Variety (October 1924)

■ TfWIP»h»- ■ tfT^?»B V/t&MwAxy, Octobte 1, 1934 "«"*5Pl'W«-JSJ»jF,?3P?»cw'=nr' L Bxri VARIETY "Vf. If^V rr NEW PUYS PROIMKXD i iWUHIN WEffi ON BlfAY OROUHDS FOK DIYOBCE Comttr '" tkTM aoU. «a>p<»d br Our BattMi inm U* tlinmrt*n orlcliuU ot BniMt Vajda. VnMBtM t>r th* Chj^rtM ri»^w Qotp. U aaaaolatloA wUh L«a SkalMrt.. SUcad by JU«ry Miller. IM CUlra (tarred. Rarlawed at tha Brnvlra. New Tat*, 8«pt. ». „. . „ Ifarta .. / Oladjra Bargvaa W*Hx Bo«at H. RaeT«a-8mUh Marlanna Recnaalt Cora Wltbarapaon DcBlaa BarMer f ...Ina Clalra tAbella Bdward Raaaa Mayrlca Sarbler Philip Marlvaia Maria Ro«et Otadya Wllaon ' HanaMrtta Deachampa Bartha Balmor^ Mar%rae Quldo Lonconi. .0«orc«a Ranavent give a nice twp-vair braak. ao the pieo« can be' chalked down as a typical ctasa draw' show of more than iteual m«r(t - 8U^ mWick CoaMdy la thraa acta by Oaorca B. Kaaf- man and BMna Farbar, ^iroditoad by .Win- throp Am«a at tba Booth Sept. mTO. P. ' Year after year, in unlimited se- ries, come comedies to New York lab«le^ "smart" And y«w after yeajr in unlimited and consecutive fasliton they are revealed as being mediocre efforts- to ape the doings of Ibe fast set in ]»ndon, Paris, New York and Long Island. Not since "The Awful Truth" was shown has a genuinely smsMrt piece (if "Spring Cleaning" .can be excepted) been around New York until Ina Claire opened at tbe Empire in "Grounds for Divorce." The play is subtle, highly intelli- gent, beautifully produced and acted splendidly by a fine cast. It is talky in spots, true, but its end is achieved, for a soap bubbla theme is pCrffed into a huge balloon and kept full of air until time for the blow-off. ' The story Concema a divorce lawyer of Paris, Maurice Sorbler (Merivale). He forgets his wife on the-evening otf their second wed- ding anniversary and subsequently quarrels lead to their ektrangemeitt, after she has thrown an inkwell at him, ruining his shirt front and spotting the wall. They are di- vorced. Act two is n^ore than a year later. The lawyer Is planning to be re- married to BCarianne Regnault, one of the "meow" girls. Back comes his wife to him with a cock-and-bull •tory about wanting to get divorced from her new biuband. The law- yer, her former husband, asks what grounds she has and finds out that they are not sufHcient The ex-wife then plans to compromise herself With a new admirer, an Italian aviator named Renavent. The ex- husband, still in love with her. are- fuses to permit Mite and ai^ues ' while his weddinii iwrty la held up. Vinally his new wlAt-tO-ba becomes peeved and bolts the houae. Act three finds hliii ftlU trying to persuade his ex-irtte to behave her- self and' trying to persuade him- self that he has the codrage to tell her he atill lovM bw.« rinally the •viator breaks the news tt>at she . Iiaan't been married aUice ah* left tha lawyer; he grabs bar. does 9, bug and kiss stunt, and they disap- pear, leaylng an old friend of the family gaaing through tha door at their turtle-dovtnc. Granting that tlueh a trivial plot could never carry a show to auc- cesa, it must bo explained that the adaptation Is excellent and speaks wall for»< Gilbert Miller's finicky habit of gettlnir good work along this line. Secooflty, no comedienne around here In ymtsn bairn play«d a rol« as does Ink Clalra. Tttls charm- tac, actress, hacacM by a real caat. Is doing work that la as 4ight as the play, as nioely tuned and in as good taste as maiyy of the scenes. Mlsa Claire's work is even and productive «t a pulsating quality that g«as far toward ptittljtg the play over. 9up- -porting aiid as the huaband, Philip Merivale did a workmanlike Job, not particularly Incrpired, perhaps, but stHdIed enough to be in keeping with everything else. The male honors went to H. Iteaves-Smith as the old family friend. Georges Renavent got a big hand on his •mai: part Tha women of the piece were by necessity the opposite of th«i Claire type i|nd In their roles ware highly aatlsfactory, apeak- ing clearly and sensibly. All. in- cluding Miss Claire,. flashed a line of Parisian drepsea, that would m^p the average cloak and suit manufacturer aj^^und New York look eight times. The production Is excellent. The second act set of a library Is heavy and impressive, with mahogany doors lending a touch of the roal stuff. Henry Miller, who directed the plec^, has achieved a conver- sational manner of delivery all too rare In these intimate comedies. "Grounds for Divorce" isn't a smashing hit. Its appeal Is too limtted for that No mug audience wui take to the.pUiy. But on the "trer^gth of the Claire name and the Frobnpan-Emplre clientele the piece should be a Kood money maker for somewbere between a three nnd four moiithn period. After opening; on a Tuesday night the boune went clean for both the Wednesday mat- inee and night shows, indicative of Jj^avy draft at the start At the 12.60 Bcile prevailing and the ad- vanced Ssturday prices the Em- pire can hold $22,000 on the weeir but -n «-r»t-i »»^i|.->> i..^.*^.. fUnt ..•-...»» Hccsia (aatured. Old Man IMalek... A1 DIamoniJ Marsa Dlanond... iMlt Mr. Diateoliotcr... Mr. Price Mra. 8mallMd(err. Mlaa CrackeqwaM. Mra. L,tpplnoott.... Mlas Stack.,;....,, Lll Corey .';.. Nrttir Minlck Annie Jim Corey '. Fred Mtnlek ... O. P. Hecsle Ralpfi Bunker Myra Hampton Bnuna WUe .. .Charlea R. Burrow* Thi^aa Me«san tiarInla Shannon Mary Hubbard Jeaale' Oraham Ann' Winalow Antoinette Perry Phylli* Povah .... Beatrice Morrland Sydnay Booth .Frederic Burt ttk% young married woaa»a In their «ft couaUd oa each antraAce. There ara two maid parts, both mads to "itand out prominently. Baatritfa Moreland as a grouchy cook tickled the house In the first act. and her saccessor, E<mina 'Wise, a colored i^rl. is a prise. She is about the most natural colored ac- tress yet Men on Broadway, a val- iMblfl comedy. adjunct in the play. Charles R. Burrowa Thomas Meegan. Mary Hubbalrd and Jessie Graham handled! tb*. smaller parts excellently. Tbe setting by Woodman Thomp- /loals.'to-ba oohnted with the best Interiora yet seen. Its apartment plan is such a true picture that it la mora real than the play. "Minlck" is not a punchplay, but by all tfaia rules it should be a success. nee. DEAR SIR Tried out first under the ti^le of "Old . Man . Minlck." authors .and, manager sought a n\ore attractive, label, finally, deciding to use. the one-word name. -'.'The Old Boy Hlmseir' was , suggested and wouldn't have been half bad,, hut Kaufman and Connelly's .'current miisioal show, "Be Yourself." at the Harris, has the same fipal syllable. George S. Itaufman, dramatic edi- tor of the New York "Times." took temporary leave of his Collaborative pal. Marc ^ Connelly, to fashion a play from. pn^ of Jldna Ferb^r's stories, working with that clever nfagaxino contributor^ to splendid purpose. There ara many feminine touches to the play, making, for smooth effectiveness and teilipg cbmedy touches. It seems Kaufmaa la a,'aatirist of tSe first water and "Mlfldck" means a thoroughiy amusr ing coihedy. t. , "The Old Boy" nearly tells it. The plot is one that ordinarily would call for pathos. An old man of 7£ who has Just lost his wife moves from his small town home to the big city to reside with his son and daughter-in-law. He means well and Is treated kindly, but somehow Interferes la the young copple's af- fairs. Cathe* Minlck decides to go to the old men's home:—but he makes one feel that he would much rather be there with cronies who understand him and where he can enjoy himself without - the well In- teada4 su^estions of a loving son and his .dutiful and charming wife. The trick ot the story Is Just that; The old boy declares himself; he's go4ng to live his life