Variety (October 1954)

Wednesday, October 27, 1954 \ • By JESSE GROSS professional winter/stock, wjhich; has been making a comeback, in the- last several years after. a couple of decades’ hibernation, continues on. the upbeat. At least four new, regular-season, ventures are /; r'ently functioning. Another,oper- ation has posted a bond, with Acr tors Equity for a! Nov. 10 opening. .. playwrights. ^Theatre, Chi.* which had stock policy last summer, is also reportedly going 1 to reopen for the .muffler traffic. Additional-. ]v, it’s expected that mpst of last season's ’approximate 25 cold- Aveather Equity stock outlets will, repeat this winter. Included in the quartet of fresh’ stock theatres currently operating is the Bucks^ County Playhouse, New Hope, Pa., normally a sam- pler spot but continuing this year through : November. /The., other th/ee spots are the./Dramatic Arts Center, Ann Arbor, Mich., which opened last Thursday (21); Glen Falls (N.. Y.) Arena Guild, which began a four-week season Oct. 5, and the Fox Valley Playhouse, an- other. strawliat. which initiated a ix-week fall season Oct. 19. Manager of the Ann Arbor out- let is Joseph Gistirak, while Rich- ard Stem heads the Glen Falls project. Latter ran a similar four- week season at the same locale early last summer. Bucks County is run by Michael Ellis, who’s .ini- tiated a “fall festival” of tryouts, while the Fox Valley showcase is .run by*Marshall Migatz, who durr irig the summer heads this opera^ Mon and the Salt Creek Theatre, Hinsdale, 111; Venture for which a bond has been posted, for a Nov. 10 preem will be at the Memorial Auditori- m, Louisville, Ky., under the man- agement of George Gans, who op- e ates the,Louisville Amphitheatre during the summer. The Town and Country Playhouse, Indianapolis, the Pleasant Mills (N. J.) Play- house and the Red Barn Theatre, Westboro, Mass.; are still- running. So is the Rochester Arena Theatre.. The Arena Theatre, Washington, is continuing, as is the Alley The- atre, Houston. Also, the Sombrero Theatre, Phoenix, and Margo Jones’ Theatre ’54, Dallas, lire ex; peeled, to post bonds soon. Ph ix Theatre; N. Y., began its season .Oct. 14, while the Em- press Theatre, St. Louis, reopened Sept 28...The Playhouse; Houston, opened Sept. 26, while the Hilltop- Parkway Theatre, Baltimore, re- lighted Oct. 12. Crowd Fills Nine Acres As Langner Dedicates Stratford, Conn., Site Lawrence Langner, of the The- atre Guild, tvho in his private status as a citizen has been spear- heading the American Shakespeare Festival & Academy at Stratford, Conn., was off, and . into, the ground last Sunday (24) as prin- cipal speaker at the ceremonial start of the/theatre ( by the Housa- tonic River. About 400 people, a niixture of theatrical VIP’s, local officials, commuters, small children and dogs, gathered on the nine-acre tract which will form the setting .for "the .third .Stratford” in follow- up -to England’s and Canada’s ■shrines to the bard. Although the American. Shake- spear Festival breaks ground a year late and will get going in the summer of 1955 Father than last summer, Langner was getting “we never thought you’d make it” con- grats following speeches by Kath- arine Cornell, Maurice Evansj ex- actyess Mary Bragiotti, Connecti- .-'Cut’s Cxractor . Governor John Lodge, and Stratford town council President Tom Morey. ■ liaising money, a task partly en- h'j'xt.ed to Mary Hunter, still the Festival’s exceptive-secretary al- Uuuigh no longer on salary, proved a j ormidable hurdle. The theatre, ^/o cost around $290,000. Firtaii- r lily-weighty members added to the board now include Stanton / ; 'iffis, Lincoln Kirstein, Joseph //rner Reed and Irving S. Olds. • 1( r* Langners (Armiha Marshall) hm c purchased a residence on the b'fct and given it so tire Festival ; vi -'l have a schoolhouse in addition to the theatre structure. Barrie j Who Dat? Richard Halliday, producer of “Peter Pan,” starring, his wife Mary Marti , ran into, considerable difficulty persuad- ing Hugo Winterhalter, of RCA-Victor, .to. attend .the mu- sical ' at the Winter Garden, FI. Y., before discussing an alburn!