Variety (March 1955)

W«lKnihy, March 30, 1955 LEGITIMATE 63 A Spade Is a Spade Is a Spade ~ Out*o£-town reports that the language of Tennessee Williams’ '‘-Cat On a Hot Tin Roof* wasn’t for* the kiddies was confirmed by five of the seven N. Y. daily newspaper critics following the play’s Broadway opening last Thursday night (24). Only two reviewers who didn’t mention the gab as being racy were Brooks Atkinson (Times) and Walter F. Kerr (Herald Tribune). - Lightest of the references to the play’s language was William Hawkins’ (World-Telegram & Sun) comment, . .‘ it writhes and yowls and bares the souls of its participants with a shameless tongue.” John Chapman (News) was more, severe, stating, “X felt also that the considerable antount of dirty talk in it was mere boyish bravado and rather pointless.” - The other three crix, Robert Coleman (Mirror) John McClain (Journal American) and Richard Watts Jr. (Post), all flayed up the spade-is-a-spade angle. Comments were: “The language is the strongest heard hereabout in quite a spell. Williams doesn’t call a spade a spade, but rather a steam shovel” (Cdleman). “Along the way it seemed to me there was unnecessary vulgarity and em- barrassing expletive. We know a spade is a spade, but it doesn't have to be a dirty, fetid, miserable, filthy, garden implement. Mr. Williams shouldn’t have to resort to that." (McClain). Watts tagged the language “both lyric and lewd” and then went on to note that the play . . takes a naturalistic relish in calling spades by their real names .” The proposed Actors Equity and Chorus Equity merger .has bit a new snag. Latest block to con- solidation of the two unions is the Chorus membershio’s demand 'that their attorney, Rebecca Brown- stein, represent Chorus in the merged organization. Majority of Equity Council members are un- derstood to be against such a move and it was expected that the pro- posal would be vetoed at yester- day’s (Tues.) Council meet. At last Friday’s (26) Chorus Equity membershio meet a reso- lution that Miss Brownstein’s re- tention be an absolute condition of the" merger received an almost unanimous affirmative vote. How- ever, such top echelon Chorus members as May Muth, who’s on the Equity Council, and Ralph Strain and Douglas Rideout are understood to be against the stipu- lation. Both Rideout and Strain are on the Chorus exec committee and are also ipembers of the mer- ger negotiating committee. One of the negating factors against retaining Miss Brownstein is understood to be financial. It’s understood salary payment to her would far exceed the coin presently being shelled put by Actors Equity, to its legal staff. Miss Brown- stein had formerly been attorney for both Equity and Chorus Equity, (Continued on page 67) Shift in Lineup of Equity Nominating Committee But Conservatives Rule Makeup of the recently-elected Actors Equity nominating commit- tee has been changed slightly, with the conservatives still retaining their five-four margin. Two of the members of the committee were un- able to attend the initial megt last Monday (28), necessitating perma- nent replacements. Of the three council representa- tives, John Emery has been suc- ceeded by George Ives., Former' is currently on the Coast and was therefore unable to show up for the meet. Ives is regarded as a liberal, while the other council members on the committee, Lois Wilson, chairman, and John Drew Dever- eaux, are considered middle-the- roaders, as is Emery. Of the *-§lx membership reps elected, William Tabbert has been replaced by Patsy O’Shea. Former got tied up in traffic and failed to get to the meet by starting time. Both Tabbert and Miss O’Shea are regarded as conservatives, as are the other membership reps except John Kerr, who’s considered lib- eral. The four other members are Leif Erickson, Peggy Wood, Alex- ander Clark and David Orrick. ‘Colony’ to Open 15th Roanoke Season July 1 Greensboro, N.C., March 29. Paul Green’s symphpnic drama, “The Lost Colony,’’ will open its I5th season in Waterside Theatre at Fort Raleigh, on Roanoke Is- land, July 1. The show was launched here in 1937. General Manager Dick Jordan has’ set island tryouts for parts in the show. The tryouts are held under the supervision of Samuel Selden, supervisory director of “The Lost Colony.” 