his own way. *'Mlnlck" Is a erosa section of IKe la a south aide Chicago apartment. It U so raal at Umos that the chat- ter. Ideas and happenings of the average young couple are often mir- rored truer perhaps than incidents in "The Pottera" It U a pjay pro- ductive of giggles rather than big lauglM and does not seem to let down. . Ths natural Incidents crop up every now and then. A telephone hit with on e of tha younger HlntckS' friends calling up the rail- road depot to find out if the train is lata was accomplished with real fidelity. Ha never gets the informa- tion, for while attempting to talk to ths raUsoad cleric the belated visitors arrive. Ths aeUons and conduct ot a colored maid supply almost as much naturalness and much more amusement, Mra Minlck aad her girl chtun chat about dln- kig out. "Hiey ag^es tha men gen" erally order Just what they would get at home for dinner. "But," sayf Lil, the chum, "I generally order lobster. It makes me feel rm out" and there are certainly many 1.11a Who think the same way. (That's sending a sUm right bomaT The best 9t the satirical scenes Is that of a women's club meeting In session at the Minlck apartment, and it is productive of much fun. It is in this scene that the old boy vexes the young wife to a point of hysterica by his interference, flfrst In a gentle way and finally in a declarative one-sided argument that briMkks up the session. O. P. He^gie's Minlck tops any- thing he has done in that line of characters. A scehe with two cronies from the old men's home is delight- ful. They want him to Join them and he wants to. go. There "a feller" can enjoy a game of pinochle, but visitors aren't permitted to play. The Junior Mlnlcks play bridge and when they remonstrate with him about going to the home and plan evenings with him, mentioning he can teach them pinochle, (he old man U anything but pleased. Per^- ^aps it is that pinochle angle that decides him, for he leaves with the curtain line, "I'll be darned If I spend the rest of my life teaching them young folks how to play pinochle." A corking cast Is In support. Phyllis Povah, who Jumped to the front In "Icebound," is the young Mrs. MInick and she is, as her hus- band tells her, a peach. FYederic Burt acted juflt like her adoring but ambitious husband. Antoinette Perry. to6. w;i9 most natur.il as Lll Cnrny Mvrt frirpiil 11 1* tk" if Ttro-act moalcat coniady la alx acanas, pmented by Philip Ooodmaa. eo-starrlas Walter Catlatt, Oenevlava Tdbla and Oa- car Shaw. Score by Jerome Kern: book by Kdgar BalwyB; lyrlea by Howard Dieta. 8ta«ad br David Barton. En- armblea an4 daooea by David Bennett. Opened Sept. IS at tha TImas Square. Olfrer Ruasell i .. .Oaersa Sweat lAtala maltra tt'hotel at Sbarry'a Artbar Upaoa l,addla Mann. man-aboat-Lims tlland, ■ •■..■ Mr.'.'haw Dorothy Fair, a Saathara sirL. Wlas Tpbln Andrew Blosoni, sametlmes In vavdavllla, Mr. Catlatt A Walter Franola Murpby Sukia Sewell, alao In vbuderllle. Kathlana Martyn Peterf, Laddia'a butler Joaaph Ailan Qlndya Barclay,, a aoolaty clrl. - Halaa Carrtnaten Clair ..; Clair Luca I,A,DIBS Ida Berry. Trudy Lake, Rita Royce, Oar- aldlna Raavard, lalla Warren, Harloa DpnneUy, Betb Meafclna. Davab Warrall. Clair Lipton, Madeleine Janla. Helen Orb. PM««by Fltkslbbon, Betty Campbell. Janearl Johnaon, JOaephlna Dunn. Juna Baldwin. Pascz Watta. Brqlyn Pluina- dore, Dorothea Rlchmand. Vlctolra Dutel. Resins Daw, Harc»ry> Martyn. Katitertne Kobler an4 Haaal Buntlnc.. -^— .SMBK is cast as a vaudsvilia performer. Shaw's danclBf was not so Umber, but ths dantltrtcs sinllo and the singing registered. Miss Tobln. looking pretty, singing well and stepping dalatUy. U an Ideal feml- nina lead. , . . . • The show cAa't last long at the $4.40 scale, although the cut-rate angle might figure. At $S.SO it may linger for several weeks, but hardly merits a run. Abel. MY SON Ouatar Blum. Inc., presenta this riay In three acta about the Portusuoaa and New Bnslandara of Capo Cod bv Martha ««»"'«»■■ raoaally directed by Mr. Blum. Sattlns pel by Sheldon K. Vlala. ailda Shay Kara Baker Bllery Parker Brausllo Sllva Captain Joa Bamby Btlly Smith Ana Sllva Roaa Plita Hattio Smith ...MlA'Suerlte Stuart rrcderta: Clayton ..Oeorca MacQuarrle ,......H - - ., erbort Clark .Claude Cooper ..; Martha Madlaon Joan Cordon .. Marsarct Shackelford Sarah Truax K. U. Fernandei Felipe Varcaa k-. l.