Variety (October 1958)

64 LEGITIMATE PJOelETl Tedirtaday, October l t 1953 Shows Out of Town The Marria ge Ce I mi San Francisco. Sept. 17. ! Paul Gregory pr aduititm of I^eille Stevens. Stars Claudette Colbert and Cbarle* Boyer; features Jntte- New- jnar, Edmon Ryan. Directed by Joseph Anthony; settings gnd lighting by ItoneM Oenslager. Opening Sept. 37, *9$ at Alcazar. San Francisco;: $6-50 top. Paul Deivill» ........... Chariee Boyer Content Lowell.Claudette Colbert Xatrin Sveg.Julio Newmar Rosa Barnett.Edmond Ryan In “The Marriage-Go Bound,** which opened tonight at the Al¬ cazar, producer Paul Gregory has come acropper. His production Is splendid physically. The four char¬ acters, and especially Charles Boyer, are satisfactory. Donald Oenslager 1 * settings and lights are fine. Joseph Anthony's direction la as good as can be expected under the circumstances. But Leslie Stevens' bedroom comedy is tedi¬ ous and witless. Two-and-a-hali-hour show hangs on one quasi-joke: should a middle- aged college professor, happily married 25 years, allow himself to go to bed with a brilliant, blonde aTp?«vni of 24 who wants him to be the father of her baby? It takes more than two hours of incessant talk to get an answer to this relatively simple question, and then the answer is only “maybe” and the audience hardly cares. Boyer plays the Professor, Clau¬ dette Colbert his. wife, mother of grown children and herself a col¬ lege dean. Boyer starts show with lecture on monogamy from podium at one side of stage. Miss Colbert follows immediately with lecture on happy marriage from podium at opposite side. Then they step onto revolving stage to. greet big blonde, played by Julie Newman who has come from Sweden and decided Boyer would be perfect genetic specimen to produce perfect child with her. Two acts depict various stages of triangle with Idmon Byan Intro¬ duced in small part of professorial foil for Miss Colbert. Throughout show two principals step off stage to podiums for coy asides to audience. Boyer manages to stay in character as lecturer— This is a tribute to his acting skill. But MTm Colbert loses lecturer’s poise during second act, lets her voice become shrill and turns into hysterical wife. She also displayed annoying, habit of speaking with, head- turned away from audience. Miss Newmar is vastly sexy and ” almost believable in an unbeliev¬ able role. Play’s r esol u ti o n, unfor¬ tunately, has Boyer suddenly talk¬ ing Miss Newmar into seeking hus¬ band instead of perfect genetic specimen and strain of this* final touch of unreality destroys any il¬ lusion she may have built. Flay is built on salvos of one- line wisecracks of this order: “He makes Rocky Marciano look like a little girl ” and "Mercy Me, that’s Boston for m be damned ” Such gags lose their fizz very quickly and by second act “Msr- riage-Go-Round” is Acceedingly thin, barren and too long. - Oenslager’s 360-degree revolving set includes living room, kitchen and corner nook at Howard John¬ son’s restaurant. It's slick. For Broadway Gregory and An-1 thony will have to cut half-hour and find some funnier lines than Stevens so far has supplied. Film possibilities at this juncture are nil. Steif. Pitate New Haven. Sept. 24. Gilbert Mffler presentation #f comedy in three acts by Irwin Shiv, from the French, of Marcel AchartL Starr Tam Ewell; feature* Lee Bowmen, Xaaey Wickwire, Mnrial William*. Susan. Oliver. Directed by EL C. Potter; wttinrr, Ray¬ mond Sovey; ceetumes supervised by Kathryn Miller. At. Shaker* Theatre, New Haven, Sept. 34, *38; $4.80 top. Lean Kollo..Tom Xwdt Edith Relle.Nancy Wickwire Butler ... ... George Turner Veronlque Taillads..Maria! Williams Noel Taillade __...... Lee Bewman Alexa Kollo . Sums. Ottver “Patate” has “promise** but Is going to require a more successful transition of Gallic values into American Values before it can hope to leap the smash hit bar¬ ricade. -Present problem seeming-: ly is to shed emphasis which per¬ haps had weight in the Paris, yer-. sion but invites a different type of reaction stateside. This applies especially to the central character who, currently, though reasonably I amusing, should also, draw con- • siderahle audience sympathy, but does not as presently portrayed. Optimistic factor favoring prop¬ erty is general laugh content which , provides a sound foundation for] possible expansion. Fortunately there’s ample tuneup time (four more weeks), indications being that present experimenting with