship works in favor of the on the back by Holmes. As Irene piece, since it gives the action an ! Adler, "the woman,” Jarmila No- aura of realism, and tension keeps ! votna is in the vein from the out- mounting gradually until the very set and presents a beautiful pic- dramatic anti-climax when Lt. ! lure to boot. She does a couple of Commander Queeg unmasks him- self as the paranoiac he is. Nolan as Queeg does the job of his fine career and he’ll be in strong con- tention for top acting honors on Broadway this year songs to good effect, too. Thomas Gomez superbly suggests the men- ace of Moriarity, and all the minor roles are well and colorfully han- dled. Ouida Rathbone’s yarn is de- Up there with him is Fonda in rived largely from a spy ineller of t he highly sympathetic role of I "The Bruce Partington’s Plans,” Greetiwald. the Jewish attorney j the stolen submarine designs giv- who wins the acquittal of Lieu- ing the play a more contemporary tenant Maryk, also played expertly ' flavor. There are elements of “Scandal in Bohemia” and "The Second Stain." as well, and the playwright has accomplished skill by Hodiak. None leaves anything wanting in his performance, but Nolan in his long and difficult ses- sion on the witness stand and ful blend of plot materials. There Fonda, particularly in his closing are no major discrepancies to drunken speech in which it un- t otfend the Sherlockian; indeed, the covers Lieutenant Keefer, played writer might have been better off . . . by Robert Gist, as the real villain to ignore the Sherlockians for the and flu* overall none of register-; (j H , case are unquestionably the sake of a stronger narrative less ing lies in so'ving the problem of standouts. j encumbered with inside details elevating the balance of the script .... . , , . , . f 1 and authentic Hnlmpcian Hialnp t„ init i.U-,.1 1 Entire cast was handpicked for an ? auinenuc noimesian aiaiog. excellence and there isn’t a let i . * n mounting and staging the Theme n f an attractive young c ] own anywhere Eddie Firestone P iece - producer and director have girl making her choice of a mate on( .,, .. t,j,i , a dio actor around Ch : - allowed more than a suggestion to from her childhood imaginary J t . at , 0 j s wonderful as the confused crc °b in they are kidding the love, a glamorous foreigner who signalman Urban; Charles Nolte j s 'subject, as by using fake oldtime can ofTer m ferial possessions and very strong as Lieutenant Keith, gaslights in the borders. A more the man y ho dominates her. is who hacked up Maryk's action in something less than original. Plav s deposing Queeg, and Ainslee Pryor denouement. in which Sabrina is realistically apoplectic as the selects the man the audience knew | Advocate General. Herbert Ander- a'l along she would, is romantic son and Stephen Chase are exc“l- °hl hat. j lent as psychiatrists placed in a Uniformly excellent cast has , state of utter confusion bv Fonda. straightforward approach might be better, in which this, as well as the pre-curtain poetry, is omitted, and the play radically tightened but given a more spacious tempo. here are, in short, many difficul- ties to be solved to keep this one enterprises as building a house on stilts, erecting a vast swimming tank and getting involved with a neighbor in a splendid drinking bout that finds poor Belden in jail for the night and losing his job. During all this the women have amiably endured their husbands’ normal indifference, but when one of the children falls into the tank. Mrs. Belden calls a halt and threatens to divorce her man un- less they move away. It is pleasant enough and en- tirely credible, but the action is nothing if not static; the whole thing is merely a civilized conver- sational bout with ideas. The au- thor works in a very clever gag with a tank of helium, pulls off