4 —, Kiepuras Wind Vienna Run; Sked Brit. Stay Jan Kiepura and his wife, Marta Eggerth, returned to New York last week after a 106-performance hold- over run in Vienna in 'Franz Le- har’s “Zarewitsch.” Couple had originally been slated for a 22-per- formance stand in the operetta. Duo return to Europe next month for a scheduled three-month run at the Palace Theatre, London, in “Merry Widow.” Road 'Men Winds To 85G Profit “Oh Men, Oh Women” wound up its road tour at the Harris, Chi- cago, last Saturday (26), at an approximate $85,000 profit on a $70,000 investment. As of a March 12 accounting, the net profit on the Cheryl Crawford-Andersoh Lawler production was $85,736. Show broke about even on its final two weeks since then, with closing costs and other expenses bringing the windup profit figure to around $85,000. Profit for the two weeks prior to the March 12 accounting was $85 for the week ending March 5. The Edward Chodorov comedy broke even the ensuing week, with the author waivihg $291 and the Harris Theatre, where show was in its 14th frame, reimbursing the production $797 to eliminate a loss. As of the accounting, dis- tributed profit totalled $59,000, with $833 available for distribu- tion. Show made a $69,561 profit on its 390-performance Broadway run, which ended last Nov.13. Profit on tiie road tour, which began Nov, 15, was $16,175 as of the account- ing. Ralph Bellamy starred in the touring production in the role originated on Broadway by Fran- chot Tone and later played by Lloyd Bridges. NEW MUSICAL TENT IS SET FOR PHILLY AREA Philadelphia, March 29. Latest addition to the summer theatre sweepstakes is the Valley Forge Music Fair, 1,500-seat tent show which will present Broadway musicals and operettas for an 11- Week season starting June 23 and continuing through Sept. 10. Located in the picturesque Schuylkill Valley and easily access- ible to Philly by the Expressway, the Valley Forge venture will be produced by Lee Guber, local hotelman and nitery owner; Frank Ford, WPEN radio announcer, and Shelly Gross, WFIL-TV ahnouncer and personality. Herman E. Krawitz, of the Met Opera administrative stage depart- ment, . has been signed as manag- ing director. A permanent com- pany of dancers and singers will be engaged, with new -principals se- lected for each week’s production. Margo Jones Bows ‘Ghost’ In Dallas Three-Weeker Dallas, March 29. . Margo Jones will try' out Stephen Grey’s mystery-comedy, “Ghost of a Chance,” Monday (4) at Theatre ’55 for three weeks. Season’s windup will be “La Belle Lulu,” April 25-May 14. Preeming musi- cal is by co-authors Frederick Jackson and Irving Phillips; with music by Offenbach and Charles Previn. A summer season of five new scripts has been, skedded by Miss Jones at her arerta theatre, June 13-Aug. 21. Playwrights, Feuer & Martin Divide ‘King’ Return Visit to Chi Finds Crix. Friendlier; Upgrade 1st Reactions Chicago, March 29. Return visit to “King and I” by the four firststring Chicago critics last week tp appraise Leonard Graves as the replacement for Yul Brynner resulted in some inter- esting re-evaluations of other com- ponents of the Rodgers & Ham- merstein tourer. Opening notices when the show arrived here last November were characterized by Variety as- two pans (Cassidy, Tribune; Dettmer, American); and two affirmatives (Kogan, Sun-Times; Harris, Daily News). Last week’s followups by the same Quartet fairly, rate as unanimously favorable for both Graves and the play itself. Claudia (Trib) Cassidy’s first re- view described the production as a “thin shadow of its once sumptu- ous self’’ with the comedy broad- ened, “sometimes to slapstick.” She stated, however, it was not a “rundown version of the orig- inal." After the second look she commented Only that the road ver- sion ’ “is a vastly different show from the (Broadway) original,” and that