Variety (January 1961)

260 LEGITIMATE Fiftyfifth P^VRIETY Anniversary January 4, 1961 B’way Follows This Ex-Showman From Naples (Fla. to Italy) By JOHN BYRAM Xaplt-s. Fla. To par aphu.M? an c Id say ins: “You can take the bay out of Broad¬ way. l ut you can't take Broadway cut oi the boy.” For more than two ytars I have been living in Naples, Florida, a lovely (lull C oa^-i u-sjri town tree plug for the Chamber tf Commerce1. I have not been in ittiri-ment; my highly merge tic bi other-in-law. Andiron Miller, who used to be in show business and whose idea cf recreation is to play 18 holes of golf on a hot Saturday afternoon, Imeps me too hrsv for that. But certainly I’m a Jong way — 1.350 milts — from Times Square and my former day and night cronies. Down here, in a community de¬ show tune since "The Black Gl'dok.” Other theatre aficionados have come to light among realestate >alesmen, beautyshop operators, giltshop proprietors, banktellers, deep sea fishermen and even Flor¬ ida State Troopers. Florida Shaw-mobile The Naples Community Theatre, an aspiring amateur group, mounts five or six productions a year and has an able director in the British Hugh Parker. They have been kind ing friendship almost came to an end when he said he had left Variety onshore. A Marked Man Once the word got around the ship that I had some connection with show business, various people asked me varied questions or vouchsafed morsels of information. A lady from New York told me that her uncle had written the The Glory of The Yiddish Stage I; M~» ♦♦♦♦»» By HARRY < One of the pieces in my latest book “Enjoy, Enjoy!” which seemed to elicit great affection from readers was my story about the Y'iddish stage and the great Yiddish actor, Jacob Adler. But truthfully no one has yet described the Yiddish stage in all its in otTmr ambitious ventures, such voted to fishing, golfing, boating, “The Women,” “Mr. Roberts” fccachcomh'ng, hurt'ng in the Ever 1 and “Pinafore.” glades, and-^ trafficking jn real , Miami, with the Coconut Grove . . u* Playhouse 110 miles to the east. ternatfonal’o^ si^essful^operctta" coIor and dePth‘ 11 xvas one of the most Productive of all theatres— “White Horse Inn,” was based, and and one the most glamorous. There are people active now on Broadshe described her delight at view ( way, in Hollywood, and on television who received their early training ing a production in Salzburg a , 0n the Yiddish-speaking stage. Milton Weintraub, for instance, comes couple of years ago. The wife of ; immediately to mind. Mr. Weintraub for many years has been the secreAlan Courtney, Miami radio com j tary and treasurer of the Association of Theatrical Managers & Press mentator, broke down one night ■ Agents, an organization of which Victor Riesel once wrote, as one of, m the smokingroom and confessed the best managed organizations in the American labor movement. menihor 'S * 6 tfnrino & ] There is Joe Grossman. the manager of “My Fair Lady,” an dlrving . . — • . . . "fu-hiph LLpH \-*g /-T 55* I Cohen who managed the road companies of “Auntie Marne” and enough to ask Marian and me to ! ''hich had appeared in George j “Romanoff alld juiiet.” And Boris Segal who handles television shows review their presentations, which ; Scandals and Lew Les , like “Peter Gunn” and “Wells Fargo.” hThere ”!?"* 1 only t1nos? people has recently done Maxwell Amlcre ! out to be deeply involved in th )vhosf wolk 1 .«■> *amillar: And I am not necessarily trying to indicate son’s “Joan of Lorraine, has given a good account I Ander ! out to be deeply involved in th» VVU1* \d,“ Idumiar: ^.nV ai? 1,01 n^essaruy ir>ing o inoicaie ! "and it » Sarasota Community Theatre and i ho'>' lmP(or'ant an>' one strain has become m the modern theatre but Of itself ! friends of Joseph Hayes and his I rftker those "ho came frem that wonderful world of the /kidd.sh t ATai-iit.no An ,.niAon*ifio^ stage. The decline set in with the first restrictive immigration law. estate. you might rcasonablv sup¬ pose that you would be far re¬ moved from the concerns of the Wtst Forties and Fifties, such as how much did the Music Box gross ].