Variety (May 1956)

56 LEGITIMATE PStRIEfY Wednesday, May 16, 1956 Shows Abroad The Final Ace London, May 11. Stewart-Fleld Productions presentation of a drama in three acts (six scenes), by Charles Fenn. Features John' Stuart, Lloyd Lamble, Michael Peake. Staged by* Jack McNaughton; decor, Jefferson Strong. At New Lindsey Theatre Club. May 7, '56; $1.50 top. Lt. St. John Buxton.... Michael Browning Suling . Silvia Herklots Lt. Col. Hedingham.John Stuart Maj. Preston.David King Brig.' Evan Carding.Lloyd Lamble Maj. Wayne C. Mulhauser USAAF • Peter Hutton Gen. Kwok . Michael Peake Lee .. Mah Gunn Pang Prof. Chai . John Cazabon Wong . Dennis Clinton Jennie . Tsai Chin Ah Chung .Soon Cheh Slong Mrs. Chai .Sally Lewis Because of its political slant, Charles Fenn’s play would perhaps be questionable material for Broad¬ way, but in the more temperate climate in London it may justify a transfer from its present club sit¬ uation to a regular West End run. It is an expertly written piece, sus¬ tained by action and drama, with the right levening of comedy dia¬ log. “The. Final Ace” is set in China during/World War II and purports to show how the Chinese National¬ ists were more concerned at com¬ bating Red influence than fighting the invading Japanese army. Bridges were left intact to facili¬ tate the enemy advance, for to ^have blown them up might have been costly to Chinese transport companies ready to come to terms with the conquerors. The main point of focus is a small British intelligence unit aware of the double-dealing be¬ tween the Chinese and the Japs. There is also an American liaison officer afraid to use Red agents to help the allies, as he fears the pos¬ sible effects on his law practice back home. The final scene in which a power station is dynamited by the British without prior con¬ sultation with the Chinese general is good dramatic stuff. Lloyd Lamble as the British commander, MichaenPeake as the Chinese general and John Stuart as a-Colonel head a good team of performers. Silvia HerktOts im¬ presses by her ‘sincerity as a Chi¬ nese student who acts as inter¬ preter. Jack McNaughton’s staging is taut and positive. Myro. The House By the Lake London, May 10. Peter Daubeny presentation of a drama In three acts (four. scenes), by Hugh Mills. Stars Flora Robson, Andrew Cruickshank. Staged by John Fernald; decor, Fanny Taylor. At Duke of York’s Theatre, London, May 9, '56; $2.35 top. Col. Forbes . Frank Royde Stella .’. Jenny Laird Janet . Flora Kobson Brenda . Doreen Morton Maurice . Andrew Cruickshank Colin . . Paul Lee Iris . Sylvia Coleridge Mr. Howard . Alan MacNaughtan Nurse Thomson . Annette Kerr There’s not much mystery in this new murder meller and hardly enough dramatic tension to make it a West End hit. Its main strength is in its excellent acting, with no¬ table performances by Flora Rob¬ son and Andrew Cruickshank. The main fault with the Hugh Mills play is that it attempts to be ingenious, but only succeeds in be¬ coming too contrived. The author has a good and interesting basic idea, but has allowed the plot to become involved and complex, without compensating suspense angles. It takes too long to build up to the final-act climax. The murder attempt under hypnosis, to get rid of an embarrassing witness, is too theatrical to be convincing. The actual murder in the play is carried out in full audience view— and there’s no surprise element there. The plot, however, poses two consequential questions. • Firstly, will the .ex-doctor and his sister, who committed the crime against their half-brother, get away with it. Secondly, will the dead man's wife, who admitted murderous in¬ tentions, be wrongly accused? Oddly enough, Flora Robson has > more than a negative role for the first two acts, but comes inio her own with a powerful final act scene. She plays the part of the ex¬ doctor s wife, a former manic-d:- pressive, who had twice before lmr marriage attempted suicide. . The doctor had cured, her by hyp¬ nosis and when he discovers she knows too much he puts her in a trance and persuades her to commit suicide. The police stop it, how¬ ever, just before she is due to pull the trigger. Andrew Cruickshank gives a re¬ strained and sincere performance as the arcihtect of the well-planned murder, but who carelessly leaves a string of clues behind. Jenny Laird appears a little too tensed-up as his partner-in-crime, Sylvia Coleridge makes a vital impression as the dead man's