several roles may jell, and play could hit Broadway as a. candidate for survival. “Patate” is the French equival¬ ent of “fall-guy,** which Is the role assigned Tom Swell. Playing the patsy to a polished shady operator (Lee Bowman), Ewell has taken the rap for a variety of offenses' committed by Bowman, a smooth heel who has even gone so far as to teach the facts of life to Ewell’s 18-year-old adopted daughter. A shift in circumstances momentarily places Bowman at Ewell’s mercy but latter softens up when chance for revenge actually presents it¬ self. Role should generate au¬ dience sympathy hut that facet is being glossed over, as of the em¬ phasis at New Haven opening. Ewell is right for the patsy part, grabbing off a good share of laughs, but .as yet hasn’t got his teeth into the role, partially due to- adaptation. Bowman does the gentleman crook very well, with emphasis on unruffled delivery. Nancy Wickwire gives considerable understanding to the role of Ewell’s forthright and faithful wife (part since taken over by Hafla Stod¬ dard as of the Boston run); Mu- rial WOliams adds ample gracious¬ ness as Bowman's wealthy wife who buys his way out of scrapes; Susan Oliver contributes rampant charm as the daughter who ignores the rules of propriety. Pace at play’s opening is lethar¬ gic, first act serving merely to prepare action. ‘Best moments come in final frame as staging builds to interesting climax. Con¬ trasting lush and modest Parisian -living rooms are in good taste and there’s opportunity for a nice femme apparel display, i. Irwin Shaw’s translation is said to stick pretty elose. to original version but might do well to get away from certain French charac¬ teristics for better Yank apprecia¬ tion. Bone. MaaltfheBtg-Salt Wilmington, Sept. 30/ Producers Tbeetre production >f thr ee- act comedy by filbert Belch ant WlUlam H. Wright, from naval by Mwb Carl*. Star* Joooica Tandy, and Ham* Crow features Cathlean. Nesbitt and. Carmen Andrews. Directed by Ralph Nelson; set¬ ting and light,. Donald 6enalLag«r; cos¬ tume a. Anna Hill Johnstone; associate: pro¬ ducer, Lewis Allen. At Playhouse, Wil¬ mington, DeL, Sept. 34 to 37, four eve¬ ning performances, Saturday matinee; $5.40 top. Martha Wallins ......... Jearfea Tandy Ottver Walling-.Hume Crony* Geerge Stoddard . John. Griggs EHean. Stoddard.Canaan, Mathews Henry Gaston..Jehu M c G erecn lady Gaxton, .......... Nancy Clubman Mrs. Louisa Stoddard. Cathlooa NosMtt Stewart Stoddard_...dints* Sandberg Anthony Robert!.:.. Tam Carlin Hr. Beal.. Arthis Hagbea Contemporary American society, smug in stereotyped homes, fobs and recreation with “security” as life’s ultimate, is gently rocked and rolled from its foundations by an ordinary guy with A plausible dream and normal frustrations who finds escape and a more exciting self as ‘The Man In the Dog Suit” Co-starring the highly compat¬ ible man-and-wife team—Hume Crpnyn mid Jessica Tandy—this warm marital comedy gives a charmingly funny twist to a hot uncommon, situation: A good Joe . married to a beautiful and devoted gal whose family feels he’s quite inferior but have accepted him with a few revisions and Improve¬ ments which they continue, to .make over the years. Gronyn in the title role of Oliver Walling and Miss Tandy as spouse, 1 Martha, bring tears and laughter and sympathetic response. They ; live in a typical American suburb, have six-year-old twin sons attend¬ ing. a boys’ camp with. a. typical American Indian name, and after nine years of married life, Oliver and Martha have fallen into the usual state of taking one another for granted, but the romantic glow of their first meeting in Italy is readily revived by playing the rec¬ ord, “Isle of Capri.” It is on this reminiscent note that the curtain rises on the Wal¬ lings in a playful mood and in a dim light, returning from a mas¬ querade party at the country dub. Scenic and lighting effects add to the enchantment and gaiety of this opening scene which also intro¬ duces the dog-suit—Oliver’s cos¬ tume. The guise quite feasibly be¬ comes an exhilarating obsession with him and a fly in the ointment 1 for his in-laws, the Stoddards, a family of prestige; affluence, ex¬ treme conventionality, and skele¬ tons in the closet. The Stoddards have gone to all well-meaning ends, to fit Oliver into their mold, the first step hav-, ing been to find his a niche in the hanking world (at this point head teller), although he got his degree in forestry and Is still