a magnificent drunk scene and dem- onstrates a firstclass literary gift. As the visionary neighbors, An- thony Ross and Hiram Sherman are superb. Ross captures a won- derfully frantic atmosphere as the professor while Sherman is end- lessly entertaining as the soft- spoken Belden. The women. Haila Stoddard and Barbara Baxley, never quite have enough to do to fulfill their talents but are excel- lent in their roles, capturing a great deal of the bewilderment and hurt of the ignored wives without overstatement. Mary Grace Canfield turns in a fine sketch as the bewildered maid, seconded by a gem of a portrait by Fred Gwynne as her suitor and a highly amusing bit by Lou Gilbert. Boris Aionson’s set Is exceeding- ly suitable and handsome and Bur- gess Meredith's direction, though skillfully blocked out, doesn’t lend too much speed to a mostly ac- tionless play. It’ll have a lot of aopeal for a smallish, special sort of audience, but "The Frogs" are not likely to be croaking next spring. Elie. Anna LucaMla Boston, Oct. 8. Leonard Altohell presentation of drama in three acts (six scenes! by Philip Yor- dan. Directed hv Altohell. At Coplev, Host on. Oct. 6. ’33. Katie .Tndilh Cole Stella Michelle Condre Theresa Carolyn Brenner Sten'ey \ MMarvin (treene *'' ank Joseph, Elic Jeno MMate . Jeno Mate Noah Blanche Anna .. Danny t.es'er Rudolph A1 Durand Janet March Fayne Blackburn . Fred Viliani Robert Getz . Ray Newcomer been selected for this one. Fans , and Russell Hicks holds the line in of Margaret SuHavan and Joseph dignity, poise and good breeding Gotten will like their efforts here, but in neither case is the role a challenge to the ability of the in- dividual. As of the premiere, it is a matter of two sterling players wast'ng their histrionic fragrance on the air of a literary desert. Miss Sullavan, as the chauffeur's as Captain Blakely, president of the court. Action takes place on a virtually on the main line as a devoted char- acterization of a famous character rather than a corny meller of a bygone period. Bill Doll’s production, involving the Reichenbach falls and all, is bare stage framed by a grey cyclo- firstclass ' throughout though in- Iama ' w ith Hicks seated on a hig*i dined, by means of fadeins, to give court bench flanked by six naval 1 R officers, all extras without lines. Fonda. Hodiak. Pryor and a couple action to long expositional pas- sages, to be obvious. Reginald daughter with socialite potentials I of court stenographers are seated ! s *. directi , 0, \ slil * overem- tics gives a sensitive reading of onstage at tables, while others are ! JHSL od 2!I , “-. *" d the part and is at all times be-(called in from the wings a.s wit- l’evable. Smooth acting punctuates nesses. Final sequence, represenl- Cotten’s version of an excitement-j ing a celebration party at a Sail seeking tycoon who becomes the Francisco hotel night of the court girl's ultimate choice. martial, involves only the quick John Cromwell, as a stuffed- * dragging in of a table, at which shirt aristocrat whose hobby is at- the celebrants are quickly seated, tending funera's. draws lion's "Court Martial" is scheduled tor share of the play’s laughs with ' a tour prior to a NewYork open- cludes too much swiftness and jerkiness of action, but the (whole show is entirely in the works at this point. They’ve got something there, but the crux of the matter now is to give it just the right scope and emphasis. Elic. Shorloek an outstanding performance. Cath- leen Nesbitt lends proper dignity to a society matron role; Luella 1 Gear does incisive justice to the part of a semi-invalid relative; j Russell Collins scores as a well-1 read chatiff mi)*; Scott McKay gives j authority to a younger brother characterization, and Robert Duke j impresses favorably as the charm- ing foreigner. Minor support is handled