Variety (January 1958)

January 8, 1958 Fifiyriecond P^&felETY Anniversary LEGITIMATE Who Sez Crix Don’t Savvy Acting? It’s about time . somebody puric l men assigned to. do feature stpries tured that tired old folk-tale about oh what it was like to be a one, critics not knowing anything about I performance actor in a Broadway acting. What if they don’t talk : show. One of the scribes, at that about the histrionic triumphs of { time second-string legit arid film their youths; and maybe just, hap critic for. , the old Philadelphia ; peri to have a batch of review clip Evening Ledger, was Richard Powpings stashed away for casual dain-1 ell;, now an. exec with the N. W. ! onstration? Maybe they’ just Ayer ad agency and a successful : modest, that’s all. .! novelist .l“T h e Philadelphian,” ; For example, does anyone recall . ete:). j that a certain New York legit rej As a juryman, -Powell gave a/ Vie".“ ''as af> aotor in a Broadway | adequatc performance in i show . It A\as an the fall ofl94.> tI)e 0pinj0n 0f . another critic presw-hen A. H. Woods tried out . “Night ent ,wh0 May .possibly not have .1 of January 16 in. Philadelphia, ^een entirely impartial)! but PowThe Ayn-Rand courtroom . metier elfs byline story in next day’s. pa-, had a trick finale calling for an per Was. practically a best-of-the/ onstage ^jury to render a verdict season. The. other juryman-scribe; on the basis of the evidence pre whtf was the. seconding critic sented -in th^ scnpt. Thejegular for the old philly Record? wrote cast included -Walter Rdgeon no st0(y at al, ,^at may have Dons Nolan, the late Edmund been .piaite, br perhaps merely a freeSnV a Tii ”“SAS.t nad' realiratibh that, anything he might den’ Cly<ie Fillmore. Arthur Pier-; turn oat would be: an anti-climbx son and Marcella Swanson (later after PotyeiFs. Or possibly if was Mis. Lee Shubert).. because he had outdone himself The jury members were re in his performance, as a juror— cruited from the audience, and. ■. dozing; through most of the three on the premiere riigbt in Philly, ! acts. . and thereby anticipating the they included two local newspaper reaction of the New York critics ■ ^ ^ to Al Woods’ little project. Off-B'wav Houses In J J critics’ acting, experience. How Ptaix-Iifce wa? there BW nr irciiP rnnfifi Anyway, let’s have an end of Ky Jfcj5.5i^ . the nonsense about ^ critics. not There are. more potential legit knoiung allabout acting. They may theatres in New York than /meets know their ;.own ^irmta the eye. That’s apparent in the " steady stream’ of new houses that ; mM::: have been opening up for off-"! mm Broadw . productions in the past ll f 1 I I "|\| I few. year.-. This season, alone, theref. A Jh Am 11 1 * have been at least seven fresh j I showcases, with more, scheduled n n n *73^ to come. Although the new theatres have. ■ In. 1933; a. slug of a year, if yc been cropping up throughout New . j age was 19 i.all right, prove it washYork. the. heaviest concentration ! becoming what was then known a: has been on the lower eastside, I man in that now: largely-defunct m This former hub of Yiddish legit j the winter stobk company.' Maractivity is now bustling with. Eng fried and the proud papa of an . liSh-.language productions. At least I eighLpound boy, I was not able nine theatres, housing, professional i to afford lounging around productions, have been active in.lBroadway waiting for that ve. that area thus far this season and ' hide uniquely suitable to my there have been others in previous I talents. . I’d done, leads in Salt semesters 1 • Lake City; Memphis, . Washing Included iri, the lineup, of the1 ton and I. was tli^h on a 2tt-week lower eastside -are two houses ... 