Variety (December 1957)

58 UECITOIATE Wednesday, December 18, 1957 Show on Broadway The Genius and the Goddess _ Courtney Burr On association with Liska March, by arrangement with Mal¬ colm Pearson) production of three-act (seven scenes) comedy-drama by Aldous Huxley and Beth Wendell, in collaboration with Alec Coppel. based, on Huxley's novel of the same title. Staged by Rich¬ ard Whorf; setting. Whorf; : costumes. Virginia Volland. Stars Nancy Kelly/ Alan Webb. Michael Tolan, Olga Fabian.'Nina Reader. . Billy Quinn. At the Henry Miller Theatre. N Y.. Dec. 10, '57; $5.75 top (SS.90 opening). Timmy Maartens ........... Billy Quinn Ruth Maartens Nina Reader Dr. Henry Maartens ......... Alan - Webb Katy Maartens .. . Nancy Kelly Bertha ..........,:.......... Olga Fabian John Rivers ...'.......... Michael Tolan Ini the Playbill last week, play¬ wright Molly Kazan had a nercep- tive and provocative article deplor- ing the stereotype characters and - the lack of surprises in contempo¬ rary plays. By coincidence, last' week’s opening, “The Genius and the Goddess/' was at least a step toward being an exception. The comedy-drama by Aldous Huxley and Beth Wendel, in col¬ laboration with Alec Coppel, Was nothing much as a play, but at least it had an interesting premise and a slightly unorthodox central character. Presumably both were taken from Huxley’s novel of the same name and, as a guess, the play is inferior to the original book.- If it’s any indication, the three collaborators insisted, for several days prior to the Broadway pre¬ miere, that their names be taken off the stage version. “The Genius and the Goddess’’ fails as a play for a number of reasons, including the fact that it starts out as a comedy, about the home life of an eccentric genius and ends as a virtual soap opera romantic triangle. The basic theme, almost lost in dramatization, is that spiritual and creative strength can be transferred through human con¬ tact. It’s a challenging idea, but lit¬ tle is done with it. However, it could conceivably be material , for screen adaptation, and the play it¬ self may be good for a few stock and little theatre bookings. The character of the genius is the only one in the play worth bothering about. For one unusual thing, he actually gives the impres¬ sion of being a genius. For another, he develops as a person during the several months’ action. Although he’s like a spoiled child in. the lengths to which he will go. to get his own way, he is obviously a man of rare intellect,, perception and, in. a crisis, courage and strength. The wife in this rather pale paraphrase of “Candida” is one of those supremely assured women, combining superhuman efficiency, bland confidence that she knows all the answers, and an air of being terribly big about the all-too- human faults of others. Even more than Shaw’s classic heroine, per¬ haps, she’s pretty tough to take/ Not too unlike the third element of the “Candida” triangle also, the : youth in 'Genius and the Goddess” is a rather callow specimen. This is a loquacious and tedious show, as the restless, cough-af¬ flicted first-night audience at¬ tested. There are a few amusing situations, such as the first-scene bit in which the Nobel Prize physi¬ cist works out his young son’s algebra problem in a complicated array of blackboard hieroglyphics in not much more time than his wife solves it by gradeschool meth¬ ods. There are also laughable lines, mostly involving drily scientific comments on everyday human af¬ fairs. But there’s too much fancy talk, much, of it platitudinous. Alan Webb gives an expertly believable and droll performance as the genius. Without minimizing the little selfishnesses, of the scien¬ tist, he makes him