Variety (February 1959)

26 picniMa _ ., K fv # j • m T * 6 f Katie- But greaiJr tafeifeif father. Mm Bwtfc A Persbtpf Jiagf SSSSSSSS 1 *• ;• . *, ; .: Every January, The Players to their NewYork cb&lmcse at dram- nings as to actor at I5; l?artisform- ercy Park* celebrate “Founders Night ” They salute the great Amcri- ing at 18 far CaEforma tod the can actor, Edwin Booth, who'gave the clubhouse in 1888, and lived mad gold* rash days where every theft h&’last years, The type of star , of which'Booth was the great playhouse and gamming, den was exejnpfttr. is now targety an exttoct phenomenon. £Te belonged to the t° the ever accessible bar. century of Lincoln, the great American Symbol * shot down by his Then his fir§t trials in the parts he brother, John Wilkes Booth, also an actor, as both brothers were sons was to make famous. And, leaping of an actor. Yet the fame of Edwin Booth does not dim. the years, the slow maturing of VJaa&rr E fts from the archives of The Players the remarks, made to his art tod the rise of anew star the- fullness of his own years and experience, by the longtime play- m tm (beams of tcrfcftt, George Middleton, farmer president of the Dramatists Guild atheatrg-^ooths ^e on^i endfrr IS yeam with the office of AUen Property. Department of greet, ' Partly culled, from c fuller spoken text, the following should be read ]“" Hfe Deep Emotion | uHthitrorigtnalaudience^theme mbereofaoeciagrobP-inmind. i B as three nightly recalls there must have hovered the most ten- f I hnTTtnr * - member of The wa ? to a correct interpretation of dear, and- ever poignant memory of - m wears after Edwin the- author's mesm&g. In any ob- Ms young wife,. Mary Devlin, and Book's. d«Si la 1893. It was thus store 1 passage* ol “Hamlet,” any per- thoughts- of their daughter, Edwi- ■ my privhege, on those early pl^dag sftttatiou, where the true ns, who-became the pride and con- : Fouflia's Nirhts to hear the course seems dfan and uncertain I solation of his later years. Often tribute* tod reminiscences of the should feel much more secure car he must have looked at Mary Dev- menwbo had inown or acted with to? way i* f-oilowmg the dramatic lin’s delicate portrait which still Booth: But time has almost run instinct and artistic guidance of an hangs where be had left it. Per- out on t£axn aO and only a few Edwin Bo f^ than toy board of haps there, one night, grew the Terrain who" ever saw him I did doctors, dissecting the resolve—which was to he carried STidof S in 1888 three P^ed page by the light of the out—that he be buried beside her. veazs before Ms ’last tonearance ^tu^ lamp.” The vivid reeollee- Then- there was'the tragic 'second » appearance ^ ^ performances in .marriage and much that he must - „^T v . . , ♦ , different roles ever remained wiffi. have shrunk from dwelling on. B^yodimpressdons fade quick- l*F ollette. He considered him the After Mary McVfcke^s' death the - T^f B reaiest »ctor he had ever seen— memory of the other Mary con- : whi te‘s d oublet he wore as Iagq, ^ did! many of his generation. tanuaily filled, his -thoughts. -Per- ■ Wednesday, Fefeaary 1959 Hollywood Prodiiclion Poise ALLIED ARTISTS Starts, ThtoYear .- 2 This Data* last Year. **.■« 3 "THE BIG CIRCUS'" (Saratoga Prods.) (Shooting at Metro) Prod.—Irwla Allen. Din—Joseph. Newman “ Victor Mature, Red Buttons^ Rhonda* Fleming, Kathryns Grant, Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Gilbert Roland, Adele Mara, David- Nelson' (Started Jan. B) "BEATSVILLB" Prod.—Earle Lyon Dir.—-Gene Fowler Jr. . . George Palmer, Kathleen Crowley. John. Lupton, Vlkki Dougan, Collette Lyons, “Smoky"’ Whitfield, Edward Platt, Barbara Drew (Started: Jan. 19 ) COLUMBIA Starts, This Year _..... 