7° \ie which are unusually large for .off ; recipient of the. followm*, teleBroadway, where theatres normal-, ; ly seat under 300: These are the ; j mt) t a N A POTiT S • TND 1,150-seat. Phoenix,: in its fifth year LlNLUAlNArUJjLo , of operation, and the 1.753-seat JAN. 20 , 1933 Phyllis . Anderson Theatre, which opened this season. Both were Yid nnM at n iwonne? dish; legit hbuses, the Phoenix, hav DUINAIiD :• ing functioned for many years as GRANADA THEATRE the Yiddish Art Theatre arid the thT T?nrY hHTn Anderson as the Public Theatre/ TOLEDO , OHIO Besides the Anderson, other the NEED LEADING MAN FOR atres that have bowed on the lower . eastside in recent months, include SON HERE OPENING FEBRU. the Cricket und the Gat?! both .jj, INTERESTED WIRE ROC located, in the same building, a former Baptist Tabernacle. The ENGLISH THEATRE j INDI •Cricket is situated in the basement' . nF . j ii p-i, • AT, it. A flAmv ,.B6in§ 3 fairly .ircsrirOtit^OiTCOlu and the Gate is on the main floor. Drama Major,, not yet fully, fan: Scheduled to join the fldqk of business terminology, I wired bai lower eastside legit outlets m ..point, but I addressed the. wire to.: March is the Orpheum Theatre, , " ”; 30-year-oid film house The spot is ] "-WHAT IS' SALARY? " being refurbished and converted into a 299-seater. The York Play[ MR. ROCKBOTTOM house on the upper eastside. an ENGLISH THEATRE other new 299-seat off-Broadway . _ ■ _• _ TTV7f. addition this season,. also a INDIANAPOLIS , IND. pictuie house,. . . f < 1. f Now, I didn’t think .'it .was that .9th0l\: t^ea.tres1 the Indianapolis manager got ove the professional' hysterics, he pare rne the 550 more scene this se^on include the Sul asking and proceeded to make me ( ieet Playhouse m Green ing; nie such odd 'little jobs each wich Village which is still the off ,M^nus” in “The Apple Cart,” Phil Broadway ^ronghold; the mptovn in ^eath TakeS A .Holiday” and so Heckscher Theatre, wliich tlm city in -30. consecutive weeks., turned over to the N. Y. Shakes *^ : = ■ peare Festival, and the 85th. Street It wasn t untilthe season was c Playhouse, which was. forced to me that he would have been glad close bv the N. Y. City Fire Dept, more per week instead: Of $50, if and Dept, of Licenses. enough to ask for it! A former 14th St. store is being his was about the time I bega converted into a legiter for use by an. actor must also be a business ; The Living Theatre and a westside business man, he has something to communitv theatre is being esUb, shoe ^salesman sells, a pair of shoe: lished in the Greysione .Hotel on to sell himself .first. Before the, actc upper Broadway. to act, he usually has to se.l hm * *• nil o 1m/y no rf nf nimcolr ttAOr in OH-B'way Houses In Touring Shows , Auntie Maine (2d Co.) (Cdnstarice Benr nett)— Shubert. Boston (6ri8>. Back to Methuselah, (tryout) (Tyrone Power, Faye Emerson, Arthur Treacher) —City And.. Fla. (6);. Civic Aud., Sara-. 1 s<->tn, iria. (7): City Aud., Ft. Lauderdale. Fla. (8); Dade' County Aud Miami Beach. 1 «9-10J; Peabody Aud Daytona Beach, Fla. (ll);.; Municipal Aud Savannah; Ga. (13); Tower. Atlanta, Ga.: (14-15); Wescott AudTallahassee (16); Civic,. New Orleans(17-19). • Canadian Players — Wisconsin .State Cotj le^e Aud Stevens • Point C7-8>;.. Lawrence i .College Aud Appleton, Wis. (9): (J of I Wisconsin. Aud.,’ Madison; (lO-ll); . La /Grange (Hi.) Memorial Aud. C2); F=irI child Aud East Lansing, Mich. tl3-14); ; Western Michigan U. . Aud.. Kalam-’J.oo ! (15), Cohn' Aud Evanston, 111: (16); Purj due U. . Aud Lafayette, Jnd. Q7); ..St. j V-ry ofAhe Woods (Ind.).. College . Aud. (18). ' / Cat: on a Hot .Tin Roof (Victor Joryl — j Her Majesty’s, Montreal (6-11); Wilbur, Boston (13-18). I D/ary of Anne Frank. (Joseph Schild! krautt^-Pabst, M’wivee (6-11): Hartman. ■ rvi-Mvibus (13-15); Memorial AUd.,. L’ville (16-19), Cloud .Seven (tryout) i\t wj, Scott) — Shubert, (15-18). Happiest Millionaire (Walter Pidgebm — Curran, S.F. (6-11); Lyceum SIpls. (15-19)/Interlock (tryout) (Celeste Holm. -Maxi: miUian Schell. Rosemary Harris) — Play¬ house, Wilmington (16-18). .: ■ " Long Day's Journey. Into Night (2d C-*.). • (Fay Bainter, Anew/McMaster) — Erlahger, i Chi (6-18). Miybe Tuesday (tryout) Walnut. Philly (6-11); Shubert. W’ash. (13-18) (Reviewed in VARIETY, Jan. 1. ’58). | Middle of the Night (Edward G. Robin1 son) — National, Wash. (6-13, closes). Most Hrppy Fella — ^Riviera, Dot. (6-11); H^nna, Cleve. (13^18). ” ’ . ; Much Ado About , Nothing (Katharine j Hepburn, Alfred Drake)— Locust, Philly T (6-11); Riviera, Det. (13-18). My Fair. Lady. (2d Co.) ( rian Aherne, Anne Rogers) — Shubert, Chi (6-18). No Time for Sergeants (N/.Y. /Co ) — Mosque.. . Richmond (6-7); Center, Norfolk. Va. (.8); Chapel Hilh (N,C.) Memorial Aud; HO); Aycock Aud Greensboro, N.C. (1.1.