diverting, engag¬ ing and, as the element on which the . play’s basic situation rests, lovable. Nancy Kelly is attractive and competent as the less-thari-perfect goddess, but cannot overcome the smugness of the character. Michael Tolan plays the humorless young lover capably, and there are ac¬ ceptable supporting bits by Billy Quinn and Nina Reader as pre¬ cocious (at least by early 192(J’s standards) children and Olga Fa¬ bian as a devoted maid. Richard Whorf’s staging is busy and occasionally hackneyed/ but his single setting of a St. Louis professor’s living room looks prop-, erly spacious and informal. Vir¬ ginia Volland’s costumes are ap¬ propriate. Hobe. (Closed last Saturday (14) after seven performances .) Nancy Devlin, has taken over the Actors Equity council post vacated by Polly Rowles, who resigned. A Shadow of My Enemy Nick. Mayo production of two-act drama "by Sol Stein: Stars Ed Begley, Gene Ray¬ mond; features. William Harrigan, Leon Janney. Mason Adams, Howard Wierum, William Zuckert, John McGovern, Anne Hegira. Alma Hubbard, Ulla Kazanova, Tom Gorman. Staged by Daniel. Petrie; J setting . and lighting; Donald Oenslager; 1 choral music, Seymour Barab; conductor. Noah Greenberg; assistant to producer, Michael Shurtteff. At ANTA Theatre, N.Y., Dec. 11, '57; $5.75 top ($6.90 open¬ ing). Man ;..■.....;,, Leon Janney Augustus Randall.Ed Begley Holly RandaU ............Anne Hegira 2d Interrogator Mason Adams 1st Interrogator./. William Harrigan Horace Smith ............- Gene Raymond Lawyer .. Howard Wierum Prosecutor William Zuckert Dr. Hans. Eberhardt ...... John McGovern Jasper Colgrove ......... Toni Gorman Gretchen MuUer Ulla. Kazanova Delilah Franklin Alma Hubbard Singers: Morris Gesell. Gordon Myers, Charles Bressler, Rrayton -Lewis • Although law books usually make dull reading for the layman, court trials often convert into good theatre. Because of its wide press coverage, its controversial aspects, and its subsequent documentation in books designed for popular con¬ sumption, the HiSs-Chambers con¬ flict of mid-20th century notoriety was bound tO: reach the stage soon¬ er or later. A new playwright, Sol Stein, has elected to make it rela-c tively soon. However, his “A Shad¬ ow of My Enemy” so closely paral¬ lels known facts that most of the elements that make for suspense¬ ful drama are missing, for Stein’s method is closer to the/lawyer’s brief than to crackling theatre. Stein has given his subject mat¬ ter conscientiously detailed atten¬ tion. Certainly he is a highly lit¬ erate. author (this/quality, indeed, ironically tends to become a theat¬ rical liability) aind he is cliearly a thoughtful man. His play is inter¬ spersed with colloquies between the two principals that are some¬ times profound to the point of sen¬ tentiousness, high-phrased conqlu- sions are drawn, and the. play is nothing if not sincere: Yet. the grave issues that are debated do not reach the audience’s collective solar plexus. Stein pulls the fug out from un¬ der himself in the opening scene when the' man Who broke with Communism pleads with his friend to join him in the break. From then forward there is no question of guilty or not guilty to tease an audienqe. The play merely pro¬ ceeds through progressive vig¬ nettes. of Congressional, hearings and subsequent, courtroom trial to /prove the friend guilty of the trea¬ son Stein has already established. The friend steadfastly denies h>. guilt, and in the denouement the author suggests that the public shares guilt with both accuser and accused. It would be Interesting to get the reaction to this play, of a per¬ son who knew nothing of the Hiss- Chambers. affair on which Stein has so patently drawn. Since this is virtually impossible, suspense