hysterical wife. The play is tautly staged by John Fernald, and Fanny Taylor’s single set is suitable. Myro. Call Girl Glasgow, May 11. Jack Gillam Ltd. presentation of com¬ edy-drama in two acts, by Robert Colwyn. Staged by John H. De Lannoy; settings, Jack Chambers. At Empire Theatre, Glasgow, May 7, '56; 80c top. Pearl . Claudine Morgan Man . Freddy Lees Gordon Craig.Leonard Kingston Little Man . John Chilvers Constable . Bernard Stevens Young Woman . Helen McLaren Elderly Gentleman.Arthur Barclay Ruby . Mary Kean Toni Manclni.Robert Vaughan Miss Thompson . Jocelyn Ring Tottle . Mary Robertson Bertha ... JU1 Chadwick Constable . Ryan Jelfs Simple plot based on the sordid theme of prostitution in an English city is obviopsly geared only for curiosity value. Billed “for adults only,” it is merely cheap entertain¬ ment for unsophisticates. Locale is the Soho and Kensing¬ ton areas'of contemporary London, .the action ranging from a side street at night to a call-girl flat in classier Kensington the following evening. The yarn offers an ele¬ mentary expose of the call-girl racket as operated in most large cities, and aims to point a moral tempered with humor. The players do a commendable, job with cheapjack documentary- style material. Mary Kean portrays sincerity as wife of an investigat¬ ing journalist, leaving the cus¬ tomers wondering if she is or is not a call-girl herself until almost the final curtain. Leonard Kingston and Robert Vaughan score as the scribe and call-girl operator respectively, and Jocelyn Ring is suitably enigmatic and bitter as the secretary with a longtime grievance. John H. De Lannoy has staged adequately, and the Jack Chambers settings of the call-girl office and flat are so-so. » Gord. The Lass Wi’ The Muckle Moil’ Edinburgh, May 11. Henry Sherek presentation of comic fantasy, by Alexander Reid. Stars Stanley Baxter, Mairhi Russell, Lennox Milne. Directed by Edward Burnham; decor, Joy Stanley; harp music arranged and played by Jean Campbell. At Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, May 7, '56; $1.20 top. Lady in Green .Marlllyn Gray Thomas the Rhymer.. Ian Bannen Sir Gideon Murray.Stanley Baxter Lady Grizel ... Lennox Milne Meg Murray . Mairhi Russell Lizzy . Mary Helen Donald Wattie Duncan . Roy Klnnear Tock . Michael O'Halloran Rab . Norman Fraser Willie Scott .Roddy McMillan Comedy-fantasy by Alexander Reid is an 'amusing treatment of old ballads and legends of the Scottish borderlands, where fam¬ ilies were regularly feuding and fighting.. With fairyland settings by Joy Stanley, and crisply di¬ rected by Edward Burnham, it pro¬ vides acceptable humor for native trade, but has little general ap¬ peal. * It’s based on an old Scot joke about Thomas the Rhymer, a coun¬ try poet who has spent seven years in elfland and returns to earth to write a final ballad. He finds his potential material at the mansion home of Elibank as the Scott fam¬ ily is about to. steal the Murray family’s cattle. Willie Scott, played with relish by Roddy McMillan, is captured add given the choice of either being hanged or marrying the daughter of Sir Gideon Mur¬ ray. Mairhi Russell , reveals naive humor in the portrayal of daughter Meg, the lass whose muckle mou’ (large mouth) has scared off all likely suitors. Stanley Baxter, de¬ spite his own youth, scores as Sir' Gideon Murray, the irascible old gentTwho captures Willie Scott on his cattle-raid, Lennox Milne gives a good por¬ trayal of his wife, Lady Grizel. full of tactful practicability. Ian Ban¬ nen plays Thomas the Rhymer, who finds ready material in the rustic story of love and thieving. Gord. Look Back in Anger London, May 10. English Stage Co. presentation of drama in three acts, by John Osborne. Staged by Tony Richardson. At Royal Court Thea¬ tre, London, May 8, '56; $1.75 top. Jimmy Porter. Kenneth Haigh Alison Porter ...Mary Ure Cliff Lewis . Alan Bates Helena Charles .,• Helena Hughes Col. Redfern'-/. John Welsh ■I Third in- the English Stagfc Co.’s current repertory season of con¬ temporary plays, this first work by an unknown wri'^r shows dramatic instinct that mignt develop beyond the limited scope in which this one is confined. It consists of a practi¬ cally nonstop tirade by a young neurotic against his wife, best friend and mankind in general. Despite the lack of action, the domestic tension is so real and moving that it both repels and holds interest. It is best suited to specialized small audiences