Patricia Morison, the star, and Graves make an amusing couple, with the emphasis oh comedy. As for the* “Uncle Tom” ballet se- quence which drew the “ earlier comment that it had “degenerated into archness, fallen archness,” the followup noted that it had “re- covered much of its oblique charm.” Roger Dettmer of the American, who tabbed the opening night as “astonishing unmagical,” with par- ticular barbs for Miss Morison as the “weak link,” noted that Graves handled his promotion most ably and that the star “some- times” projects a “warmth and authority new to her work since November.” Although his first report was generally favorable, Herman Ko- gan of the Sun-Times upgraded his opinion of Miss Morison’s work. He said he found her “un- appealing” on opening night, but she r “entranced me completely on this second visit.” The News’ Sydney Harris’ un- qualified opening rave was echoed in hfs followup which called it “an engrossing musical play.” Miss Cassidy,' incidentally, finaled her return piece with the report that the show had piled up a riet gross of $800,000 during its 17 weeks at the Shubert and that there’s still nearly $100,000 in ad- vance sales. ‘Plain’ for Coast Los Angeles, March 29. “Plain and Fancy,” current Broadway musical, - will be pres- ented here in duplicate this. Sum- mer as the fourth show of the L.A. Civic Opera Assn, season. Deal was set by Edwin Lester and the producers of the musical, Richard Kollmar, James W. Gardiner and Yvette. Shumer. The arrangement follows a pat- tern established in previous sea- sons for concurrent local runs of “Kiss Me Kate” and “Guys and Dolls.” Drury Lane Out for Brit. ‘Pajama’; R&H Link Ho'ds London, March 29. Jerome Whyte, who returned to London last week for an extended j stay, told Variety that “Pajama Game” was definitely committed to open iii London this year, but ifcsf semester was would not be staged at the Drury Lane. Decision in regard to thea- tre is likely within a few weeks. ' At Drury Lane it’s intended to maintain the Rodgers & Hammer- stein link, and “The King and I,” which has been running since Oc- tober, 1953, will be succeeded by “Pipe Dream.” London production will be planned after the Broad- way opening. Tops Into Black “Pajama Tops”, .is. operatic p at a profit, having recouped its $25,000 investment during its 18th week on the road, ending last March 12. Other than “Moon Is Blue,” which closed at a profit several weeks ago, the H. Clay Blaney-Rex Carl- ton production is the only one of a rash of twofer tourers this sea- son that has paid off. As pf March 19, profit oh the Mawby Green-Ed Feilbert adapta- tipn was $3,038. As of a Feb. 26 accounting, production had $5,145 to recoup. Operating profit for the following two weeks, ending March 12, was $6,992, leaving a net profit of $1,847. Profit for the following frame, ending March 19, was $1,191, bringing the* total profit as of that date to $3,038. Capitalization on. the show was raised to $25,250 when two cast members took a $250 interest in the’ production in lieu of salary Christmas weelt-when biz dropped off considerably. Production is at the Shubert, Washington, this week. The. Playwrights Co; and Feuer & Martin are “monopolizing” Broadway. Each management has three shows .currently on " the boards, all either sellouts or proven hits. For the Playwrights, it’s a con- tinuation of last season’s win par- lay of “Sabrina Fair,” “Tea and Sympathy” and “Ondine.” Pro-, due tibn • firm’s only miss that The Winner.” This season, outfit has already reared with “Bad Seed” and is almost sure to ditto with "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.” 