is the important missing ingredient, and the play inevitably suffers from becoming repertorial rather than climactic. It’s still the season for video di¬ rectors turning to the stage. Dan¬ iel Petrie Is the latest recruit, and his staging of “Shadow” has good : pace, sense, of proportion and cleanout precision.' The mobile, concentric-ringed setting that Don¬ ald Oenslager has so admirably provided, with its pinpoint .lighting I also by Oenslager, gives a fluidity that tvrtrained Petrie capitalizes upon. As the ex-senior editor of Time who, via an ancient typewriter and documents produced from a pump¬ kin, convicts his erstwhile friend, Ed Begley conveys the. essence of a man driven by vying senses of justice and guilt. Begley is not given scope for energetic histri¬ onics, but his performance has de* tail down to the nervous-rubbing together of thumbs as the man tries to find his way out of a laby¬ rinth of his own creating. Co-starred with Begley is Gene ; Raymond as the accused, a govern¬ mental employee who has had the confidence of the country’s greait men, yet who, in Stein’s play, is a Communist whose emotions are: frozen m ice. Starting quietly, Raymond gives a steady, illuminat¬ ing portrait, and it is curious to note that despite, the cards stacked against- him, the man he plays elicits a degree of sympathy. Leon Janney. Is appropriately vigorous and inquiring as a mem¬ ber of the public, although the part is dramatically static and relevant only to the author’s larger moral¬ ity. William Harrigan uses a heavy drawl as. a Senator from Missis¬ sippi who is as interested in air- conditioning for the hearing room as in the case at hand, Howard Wierum has excellent drive as the defense counsel, and William .Zuck¬ ert has vigor mid humor as the prOsCeutor. - Because of its introspection and 1 moralizing, film interest seems lim¬ ited as the script stands, although the hearing ana courtroom scenes could provide the framework for a Hollywood version. The title is drawn from .the line, “To strike a, shadow of iny enemy, I must strike a man.” It’s a good thesis, but like Oenslager’s set, its treatment has been confined to blacks and browns. For theatrical purposes, the script could use more black and white, though this might not jibe with the author’s obvious sense of sober inquiry. Geor. (Closed last Saturday (14) after five performances .). Off-B’way Review Pale Horse, Pale Rider Bradley Phillips Sc David Wheeler pro¬ duction - of Corinne. Jacker's two-act Adaptation of a story by. Katherine Anne Porter. Featw.es Douglas Watson, Mar¬ garet Linn, Johri Reese, Shirley . Blanc, Sandy Kenyon;. Staged by Miss Jacker; setting, Bradley Phillips; Costumes, Min¬ erva Farrell; Kuriakos production. Wat¬ son. At Jari Hus Auditorium, N.Y., Dec. 9. '57; $3.45 top. Cast: Douglas Watson; Margaret Linn,. Gene Rupert/Robert Prosky, Shirley Blanc, Emily Horsley, Elinor Fuchs. Dank | Groseclo.se, John Reese, Sandy Kenyon, l Joseph Boley, Sarah Braveman, Esther j “Pale Horse, Pale Rider” has to settle for the unfortunately damn¬ ing tab, “an interesting experi¬ ment” As arranged for the stage by Corinne Jacker, the Katherine Anne Porter story is transparently a labor of love. Miss Porter has worked long and hard, however, for her unique style on the printed page, and there is reasonable doubt whether the elements that phe uses narratively, descriptively and evo¬ catively can be transmitted into stage action. Starkly put, “Pale Horse, Pale Rider” concerns a love affair dur¬ ing World, War I between two sen¬ sitive young people. The girl is stricken with near-fatal illness, re¬ covers, only to find that her young warrior lover has succumbed to in¬ fluenza in an Army hospital. List¬ lessly the girl turns back into life and- its blank future. As well as adapting the. tale. Miss Jacker has also directed the production. In a slow-moving way, using small detail and languourous pace, the story develops in almost shadow-play fashion. Douglas Wat¬ son appears as the narrator, tying the. scenes together with threads of story, and how and then leading the girl through.inscrutable bits of pantomime. Margaret Lmn is attractive and has tender concentration"’'as the girl with whom fate deals harshly; while John Reese .gives a studied performance that has honesty and warmth for. those, members: of the audience who : sit close enough to the stage. Eyen : in the small Jan Hus Auditorium, however, hot all seats are reached by Reese’s essen¬ tially mike-and-camera perform¬ ance. ’Gear. Kill Dayton Dayton, Dec. 17. • Complaintsr concerning the high cost; of stagehands at Memorial Hall here were presented recently to Montgomery County Commis¬ sioners by Frank Allen, manager of the cdunty-owned hall, and Don¬ ald -Robinson, director of the Church Federation of Dayton. Al¬ ien claimed the county was losing money because of cancelled book¬ ings resulting, from the fees de¬ manded by the grips. Robinson related how his group held a meeting in the building for about 90 minutes, with the tab for stagehands running $207. That was $7 more than the rental of the hall, he commented* SCHEDULED N*Y. OPENINGS BROADWAY (Theatres Set) Miss Isobol, Royale (12-26-57). /Fun & Magic, Golden 02-30-57). Two for Seesaw, Booth (1-16-58). Summer 17th, Coronet 0-22-58). Body Beautiful, B'way 0-23-58). Maybe Tuesday, Playhouse 0-28-58). Sunrise at Campebello, Cort. 0:30-58). Oh Captain, Alvin (2-4-58). Cloud Saven, Golden (2-5-58), interlock, ANTA (2-6-58). Portoflno, Adelphl (2-19-58). Blue Denim, Playhouse (2-27-58). Who Was That Lady, Beck (3-3-58). Say Darling, ANTA (4-3:58). Love Me Little, Hayes (4-9-58). (Theatres Not Set) Wihesbiirg,. Ohio' (wk. 1-27-58). Venus at Large (2-11-58). Entertainer (2-12-58). This Is Goggle (2-13-58). Day'Money Stopped (2-20-58). Actress In Love (2-24-58). Back to Methuselah (3-17-58). Hearts A Dollars (4-3-58). OFF-BROADWAY Tobias * Angel, Theatre EasJ (12-27-57). Garden District, York 0-7-58). . Chairs A' Lesson, Phoenix (1-9-58). Winkelberg, Renata 0-14-58). Penny Candle, Circle 0-15-58). Endgame, Chetxy Lane 0-21-58). Dmitri Karamazov, Jan. Hus (1-27-58). The Brandt & Brandt play agency, hitherto officially titled Brandt & Brandt Dramatic Dept., Inc., has been certified by the Secretary of State in Albany To change its name to . Harold Freedman Brandt & Brandt Dramatic Dept., Inc.. The attorney handling the application was Arthur B. Spingam. The purpose of the change was presumably to . establish the play department more clearly in legit and author circles as an autonomous agency under Freedman. It was already independent, with Freedman as president and majority stockholder. The play agency, continues its set¬ up of mutual stock, ownership, however, with the Brandt & Brandt literary agency. The latter firm was founded by Carl and Erdman Brandt, brothers, Erdman withdrew some years ago and Carl recently died, leaving con¬ trol to his widow, Carol, and' their son, Carl D. Brandt, Bernice Bauin- garten, who has headed the book end of-the agency, is retiring at the end of the year. She is the wife of James . Gould Cozzens, author of the bestselling novel,. “By Love Possessed,” Thomas Hammond, general manager for Ethel. Linder Reiner’s up¬ coming production of “Maybe Tuesday,” is continuing his legal stu¬ dies. He currently has eight hours of classes a week, but finishes pre¬ law studies Jan. 11 and, after a three-week vacation,: will attend law school on