-ot week, and what : is my old enables us to catch up with some of the plays we have missed, and in the season Ihe beautiful Palm Beach Playhouse affords an ele¬ gance that Broadway can’t match. wife. Mari jane. An unidentified man from California asked me if I had been at Metro in 1927, which I hadn’t. And a Georgia gentleman kept inquiring every time he had a few drinks, if I had known Lamar friend Louis Lotito un to? Mais j 4nd for i^oir clubbing, there are non! JJke an octopus. Bvoadw*--v s tentacles extend in ail directions, tven to this remote region of of stage. The decline set in with the first restrictive immigration law, but not before it managed to send out into the American culture a host of writers, directors, managers, and actors. The performers who made the jump from the Yiddish to the Ameri¬ can stage would make a respectacle Who’s Who of the American thea . . . . . _ . tie: Paul Muni, Edward G. Robinson, Luther and Stella Adler, Jacob Trotti, screenwriter and producer, j Ben-Ami, Menasha Skulnik, Joseph Schildkraut and many others inI had once met Mr. Trotti and that eluding my friends the Bernardis — Boris Bernardi, now manager of seemed to provide momentary re j touring company of "Once Upon a Mattress ” and Hershel Bernardi assurance for our southern friend. | Pla>’s Lt. Jacoby on the “Peter Gunn ” show and who is also “Harry At least three times on the ship ' Golden” in the west coast production of "Only in America ,” by Jerry he asked me the same ouestion and j Lawrence and Bob Lee. received the same answer, and t The Bernardis have been in the theatre for several generations. The when we had d’sembarked at Port [ father. Berel Bernardi. was brought to America by the world famous Southwest Florida. The enterprising local radio sta¬ tion, WNOG. k( ( p< us up-to-date with the rccc’cuuxs of the r.ew shows as M‘on ; s t’vv arc avePaHe. “Omelet” and “The Unrinkable M 'lly Prov n” h-ve lr-telv been fif-inc the ah wavs. Fvndicrted col¬ umns in the Miami. St. Petersburg r^d T-nr.na papers hr’ng tllc b-tost r-alto gos-ln. aMd fwl Mi;u': ?T r;.ld mints trie N.Y. Times theatre Tcviiv.s. ‘The Times ib.’lf a-iives two da vs late, mid keening up with it s' ill takes at b ari an hour a dav ard throe he.ir*s fer t’u* Smufav edition, iuri ;<s it d’d in New York.) Sardi’s Ry-tbe-Sea Naphs ;s a wta’thy little city, vifh a luge rronortion of million¬ aires among its home owners sec¬ ond lire plug tor the Chamber of Commerce-, and ;.t least two of its residents are substantial investors i--> the theatre. Julius Fleischmann. v ho operates in Cincinnati and N;w York, but spends a good deal all the glittering attractions Miami Beach. Feeling unusually energetic a Rvergiades and . were having dinj Y'iddish actor, Boris Thomashefsky 'whose son, Teddy Thomas, has couple ot years ago and animated ner at a port Lauderdale restau ! written some of Hollywood's successful movie scripts). Berel Bernardi , rant, he suddenly anneared on the j was a fine and accomplished comedian — “a kominker” as he was billed with j to the theatre, or maybe vice versa, Marian organized a Showmobile to transport Naples residents by bus to the Coconut Grove .'Playhouse, With dinner in the Playhouse res¬ taurant included in the package deal. The l'ir-t trek was sp suc¬ cessful that there have been sev¬ eral since, and more are planned for tills season. Marian's accom¬ plice in -this caper is Doris Rev-. nokK v.ho rims a local publicity representative in Tel Aviv. Selling and advertising service and fre P“’tures to cinema owners in that scene. After he and h’’s wife were . on the Yiddish stage — and after a year or two in New York, Berel seated and had o~derrd their meil. i brought over to America his fiance, a girl he had met in Germany I’p arose and made his way to our who joined the Thomashefsky troupe in Chicago. Thomashefsky had table. ' a brilliant idea: “Why not get married on the stage right after a per ’Pardon me ” he said “Perhaps formance and I’ll give you 25rr of the evening’s receipts?” The wed I asked you this question before. Did you ever know Lamar Trotti?” An amusing angle on show busi ' ness in Israel was provided by j Ladislav Koch, Paramount’s able : quently travels to New York for a <pot of theatregoing. Marian and I recently returned from a trip throu-h the Mediter¬ ranean v h:ch took us to Israel. The cruise director on the SS Atlantic was Hal Ilennesey who. before he became one of t lie best liked fig¬ ures in that field, appeared in Ziegfeld and Dillingham shows — “Oh. Please.” with Beatrice Lillie. . . ^ _ . _ among them. In charge of sports of his time hen*, is a member of activities was Jack Redmond, pro1’ie plav producing firm of Myers, fessionr.l golfer, who has demonpotter & Flris -hmann. He a'so Crated his skill in vaudeville and operates Naples’ Caribbean Gar the “Vanities” and. between voydens, a beautifully developed zgos. is a regular at The Lambs. . tropical jungle of exotic flowers In a moment of .veakness, or pos ’ ‘Shalom’ the theatre operator will and birds, which is among the sibly