movea to great emotion on the subject of trees, fungus, etc., especially with alcoholic stimulation and in his dog-suit. The grotesque costume, its large, Tolling; head representing a Ger¬ man shepherd, cuts a convulsing figure whether hanging in the closet or on Walling. Yet, after becoming acclimated, fine is in¬ clined to agree that a fellow of Oliver's submerged personality has to go somewhere to refuel his ego and the dog suit does the trick- So naurh so that it becomes habit forming and he is unable to fac£ a crisis without it. This is both frightening and re¬ pugnant to the Stoddards and a threat to the family’s good name since Walling makes several im¬ promptu public appearances in the weird garb. When the -time comes for a promotion at the bank (Stod¬ dard-controlled), the ultimatum is issued: the loan officer's desk or the dog-suit. This crucial decision, of course, is the roeat of the play. This almost tender satire is beau¬ tifully executed with sensitive ap¬ preciation for minor details, ges¬ tures, expressions, actions. Even some^of the silences are pregnant with humor or warm human feel¬ ing. However, some of these gaps must be closed to sharpen the pace and cutthe running tune. Cathleen Nesbitt as Mother Stod¬ dard comes forth' in a manner be¬ fitting her stature as a veteran of nearly 50 years in the theatre. She endears herself with her studied sweetness, understanding and ma¬ ternal concern, the subtie. poison of which both makes and breaks. Cronyn as the square peg in a round hole has an hilarious com¬ plement in Carmen Mathews, non¬ conformist married to the real estate tycoon of the Stoddard fam- i fly. As Eileen Stoddard she not only has the big corner on laugh lines, but she hits the jackpot every time with crisp and clever delivery and synchronized expres¬ sions and attitudes as she adroitly affects various stages of inebria¬ tion. John McGovern gives a com¬ manding performance as Harry Gaxton, dentist-turneeLhenk-presi- dent under Stoddard influence. Arthur Hughes as the slightly de¬ ranged Mr. Beal, a pixie of a man who makes like a helicopter, seels the play's theme andhja own pop¬ ularity in his “takeoff and landing” hit ; Tom Carlin, a pertonahle and promising young actoriJtt the role of Anthony Robertt-ipother odd patch in the Stoddar^riullt, is the unwitting generator" of amusing events creating this-comedy. The son of Mother Stoddard's sister, whq committed the indiscretion of marrying an Italian gardner, it is Tony’s trip East from Omaha to become remodeled as a* Stoddard i that oils Oliver’s wheels of mem¬ ory and rebellion, thus motivating t his frequent retreats into dog-suit. I This comedy by Albert Belch and Wflliam H. Wright, from a novel by Edwin Corie. should go well on Broadway, after a little fine tailoring. Neatly avoiding slap¬ stick, the topnotch east pokes fun at familiar aspects of American Hfe, mischievously Invading home,, office, heart and a man’s day¬ dreams. A departure from the ultra-smart and arty, the homely humor of “Man in the Dog Suit” is Infectious, The dialog and situations are con¬ sistently runny and their harmoni¬ ous flow is evidence of capable direction. The show promises ex¬ cellent wearing of the dog-suit. Burroughs. Make A MiUlea Atlantic City, Sept. 24. Joel SpecCor and Sylvia. Hams prases tation of three-act: comedy 1y Norma] Barasctt and CarxoU Moor*. Stayer, Sn Stem; associate director. Ty Parry; act- tins and Rshttnc. Paul Morrison; eoe : turn*a. Ana. Both. Prta antei at Warren Theatre. Atlantic City. Sept. M. *3 »; " fop. - Claire Manning ......... Neva Patterson Mail Bor .Daaais Richard* Batty Phillips . Joy Hannon Mait from Coffe* “■—*■ ’ - ”— unr _ Hickey Julie Martin .. fifingWedieworth Mr. Merfcnthaler 'f^ Balj- Dorothy Gray.'f.ynn 1 Lt. Friadlander ........ Ed __ General Potter .........Den Wilson Farris ..ffiMchard Bair Kins ......V^Coand Janla Reeves ../^fiennl* Richards Fitzpatrick ..............,v*Ed Crowley Juliano ..Guy Perone First MJ>. Hoke Hdwell Second MJ».... Ty Party Cameraman .. Hake Haven Reverend Conklin .......... Don Marye Henry Whipple.. Hoke Hewell Telephone Operator.. ..Barbara Barkley “Make A Million” with Sam Levene in the starring role and Don Wilson, of radio and tv, in the cast, is the second tryout play to come to Atlantic City’s boardwalk, once * breakin haven. For the first act it looks as though its on its way to make nearly a million for its backers. Unhappily the action soon fizzles though a largo, hard-working cast of 18 geta plenty of laughs, despite-the leveling off. \ Three-acter is spoof x>fthe tele¬ vision quiz program fad, timely -now with the fix probes underway. It tells the story of a producer (Levene) harrassed by. Incidents which threaten his program. Top (Continued on page 96) Off-Broadway Reviews Vetolsfi Gena Dinyanary produettan of three- act drama by Jama* For^th. Staged, by Nadine Miles; settings >and lighting; Henry Kurth; costa mas, Thaoni Vaddiou Aldredge; music, Crawford Wright. At Gate Theatre, N.Y.* Sept, S4, S3.90 top. (Cast: Alan Arkin, J&tgh Pahnerston, Brendan Fay, Mitzi Hoag. SOI Serlin, Richard Neilson, Steve Wolfson, Eugene Miles, Sue Trevathan. When “Heloise” is raging with intellectual conflict, it Is a fiery play. The first act, and most of the third, of James Forsyth’s romantic drama, are concerned with gleaming ideological and spiritual conflict that make a visit to lower 2nd Ave.’* Gate Theatre enormously rewarding. Forsyth, a British playwright, is said to have written his version of the celebrated Abelard-Heloise romance in dribs and drabs during World War n, sending scenes home from the front as finished for later reassembling ipto pl*Y *°rm. Less inspiring theatre by far has often been written, under more favorable circumstances, and al¬ though Forsyth’s history is episodic, it discloses a king-sized talent for : dramatic craftsmanship, as well as literary writing of a high order, talents not always found Ifi tandem. The play runs almost full gamut of the renowned love affair be¬ tween the man who had one of the finest minds of the middle ages, and the not-much-less gifted woman whom he loved. Their pre¬ marital union that brought forth a child, the subsequent furtive marriage designed not to binder his progress under churchly aus¬ pices, the fiendldi revenge (emas¬ culation) taken by Heloise’s doting clerical uncle, canon of Notre Dame, and the spiritual further¬ ance of their love through taking of holy orders, are all touched upon. The age's conflicts between faith tad reason are exploited, and the play’s underlying theme is the essential unity of love: That these elements have been made dynamic¬ ally theatrical is the play’s suc¬ cess. The tasteful production that Gene Dingenary has provided, the discreet staging by Nadine Miles against Henry Kurth’s painting- like unit sets, are fruitful labors. In fact, the Gate Theatre itself, formerly a church; is a good milieu for this ipedieval excursion As the .discerningly glowing Heloise, Mitzi Hoag has clarity of tongue and spirit as she shows the girl and woman hoiqhiff her own with the great grinds of her time. Eugene Miles' Abelard is a rather dry, ascetic, occasionally pedantic man, whose passion is, paradoxically, most fully realised in the closing scenes of monastic self-deniaL ' As Abelard’s intellectual rival, Richard Neilson Is .crisply stirring. Hugh Palmerston's worldly villain is replete with cynicism, while Sol Serlin’s portrait of the canonical unde, who plots Abelard's emas¬ culation, suffers from an attempted rationalization through use of a [senile dementia that' is st odds with history,' f “Heloise” was first produced seven years ago in London. Its local unveiling brings distinction to the new theatrical season. ' Geor. David Ross revival of louMct treaedy by Frank Wodtkhad. as translated bjr Staphen Spender and Fr an ce s Fawcett. Stars Eva Gabor, Harold Haktn Claranc* Dartrant. Feature* Don Fellows. Marcel HWaire, EdyarFtanksn. Patrick 0*NeaL Staged by Rosa; settings. Eldon. Mar. At 4th. St. Theatre, N.Y-. Sept, 38, *»; $4.45 *°$asf: David Roes, Eve Gabor, Jack Adams, Haralfi Huber. Patrick O'Neal.. I Edgar Frauken, Don Fellow*. Loll Robin- 1 •on, Clarence Derwent, Lore Note, Mareet HUlaire, Ruth. Majtaaa. Andreas Vout- sinai, Michael Mann. William Bassett. - Time and David Ross have con¬ verted Frank Wedekind's sex tragedy, “Earth Spirit,” into the sex comedy, “Lulu.” With a marked assist from Stephen Spender and Frances Fawcett, who have pro¬ vided a painfully literal translation, sufficient to tax the concentration of the most straightforward actor. With its accent on prurience, the German playwright’s script was originally a Victorian shocker, a theatrical piece of importance in its day for frankness of theme and explicitness of story and language. Somewhere lurking in the shadows of the ffir corners, of the 4th St. arena theatre, there is an inkling of the play’s essential .tragedy. Neither in adaptation nor in stag¬ ing, however, has this basic ele-i ment been allowed to get on stage. The heroine, if that’s the term, is calculating, oversexed, demoniac. She destroys' every male with whom she comes in contact. One dies of a heart attack, one cuts his throat, another she. shoots, after telling him that she poisoned his [ first wife. (This man she really ,4°yesJ ' The girl started her manhunt as a barefooted 12-year old flower girl. She seduces father and son, fogey and fledgling,, prince or pauper, without discrimination, ex¬ cept Insofar as this affair or that may advance her career or assure her of creature comforts. By the end, bored with it all, she has resorted to lesbianism. Eva Gabor tackles this Witch’s stint in Ross’s revival. She plays it straight, being kittenish, or thp vixen as required, narrowing her deepest eyes in cruel lust, curling her generous mouth as lovers grovel at her feet, clutching vir¬ tually the entire male cast to her decollete bosom at one point or another in the evening’s proceed¬ ings. As the surrounding court of males, such worthies as Clarence* Derwent and Harold Huber daunt- lessly show the way, taking hold of the improbable lines and read¬ ing them with authority, force and as much conviction as an actor may muster under such disconcerting., circumstances. For each, it is valor beyond the call of duty. In a later play of Wedekind’s, Lulu Is hacked to bits by one oz her clients. None too soon, either. Gear. The Ym & Frovtoclals Stage Eotenriaae .product!** *f three- act comady-arama by Ben Levinson. Staled by Levinaen; setting* and lighting, Pec ala. At tha Cricket Theatre* N.Y* Sept. 18, '38; $3.49 ton. a Cari: Jonaie Horton, Luke Askow, Barbara Pitcher, James Gere, Jeha O’Con¬ nor, Gena YannL "The Young Provincials” ap¬ parently falls Into the: category of comedy-drama. The Ben Levinson piece purports to be about young artist intellectuals who are really “hicks “ the provincials of the title. It is very bad. After a week’s delay occasioned by the author-director’s bout with recurrent malaria, “Provincials” has opened the Cricket Theatre, N.Y. Levinson was originally being triple threat by acting in his play as well, but withdrew because of his Illness. The four principal players, two young men and two young women* are all making their New' York debut In this production. Pinch- hitting for Levinson in the play’s only character role Is an experi¬ enced actor named John O'Connor. He cannot improve on the' play, but he does demonstrate quickly and effectively how to inform a seen* with drive and tension. The junior quartet xould well take note. / At one point, after a young lady whom an artist la about to sketch has been talking a great deal, she asks him how ho sees her. “Right, now,” quoth be, “as all mourn-** It got the laugh. <teor. Base* Renew The America* Ballet Theatro opened the second week of its current Metonera Hoosa stand; with the world, premiere of “Jour¬ ney,” an introopoctlve apostrophe to death -and final judgment, to music of Bela Barfok and with stimulatlngly Imaginative choreo¬ graphy by England's Kenneth MacMillan. This ballet was tried on the dor, so to speak, during the company’s aeries of programs at the. Phoenix Theatre during. May 1957, and since that time It-bag been refined. Its essentials re¬ main the same, however, it is still avant garde ballet and may not soon become popular with (or, per¬ haps, especially not with) con¬ firmed balletomanes. The mood Is grimly imcom- promlsing. the costuming is starkly drab, the setting is green-hued ahd cavernous, what Kora Kaye does within-this grisly milieu, as she portrays a soul In limbo, is certainly hot glum. With ascetic precision, emotional knowledge and remarkable discipline, she uses her gifts for characterization sa that much Of this ballet becomes deeply affecting. Even when in repose, Miss Kaye has the facility to make the stage all hers. When she Is merely sitting quietly, with action swirl¬ ing risewhere. ft is virtually Im¬ possible to shift attention from her very Immobility. MacMillan is unquestionably a highly gifted choreographer, and that this Company hag had the courage to place this enigmatic ballet in repertoire is a distinct credit, for despite occasional self- consciousness, “Journey” is a masterly work that should achieve permanence. The balance of the program con¬ sisted of -the Bahmchine-Tchaiko w- sky .“Theme* and' Variations," (Continued on page M)