and might make a good bet for new- play producing company with a policy of offbeat script. In a cheap room in a gloomy provincial town, a, young couple share their living quarters with the husband’s business partner, who acts as a genial buffer between the bully and his mutely placid wife. The husband comes from the slums, she from an aristocratic army fam¬ ily, and it is an inverted form of snobbery that gives rise to his in¬ feriority complex finding its outlet in mental cruelty. Goaded beyond endurance at the endless abuse and callous indiffer¬ ence to her approaching mother¬ hood, the wife takes her femme friend's advice and goes back to her family. The friend, despite her repugnance at the husband's be¬ havior, succumbs to his virile dom¬ ination and moves in to share his couch. She packs her grip, how¬ ever, when the wife, having lost her baby, comes back. Mary Ure, as the wife, is silent for most of the^play, conveying her grief and humiliation without the use of words. When she finally does speak, the words are all the more effective. As the husband, Kenneth Haigh skilfully keeps up the tirade against life, bringing an air of sincerity to his most ob¬ noxious ravings, and even arousing an element of sympathy. The two friends are well played by Alan Bates and Helena Hughes and play is ably directed by Tony Richardson. Clem. Show Out of Town The Hark Lady Hollywood, April 27. Masquers presentation of Clancy Cooper's production of drama in two acts (seven scenes), by Jack Bennett. Directed by Frank Cady. Set decorations, Willard B. Scott. At Masquers Club, Hollywood, Cal., April 2, '56; $1 top. Narrator . Jay Jostyn Maude . . Marian Ross Sgt. Stuart Hunter.Arthur Marshall Mary Fitton . Gloria 1 Saunders Gabriel Spencer . Richard Aheme Hostess Hasty . Mary Carroll Nettles . Frank Cady Christopher Marlowe. Gene Evans William Shakespeare.Peter Hansen Ben Jonson . Paul F. Smith William . John Qualeit Guards.Howard Townsend, Robert Bridges The world of Shakespeare, Mar¬ lowe and Ben Jonson provides the backdrop for this new two-acter by Jack Bennett which was launched on an experimental basis by the Masquers, local theatrical clubs. “The Dark Lady” an engrossing drama with commercial possibili¬ ties despite its highly literate back¬ ground. Actually, however, the brightest future for “The Dark Lady” seems to lie in the field of platform presentation along, the lines of the experimental tryotit here. Bol¬ stered by a couple of names, it could probably clean up on the re¬ juvenated Chautaqua circuit of col¬ leges and civic organizations and eventually attract interest for a limited Broadway stand. Script spans approximately 36 hours of the week in which “Romeo and Juliet” was premiered. Bennett has taken two isolated incidents from history (the murder of Mar¬ lowe'in a tavern and Jonson’s fatal stabbing of a tavern roisterer) and juztaposed them as the climax of his script. The villain of the piece is the title character, a lady of the court who dangles both Marlowe and Shakespeare, unbeknownst to them, while she actually is in love with a second rate actor. In the Bennett script, the actor eventually kills Marlowe and is in turn killed by Jonson. / Effectively produced in the plat¬ form technique by Clancy Cooper, “Lady” hasNbeen skillfully directed by Frank Cady. The players stand before lecterns ,to read their lines, but there is an occasional flash of action to leaven the-wordiness. In the tryout production, fine performances by Gene Evans, Peter Hansen and Paul F. Smith as Marlowe, Shakespeare and Jonson, respectively, carry the bulk of the work. There is notable support from Gloria Saunders in’ the title role, Marian Ross as her maid, and Caay is around for standout com¬ edy in a-lesser role, with a bright assist from John Qualen. Kap. Not Another One! Glasgow, May 15. New comedy, ‘'Love and Mar¬ riage,” by Matthew Service, will be preemed June 2 at the Ruther- glen Repertory Theatre here. Play is set in an English country house, and the subject matter is in¬ dicated by the title. Shows on Broadway Kiss Me, Kate N.Y. City Center Light Opera Co. (Wil¬ liam Hammerstein, general director) re¬ vival of musical comedy in two act*. Music and lyrics, Cole Porter; book, Sam and Bella Spewack. Staged by Burt Shevelove; choreography, Hanya Holm, romounted by Ray Harrison; musical di¬ rector, Frederick Dvonch; scenery, Wat¬ son Barrett; costumes, Alvin Colt; light¬ ing, Jean Rosenthal; production assistant, Michael Shurtleff. Features Kitty Car¬ lisle. David Atkinson, Richard France, Bobby Short, Delores Martin, A1 Nessor, Tom Pedl, Ben Lackland, Harrison Dowd, Barbara Ruick. At City Center of Music and Drama. N.Y., May 9. '56; $3.80 top. Fred Graham (Petrucio).. David Atkinson Harry Trevor (Baptlsa)... .Harrison Dowd Lola Lane (Bianca).Barbara Ruick Ralph . Vincent McMahon Lili Vanessi (Katherine).... Kitty Carlisle Hattie . Delores Martin Stage Doorman .. Robert. Relm Paul . Bobby Short Bill Calhoun (Lucentio) Richard France First Man . A1 Nesor Second Man ■....Tom Pedi Harrison Howell . Ben Lackland Gremio .Philip Wentworth Hortensio .'