capably. Staging is at its best in the fourth-scene levitv hut has not i fared well with first-half tempo.; Donald Oenslager has contributed a stunning set that combines at- i u»*u»n. o<i io. su tractive living quarters with a tiSES: colorful Long Island Sound per- Mrs. Hudson spective. A betweon-scenos rain-! M°n Tretawnry Hop* The Frog* of Spring Boston, Oct. 7. I.vn Austin and Thomas Noyes <in ’is- soriation with Robert Radnitz and Rob- ert Sagalynk production of comedy in three acts (six scenes' bv Nathaniei Benchley. Directed by Burgess Meredith. Sets and lights. Bocis Aronson. At Plym- outh. Boston. Oct. 6. '33. John Alien Malcolm Broderick Chris Allen Billy Quinn 'lobby Relden Kevin Goughian Oannv Shaw ............ Ronald Brumlik Kay Allen Haila Stoddard Virginia Relden ......... Barbara Baxlev Boston. Oct. 10. j '••men Allen Anthony Ross Bill Doll production of drama in throe Vhco Kemp .... Mary e.race Canfield acts iseven scenes! by Ouida Rathbouc, j Charles Belden ........ Hir->m Sherman from stories by Conan Doyle. Stars Basil Luther Rauheo Fred Gwvnne Rathbone; features Jarmila Novotna. Or. Lindnuist . Roland Wood Staged by Reginald Denham. Sets and Asa Gelwicks Lou Gilbert costumes. Stewart Chaney; incident ui music. Alexander Stoinert. At Majestic. ' This | s ? literate, talkv and often ing Jan. 18. It should build a wave of word-of-mouth and tremendous advance sale before N Y. critics have their go at it. but there should he no fears on that score And incidentally it will be a ie.- rific trailer for the Columbia pic- ture of the same name. Scho. Leonard Altobell’s production of ; Anna Lucasta with an all-white j cast is purely for the sticks. The ! Philip Yordan comedy emerges in j this treatment as a straightforward hid to divert attention from the Kinsey report to the stage of the Copley, and so loses all of the real- ism and impact of the all-Negro version of the original. Even before opening this one was beset with troubles. House was picketed by pa. union and show didn’t open as scheduled on Monday <3>. It opened against "The Frogs of Spring" on Tuesday in- stead and drew second-string crix, some of whom gave it the nod. As it stands, this one is directed with all emphasis on the sex angles, bringing out all the corresponding double meanings, postures and at- titudes. In all this Fayne Black- burn stands out. but the others do their best in this obvious bid for sensation. S3 (>() top. bow-striped drop also is*effective. I 'Irtv U H„p 1 ? OKan v ' est K " Lush scenic splendor has a worthy) Eduardo i.ucm ..... g colleague in costume ditto. Boi'c. Elwyn Harvev John Dodxworth Richard Wcndl *\ Eilocn Peel .regmy Morion . Anna .... Margit Fors.sgron I fount Pc Roihiere ..... Chester Stratton 'rene Adler larmila Novotna ( aim* Mufinv Court .Martial Santa Barbara, Oct 12. P iul Gregory presentation of (iregorv- Charles l.aughton production of platform di *m* in two acts by Herman Wouk. a iarite.' from hi.v novel "The (' ine Mutin' ’* Stars Hotuv Fonda. John Ho- d ik. I.lov 1 Nolan feature-. Charles Nolle. Russell Hicks. Steohen Chase, Vinxlo'. Prv-Yr R.beit (list Directed hv link P-'well \f Grenada Theatre b.is, ( *1 , Ort 12, '3.1. $4 HO top Walker Lest rude ...... Mice Dunbar ..... Andrew . . '•rdfes.xor Moriarity Baron von Boik Captain von llerlmg Prince Bulganin . Gregsoit Viljard Jack Raine amusing version of a short story presented on the stage. It is not likely that it will catch on despite its many excellent Qualities be- cause it lacks both substance and dramaturgy. New Yorker writer Nathaniel Benchley. whose gift of dialog and characterization is acute, here deals with an interesting theme. Thom”,c Thf ' idea, in general, is that mov- Ludwig Roth 1 m - away from an awkward sitti- Msnin Brandt at.jon doesn’t necessarily solve it. Arthur J v n