& 13): Ovens Aud Charlotte, N.C, (14); | Municipal Aud., -Asheville, N.C. (16); j (Continued on page 288) ACTING IS A BUSINESS ' » By DONALD WOODS 3" In. 1933; a slug of a year, if ypii remember, my age was 19 (.all right, prove it wasn’t!) and I was fast becoming what was then known as a “hot” leading man in that now: largely-defunct medium of culture, the winter stobk company.' Mar¬ ried and the proud papa of an eightTpound boy, I was not able to afford lounging around Broadway . waiting for that ve¬ hicle uniquely suitable to my talents. I’d done, leads in Salt Lake City, Memphis, . Washing¬ ton and I. was tlierion a 20-week Toledo when I was the recipient ' of the. folloiving tele¬ gram: INDIANAPOLIS, IND., JAN, 20, 19.33 Donald Woods DONALD WOODS". GRANADA THEATRE TOLEDO , OHIO NEED. LEAD ING MAN FOR. STOCK SEA¬ SON HERE OPENING FEBRUARY 15 STOP IF INTERESTED WIRE ROCKBOTTOM, ENGLISH THEATRE, INDIANAPOLIS. Being a fairly fresh-oiit-of-eollege English arid Drama Major,, not yet fully, familiar with show business terminology, I wired brick the essential point, but I addressed the. wire to.: Return of Bill Moore | Bill Moore, son of the late Dirity ■■ Moore, will return to the employ f of the Testaurant on W. 46th St.; • New York, founded, by his late father! Bestaurant in recent years has been operated by his sister. i "WHAT IS SALARY?" MR. ROCKBOTTOM ENGLISH THEATRE INDIANAPOLIS, IND. Now, I didn’t think it was that funny, but When the Indianapolis manager got over his seizure of hysterics, he^ gave me the 550 more per week I was . asking and proceeded to make me earn it by assign¬ ing; me such odd ' little jobs each , week as / “-King Magnus” in “The Apple Cart,” Phil Merrivale’s part in “Death Takes A Holiday” and some 30 other long parts in 30. consecutive weeks. It wasn’t until the season was over that he told me that he would have been glad to give .me. $100 more per week instead' of $50’ if I'd been smart, enough to ask for it! his was about the time I began to fealize that. an actor must also be a business man. Like every business man, he has something to. sell. Before . the. shoe salesman sells, a! pair of shoes, he usually has to sell himself .first. Before the. actor, sells. his ability to act, he usually has to sell himself first/ After all, a big part of himself goes into every part or character he plays. To sell both of these things for the right: price, the actor must krioiv what they worth: to. the buyer/ If he steadily improves the product, it should.: be worth more. As the “brand name” becomes more well kriow.n, . it should be worth more. . N6\y. if you have read this far, you know. I’m: not talking about the big freelance : or iorig-term contract, star. Nor am I talking about the younger, actor just starting out. I ^ refer, here to. that considerable segment of actors classified as “featured players.” Vet Buff Correspondent No Buff For B way Blues By SIDNEY BURTON Buffalo. happy — and it made little Bill wliat Well, shut my mpuf and call me you psychology fellers call inse/ Siggie— Freud, that is. jcure. An’ Bill's Aunt Cora didn’t i D’y’ know what. Doc? I just got help any— bein’ a repressed wench back from a weekend of Broadway who might maybe ’ve developed ; show-shopping arid please, Doc, into a fairly acceptable nympho if /.will you roll , out the little old she had had the chance. An’ with couch and get out your pad and Bill’s sister “Reenie a-teeterin ■ on f pencil, ’Cause nobody; but nobody, ! the edge, of frigidity an* all— if you ; knows 'the trouble I’ve seen. know what . I mean. An* I bet you i Seems like the Big Stem show do; uMom’ she was really , shops ’re all bogged dovm with the Quite a dish, or maybe its just j weight of woe. The real Makro Teresa Wnght that makes her.seem lpoulos Secret for successful play that way. Anyhow, it s allreal psji writers is out at last. Yes. get your cho exceptin’ Bill can thank the iself a pappy, or a mammy who are family for .°ia^nS _him sad luce ! high on the happy water or hop— c^use it s the kmd pf sadness land it helps if one of ’em’s a sex that Shore pays off at the ticket j slob, too. Yep. grab yourself an wuudow. ^ . ' unhappy childhood and you’re in. N°w 1^ iyo“ want to see * guy , And if mjr souped-rip Southern ac who’s really dismal, its that young cent is shoWin’ don’t blame Capote Tom W< oUe. Bet Tom: never thought l— it’s by Brando out of Logan. h?’d Je red-handed m bed _ . . .. „.