. .. Ray Weaver Haberdasher . Arthur Mitchell Dancers: Olga Bergstrom, Patricia Blrsli, Dorothy Etheridge, Kate Friedlich Norma Kaiser, Nadine Revene, Kathleen Stanford. Rosemary Weekly, Gene Gavin, WiUiam Inglis. Donald Mahler. Gene Myers, MitcheU, Robert Norris, Baird Searles, Jon Young. Singers: Helen Baisley, Doris Galiber, Nina Greer. Jean Maggio, Louise Pearl, Rose Rosett, Barbara Saxby, Jack Irwin, John Keelln, Vincent McMahon. Heim. Jay Stern* Weaver, Wentworth. The N. Y. City Center Light Opera Co. is sticking to form with “Kiss Me, Kate.” It’s a quality pro¬ duction, somewhat lacking in the performance power of the Broad¬ way original, but major league nevertheless. Since its 1949 New York preem, “Kate” has received wide showcas¬ ing on the road, in stock and as a film. Its popularity attests to the click values in Sam and Bella Spewack’s breezy book and Cole Porter’s lilting showscore and snappy lyrics. The vet tunesmith really unloaded a barrage of power¬ house numbers for this backstage opus, pegged on Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew,” In the lead roles, Kitty Carlisle and David Atkinson are satisfac¬ tory, if not as robust as Patricia Morison and Alfred Drake were in the original Broadway production. Barbara Ruick is good in the . part created by Lisa> Kirk,' but" again some of the original sparkle is missing. It’s Richard France, though, who grabs top honors in the vocal-hoqfing assignment initi¬ ally handled by Harold Lang. His workover-,... of “Bianca” is partic¬ ularly strong. ‘ Also standout are A1 Nesor and Tom Pedi as the mobster intruders. They’ve got a natural winner in “Brush Up on Your Shakespeare,” which they milk for click results. Besides the scripting and perform¬ ance aspects, the tuner also has visual impact in Alvin Colt’s color¬ ful costumes and Ray Harrison’s flashy remounting of Hanya Holm’s original choreography. Burt Sheve- love’s staging likewise rates on the credit side. “Kate” is the second in a string of three musical revivals being pre¬ sented at the Center this spring, each for a three-week run. The ini¬ tial entry, “The King and J,” piled up a sock $141,800 total gross. Windup presentation, which preems May 31, will be “Carmen Jones.” Jess. The Lovers Playwrights Co. & Gayle Stine produc¬ tion of drama in three acts, by Leslie Stevens. Staged by Michael Gordon set¬ ting and lighting, Charles Elson; cos¬ tumes, John Boyt. Features Darren Mc- Gavin, Hurd Hatfield, Joanne Woodward, Morris Carnovsky, Vivian Nathan, Mario Alcade, Norman Rose, Pernell Roberts, Robert Burr. Bramwell Fletcher. At Mar¬ tin Beck Theatre. N.Y., May 10. '5G; $4.60 top weeknights, $5.75 weekends ($5.75 opening). Grigoris .Hurd Hatfield Clothilde . Vivian Nathan Sextus . Earl Montgomery Xegan . Norman Rose Mattiew . Robert Jacquln Simon . Harry Bergman Vole Sturmer.William Bramley Marc .. Mario Alcade Douane . Joanne Woodward Chrysagon de la Crux_Darren McGavln Blaise ... Gerald Hiken Draco de la Crux..Robert Burr Austrict de la Crux.Pernell Roberts Herstal de la Crux. Robert Lansing Probus .. Morris Carnovsky Tomas . Gayne Sullivan Saul . George Ebeling Lisanne ‘. Kathe Snyder Malrese . Frances Chaney Ironsmith . George Tyne Millwright . George Berkeley Wheelwright . Bert Conway Escavalon . Letter Rawlins Clement of Metz. Bramwell Fletcher Stewards.Byron Mitchell, Kurt Cerf Friars.Edward Setrakign, Charles „ , , , „ Chaucer Knights Escavlon Robert Dowdell. John Carter, Grant Easthnm. John MacKay Villagers. Peggy Richards, Florl Warren, Lena Romano, Edith Martin, Patricia, Allaben, Emily McLaughlin, Page Johnson, Norman Wlgutow During the tryout tour of “The Lovers,” author Leslie Stevens was quoted in an interview as say¬ ing that • there’s ' no underlying meaning or message in the drama, but that it's just a story that came to him in virtually supernatural mahner. If that’s true, then- “The Lovers” tends to be a great deal of dramatics to not much point. , The jplay has an air almost of were striving to say something $ significance and depth. No such theme emerges clearly, however so this Playwrights Co.