- Batftui-iUHea Rudall, VI Hll.- William Uackatt and Victor Kroatch that ths out-and-out hits wlU at* tract the public's concentratsd at' tentlon for a conpls of oioaths to come, this is voted as unlikely to survive 10 weeks or so. If It does, it will be the "fooler" aforemohtioned and get away with a falr-aised mo. Abel, LAZYBONES ■I Drama In three acta, by Owen Davta Produced by Sam II. Harria at tha Van- drrbltt. Sept. tZ. Staced by Suthrlo Mc- Cllntle. Martha Tuttle Amelia Oardner LAW Siller WlUard Robertaon Asnea Fannlns ..Beth Merrill Rimer Bannlaler ChaAeo C. Wllacn Rebecca Fanninc Elliabrth Patteraon Stera Tuttle aeorge Abbott Roth Fannlns l>rnna Hosarth Kit Martha-Bryan Allen Jeaala Mary Staler Jean Hay Dick Rltchla Allen U. Muora own-i,! Wlllllam Boron, Wtll Wttdar. Fraatrfa Mnrphy, , Ray HaU. Alootajr : Lambart. Aaatln Clarke. Frank Schutsa. Billy Wll- •011, JoUn MeCnilousli,'Nbrmaa Jalrttson, piK X>aly, Allen Bterana. "Dear Sir" Is a general disappoint- ment. That goea for several things. As a Jerome Kern score It lacks dis- tinction. As a production It lacks entertainment. But its scenic and sartorial investiture make quite a flash: Th« Bdgaf Selwyn Ubretto la weak unto borssomeness. The lyrics of Howard DleU. a film advertising and explolUtlon man (Ooldwyn). are a plaaaant surprise for a maiden Effort Ths iitaglac, of the dances by David B4^nett,aro (Ustlnctive and uik tp ths uauia Ben- n«tt atAndard. Bill; aU of this does qot make for a.iMttlsfactonr coilnter- baUnce. Walter CaUstt^ Strives liardl In bis comicalities and not at an t^ vain efn»ct GeAevievO Tobln la her usual wtnSome self, and Ospar Shaw ever the ingratiating Juvenile; but the thinness of the "btjpk" sAd lack of acceleration to ths proceedings are wholly against ths all-star trio's sf- forU. LAddie Munn (Mr. Shaw), painted as the "great lover" of Lopg Island, makes no impression on Dorothy Fair (Miss Tobln). Despite her seeming unconcern, the obviousness ot ths final capitulation lacka svsn the "kick~ of ths average musical comedy's plot Granting that there is more of a story to this musical than the average, the lean stretches in between the pleasant highlights register negatively with such effect as to almost'milks It impossible for k favorable rssumptlon. To aid the caiue of a Park avenue charity fair and also swell her total vote as the most popular girl Miss Fair places herself oa ths "auction block." agreeing to obey ths highest bidder's wishes and sntsr Into hit employ ^or a period of one week under any reasonable conditions. Munn Outbids them all at flO.OOO and subjects the girl to don the at- tire of a dtMneatte and serve on his guests (and her acquaintance) at one of his house parties. It is Mnnn's Intent to break the girl's perverse ness and pride. The producUon and mounting are satisfactory, . The . costimiea are fetching, the six scenes impressive, and the sum total spells "claaa" and careful attention to detail. But at 14.40 (tS.SO Friday and Saturdays) It Isn't a money's worth. With three "namos" like Miss Tobln. Catlett and Shaw (each reported getting over $1,000 a week), the production "nut" probably requires the high scale. "All Lanes Must Reach a Turn- ing" is the outstanding number, the nearest approach to the Kern stand- ard. The rest is average. Catlett strove In vain with "House