■ _ /•”. -■ with that Laura gal, and m front of But *c‘s g®1. bTack the glpora aU them people too. but that's «-hat ; boys Take_ Bill Inge, for instance, happe„ed Talk about unhappiness ! I bet the /ark nt the. top. of Bill s Doc, it's positively mela.n : stairs was jes’ shady ’till Kazan got chojy ’ | hold of it;. Now;it’s; thick, and black T^,.g pappy was a gaudv gaffer from thel-a doable-horned old goat. Whisr flighting department. key gave him the tantrum on liis Bill’s recollection makes the frim good days like when he was cele; ily a ripe gallery of old chromos. brating the days he was number i Pa was a rootin’ tootin’ maverick— one man in, the town houses— the ! like as" if Don Murray maybe, set , ones that weren’t homes, I mean, (tied in Oklahoma when he left Well, at least ma wasn’t a lush “Bus Stop.” The old brown bottle’s or a hoppie. She got rid of her I in there too and— -oh, man--a little guilt complexes another way — by extra curricular haystacking when pinchi ’ pennies. But it seems like I the old man was bn the road, there weren’t nobodydecent in the 1 That’? what made Bill’s maw iirt whole passel of the family, or — nnh ,a..„riu„nrn,nnni ampng’st the boarders either. May ■mniur mowimmimi: 1J,H,«,J.u:.u.:„D-x.n»r| | be '.that’s why Laura got Tom. • to jjmM gfm 11 bed so easy, but then things begaii I f\l L ^ || to look up. with Tom off to college llj! Ii1 arid the wide world (beforeCiner i f ama that was) arid all. 'InmnZSuliru^ But if yOYe hankerin’ fer a real . . -scowler. Doc, get a squint at that i fairly well known, and established bliddy-boy Gene O'Neill. He was i or television one for the prompt book. With him that category,' you may say, “Wait a everything was just one long slide ib out my agent?” All fight, what the glopin. Everi'one m the still up to you.” As. a business irian whole dpnged O Neill family was a i know , things like the. capacity arid bttle daft--everijthe maid Ma was le housea the break-even point, over a Jbrikie and was^high on the poppy ?e grosses in the. past. If it’s a job ■ m?s^ the time? Brother Jim was isiori bf radio I try to iirid out what 3 boozer anp a lowdown tramp, stand jTor my. job, and then decide .And asi Paw. he 1 ^’as half id if . I am worth that much, to the ; miser and the rest alcohol— tight ! I ask, for it. It’s a . good idea also '\lth money and tight with liquor, isideratiori that other. ac:or who has • y’see: "No. vvonder Gene, ended up /casionally/ . or whom you . nu-.v have depressed, I see they had a “holi: up for this job? Has he worked day matinee’/ New Years. Three cut his salary to get it? These ' hours of mixed up dialoge! Boy, c-s you . must weigh. / what a way to spend a holiday. But )OUt daytime serials?” you ask. “Do if t-hat.s the way Genewants it to ood business practice to be seen in be remembered, it’s okay by me. wer • ,: “Why not?” Here/s a short Jes’ the same I’d like to say a wo pretty well knbvii lads who; met word for the old man. Remember i few weeks ago.. The dialog went u’bcn he climbed up on that battbis: ; tered old trunk with . the stajge le serial! You’re' Idddino? You mean. . hands shakin’ out the sea-blue soap? [sheets all round him and him . Why 1 hat1? * shouting “The World is mine — the youf that’s u'hy ho! It’ll louyr y wealth of Monte Cristo”? Lemirie :e your: whole career! • r . .tell you, Doc, he shore was top man a think it’ll do me any harm. . ] iri! that there theatre, wouldn’t be. caught . dead working | So. like I say, write it all down. ?:(i'iveek grinds Oh . by the way, \ and. analyze dt fer me or me fer it. tie short. Could you lend me 510 ! And if it ends up as a song cue, [the lyrics ihight go something like ; the smart business man. here? I’d,: this: doesn’t know that many of our most! A tear, for the Inge s , the are doing daytime serials right now. Wolfes and O’-Neills tor who has. worked on a show I do Whose, one or both parents Rotel Cosmopolitan” has been seen j were, horrible heels. irhporfant part, on Broadway or in Despair was. their diet — their vill be' seeri again. The daytime se theme, song, no hope ctor “in business!” . " ■ ]' Cause Papjpy of Mammy mei-eials — They Are! ! c™re<t tthiekey or dope. advance an actor, s career? : And.I;. To