s5?nn£g a,u, ( to demonstrate this he pre- Alfred a. Hesse sent* a pair of attractive married couples living next door to each SkelphpN on a Roman - Wall ... „ Hollywood. Sept. 30. William F Kleinschmidt production of i drama in three acts (seven scenes) by Ben Simcne. Directed bv Vincent F, Son- i Jlni. Set bv James O'Neill At Haroufs | Ivar Theatre. Hollywood, Cal , Sept. 29. | 1T5::; S3 40 top. ■ Irma Naiman ; . Philip Sudano ! Nunzlata Steffi Sidney I £2™ David Fresco ; Widow Marta Mitrovich c ’. an Don Orlando I Tony DeMario Professor Bellagio Jack V. George Terence Kilhuiii Bryan Herbert Marv On I.* Rurriev Greenwald L* Steps -n Mart k !.* ( rrdr Queeg 1/ Willis Keith ( apt Klak-!v I>r Fnrrett Lundeen Lt f mdr John fhallee l.t Th<>mas Keefer Sgn>niin Junius L’rban C ipt Randolph Southard Dr Bird There are very real problems in other in New York, the next three weeks, to pull As is often the case in such a Santa Bar , "Sherlock Holmes" together to dis- situation, the two men enjoy a nr> Fonda blay potential as a hit. If* in singular but characteristic re- tryout here the script, now too lationship involving a good deal of complicated, too long and too fantasy that w'holly ignores the* fussy, can be pruned, clarified and women and is. in fact, not under- strengthened by more characters i stood by them anyway. James zation and less detail, it can well j Allen (Anthony Ross', a professor H«*nr> r < 111 - 1*1 . . J'thn Hodi.ik T.lovd Noldii Charles Nolte RumcII Hickx Stephen Chave Alnfley Prvor Robert Gist Eddie Firestone Paul Birch contend as a bit of entertaining nostalgia in melodramatic terms John A Hoffm.n :^ s I* 1 ® opener, however, [the fantasies and projects orig on sabbatical leave to write a hook, is the idea man in that most of (Hiram Sher- Stenographer .. ... orderly Greg Romm , it woutdn t get by long enough to mate with him. Member* of tb- Court larry Barton, j pay off. j Charles Belden Ft'rh*rd*'Farme*^Richvrlt Although there were two public man* goes agreeably along with • Norm. p..t Waltz ! rehearsals before a Saturday night ! anything including taking down !'10» preem. Basil Rathbone hasn't the fence that separates their "Caine Mutiny Court Martial” j settled down to the role of this yards. With the fence down, the played its fir-t engagement here legendary private eye. He’s nerv- ground is laid for such communal The first original of the Coast season. "Sketches on a Roman : Wall." slips swiftly into the dreary classification of the other 149 now- plays debuted in Los Angeles in the last five years. It has nothing to offer either films or legit and ; won't be around long—even in the 400-saat house in which it is get- ting its world premiere. Stark, unrelieved tragedy by Ben Simcoe is backgrounded* by the squalor of postwar Italv. Its pro- 1 tagonists struggle to eke out a mis- erable existence while living in a grotto outside Anzio, and what little plot there Ls springboards from a government decision to taxe oyer the grotto as a tourist attrac- tion because of the ancient Roman murals on its rocky walls. Simcoe’s dialog frequently falls into the glowing rhetoric category which doesn't enhance the script. There’s little discipline in Vin- cent E. Sonsini’s direction and the characters overact and gesticulate themselves into a frenzy througn- out. James O’Neill’s grotto set and Richard Cassarino’s murals are about the only positive credits. Kap. Merman, in Rare Of f-B’way Appearance, Rons Away With Her Dallas Revue As in ’52. State Fair of Texas execs have given Charles it Meeker, Jr., veepee-assistant gen- eral manager, a blank check to lure expo visitors to the annual 16-day run. Bettering rather than carboning last year’s successful ’Martin & Lewis Revue.” Meek r has produced and directed the cur- rent annualer. in for 24 perform- ances, starring Ethel