a fulltime basis. Until then, he’ll continue "as g.m. for the Mel Tolkin-Lucille Kallin play. When he* becomes a fulltime legal stu¬ dent he will go to Mrs. Reiner’s office about twice a week to 0,0. op¬ erations. After serving as g.m. for Mrs. Reiner’s initial Broadway production, “The Rainmaker,” Hammond started law. studies. He interrupted that to handle Mrs. Reiner’s production of “Candide” last season, but then resumed his legal training. He plans' to Join the law firm of Weiss- berger & Frosch next summer. Samuel Taylor, author of “Sabrina Fair,” denies reports from Ot¬ tawa that the rights to the comedy have been acquired by Broadway , producers Worthington Miner and Kenneth Wagg for adaptation as a musical. The mttsical rights to the play are not for sale, he says. Dinner With the Family London, Dec. 13.. Donald Albery presentation of Oxford Playhouse production of three-act comedy by Jean Anouilh; English ^translation by Edward Owen Marsh. Stan John Justin;. Jill Bennett. Directed by Frank Hauser; decor., Paul Mayo. At New Theatre. Lon¬ don, Dec. 12, *57; $2.50 top. Proprietress .,.-....... Gwen Nelson Georges .... John Justin Emile .... Richard Date Delamonte_....... Alan MacNaughtan Mme. do. Montrachet ...... Lally Bowers Barbara .,............... Deleha Kidd M. Delachaume Edward Harvey Jacques .. Ian Hendry- Mme. Delachaume.... .GabrieUe Hamilton Esme .....,.. “........ . Jocelyne' Page IsabeUe ..... *. Jill Bennett Doctor ... Michael Bilton London, always susceptible to an author of Jean Anouilh’s emi¬ nence, is likely to give a glad hand to this entry. Indeed, the 20-year- old “Dinner With The Family,” brought in from the Oxford Play¬ house after a cautious tour, de¬ serves its elbow-room in the al¬ ready crowded West End scene. Broadway may vote the affair a shade slow and old fashioned, but though “Dinner" is not another “Waltz of the Toreadors,” the suc¬ cess of that piece should encour¬ age N. Y. producers to consider seriously the new work. It is a typical Anouilh offering, a subtle, bitter-sweet tragi-comedy, with wit, pathos, fantasy and intro¬ spection blended. It is affair. The first act is brilliantly funny and offers magnificent promise. But in the second stanza a fresh batch of characters. are too suddenly intro¬ duced and the play flounders a shade.. But the belated arrival of the heroine hoists it again and the short third act tidies things up rosily. The story concerns the dream world of a dissolute youtn sur¬ rounded by a family of cheats; liars and spongers. He meets an innocent young woman, and invents a “family”, to impress her. In a hired house he stages a. dinner party with a hired butler, and an actor and actress impersonating his father and mother. The plan misfires aind the young woman real¬ izes that he is supported' by a rich wife, also has a mistress, the wife of his best friend whom he detests and vice-versa, and that he has lied and cheated her In every, way. But the starry-eyed girl’? love conquers all, and the play ends on the hopeful note that the youth will now be inspired to achieve the life that he was previously too Weak and selfish to earn. The .first act, in which the hero briefs the engaged artists on their, roles as respectable parents Is brilliantly fanciful and amusing. Much of the credit goes to Alan MacNaughtan and Lally Bowers, with Richard Dare as the hired family retainer. These are comedy performances of shrewd insight and rightly earn frequent laughter. John Justin has the necessary charm as. the hero, but doCs not fully convince that he is really a cad. Jill Bennett; snub-nosed, pro¬ vocatively plain, is enchanting as the girl who sees through the tis¬ sue, of decadence surrounding her loved one, but still