a!i -upcoming lanes, nd actor uses, good, business judgment, Wotfes and OW’Jills. Anyway^ they’re fairly well known, and established on stage, screen or television. If you fall in that category, you may say, “Wait a minute! What about my agent?” All right, what about him? It’s still up to you.” As. a business irianactor, I want to know;, things like the capacity arid price scale of the house, the break-even point, over¬ head and average: grosses in the past. If it’s ri job on screen, television bf radio I try to find out what the budget will stand jTor my. job, and. then decide in my own niind if I am worth that much to the producer before. I ask; for it. It’s a . good idea also to take into consideration that other. ac: or who lias replaced, you occasionally/, cr .whom you.may have replaced. . Is he tip for this job? Has he worked lately . Will he cut his salary to get it? These “business’’^ valuc-s you'. must weigh. /‘Well, how about daytime serials?” you ask. “Do you think, it’s good business practice to be seen in them?” My answer ’ ,; “Why not?” Hefe/s a short scene between, two pretty, well. "knbwri lads who; met ; Crori> well’s a few weeks ago.. The dialog went something like this:. AL: A dayiime serial! You’re' kidding? You mea.i you’re doing d. soap? WALT: ' .Sure, Why not? AL: It'll fuih you, that’s why' no! It’.ll lower y salary, jeopardize ijour: whole career! WALT: I' don't think it’ll do ine any harm. AL. Well, I wouldn’t be, caught dead working one. of those jive-d-week. grinds . Oh, by the way, Wialt,' I'm a little short. Could you lend me $10 .iiiitil' next "week? Nb\v who was the. smart business man. here? I’d, say “Walt”, just doesn’t know that many of our most talented: people are doing daytime serials right now. Almost every actor who has . worked on a show I do mj^self called “Hotel Cosmopolitan” has been seen in a lead or an irhporfant part, on Broadway or in television, arid will be' seeri again. The daytime serial keeps an actor ‘Hybusiness!”. • : . ; : \ ■ Commercials^ — They Are! j “Well,” you ask,, ‘‘what about, commercials? Do. you think they . advance an actor’s careeh?” And. I; say .“Yes, if the actor uses good/ business judgmerit in doing them-” I don’t advocate doing the saturation commercial with no ideritificatipn except your facei But the occasional dignified commercial, for a good product arid with mention, of your name can. be lucrative and good publicity as well. The fable that the well known actor doing a commercial immediately loses his /value as a dramatic actor has been exploded, In my own case The Theatre Guild engaged nie for the lead on the U. S. Steel Hour opposite. Julie Harris in its production of “Wind From The South” while I was still “hosting” .52 weeks of Damon Runyon The¬ atre for Budweiser. Three years, ago I came to New York frbm Holly¬ wood. My purpose: to find a part in. a good play on Broadway,. Now I can afford to stay here, and wait for it. In. 1933, I couldn’t. In three years I have turned down three plays that turned out to be fail¬ ures and lost one !that was a hit. ..But. these were calculated business risks. Ray Bramley, oriie ,of tv’s busiest actors today, once advised hie, (when I questioned him about tak-. ing. a small part in a good show) so I would advise you: Rav said, “You’re an actbrv aren’t ybu? Then ACT!” Yes; I think I am going to find that Broadway play soon. hot only because I think I know my busi¬ ness as an actor, but also’ because I know my ac 'rig as a business. ' (REPERTORY PLAYHOUSE OPENING IN ST. LOUIS | St. Louis, The Repertory Playhouse, a new yprofessional venture, is slated to open Jan, 21 iri Clayton, in sub• urban St Louis. .With, a permanent j company of New . York players in i hit Broadway plays. Alexander I" White, New York producer and j guiding light of the project, saj-s ; the theatre is to be financed locally ; arid will present “in-the-round” productions in a remodeled auto agency in Clayton. About 10 shows will be produced during the first season for runs of j two Weeks each, with eight perioririanees a week includirig a Sun¬ day students’ fnatinee at reduced prices. White, has launched similar j theatres iri Indianapolis, CincinVriati arid Tuscon and is now round, ing up a cast, of 10 New York ' actors and actresses.