Merman an i George Murphy, with five top acts in support. Click show augurs a heavy b.o. Management expects the show to gross about $200,000 for the 24- performance stand. Miss Merman is in one a flat $50,000 fee. with other acts bringing the talent budget to about $98,000. exclusive of the orchestra. Entire operating nut comes to about $152,000. in- cluding advertising, and the man- agement figures on netting around $40,000 on the venture. Billed here as "Broadway’s Queen of Musical Comedy," Miss Merman, in a rare off-Broadway appearance, quickly establishes her crown role in the latter half of the 140-minute show. Her 35-minuie segment opens with two new tunes, penned for Texas showing by The Ethel Merman Show Dallas, Oct. 10. State Fair Auditorium presentation of revue in two acts, with Ethel Merman. Franz Alters and Tom Merriman; Murphy: Wiere Bros. (3». with Mildred Seymour: Borrah Minevitch's Harmonica Rascals (6), Russell Nype. Los ^ tos ., Trio ' Geor X e Moro's Mer Maids <20). Hyman Charninsky Orch (24). At ?cf t t.^ Falr Auditorium, Dallas. Oct. 30, 53; $4 80 lop. Roger Edens, "Lady With a Song” and "You’re in Texas.” With top 88 backing by Tom Merriman on stage and Franz Allers conducting the pit band, the clarion-voiced chan- teuse insures audience rapport in reprising trademarked tunes—an even 10—from her Broadway stage hits. From her first N.Y. musical. "Girl Crazy,” she belts over "I Got Rhythm.” Through the years, with her w.k. "No Business Like Show- Business.” to her last success, "Call Me Madam,” during which bit she’s teamed again with Russell Nype for the "You’re Just in Love” duet, Miss "Merman wows the payees. After her dozen offerings, it’s still a begoff-. In the 4,300-scat expo auditorium, the musical com- edy star’s vocal efforts are evenly and clearly heard by appreciative hinterlanders. George Murphy, costarred, is an affable emcee, inserting new Texas yams between acts, and filling a spot himself with a gabfest and neat soft shoe bits. Laryngitis hin- dered his vocal efforts and introes, opening night. Next-to-closing Wiere Bros, have ’em in the aisles with zany bits of fiddling, juggling, hat passing and hilarious "Minute Waltz” frenetic dancing bit. as towering Mildred Seymour does an able piano assist. Trio works a 25-minute stint to heavy mitting. Pint-sized Johnny Puleo holds attention through the Harmonica Rascals’ session. Panto comic rates yocks as he belts and bites his a uintet of mouth-organists, but oesn’t prevent slick renditions of "Nightingale” and "Peg o’ My Heart.” Borrah Minevitch troupe, remembered from a 1937 Pan- American Revue on this same stage, gets sock reception. Russell Nype’s solo turn includes eight vocals in a click 25-minute turn. Sock bit is a recitation from "Goodbye, Mr. Chips.” segueing into the lyrics of "You’ll Nevr Walk Alone” to a hushed audience in the only solemn note of the sock opening show. | Flash opener has the Los Gatos Trio, male acrobalancers. getting , the show off to a fast start and payees off their hands with ani- ! mated sesh spiced by headstands, J falls and lifts George Moro’s Mer-Maids. 11- girl precision dancing line, with six 1 walkon lookers, add eye-appeal in three tarp turns, highlighted by three colorful costume changes. ! Final appearance kid* burly, wiiit the 20 comely femmes divesting portions of yellow and black rai- i ment under Strobolite, with un- mentionables glowing in the dark- ness. Girls add bumps to the travesty for a sock turn but, strangely, this bit draws light nut- ting. Peter Wolf, State Fair Musical-* art director for seven years, mounts an impressive theatre mar- quee single set. bannered "The Ethel Merman Show." in huge let- ters. Hyman Charninsky, veteran local maestro from vaude days, batons the 24-piece orch in expert backing of show's supporting acts.