/As.. busy as recording exees usually are, Winterhalter hated to spare a whole evening to “a fairy tale about pirates.” Halliday clinched .the. visit to thrf Winter Garden by re- vealing that,, a rival publisher had offered $5,000 for one duet between Mary Martin and her 12-year old daughter Heller Halliday. Number is one of .the big hits of the show.; “Anniversary Waltz” is in the black. The Joseph Mi- Hyman- Bernard Hart production recouped its $75,000 investment Sept, 11, its 23rd week oh, Broadway. As oi last Saturday (23), profit on the Jerome Chodorov-Joseph Fields comedy totalled around $16,000. Accbrdng to an account- ing, dated Oct. 2, tlie backers had been paid back 55% of their in- vestment, equalling. $41,250.. As of Oct. 2, profit came to $8,277 less an estimated insurance reserve of $587. Profit fof ; the three weeks ending last Saturday (23) is estimated over $8,000. Gross for the four weeks ending Oct. 2 Was $78,251. Net profit for the period was $8,821, plus $400 royalty: pay- ment for a stock production of the comedy last summer at the La. Jolla (Cal.) Playhouse. Coin paid back to investors during that pe- riod was $26,250. Macdonald Carey and Kitty Car- lisle costarre* is in its 29th . week at the Broadhurst, N« Y. . DICK GRAY’S PROD. BOW WITH ‘WEDDING DAY’ . The legit musical, “Wedding Day” formerly under option to Clinton Wilder, producer of “The Tender Trap,” has been taken-over for production by Dick Gray, brother of comedienne-singer Do- lores Gray. He has resigned his post as Coast rep for Frank Music to embark on. his maiden legit pro- duction. Score is by Vernon Duke, and lyrics by Ogden Nash. Ilka Chase will work on revising the book, an original by Leonard Gershe, who wrote the “Born in a Trunk” cavalcade for Judy Gar- land in. “A- Star Is Born,” and has just done the script of “The * Girl Rush,” indie for Paramount re- lease starring Rosalind Russell (Mrs. Frederick Brisson) which the latter and Floyd Odium (Atlas Trust) are producing.' Duke” is also writing a ballet, “Girls Dormitory,” a continuation of Johann Strauss’ “Graduation Ball,” for David Lichine and which both are discussing with the Ballet. Theatre. Stock Prod, Sam Hirsch Indicted on Red Charge Miami, Oct. 26. Sam Hirsch, operator of the Bilt- more Theatre, ' local stock opera- tion, has been indicted by the Dade County Grand Jury on charges that' he lied under oath about Commu- nist party connections and mem- bership. * 1936-38.. Charges in- volve possible sentence for; -a total of 160 years in jail under the State maximum penalty of 20 years for each count. He was released under $10,000 bond immediately following His surrender to the state attorney’s - office, Hirsch, a.former assistant profes- sor of drama at: the IJ. of Miami, left that post two years ago on a leave of absence to organize a local repertory group, which staged a summer series of revivals at the Casablanca Hotel. He’s/been op- erating th Bijtmore since last spring. P'AHIETY Kay Ashton Stevens In $50,000 Suit vs. Airline Chicago, Oct.-26. Kay Ashton Stevens, widow of Ashton Stevens, late legit critic of the Chicago American, has filed a $50,000 damage suit against Ameri- can Airlines. She claims she was injured when she was tossed about on a flight .between Chicago and New York in April,1953/ ’ i -— Suit asks; $10,000 for loss of tv earnings.. ana the, remainder for loss of personal property and “pain .and. suffering.” Hollywood, Oct. 26." Arbitration last week of a dis- pute over partnership rights in “Once Upon a Tailor” has. paved the way for Broadway production of the folk comedy later this sea- son. The Baruch Lumet play is running weekends at the Circle Theatre here! American Arbitration Assn, panel, ruled that Lou Brandt; who di- rected “Tailor.” in its initial pro- duction at the intimate arena-style. Circle, is entitled to 50% of the net profit of the engagement, . Leonard Horwin, George J. Gott- fried and Harry ,S. Ackerman served as arbiters on the case. Their ruling was that Brandt will have, no part of any future pro- ductions of the play, either here or in New York. Producer George Boroff over the weekend greehiighted .plans for. the N, Y. production in . which, he may partner with the Playwrights Go. Oscar Karl weiss has been mentioned: for the role of the. tailor. Dallas Playgoer Beefs At Unbilled Stand-Ins For ’King and I’ Stars Dallas. Editor, Variety: Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “King and 1” has,just finished playing at the Texas State Fair in Dallas. There was a heavy mail order busi- ness before the opening because Yul Brynner and Patricia Morison were ,the advertised stars. You. will note from the enclosed clipping from the Dallas Morning News fob Friday, Oct. 212, that up to that time Brynner had been absent from four -performances*. Miss Morison from two. No one can quarrel with the lanagement’s statement (quoted in the Morning News story) that “It would be physically impossible for the two leads of ‘King and I’ to sing and act 24 performances in 17 days.” The State Fair Auditorium seats some 4,500. But why, if 25% of the performances are to be with- out the principals, could not the management have advertised the fact, or eliminated the extra per- formances, or otherwise acted in good faith so that some 24,000 pa- trons wouldn’t fee! bilked? As you can surmise, I was one of the disappointed patrons. I sent in fny $9.60 for tvvo seats early and let the management pick the per- formance, I was more interested in good seats than any specific day. And the main reason I sent for those tickets Was the chance to see Yul Brynner, who was out that evening. I question, also, the manage- ment’s statement that is com- mon practice , in New York, or that Leonard- Graves and Holly Harris are not understudies but alternates. In the program they *are definitely listed as under.- studies. And :as ;I .remember New York practice, alternate casts are always, so advertised. I remember, ' (Continued on page 78) REVIVE ‘FOOL’ AS NEXT AT LAS PALMAS, H’WDOD Hollyvyood, Oct. 26. Next production at the 400-seat Las Palmas Theatre will be a re- vival of Changing Pollock’s “The Fool,” four-acter originally pro- duced in 1922-23., “That’s Lif6.” a revue, wound up an. 18-week run at the house over .the weekend. “Fool” will be produced by T. R. Joy, who recently purchased the J theatre from Paul Schreibman. LEGITIMATE 71 in Is Denhamholz There? Reginald. Denenholz* associ- ate to pressagent .William Fields at the Playwrights Co., is working on ,the production of Maxwell Anderson’s “Bad Seed,”: .whibh Reginald Den-- ham Is directing. There has been some, confusion at: the switchboard on incoming calls, but none in. the Playwrights office, There Denham known as Reggie and Denenhoiz as Denny. London Teahouse’ Nets $3,40# a Wt i. ' . London production of “Teahouse of the August Moon” is paralleling the Broadway original as a money- maker. Both shows got solid rave reviews and have been drawing car j pacity attendance.. However, the b o. scale,.gross receipts and profits on the West End edition have been less than for the New York ver- sion, as usual * In such circum- stances. Produced for $49,616, the Lon- don edition paid off last Aug. 28, after 19. weeks at Her Majesty's Theatre. Since * then it has been averaging a weekly profit of nearly $3,400 on-an average weekly, gross of $12,684. Of those amounts, one-third of the profits and 2% of the gross are payable to the New York com- pany, As of last Saturday .(16) total coin due the Broadway pro- duction was approximately $9,600, based on $1,374 average weekly, share.. Produced in London by William- son Music, Ltd:, (Rogers & Ham- merstein subsidiary) and Prince Littler, the John Patrick-Vern Srieider comedy opened at Her Majesty’s last April 23 and lids been doing virtual capacity biz since then. Weekly profit-on the Broadway presentation, produced by Maurice Evans and George Schaefer, is ap- proximately $6,5(30, bringing the total weekly take, including Lon- don profit, to about $7,874. In addition to the Broadway and West End companies of "Teahouse” a third unit is slated to tour the Coast early next year under the management of Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. A fourth com- pany may eventually be formed by Eyans and Schaefer.