doesn’t care. There is also a splendid showing by Delena Kidd as a brittle, un¬ pleasant mistress Who nevertheless .manages to achieve a certain pa¬ thetic dignity. Ian Hendry, as the worthless ‘-best friend,” tends to overact. Gabrielle Hamilton, Ed¬ ward Harvey, Gwen Nelson and Jocelyne Page are adequate in less well-drawn characterizations. Frank Hauser’s direction skil¬ fully brings out the many moods of “Dinner With the Family” and Paul Mayo’s decor is suitably ; sombre. Rich. Tiie. Rape of the Belt London,. Dec. 13. Robin Fox Partnership and John Clem¬ ents presentation of three-act (five scenes) comedy by Benn W.' Levy. Stars Kay Hammond, ' John Clements, Constance Cummings. Richard Attenborough. Staged by John Clements; decor, Malcolm Pride. At Piccadilly Theatre, London, . Dec. 12, *57; $2.20 top. Hera Veronica Turlelgh Zeus ;... . . . ..,.. : ..... Nicholas' Hannen Hippobotnene __ Judith Furso Theseus ......... xchard Attenborough Heracles. John Clements Antiope .. . ........ Constance Cummings Dlasta>...........Clare Bradley Anthea .. ...,............ Ann Martin Hippolyte ................ Kay Hammond Thalestris . :.. ........... Susan Richards With four big names At the head of a distinguished cast, there is enough potent marquee lure . to bring in the customers to see this new Benn Levy comedy; “The Rape of the Belt.” Its. b.o. success, there¬ fore, looks reasonably, certain, al¬ though the play itself is far from perfect and never sustains the excellent start of its first act. The wit that permeates the open¬ ing scenes with such refreshing sparkle gradually dries up as the plot develops. By the time the second act is through, the author is clearly straining, and he’s reduced to near-farce to complete the play. In its present~form.it might be a dubious contender for. Broadway honors; but careful* revision, par¬ ticularly of the third act* might (Continued on page 61) (Dec. 16-29) Auntte Mam* (2d; Co.) (Constance Ben¬ nett)—Her Majesty's, Montreal (16-21); lays off Dec. 23-25; Shubert. Bost. (26-28). Body Beautiful, (tryout) — Erlanger. PhUly (26-28). . Canadian players—Royal Alexandra. ■Toronto Q6-2L end of lour). Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Victory Jory>- Locust, Philly (16-21); Uya off Dec- 23-25; Royal Alexandra, Toronto (26-28). Diary of Anno Frank. (Joseph Sehild- kraut)—Erlanger, Chi -(16-28). Happiest Millionaire (Walter Pidgeon)— Curran, SJF. (16-28). - Lone Day's Journey Into Might (2d Co.) (Fay Bain ter. Anew McMaster)—Hanna, Cleve. (16-21); Shubert, Det. (23-28). Middle of the Might (Edward G. Robin- soiDp-Ford’a, Balto (16-2D; Uya off Dec. • Miss . fsobet (tryout) (Shirley Booth)— National, Wash. < 16-21, moves to B'way) (Reviewed In VARIETY, Nov. 27, *57). Most Happy Falla—Riviera, Det. (24-28). My Fair Lady (2d Co.) (Brian Aherne, Anne Rogers)—Shubert, Chi (16-28), No Tlmo for Sergeants (N.Y. Co.)— Bushnell Aud., Hartford (16); lays off Dec. 17-24; PUyhouse, Wilmington (25-28). No Tlmo for Sergeants (2d Co.)—Shu¬ bert, Det. (16-21); lays off Dec. 23-24; Hanna, Cleve. .(25-28). . . Rivalry (tryout) (Raymond Massey, Agnes .Moorehead, Martin Gabel)—Laying off Dec. lGJan. 9.' Separate Tables (Eric Portmaii, Geral¬ dine Page)—American. St. L. - (16-21); traveU Dec. 23-25; Hartford.-L.A. ( 28 - 28 ). Sunrise at Campebello (tryout) (Ralph Bellamy)—Shubert, NJL (28-28). Tunnel of Love (Tommy Noonan. Wil¬ liam Bishop)—Alcazar, S.F. (16-28). Two for the Sees*# (tryout) (Henry Fonda)—Shubert, Wash. (16-21); lays off Dec. 23-24; F orres t, Philly (25-28) (Re¬ viewed in VARIETY, Dec. 11, *57). Waltz of tho Toreadors (Melvyn Dou¬ glas, Paulette Goddard)—Memorial Aud., L'ville (18-19); laya off Dec, 20-25; Ameri¬ can; St. L. (28-28).