3esides these two productions, “Tea” is still playing to a profit, although grosses have dipped sub- stantially, in recent months. How- ever, the road company of “Tea,” with Deborah Kerr starring, is racking up sizable returns for the Playwrights. Org also had two clinkers this season, “All Summer Long” and “Traveling Lady.” With “Seed” and “Cat” added to the hit list, that gives the Play- wrights 18 winners out of 38 pro- ductions in its 16 years of opera- tion. Unlike last season when, for the first time, none of the original member dramatists was repre- sented by clicks, this semester has Maxwell Anderson on tap as adap- tor of “Seed,” based on a novel by William Marsh. “Cat” was written (Continued on page 67) TALLU, ‘CHARLES’ PRODS. SETTLE SAURY TIFF Chicago, March 29. Tallulah Bankhead, starring in the touring “Dear Charles,” has made her peace with producers Richard Aldrich and Richard Myers over a salary adjustment during the comedy’s Chicago run. Miss Bankhead agreed* to a cut from $5,000 to $3,000 weekly dur- ing the last two weeks of the four-, week Windy City stand, but the stipend goes back to $5,000 during the balance of the tour. Show leaves the Erlanger here Saturday (2), lays off next week and opens in St. Louis April 11 for two weeks, and then moves to the Coast. GOLDEN JUBILEE YEAR 1905-1955 McAvoy to Run Somerset Strawhat Next Summer Somerset; Mass., March 29. The Somerset Playhouse will be operated by John J. McAvoy next summer. Barn, which was taken over by Fred and Martha Miller last year, had previously been operated by Sara Stamm. McAvoy, Who’s been manager of the Em- pire Theatre here for the past six years, acted as manager of the Playhouse for three seasons from 1951-54. * Season is slated to run from June 27 through Sept. 3, with the- atre employing a star policy. Silo will also switch from the routine Wednesday and Saturday matinees to Wednesday and Friday after- noon showings. Add ‘Kate’ for L. A. Opera Los Angeles, March 29. Cole Porter’s “Kiss Me Kate,” j with Met Opera star Jean Fenn in • the title role, will launch the L.A. Civic Light Opera Assn.’s 18th annual season May 2 at the Phil- , harmonic Aud. Schedule also includes “Pajama Game,” “Kismet” and “Plain and Fancy.” Clii Off-Broadway Group Halted Till Court Rules On Bldg., Fire Law Status Chicago, March 29. Playwrights Theatre Club, town’s n ole permanent rep group operat- ing under an off-Broadway type Equity agreement, is currently homeless because its Near North quarters* have been ruled out of bounds for use as a theatre under existing fire and building laws. Issue hinges on whether the group operates as a club or as a regular theatre under the more stringent fire ordinances, with a court rul- ing on its status expected this week. ‘ Meanwhile, "Playwrights is going ahead with a production of “Oedi- pis Rex,” with William Marshall starred, which will be staged at the Eleventh St. Theatre this Satur- day and -Sunday (2-3), If the court finds the group can' operate as a club, it’ll return to its Dear- born St. location, continuing with “Rex.” ‘AWEIGH’ ANKLES OUT OF N. HAVEN IN TRIM STYLE New Haven, March 29. A week of surgery sent “Ankles Aweigh”. out of this, harbor Satur- day (26) an improved product as it headed for two weeks in Boston. Local run picked up several knots in speed as the nine-performance stand wore on, and final show shaped up promisingly. Mark Dawson, replacement for Sonny Tufts in the male lead, was skedded to take over at the Sat- urday matinee but a mild virus held him under wraps. Tufts fin- ished out the week. Unusual demonstration of per- sonal regArd in which Tufts was held by all concerned came when producers presented him with a wrist watch and the company fol- lowed suit with cuff links and an engraved cigaret case. Six Musicals Lined Up For Cleve. Barn’s 2d Year Cleveland, March 29. Johnny Price's Musicarnival tent theatre, which has six musicals definitely lined up for its second season, turns on its lights June 10 with “Kiss Me Kate.” With ex- ception of “Kate,” set for 17 days, and “South Pacific,” starting a three-week date June 27, most of the shows will run two weeks. Bob Hope, who. grew up in Cleve- land,. still owns a substantial hunk of stock in the 1,500-seat strawhat- ter built next to Thistle Down Race Track in nearby Warrensville Heights. Following first two shows, Price will stage “Die Fledermaus,” July 18-31; “Brigaddon,” Aug 1-14; “Wish You Were Here,” Aug. 15-28, and “Guys and Dolls,” Aug. 29 through Sept. 11.