-Gayle Stine production remains merely a slow, hollow and remote drama that’s doubtful boxoffice and un¬ likely material for films, television or stock. u There remains a sneaking hunch that a completely different produc¬ tion approach might have -put it over, at least for a Broadway run According to trade scuttlebutt' there was some discussion about doing ‘‘The Lovers” with top-star leads and stylized direction, some¬ thing in the manner of “Ondine” a couple of seasons ago, That might have given the play enough glitter to have covered its empti¬ ness. All that is just" speculation however. ' Possibly the show’s title is iron- ic. The story is a triangle about a 12th century French lord and peasant girl who meet too late and whose love is disastrous' bringing death to the three prin¬ cipals and sorrow to a whole com¬ munity. The three dead finally get the blessing of the church, so per¬ haps the drama is saying that even though circumstances may be too big for us, and love cannot save us, there is salvation in heaven. The yarn, as a program note ex¬ plains, deals with “Jus primae noctis” (“right of the first night)”, or “Droit du seigneur,” a custom alleged to have existed in mediae¬ val Europe giving the lord the right to sleep the first night with the bride of any of his vassals. In ‘The Loyers,” the switch is that the lord is a. decent fellow who falls genuinely in love with the girl. •* She instinctively returns his pas¬ sion, even though she still loves her husband and wishes to return to him. Circumstances overwhelm them, however, and in order to prevent rebellion by the peasants and wholesale loss of innocent lives, the girl kills herself, and the lover and husband slay each other in combat over her corpse. That keys the drama’s prime “problem,” the thread that runs through its entire length. Namely, whether the bodies of a suicide and the victims of a crime of pas¬ sion may be given the sacrament and burial in holy ground. “The Lovers” alternates between a gen¬ tle, courageous monk’s quest for the facts of the story and flash¬ back scenes of the events them¬ selves. The device seems need- Issly complicated and, if the au¬ thor’s disclaimer of “message” is justified, it is pointless as well. Stevens, who first drew critical attention a couple of seasons ago with the off-BrOadway drama ‘Bullfight,” and then missed last year with a farce titled “Cham¬ pagne Complex,” writes with con¬ siderable force in this third-pro¬ duced work, and the audience pays it the compliment of hushed atten¬ tion throughout. Despite its inter¬ est-holding quality, however, it re¬ mains unmoving. The piece is played with varying skill. As the lord whose good in¬ stincts brings his destruction, Dar¬ ren McGavin is persuasive, with suitable swagger and a disarming air of conviction. Vivian Nathan is believably forceful as an indom¬ itable peasant woman whose de¬ termination to win last unction for the deceased husband and wife finally overcome the monk’s re¬ sistance. Hurd Hatfield is plausible in the somewhat monotonous role of the • monk. Morris Carnovsky gives stature to the part of the bride¬ groom’s grief-stricken father, and Robert Burr, Pernell Roberts and Robert Lansing are acceptably swashbuckling as the lord’s hench- men-brothers, Joanne Woodward is decorative in the confusingly written part of the bride and Mario Alcade vehement as the avenging groom. Michael Gordon’s careful stag¬ ing does little to expedite a rather deliberate drama, although.an oc¬ casional crowd scene has propul¬ sive movement. Charles Elson s scenery, consisting of varied-level platforms, a cyclomama and com¬ plex lighting, is mood-suggesting and avoids scene-change delays, but of course can’t tighten the script or hustle the playing. John Boyt’s costumes properly ” contrast the status of peasants, clergy, lords and . temporal officials. . “The Lovers” is a moderately interesting Show, but unexciting. Hobc\ (Closed Saturday, night (12) ter four performances ). Pressagent Arthur Cantor has taken a summer lease on a hilltop place in Croton. N.Y., overlpokmi, the Hudson River valley and surrounding country.