Boa', on the Harlem" for the comedy song, but not to any rousing impression. The "lane" number Is a Shaw-'fobin double. KathUne Martyn is eonvely and has a knack of handling lines that should carry her along. Her voice is also not the least important. Clair Luce, a hlgb-kicktng blonde, alao impressed. For th* rest, Oeorpe Sweet as the li;;ht "heavy" and Joseph Allen In his usual butler role accounted well. Catlet('s comedy at times waa reeled off at broakneck speed.' . I- most making the lines unlntelUgibte. but In the main pffeetlve. He did some ftd'libblng With "wife" refer- ^n'*'«« frt Ihn <s'"\'V tof*'ri*'s^- Cltlctt- This marks Gustav Blum's second offering on Broadway as an inde- pendent producer. "The Sluims Woman," sponsored by the Inde- p<;ndent Theatre, Inc., of which Blum was president before severing con- nections with that corporation to head his own producing organiaa- tlon, was distinguished last season by its fair-sised Broadway run, de- siilte it was rejected by practically every manager on Main Street until Blum accepted and staged it. "My Sen" is in the same vein that MV. Blum seems U> favor, although a departure in writing for the au- thor. Miss Stanley, who hsM hereto- fore been identified with farces. ' The theme is a study of life In Cape Cod, .with, its admixture of Portuguese and American . inhab- itants. It is a "homey" play, deal- ing with a "homey" if familiar prem- iae. Whether or not the public Will take to the same thing once aB;aIn will determlns this chalices. Obviously'lt has been designed for mass appeaL The ti^le suggests the mother theme. The son does apd dares disgrace for a minx of a fiap- per, and even with the truth of his crime as a thief staring her in the face, the ihother tries hard not to believe. When finally the inevitable faces her, she shanghaies the lad on a friendly captain's schooner for a twp years' parting in the hops the life before the mast will effect a change for the better in the youth's, weak character- Incidentally, the captain's daughter—and the logical "girr for Braugllo Rilva—is also on board, saillPK will her father. Brauglio (Herbert Clark) is per- sonable and agood dancer. He per- forms regularly at the CUR Houw for the edification of the aummer visitors. Betty Smith (Blartha Mad- ison) as the flapper is the flame that prompts ths Pbrtugtisse lad to steal in ordsr he might satisfy her every whim. For obvious reasons, partic- ularly In the first act when Betty posed throughout in a bathing suit, Brauglio could haNly be blamed. The theft of Betty Smith's mother's Jewels furnlshte the punch. The play Is replete with a series of anti-elimaass, rather obvious for the main. In ti^th, the entire play is no "problem" from the sophisti- cated theatregoer's viewpoint. On the other hand, it possesses an appeal that might put it over. Alao to be considered is the show opened "cold" on Broadway. Not that the casting or playing U at fault. Every role Is exoellently cast but at times the suggestion creeps in that the players are talking at each other rather than to ons another, Joan Gordon as the mother Is naturally snprsms In the histrionics. B. Xi. Fernandex is convincing; dIttO Sarah Truax and Margaret Schack- elford. Miss Madison, Whils lih- presslve. was too hoydenlsh for realistic effectiveness. George Mae- Quarrle was also too taciturn as Bllery Parker to make his unsym- pathetic part impress particularly. Herbert Clark as the boy was satis- factory for two acU, but in the last he overdid ths "whliUng" quality which the character requires but not to the degree manifested. "My Son" belongs in that cycle of the new season's crop of plays that come under the "no decision" classification; stage offerings that are Just as likely click as miss, de- pendent on conditions. "My Son" would be termed a pos- sibility for a winner at a stage othet