complete mental aberration, ! tell me that his wife’s cousin showplaces of Florida, and this re I yielded to Hennesey’s blandish • Sammy’s nephew was on the set cm ires showmanship in its promo ments and agreed to m.c. the ship's ; Hollywood weeks ago and what Hon. Jane Tibbett. w ife of the late, talent show. I guess I got away i be saw didn't look so hot. So. with with it — at least Capt. Christiansen this inside .word, he argues that did not put me in the brig and the picture isn’t worth the terms I there was no organized movement want. You can sell the Turks, the among the passengers to throw me Syrians or the Egyptians without overboard. On deck the next morn ■ trouble, but here in Israel every ding, following all the Orthodox requirements, was billed as a special added attraction and Paul Muni’s father, the fine actor. Philip AVeisenfreund was Berel’s best man. The immigrant Jews loved the chance to shed the tears a Wedding offered them. At a Jewish wedding every¬ body cries but each one is thinking about a different thing. Upped the Percentage Twenty five years later, Bernardi remarried his wife, this time after a performance in Boston. And Bernardi now insisted on a 5rr increase and indeed received 30r? of the evening’s receipts. And now Paul Muni replaced his father as the best man. while young Hershel Ber¬ nardi was the ring-bearer. What a wonderful world this Yiddish theatre was. Any book that recreated its flavor and accomplishments would have to be a bestseller ( because all Americans would find in it a close identity with their own. • . ., . ! tears and laughter. They would find also the earliest beginnings of ; It may be that a nephew-, a second s tjie American theatre. The Jews brought the family drama to the cousm or a distant relative of his ! American stage; good daughters, bad daughters; a son who marries wife is a resident of the NNest Coast out of tjle children who do not take care of their parents in their film capital. Such persons report i 0id age and so on; a thousand rewrites of Shakespeare's "King Lear ” the gossip and give freely of their ! _the first great “Jewish” drama. ea-sTem shore of "he Mediterrmean ' And il xvas a world filled to overfl0vving with humor. The fractured r 1 „ :dlte,.ranei : English of those actors would leave you in stitches; “A steak, please, “\\ hen I go to sell a picture,” ; ,ve?i-to-do ” Mr. Koch says, “before I can sav _ _ impressive, fascinating land he runs up against a situation which does not exist elsewhere in the . Middle East. Europe or. for that matter, the world. More of the Israeli exhibitors, Mr. Koch re¬ ports, have some connection with Hollywood, often pretty tenuous. great ringer, puts her chins on various New York shows, and has had a pert>eulrriv successful association with Bobby Griffith and Hal Prince. The parents of Pat Zipprodt. costume . designer, live here, and this fall they made their f:iri theatrical investment in “Leuref to” They nuichlv became iF iri--Tcd into the Iicz.-'-n’s of the t':. pi;-e v hen Juc'v Hnllidav was ?*n>kon and the i-l«v indefinitely* j'orinoned. To make it v or^e. the rr-v.s i-e.-u-hed fh'm about file t'me ■tv* t hn,Tie',ne Dnnna r-ak'-d ln*r f-»"V flU t”(is 0f ("’oni; Vienna, Too, Blames Critics Bv EMIL MAASS Vienna. ' ten” by Eugene O'Neill. Both were The news of 1960 was the rise well received. _ _ . of the “cellar” theatre. These legit At the Volkstheatre Tennessee ing a passenger whom I had never body seems to know more about havens, many under coffee houses, Williams’ “Orpheus” was rated soseen before — it turned out he had ; the business than I do.” -some former bowling alleys, in so. On repertory were “Beyond the come aboard at Barcelona — stopped j Mr. Koch did not say w hether a creased in number and activity ; Horizon” by O’Neill and “Saturday’s me and a^ked if I remembered a j similar situation obtained in after World War II. Improved Children” by Maxwell Anderson, certain vaudeville . act. That was Greece where Spvros Skouras has quality of their offerings produced Planned for early production are duck «oup with -morning .coffee for many relatives. "But the fact re a kind of special prosperity so , “Elder Statesman” by T. S. Eliot, me. rince in my youth I worked in 'mains that, once you are in the tllat of tlle impresari were -’’The School for Scandal” by Slier *( r N( apoiitans ride ic-r n;.it cat-o, Dittoit. i 's (r Miiv. Siiuc ■'hc.w. bi t (iy lean's ! (d ti:('-e i cup ; ,v <■• the t> :: Ti f’ci (Mice (i «.t an i jura; }t,N ::-y cos ( u. e {.» riu.mt. v. :-!h Hit aq*»; v. hctl-.er tiu-y lo¬ ci flic \e;r in t’li:Ci:ie.rui;.:i, C’clum;:Ukoe. eet to Now . and e tie pia' s. >luf I> mUiricu-iy ■ tiu-i* hu^inosx. Mmie o. s vs n f iicunh tiioy o t ' at flu I: lo Miko . • cCk “-.