1 This Date, Last Year . .3 antrms grwron&jromnpn^t smrer **nrs^ -1 —an old mam in tonearance “5* 131 this \tolQd very litths has though'not yet 6ft—he stopped at owL* 3 Stoyfpi$ of aftjr. actor’s technic a bouse in-,Dorchester and asked h^ttHatfon. The drawings the tenant whether he iftight look: 311 eariier century or the pfaof- -about, as he onee bad lived there. ■ dte tographs only portray moments of; He went upstairs into the bedroom: gone from Ms house. arrested attitudes; they do not re- —and closed the door. When; he »' is testimony of his dramatic yeal the actors intonation, the left he explained that his wife, power that he had so deeply etched pantomime* the sigh,- the twinkle whom he had deeply loved, bad himself upon the memory of a lad, which made the dialogue live, the died in -feat room, wtofira? began a lifetime of thee- ianreM ng toekttet belied The caprieioos ttfchs, of memo? afinfw toother reeoHecUoo. of Booth yeas later. Indirect, hut were v bortt afresh at each new per- -glgS JfgJif. .SfJgg personal R is the ompie ^ory of formtoce, Aspired by each new University stu- audience. What would we not give dent whb, in 187SL won an Inter- to have a v&eel record of how address, on. h^o. it was publisfiea siaa, hfe by-play that gripped more in iMnUnn- thiw TSt "THE LAST ANGRY MAN" • (Fred Kohl mar Pi*od.> PtekL—F red; Kohlipar A * Dir.—Daniel Kan* . Paul Mimi, David Wayne. Betsy Palmer; Joanna Moore, Joby Baker, Nancy Pollock, BIBy Den WaMiama, Clandla McNelL David Winters, Jame* G’Rear, Luther Adler, Dan Tobin. Robert asmoni Godfrey M. Cambridgie, Paul Langtott, ChaneS Herbert (Started Nov. 10) "MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT*' CShootktjg in New YoriD Prod,—George Justin Jar.—Delbert Mann Kim Novak. Fredric March, Glenda Farrell, Lee Grant, Albert Dekker. Lee PhflUjM, f^Be AC ta& Betty Walker, Martin: Balaton. Edith Meteer, Jan Norriss (Started Jan, 5V METRO Starts, this Year. .. T This.pate. Last Year...*.. 4 "THE BIG OPERATOR" (AJ Zugsmlth Pro<L-Frytnan EntJ • Prods.—AI Zmcanfith. Red DoS . Dir.—Charles Hate . • Mickey Rooney, Steve Cochran, Mamie Van Dbren* Bay Dauten, Dick Haymea. Met Tonne. Jim- Backus, Joey Forman, 2 avn Rodathn. Ray Anthony, Larry LWbkln, CharBa Tkapltfi Jr.- (Started Jan, 2 J> "THE BIG FISHERMAN" ’ (Rowland V. Lee ProdJ (For Btaena Viatel* Prod.—Rowland V. Leo Dir.—Frank Boxzage * Howard Keel* ' Susan c Kohner» John Saxon*. Herbert Lomy 'Beulah Bondi; Alexander Scjmrby,, Rhodes* Reason, Henry Brandon, Brian Hutton. Martha Hyer, Ray Stricklyn, Donald Curtis. Marian Seldes, Mark Dana. Charlotte Fletcher. Marianne Stewart* Jay Barney (Started Oct. 1> ""THE HEADLESS GHOST" (American International Piets.) Prod.—Herman Cohen - Dir.—Peter Graham Scott. _ ^ Richard Lyon, Lillane Sottane. Davra Rose, Clive ReViS, Jack AUen. John Stacy, Carl Bernard, Alexander Arch- dale, Mary Barclay, Patrick Connor (Started Dec. 1W y ‘ "SUMMER, OF THE I7TH DOLL" (Hecbt-Hill-Lancaster fcJr UA> (Shootine. In Australia) Prod .-Dir,—Leslie Norman. - . Ernest -Borgnine; Anne Baxter, John Mills, Angela Lansbury. Vincent Balt (Started Dec. 29) ""THE UNFORGIVEN" (Hecht-HaB-Laimastei? for VAX (Shooting in Durango. MexJ Prod.-=James HU1 Dir.—John Huston Burt Lancaster, Audrey Hepburn, Audio Murphy, John Saxon, Lillian Gish, Charles Bickfbfd,' Jos^hfr Wiseman, Albert Salmi, June Walker, Carle* Rivas. Kipp Hamilton; Doug McClure (Started Jan; 12) . . „ * . "THE NAKED* GOODfeSS" ^ ’ (Shooting at Carthay Studios) Asset. Prod.—Rickey Newberry Prod.—Rex Carlton Dir.—William Hole Jjr. Linda. Christiai^ kobert AMs, An* Paige. Ariadna Welter, Jeanne Car¬ men, NeU Hamilton (Started Jan. 19) "ON THE BEACH" (Kramer Prods, for TJ43 (Shooting in Australia) Fred.-Dlt.—Stanley Kramer . Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Fred Astaire; Anthony Perkins, Donna Anderson _ started Jan. 15) . "OPERATION PETTICOAT" (Granart Prod.) (Shooting in Key West, Fla.) FTod.—Robert Arthur Dir.—Blake Edwards . Cary Grant, Tony Curtis, Arthur O'Con¬ nell, Gene Evans, Dick Sargent ;• (Started Jan. 19) BRITAIN ’ Booth, save two*] booksimpi wblXe playing irr Mactt- reeoFdi^ of Ma voice. ’ , (SbI ^ ^ ^^ ering abmit the ' Harvard Rost Cb^ltoTOtis Skinner, wxung : UtaFSi & et S: Me IJW* teat : liSjjc 2 'Bmilfcflf. .cf^^6er, Mrs, Edwiua presStof of The Blairs; hss WJuffiro iny VfcWS afiu in sit tf v i ifiSt i wax : least ofie^ariSculto for the futhre bo* ft . Vdmn Booth could SeMonr for-'; I gftwff utoy fhe character a s you .u i^, ~A*m**ea rv tto g€ft the tragedy* of his brothers , harewi^teit- teed. Theie must ever Bare,' What Barrett said was caretoDy 8«*te*i»sente- ss^Tjrtss^- 'SESS^Jsssz retted, -If yoa ^Stt^d me* SLS S ' lb on e PC fe h sS nax« vndtt^iat^i will poTtt S?£ liDS ^ ett 5® W £ $ ayi “ g In bo? library. And if yon will with Booth and T6a *2 r ay on £ send, me as extra: copy marked- nrw- Walter hbuo- ^ one a carriage tor the park for Mr. Booth—, 4 ’ The page of the Abraham Lte- : diary is torn. But years latex* spoken the we hstened to* by st : T c J ay< ^5^' had recently whaa my father-in-law fearaed SSSw heen He saw- no one tfaafcl w**a menifeer of The Blay- QfiSSrs-2ory eSfea “at With fore head he gazed ers* he fold me he had sent Booth had on ^ sorrowM face. Theft be the copy. I found it in his library Ss’/^r Wdfftiiat a from hisbufton bole upstairs. Oo the upper corner was- >r 811,1 placed it at the. martyred the BeGHF* stamp- to* bdew • ^ .. . , _ , PreridenTs feet: 'When he reached was written “with compliments he fumed and made R. M. La FoUette, Madisto* Wis” *** ccgogo 1 ^ How gesture Whfeh said everything ,--—--- . ^ .rich to iaphegtionl How mysteri - (that was hi hfe heart He 1 drove I , h Shakespcageto [ ous, too, that through- Edbon’s away. He never knew that a ymmg 1 masMon ms because Senator £2****^ keasd BoOth’fe woi^sjnot lad, who had met Booth at fair La Ed&e&m himself was a keen ^ very bed he had ched fatfierThorne, had recegrrized him. stodeot to* appraiser of an actor's 48-year* before! And WaL And so tlas story wasF told here, art He *iw ev#ry outstaoding.actflr htt fcne on - a - Founder's Night, ,25 years of his generation, when he Was in \ a ** him^ that Booth lad made .ago. 1 -I do <sot r know whether 1 ’ St. WJshington, » a Member of the t3 * 0#e reeortings in that same tJaodens, who had beeii a mem- House. Si BeptesenteMvb s> he and ****" her, ever heard it Msh. tk- 3^Sette the. train Beetotfev f went up alone to In recalling the anguish of every 'Bight fw Be&fenore id see leoth’s room on the third floor those d^s, however. Booth’s Boom during his - engagements where he l&*d bis final five years, mind may have tamed to another there;- for, a$ your know. Booth He- odtad it nes^ fas the tree- night, when many months after 1 never toted-. In Washington; after tops of Gtewiercyr I gsrtd out Lincoln’s. ajfeassiBaticHi his dpbts Lincoln’s aggagoinotinr. bg ^ window; for some new had forced him to return to' the broom; Jem WSkes Booth. apiemovnt thsBmngs is the back' stage. Booth did fiot know flow he It WemsSe ofEcft read ~msc&£* igrouttd^ &ee endowed Park ftself would be received. Newspaper no- to Ms family and friends; bolding remains much the same as Booth trees bad threatened reprisals; but in Ms delicate hand the leather saw it—though now there stands he had to go through with it. Be botod prompt copy —, now pre- in. the Center the pensively beam* ;knew there could be nothing so served in the La Follette Papers tiful statue of Booth himself as