than the early -season, with its avalanche of new material almost daily. For this reason, considerins reason, considering Owen Davis. In "Icebound." spoke of that hard country 'way down east where the rocky soil of Maine bred rocky hearts and stony visages, where the pristine standards of vir- tue Still ruled. In "Icebound" hs wrote a masterpiece—a masterpics that made fame for him. which bMught honor to its producer and which never made a dime as far as real theatrical money went "lAsybOnes" Is heralded as a com- panion piece. To som* Sxtent, that is true; fbr ones atala Davis trfeats of his own folk, "ths ♦Way-Do#nt " Easters. Their tradltfonat hardosss ' of heart is again, stapbaslssd and, as la . "Icebound," he has a loafsr aa his central character, and again as in "Iceboimd." he has an Indus-, trlpus and unwanted girl work about the salvation of a family. But that is as far as the resem- blancs goes. "Icebound" was at least a tremendous artistic success ' (it was awarded the PuUtser prlss for ths year), whtls "Lasybonea" Is not. being partly an attempt to write another fine drama and partly an effort to give in to the hokum which it is commonly supposed that the New York theatre aa an Instl- oRering's tutlon demands. And, like oil and water, the twain do not mix. AMd ■ not mixing, the resultant dranUi is neither satisfactory nor attraoUvs to ths box-offlce. Ths main character Is Steve Tuttle, a ne'er-do-well of the Maine village of Milo; a lovable fellow, ia loafer, a fisherman, aomewhat ot a procrastinator and somswhat of a wit From a fishing trip ho brings htmts a baby in a basket with the story he found it abandoned. His mother asks no questions, but his swsstheart. Agnes Fanning, daogb- ter of the town's aristocrats, ds- serts him. Her sister, Ruth, remains his friend. Through ths years that follow everyone else — Includlnc Lhdy lAick—dessrts him, so that whsn the foundlinir, KK. (rows up. she Is kfiown as aa lUegitlmats child.and Stsvs la credited as ths tathsr. Ths truth U that ths glri was bom of Ruth Faiming. Steve, big hearted and sympathetic, saved her the diagracs bf facing her par- ents With IL He was not the father. Ruth marries Elmer Bannister, ths town bankef, and diss of his mis- treatment Bannister later starts after Kit, not knowing Shs Is ths daughtsr of his lata wife. Stevs stops this and Is accused of wanting the girl for himself. This had never occurred to him. It having been arranged for Kit to marry her kid sweetheart. Dick Ritchie. But the wind-up, after Kit has put ambition into Stevs and bi-ilt up a flourishing garage business for him. Is that she dons a wedding dress and tells Stevs that shs is going to marry him—and ths flnal cur- tain flnds his fatherly and bewu- dshed arms about his ward. That is the prineipal fault with ths story—ths ending. In a sense It Is as repulsive as If Bannistsr bad gotteik the girl—ths thought that a man who had acted »s her father, wh bad reared,'tralhcfd and cared for her since baliyhood, should enter Into a stats of mar- riage with one so young-^or M is fully 2S years older. True, thers was no odium attached to their love, but It seemed a bit far-fetched and out of place in a play that con- tained so much other good stuR. Abbott as the loafer did a butty plecs of work. Ths sams goes for Miss AUsnT-atad ths rest of ths cast for if oaly Miss Pattersoh and Miss Gardner stfipd out -la tbslr rolss at least ths others malataihsd thelt- proper plaoss In ths plctnrs.' But OSS tasxpsnslvs sM <■''#«< and 4lis tims Jumps, starttat^ m 1»04, thsB IISO and then l>t4. Mlsnr (Continusd on pscs'M) a: ifiH Do You Want to Go Into VnadevUle?: ' Do You Wainl to Know Anything About Vaudeville? "' CALL ON OR WRITE ALF T. WILTON Tkm Sftecialixing Represmntatittm KEITH'S PALACE THEATRE BUILDING Broadway and 47th Street, New YorV City ' /> . /... I J: