Variety (December 1954)

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56 LEGITIMATE Wednesday, December 22, 1954 Show on Broadway w 14 Witness for the itlon Gilbert Miller & Peter Seundere pro- duction of melodrama la three acts (four scenes), by Agatha Christie. Features Frauds L. Sullivan. Patricia Jewel. Ernest L. Clark. Gene Lyons. Una O’Connor. Robin Craven, Horace Braham. Staged by Robert Lewis; scenery. Raymond Sove.v; costumes. Kathryn Miller. At Henry Miller. N. Y.. Dec. 1«. '54; *5.75- 54.00 top <56.90 opening). Carter . Gordon Nelson Greta Mary Barclay Sir Wilfred Roberts . Francis L. Sullivan Mr. Mayhew Robin Craven Leonard Vole Gene Lyons Inspector Hearne Claude Horton Detective Ralph Leonard Romaine Patricia Jessel Jurors Dolores Rashid, Andrew George Jury Foreman Jack Bittner Court Usher Arthur Oslflag Court Clerk Ronald Dawson Prosecutor Ernest Clark Justice Walnwright ... Horace Braham Alderman R. Cobden —Smith Judge’s Clerk Harold Webster Court Stenographer W. W. Thomas Warder Ralph Roberts Barristers Henry Craig Nesto. Brace Connlnf. Ruth Greene. Albert Richards. Franklyn Mon- roe. Sam Kramer Policeman Bryan Herbert Dr. Wyatt Guy Spaull Janet Mackenzie Una O’Connor Mr. Clegg Michael McAloney Other Woman Dawn Stetnkamp In London, where whodunits are a staple and the theatregoing pub- lic isfft too persnickety, Agatha Christie is the champ nlaywright In the field and her “Witness for the Prosecution” is an established hit. But on Broadway, which is sometimes considerably more than an ocean away from the West End, the courtroom meller seems like a poorly-done antique, with only a startling quadruple-switch finale as evening-saver. Miss Christie, a veteran novelist and dramatist, still has her fami- liar plotting skill. Having come up with a fairly ingenious gimmick climax, she has given it a series of quick reverse twists that bring re- peated audience gasps. The au- thoress actually seems to carry the reverses beyond the point of maximum effectiveness, but the multiple turns unquestionably create surprise and will perhaps arouse helpful word-of-mouth. Unfortunately, "Witness” almost talks an audience into a coma be- fore it gets to the histrionic- packed climax. Not just talk, either, but heavy-handed narrative mechanics, stock characterizations and uncomfortably banal dialog. This potboiler quality of the script is compounded by spotty casting, trite staging and, inevi- tably under the circumstances, very uneven performance. . The yam is about a likeable young drifter accused of murder- ing his rich, middleaged bene- factress. His only chance of being acquitted appears to be his wife’s word that he was at home at the time of the crime. But she be- comes the key witness for the prosecution and, after coolly clinching the case against him, breaks down in a wildly dynamic scene on the stand, topped by the quick back-and-forth climax. The opening act in the defense counseler’s quarters is not merely garrulous and loaded with anti- quated mechanics, such as the counseier and solicitor’s discus- sion-of-the-obvious, and the stand- ard sleuth-and-stooge confabs, a la Holmes and Watson, etc. It is also painfully slow-on-the-uptake. The pace gradually, too gradu- ally, picks up thereafter through some transparently melodramatic showmanship, but finally goes through the roof with the fireworks courtroom nfiale. An army of whodunit devotees will doubtless accept the quiet preliminaries contentedly reveal in the pyrotech- nic climax. But a few non-addicts may figure the initiation too at- tenuated. not to say corny. As the wily defense counselor who turns out to be comparatively naive after all. Francis L. Sullivan lets himself go in an actor's field day, huffing and puffing, grimac- ing and lounging, but somehow tending to belabor the obviousness of the writing without getting be- low the surface of the character. Patricia Jessel, imported for the title part she played in the original London production, is excellent and even affecting at the end, within the limited melodramatic scope of the assignment. Gene Lyons enacts the cheerful num- skull defendant with nervous talkative, jauntiness or wild emo- tionalism. but with little apparent consistency or motivation. Ernest Clark, Imported from London for his Broadway bow as the sardonic prosecutor, under- plays skillfully; Una O’Connor registers as a streotype servant and witness box eccentric, and Horace Braham gives a notable S ortrait as a chilly but human ritish justice. Robin Craven has a surfacey joviality as the fatuous solicitor and yes-man. and Claude Horton and a small army of bit players are un- able to make much of the verbose material and Robert Lewis’ aston- ishingly old - fashioned staging. Raymond Sovey’* two settings, re- presenting the counsel chambers and courtroom, are standard. Despite its gabby, cornball quality, there may be a market for this time-bomb whodunit. It’s perhaps a bit old-hat as screen material, but in type if not in tech- nique it’s the sort of thing tv is doing these long winter evenings. Ho be. . 2 Greater N.Y. Dailies Boost Amus. Ad Rates Cost of legit advertising, along with other amusements, has been upped by the New York Post and Newark Star-Ledger. In both cases the hike is 5c per line. Post boost is attributed to a jump in circula- tion. while the Ledger raise is ex- plained by increased publishing expense. Rate at the Ledger has gone up from 55c to 60c a line. Scale at the Post is now $1.47 a line daily and $1.23 a line for the weekend edition on contracts set since Nov. 1. Old tabs, 5c less in both in- stances, hold until next Jan. 1 for shows under contract prior to Nov. 1. The same holds for a spe- cial 100-line rate, which is now $1.27 a line and $1.07 weekends. Per line rates at other N. Y. newspapers follow’; Times, $1.94 daily, $2.37 Sunday; Herald Trib- une. $1.37 daily, $1.82 Sunday; News $2.94 daily, $3.43 Sunday; Mirror. $1.70 daily, $1.85 Sunday; Journal-American, $1.90 daily. $1.95 weekend edition, and the World-Telegram, $1.85 daily (sheet has no Sunday edition). The J-A and W-T have special 100-line dates. Former gives a 5c reduction per line on that basis, and the latter drops to $1.57. The Times, incidentally, raised its scale a few months ago, but several shows under contract at the time are still getting previous rates of $1.90 daily and $2.30 Sunday. High Earned Today Nico Production* presentation of drama in three acts (six scenes), by David Zelag Goodman. Stars Art Smith. Dorothy Blackburn; features Stanley Tackney. Darryl Richard. Rita Colton. Geoffrey Home. Directed by George Englund; set- ting*. lighting, costumes. John Blanken- chip; production supervisor. Edward Nayor. At Theatre de Lya. N.Y., Dec. 10, '54; 53.45 top. Rob Law son Geoffrey Home Russell Lawson Stanley Tackney Nancy Lawson Dorothy Blackburn Elsa Eva Gerson Peggy Ross Rita Colton Lloyd Reed Art Smith Gar Lawson Darryl Richard^ Soldiers .. Frank Leo. Don Hotton. Ray Johnson, Gunner Hafsten, Fred Scollay Sgt. Willoughby Jay Warren Mr. Gibson WU1 Erwin Mr. Warren Sid Gordon Louisa Miller Susan Brown I Apparently David Zelag Good- man is against war. but if hostili- ties should erupt, advocates hope rather than despair. However, that’s about all that’s apparent in his play, "High Named Today.” Drama occasionally offers dramatic punch, but generally seems ob- scure. Involved yarn has a youth defy- ing his mother’s wishes to join the army during the Korean war. He has the blessing of his 107-year- old grandfather. The mother is convinced her son will die in com- bat. as did her father and lover during World War I. After the boy goes Off to war the bellicose old grandfather also fears the worst. Only really stable character In the play is the lad’s father. His I views and personality are apparent j and provide drama with some of its more level moments. Role is handled believably by Stanley Tackney. Art Smith does well as the bellicose grandfather, while Dorothy Blackburn fails to draw’ sympathy in the confused part of the mother who sends her son off to battle with the certainty he’s going to die. and then refuses to correspond with him so as to lessen the impact of his anticipated death. As the youth, Geoffrey Horne lacks conviction and is also unable to evoke compassion. Rita Colton is stock as the youth’s comely fiancee. Darryl Richard is ingra- tiating in a moppet role. George Englund’s direction shows up best in a foxhole se- quence. but the martini guzzling scene in the first act is overdone. John Blanckenchip’s settings, light- ing and costumes are okay, with ! his handling of the foxhole seg -1 ment especially imaginative. Jess. I Inside Stuff-Legit Helen Hayes, quoted in last week’s Issue of Cue mag: "About the recent story in Variety concerning her 50th anniversary in the theatre next May, Miss Hayes confessed, T made an awful boo-boo. It’s not 1955, it’s 1956. I first appeared at the Belasco in Washington, D.C., In 1906. I don’t keep scrapbooks, and when somebody called, I was confused. Anyhow, I hope everybody forgets all about a Hayes jubilee.** Variety phoned Miss Fayes about the matter after being Informed that the actress had told friends that her 50th anniversary in the thea- tre would occur in 1955. Miss Hayes told the reporter that she wasn’t sure when she’d made her professional debut, but that her first public appearance had probably been at a dancing school entertainment when she was 5, or in May, 1905. Variety so reported. Matter Isn’t entriely clarified in "Letters to Mary,” Miss Hayes biograhpy, written by her late mother, Catherine Hayes Brown. The book reports that she was entered in dancing school w’hen she was "around five,” and that her "first public appearance w r as in a little dance that had no name except pas seul.” It adds that the following year Miss Hayes did a Dutch song and dance in costume, and that a year later she did a Gibson Girl impersonation that was seen by Lew Fields. However, the book reproduced an old photo of Miss Hayes in the Dutch costume, with a caption giving her age as three at the time. In a subsequent chapter, Mrs. Brown states that Miss Hayes first professional appearance w’as as Prince Charles in "The Royal Family,” with the Columbia Players, a stock company in Miss Hayes’ native Washington. It adds that she was five years old at the time. It asserts that her appearance in "Little Lord Fauntleroy" was during her seventh year. Just to complpicate the whole subject further, however, Who’s Who in the Theatre states that Miss Hayes debut was in ‘‘Little Lord Fauntleroy” in 1907. Total profit of $33,038 thus far on "New Faces of 1952,” does not include returns from the film version, as erratumed in last week’s issue. The revenue reported in the latest accountant’s statement for the Leonard Sillman production has been solely from the Broadw'ay run and tour, with proceeds from the film edition of the revue still due. Legit Bits Jerome Lawrence & Robert Lee with war* tratk Hmm flattery have whipped ap A Handy Guide to Insincere Compliments (For All Occasions ) * a * on am m laq bylie* place la the forthcoming 49th Anniversary Number of VARIETY OUT SOON Sez $420 2d Balcony Too High for ’Flowers’ ’Rehearsal’ in Philly Philadelphia. Editor . Variety: Your illuminating article of last week Philly’s legit grosses in- spires hope that this town will con- tinue to have a study b.o. But the management of the Erlanger is apparently doing Its best to stir audience resentment, if the night I attended the "House of Flowers" is any indication of what goes on. Prices at the enormous house are strictly Broadway, and on Fri- day and Saturday nights the be- ginning of the second part of the balcony, which starts where most theatre walls leave off. sells for $4.20. The figures of the actors are almost indiscernible, but the scenery is pretty enough. Amplification is used, of course, and the sound comes across muf- fled. But with concentration about half the lyrics, when the sound doesn’t die off, as it did in Juanita Hall’s number at the per- formance I saw. After Pearl Bailey’s opening number (in w’hich the lyrics were fumblingly read from a book to only a pianio accompaniment in the pit), the second balcony audi- ence started to ‘move down’ to the first balcony and mezzanine, which are on the same plane. Although the first balcony w’as two thirds empty, the spectators were in for a surprise, for the ushers and a policeman were there to intercept the mass migra- tion. There began a constant shuffling back and forth, and throughout the first act the only progress made was a complete dis- traction for all in the mezzanine and first and second balconies. For a show still in rehearsal, and for $4.20 a throw in a second balcony that makes the amphi- theatre at the Academy of Music Seem ^like a diamond horseshoe, it might be a good idea just to leave that section to the ghosts of the long darkened Erlanger Irving Bregman. Derwent, Kane ‘Reunion’ For Off-B’way ‘Venice’ Forthcoming appearance of Clar- ence' Derwent and Whitford Kane in a revival of "Merchant of Ven- ice” opening Jan. 6 at the oflf- Broadway Finch Theatre, N.Y., will be a "reunion” for the two character actors. They started their stage careers together more than 50 years ago with Mrs. Band- mann-Palmer’s Repertory Theatre, Weymouth, England. Their only other appearance together was in Katharine Cornell’s revival o f "Doctor’s Dilemma” about 10 years ago. Derwent will play Shylock in the off-Broadway Shakespeare re- vival, with Kane playing Old Gobbo and Lesley Woods as Portia. Story and Play Editor Eugene Burr wba sheatd knew about those. Hilaft disceerset on Droves of Dialog —or, So You Wanna Be a Playwright? * * * 0*0 of the Many byline pieces la tbe forthcoming 49th Anniversary Number of yfisZIEfY DUE SOON Add quotes; Sidney Kingsley’s, at the luncheon meeting Monday (20) of the N.Y. Drama Desk, that “urgent need for impolite laughter or a kind of Rabelaisian laughter” was one of the motivating forces for writing his current farce, “Lunatics and Lovers.” Ahem . . . Because of dissatisfaction with script revisions, Mai Zettlerling has withdrawn from "Tonight in Samarkand,” in which she was to have costarred with Louis Jourdan. Her part is being rehearsed by Felicia Montealegre. Playwrights’ Co. has joined the move of several other Broadway managements in dropping "The” from the title of . "Bad Seed,” thereby moving it forward to third place in the alphabetical ad list- ings. It’s explained that the action was to clarify the distinction be- tween the Maxwell Anderson drama and Rinehart’s published edition of the William March novel . . . George Gino, of the "Bad Seed” cast, is the stage name of off-Broadway producer Ted Mann. Betty Field will ' co-star with Paul Henreid in "Festival” . . . Elizabeth Hijar, directress of the Edouard VII Theatre in Paris, due in New York the end of this month . . . Actress Mildred Mur- ray returned last week from an eight-month tour of Europe. Ruth Vernon, who danced in the Broadway choruses of "Oklahoma.” "Guys and Dolls” and “Can-Can,” has returned to h£r hometown of Pittsburgh where she’ll play the title role in the Pitt Playhouse pro- duction of "Sabrina Fair.” She’s also switched to her real name. Ruth Plvorotto . . . Janet de Gore will appear in "Glad Tidings,” at the Shubert Theatre, Washington, opening next Monday (27), with Constance Bennett as star. Pressagent Bill Fielda will take his seven-year-old son with him next week to Sarasota where he’ll have pre-season confabs with Ring- ling Bros.-Bamum & Bailey execs . . . Armando Bergo, proprietor of Armando's restaurant, N.Y., an- nounces plans to produce a play, “Swizzlestick,” by Emil Harkeet, a former bartender at the estab- lishment. He says he’ll personally supply the $120,000 bankroll for the venture, w-hich is scheduled for production next spring. David Gray is general stage man- . ager and Herbert DuFine stage ' manager of "Tonight in Samar- kand” ... Ed Sullivan, In the N. Y. New’s last Thursday (9>, calls pro- ducer Richard Aldrich’s biog of his late actrcss-wife, Gertrude Law- rence, "the greatest book ever written about a theatrical celebri- ty.” Incidentally, the columnist neglected to mention the book’s title. "Mrs. A.” Richard Charlton has commis- sioned Evan Hunter to write a kidnap drama to be titled "King’s Ransom” for production next spring. Hunter’s dramatization of “Blackboard Jungle,” his own shocker novel about New York City schools, is under option to Robert Whitehead for production next spring . . . Staff for "Witness i& the Prosecution” includes George Banyai, general manager; Sam Schwartz, company manager; Rich- ard Maney, Frank Goodman and Peggy Phillips, pressagent; John Effrat, production stage manager; assistant stage manager, Eugene Stuckmann; production assistant, Betsy Holland. Alberta Hunter went on as Bessie Bolt, the Chicago blues shouter, in "Mrs. Patterson” for several per- formances last week when Helen Dowdy was ill .. . Aldrich & Myers have optioned "Yankee Cousin,” by Benjamin Simcoe, which was tried out off-Broadway in 1943 as "Play- boy of Newark.” with the author billed as B. K. Simkhovitch. Legit Bits Abroad Edinburgh, Dec. 21. Solid biz at Lyceum Theatre, Ed- inburgh. for Britishjnusical "Love From Judy,” with Jean Carson as star, billed as "direct from terrific American success” in tv . . . Mi- chael Elder, young Scot actor, authored new’ play "Outrageous Briefs.” a modern farce preemed at Byre Theatre, St. Andrews, with Damaris Hayman staging and Roy Boutcher in central part. Jacqueline James, Atlanta-born singer-dancer is a click as Miss Adelaide, the "well-known fiancee” In "Guys and Dolls.” which teed- off on three-cities Scot run . . , Alexander Scott, poet-playwright, authoring new musical. "Tam o’ Shanter’s Tryst," set for preem at Citizens’ Theatre. Glasgow, Jan. 17 and based on the classic Robert Bums poem. Five-w-eek tryout tour is set for "Night of the Ball.” which preemed at King’s, Glasgow, wdth Wendy Hiller and Gladys Cooper. John Loder and Tony Britton costar with the two distaffers, and Steph- en Mitchell presents the Michael Burn piece . Wilson Barrett stock company producing Kenneth Horne’s com- edy, "Trial and Error” . . . Newly- opened Princess Theatre, Edin- burgh. presenting a double bill of Shaw’s "The Man of Destiny” and Chekhov’s "The Bear.” Christine Orr is staging . Scheduled N.Y. Openings (Theatre indicated if set > BROADWAY What Every Woman Knows, City Center (12-22). Black-Eyed Susan, Playh’se (12- 23). Ruth Draper-Paul Draper, Bijou (12-26). St. Bleecker St., B’way (12-27). Flowering Peach. Belasco (12-28). House of Flowers, Alvin (12-30). Anastasia, Lyceum (1-3). Purple Dust, Bijou (J-4). Time of Life, City Cent. (1-5). Festival (1-12). Put All Together (wk., 1-17). Fourposter, City Center (1-19). Plain & Fancy (1-20). Sjlk Stockings, Imperial (1-21). Painted Days, (wk., 1-24). Grand Prize, Lyceum (1-26). Desperate Hours (1-27). Tonight In Samarcand (wk.. 1-31). Wisteria Trees, City Center (2-2). Dark Is Light Enough (2-9). OFF-B’WAY Troublemakers, President (12- 30). Passion of Gross, de Lys (1-9). Dr.’s Dilemma, Phoen’X 11-11). 3 Sisters, 4th St. (2-10).