- Additional income has been received from the $150*000 Metro film deal. EQUITY ISSUES 7 NEW TALENT AGENCY OKAYS Actors Equity has franchised seven more agents. Of these, six have their own offices. They are Milton Goldman, Ted Ashley, Alec Alexander, John’ Harvey/Henry G. Brown and. Martin. Baum, Jatter being partnered in the Baum-New- born Agency. Other Denny Beach; of the Paul Small office. • Franchises, as others granted dur- ing the past year, ale all temporary pending the formulation of' new Equity rules governing agents. Agt In Jail, Fails To Pay Fee; Opera Is Off Bethlehem, Pa., Oct. 26. Scheduled appearance next Frk day (29) of the. Rome Opera Co. at the highscIiQol here has been cancelled. Outfit failed to make a deposit of half the $140. rental fee, for the school, auditorium last Wednesday (20), the deadline. As a result Clifford Frey, secretary of the Bethlehem School district, called off. the deal. . At the. time the deadline was' reached, Mine. DeGomcz Florelli, advance agent for the opera, Was in jail on charges of defrauding two' hotels of $160 in room rent.. She was released last Friday (22) after, paying the coin,, but; it was (lien too late to make the down payment; 4- By HOBE MORRISON A number of refbrms, including revision of the election procedure, are due under the scheduled mer- ger of Actors Equity and its affili- ate, Chorus Equity. Consolida- tion was voted last week by the combined ..council of the two ■unions, will be submitted to - ferendum within a month and: is. due to become effective next Jan. Under the new election setup, the principal Change will be the scrapping of the former system of nominating committee election of a regular slate, with provision for independent candidates. Instead, nomination Will be by petition oi 20 members in good standing. The vote itself will be by mail referen- dum, dropping the old setup of bal- loting at the annual membership meeting. The nomination-by-petition pro- cedure, similar to that already in use in the affiliate American Fed- eration of Television & Radio Art- ists and the Screen . Actors Guild, is expected; . to eiimihate a long- standing source ... of criticism, namely, the manner in whiefy or- ganized factions could sometimes dominate a quarterly membership meeting to control the election of the nominating; committee. With nominations by petition, it’s hoped the election of officers and council members may involvs less factional maneuvering, . Simi- larly, it’s expected that election by referendum may increase the num- ber of votes cast and thus involve mere democratic choice of officers and council members, Terms of the merger call for continuation' of the present Equity requirement of 24 weeks of work (Continued on page 78) London, Oct. 26, Percy Cudlipp, News Chronicle columnist, is beefing at having to pay sixpence (7c) for an eight-page theatre program, four pages of which were, filled with advertise- | ments. Admitting to being puzzled as to why a further three had not been let to advertisers, he suggests the worthwhile information in tho program could have been got on to a single page. He outlines how the program was padded: the name of the play appeared three times, and of the author twice; it gave the name Of the licensee, the .manager and box- office manager and of eight offi- cials of H. M. Tenrient, which pre- sents the play (“Hippo Dancing”)— “in none of whom J have the faint- est interest,” “It was also done,” adds Cudlipp, “by x telling rne who supplied the dresses, the suits, the nylons, the furniture, the electrical equipment, the vacuum cleaner, the leather- wear. Whether there are playgoers who, unlike myself, would feel frustrated if these details were withheld, I don’t know. “What I do know is that the vast majority of playgoers would like to be told something about the writing of the play—where and when it was done, how long it took, something about the careers of the author, the actors and the pro- ducer, mething even about the history of the theatre! itself,” Squawks about the fact that the- atres charge for the relatively skimpy programs are an old and familiar .story in London. The mat- ter is. most frequently raised by recent visitors to New. York, Where legit playbills are not only free, but are genei'ally highly .informa- tive, especially with biographical material about the actors. ■ . Y- Littler’s ’Book’ Modest Entry for London Run London, Oct. 26. Emile Littler’s production of “Book of the Month,” which opened last Thursday (21) at the Cam- bridge as.the only new legit offer- ing of the week, is a flimsy com- edy by Basil Thomas. It should get by for a modest run. Pauline Grant has directed the play with a light: hand and the principal parts are skillfully played by a cast headed by .Hugh Wil- , liams, Judy Campbell. Margaretta I Scott and jane Griffiths.