cruel as a c ro w d. When the curtain- —which William Winter had edit- Hamlet —• a masterpiece, by our rose on the. -Danish .court. Booth ed for Booth. At Lawrence Bar- Edmond Quinn. He is facing the idid not make an entrance* He was retf& suggestion- L* FoUCtte, after CJufafaotwe and, peihapB, looks up "discovered^ seated there dressed yews of study, r bad prepared, his tw eateh a glimpse of the window ;in Hamlet’k somber costutne; At leeSnre on “Hamlet,” which he often ithe livim? Booth looked out from first the audience was slow to Tec- gals at universities and on chau- so often, in those sleepless nights iognize.. him. But soon the &p- ] tauwia circuits. In it he empha- wkich he called his “vulture plause started, and grew tod grew si 2 *d that Shakespeare construct- homs^* __ riintitthe whole audience sprang to ed Ms playa-for the stage* not for , T tried te wonder what his it? feet in one of the wildest ova-' the library. He considered hfe char- ■ thoughts could have been. Nostal- tioffe 'ever recorded for m Ector! aemto “from the actor’s side of lgfe- is the natural affiction of age. Booth’s eyes were damp with the footlights and I submit,* kV; hot oHen its consolation. Surely tetos. He hesifcited^ Then he slow- saiff “with a& respect ts tSa aeu» Eofn- in 1833, must have Iy rose mid bowed' Very deto¥ mCtt of the ; professor and erSQa dSselt'on-Tfe rugged, boy hood days, and sank back into, hfe cb&*. He Of Bterature, that, the diving spark la., the* little- MaryUmd village kaew nothihg Itt the World could of the actor’s genius-, wili efito** when? ke^wto born; callow days he so crtol ja a Crowd—nor SO witfe ShafaTqyacr* better HgH theitiut ftttowed trith hfe highly cr-fkind. ' : paramount . Starts, This Year.... . .;.. 2 This DafSt fmt Year.f ^OlNI-ErEIS JACKS" ‘ G^iteebteer Protfs.) E^^^^Prods.—George Glass, Walter- iTod.-—Prsdc' P. Rteenbeix mae*. roar Jurado, Ptea JStHicer. Ben Jolmsec. Slipi . Piekeii*^, TSinettay .Carey, Ray TeaL Sadi'CMaft -Larry .-Doras, Uy* Ltf, John Dlerkte, Mickey Piunu WH- lKm Forrest, Clem Harvey, Henry . WiH» • (Started Dee. 2)' i "THE JAYHAWKERS" (F^nsnia-Frank) Prod*.— 1 Noniflan Panatiur, Mrfvin Frank - Dir.—a>Mahri». Frank. Jeff Chandler, F%s* Parker, Nicole Mata-ey, Henry Silva, Herbert Rud- ley, JtanoKy Carter, Shari Lee Berumth; Don Me^onan. Leo Gordon (Started Dec, 10 ) n»UT HOT FOR 11(1" S- Prod*.—WiHdaan Perlb«rsVGe»*e Seaton Dir.—Walter Larue Clark Gable,. Orrell Bafcexv Lffil Pairnel*, - Lee J; Cobb, Barry Coe* Tboniax Gtfmez, Helen Jay, Torn Dngtan, Charle* Lase^ WeneeH Hofinex (Started Jan. 12 > ■ "HELLER. -WITH. A GUN". PrtKiS>—Carlo Pfflnti, MatteDa Glrosl Dir.—George i CoHsor Sophie Loren. Stev* Forrest, Margaret . p*Brfep. Anthony Qninn, EBeen. Hedcart, Edmund Lowe (Started- Jajk . 19 ) 28 tlt CENTURY-FOX Staffs; Thi&Yedr .*1 This Dat% Latf Ywcrf....*, 2 Dir.—Henry Hathaway Susan Hayward,; > Stephen Boyd, iten i ®ott. Barters ^Nichole, Denai* Hohne*,_• James Pbllbreek, Joaaxs - ^Hayer, Theodo?e Bikel- ' . (Started Dee. )) "Say ©ns Poirwi* j Ptodl—Frank Taiblln Dir.—Frank Taridin Bin? Crosby, Debbie Reynold*, Robert Warner, Connie GUchriat, Ray Wat- *ton, Frank MeHOgb, AMn*. Munray, Lea TremayneKsNina Sfaiptean , 1 StelfeJ Stevens, Basket St*ohen«» Hank. Mann, i Mlnta Dtzrfee, J(rtfy Harriet, Harpy 1 _CarteF, HeAry Armstronc. (Started-Doc. : 15)- '"Thb TjtoMwmr irtDERSrpfiB Pro d.-Dir.—Normally Jtdmsdft Leslie Caron,, Henry Fonda, -Cesare DSnoVa, : Myron MeCormlclr, Conrad Nagte> Jtereel Dalle, JtfuW KrWUuka. wwi*ft Hank Htnryw Niaa. Sbipman, Fred Cady (Started Jan, 5) INDEPENDENT Stmhr Ttt* Year ........ .10 Tkk OMe, tost rear...,; X7 ^CBhboUttE,^* Sjwi YutRTynnN^ GJny LplMbrielda, • Sander*.; Mariter Pktafr (Started Sept ?i5>-. ..