-ivi?i;!-“j.’’ .f fs» a do'. i-vo F*at 'l.v'ng’oV'tlic")* a ell. o; ; I ( Gu!» nl M. \ show business, vou are never out consequently able to rent superior idan, “A Breeze of Spring” by of it. whether’ you live in Naples, premises. Peter Coke and “The Sainted Sis Florida. or Naples, Italy, or. 1 Notable was Stella Kadmon. ^-v Alden Xash. daresay Afghanistan. For a report producer of “Courage.” She and Theatre in dor Josefstadt scored Oil the Afghanistan situation T her outfit left the Prueckl coffee a success with 0 Neill s C on the press department of the B. F. Keith Circuit, and <mon we were reminiscing about the hills at the eld Colonial inthe davs when Boh 't he O'Donnell was the treasurer; at the Palace, and the other former bigtime houses. It turned nut that this vaudeville and theatre fan was now in the antieme business in ITollvM ood. Florida, and n:>d been in bjuoup on a buying trip. He reads ! feel inclined to bring his family shall Raynor. Varm-ty evo-v v.ci'k and told me i down here, again this winter. As that he had found a corn in Bar for Louis Lotito. Well, his son. celona. w'dc-h was more than T was Louis Jr. is a regular visitor here. L-le In do at the Ritv Hotel and Loves to fish and lets his old man worry about the standees at the Lunt-Fontanne. IV w -.-.Fens ; k;r-ks whore foreign pub . v ere sold. Our burgeon n o: s swaying , . you are likely ;‘>d v.Ith ti c pal mlv in t-»c hi et to he l/rouvl.-t ciuckly hack from I.istim Land 1-y an overlu ard dis( tmsion of “Bcckit” j.i.d the porfcsmances (>f Olivier ; nd Quinn r'i .an opinion cn how “ \dvise and Consent” measuirs up to the novel. And then there are Maggie and Howard Taylor. He was in the con¬ cert business for years and is a valuable source (f information and anecdote. Under the name of Mar¬ garet Carlisle. Maggie s ng in many New York and London musi¬ cals ?r:d can id ay praet;eal:y every Squaring a Debt Philadelphia. About six months before Robert E. Sherwood passed away he told me a story about Sidney Howard's play. “Madam. Will You Walk.” in which George M. Cohan starred. The comedy, produced by the Playwrights Co. of which Sherwood and Howard were members, folded in Baltimore after a one-week tryout in Novem¬ ber, 1939. Cohan had a 10-week contract to star in the plav and his office sent a bill for the full salary to the Playwrights. Sherwood, rather than make an issue of it and because of his admiration of Cohan, paid off. A number of years later Sherwood received a check from Cohan for the amount of salary paid him for the nine weeks dur¬ ing which he had not acted in “Madam.” Attached to the check was a note; “Deer Bob: I couldn't go nut irith tins on viy mind” The next day. George M. Cohan died. Ike Levy. mer Rice. In its branch house ii j • t» r « Kammerspiele, -Terence Rattigan’f j Heard Tins Before? ■ is conMdo,.cd e0od b.o. ! That most hackneyed of theatri Upcoming are “The GrasS Is cal industry explanations for box Green” bv Hugh and Margareth office slump, the cruelty of the Williams, “So Manv Children” by critics, was advanced here by Gerald Savory and John Whiting’s Franz Stoss, chairnum of the Assn. “The Gates of Summer.” of Theatre Managers. Between the Vienna's one operetta house, 'lines of a radio interview during Raimund. had no outstanding pro; the year he blamed the critics’ duct ion. Karl Farkas continues to severity, not the quality of the , dick with his "Simpl Cabaret.” scripts and scores, for the fiscal j i,egit "boom” in the provinces disappointments of Austria's lat js best proven by the fact, that terday librettists and composers, new theatres were -constructed in However he also asked the per Innsbruck. Tvrol and Linz. Upper tinent question of whether Aus Austria. In Baden near Vienna, tria’s literati were nowadays writ considered one of the best. Rob¬ ing plays which do not play, or at Crt Stolz’ operetta, "Midnight least do not run. Waltz,” is in preparation. American Plays ! Theatre an der Wien will reopen First year of Ernst Haeusser in 1962. The Marischka family sold mann’s directing the Burgtheatre the house to the city of Vienna in was successful. Two American i 1959 for $500,000, claiming that the plays were offered by its branch [sale to the Nazi government in 1938 house, the Academy, to wit. “Pa j for $200,000 was under “pressure,” risian Comedy” by William Saroy thus annoulled. It’s a good operetta an and “A Moon for the Mis.begot ■ story.