Variety (Sep 1928)

Wednesday, September 26, 1928 LEGITIMATE VARIETY 53 Plays on Broadway JARNEGAN Cbarles K. Govaon and Paul Ktronor pre^. ■mt Klchnrd Hcnnett in a (lnimailz(!il Version of Jim TuUy'e novel ol tl»e saino «tlo by Charles Henlian anO ann-ett Kori; Btaecd by Jra HnnlM. uolDnp by . riark aioblnson; at the I.one.icro theutre, Sept. 24. *3.30 top. Jack Jamegan... XJdward Bernard, Kathan Loedmtin Daisy Carol ..,. . Pauline' Clare..-. Allen Toren. . ... . rwrothy Chester. iJlmmy Falon.;.. Jacob JsaacB Pat^ Brady..-.. Velnia . Cherry Iiin<lal..> Sally. Mrs. Crossnmn,. Herb....... • ..• • > ■Nui-ee ■Watehman..,..; Maid, , ..nii^harO Bennett ....... .Koboi't Cain Hooper L. Atchlcy ......Joan Uennatl ./...Wynne Glb.soii .Ituthelnisi Stevens ,., MavBiiret Mower , ....James n. Hull . .Jaipcs R. WateiM .,,. .Henry. O'NVIH Heal rice Kay .......Killth Arnold .;,'., .Dennle- Woore Mubel Allyn ,,,i.,Jack Klenilon ..j..Anjrela llaiBh . .:.i"\Vnllcr Pllnpe 1)ctty .tordan d>ancer (aecfrrnpfinieir by th(> KpoIio Hawaiian Pluyeis).^...Lillian Ulbaon Like the book by Jim Tully, the. dramatization echoes. the shrill squawk of a literaj-y thimbloriggoi- who ^got some easy movie money, but was soon caught at it—ami •who, therefore, vilifies and scandal- izes the industry that was too big for him, too smart to make the same mistake twice, and too clean to stand for his foul-mouthed talk and his repulsive .sorditle.*?. Like the book, the play, will per-r haps make money.. .: . , ' ^, , ■ It is a free ver.sion of what T.ully briffinally wrote to pay off-the film busiriess and at the same swipe to glorify himself by making it a pseudo-awtobiography; Jarnegan, to whoni Tully give.s enough: of his own personal detail.s to make him claim to. be. Tully, is a. rough dia- mond (oh, very rough!) who can outdrink the weaklings, srab any Woman and all women and have a waiting list; a super-gi-eat director with a sensitized soul, a dreamer of dreams and a nobleman m his prison-staled heart. ' , , , If Tiilly is. all that, then Richard Bennett is Jarnegan. ; Bennett, with the same Indoor : stxnit that made him absurd as the swashbuckler in "The Creole last season, fits the picture only m voice. His splendid shouting pipes are still with him. But he hasn t the phv'slque for Jarnegan. ilis costumes are aelther true nor at- tractive. His delivery is deadly slow at times, and he overmotes throughout. ' ,t,^ In the fu'st act, as a man T\ho has already been for six months an assistant director in Hollywood, he wears a heavy sweater, woolen stockings that protrude over the tops of far-North minmg camp boots, and the general attributes of a bozo; in his more prosperous pe- riod, months later, he looks too well clad for a bum . and too mean- ly garbed for a llicker-king.y In neither outfit does he register ro- " Hi^i^ranting is half his own crime and half that of t^e dramatists with Tully the master-mind in the bacK- eround. It grows tiresome and is out of place most of the time. He sweeps up the whole picture world •Trom producer to property maiv and shrills filthy names upon theni and at them. Jarnegiui says they pander on Immorality—he who talks lewd dirt to every female he sees (but one—the heroine ingenue),, ana he who drunkenly Insists that im- morality is a.natural state. An embittered anarchist, ne loathes the work for which he taKes huge pay and in which he wastes fortunes for the men who.own tne money and the pictures he makes. For this he calls them pawn-bro- kers, crooks and a few Ics.s print able things. That Is the noble Jar ni'gan. That is the Jarnegan who gave spine to a best seller, who wai; fawned upon by the highbrow re- viewers and the Lucy Stoners and . thff round table enthU-'<Iasts.. ^ . His smut was called virile real Ism, his profanity was seen as 15-year-old virgin dio.s of an itbor- tiou; ihc busine.x.s h<'ad has.shot one .extra girl to death, on a. director's yacht, passed the buck to another dizzy kid who wus too drunk to tnow whether she did it or not, and is framing the genius, Jarnegah, to break, his contract, It's a pretty pictul'e of HoUyyond—rsuch as only a sucker or ah incendiary could con- ceive. What It doe.sn't .sliovv it. .<<ayK,- for fear one shre^l of deoency, one thread of honesty, one filire of sin- cerity anywhere might be left un-r sullied—untullied. It isn't as good or tight a play as "Front Page," but it has more pi the sex p'Ull.' . There Arc enovigh wide-eyed boobs and soreen-.starved morons to think it "a slice of life." As such it should stay for several months and collect—like the penny peopshow - in the arcades labeled "Secrets of Hollywood," As an artistic work in any ele-. ment it is brutal- As a "document" .it is mendacious* As a propaganda it is atrocious. . . ., . L(M. ELMER THE GREAT RlDB I^nlner's comedy pi-Kdufed by George Cohnn and stnrrlnft Waltc-r Hus- ton. SUigod by Sam Forrest. In three acts and six scenes. At l..yoeuin, Ne-w York, BtartlnB Sept.. 24. toj). -Klmer Kane. Mrs. Kane..;,i ■.N'ick..,...... .. NelUo^I'bole... ijarah. . . • Amy Glllan.... 'Bull Warlo TCvolyn Corey.. Dave Walker.. .....Waller Huston ...l.ida MacMilliin .Thomas V. Gllleii ...Nun Sunderland .....Kiito. MoiTKiin . ^.. .ICdIth l.ucUcU. ,. i .Tom Blake Katharlnt! Fr.nnclo Harold Healy power, his maudlin diatribes were roiiected ns revclaticn.s. In the play we not only read him—we see him and we hear him. We even smell him. . . Replete with malodorous ejacula- tions—mo.st of thent neither callod. for nor tolerable, the script keeps one on the jump every moment in anticipation (or fear) of what will next be spilled from the soiled lips of Jarnegan and fi-om the boozy and reckless tongue of Pauline Clare (played by the dainty Wynne Gib- son), .«;ome of whose a.«i.des and re- joinders would make a- stevedore bluish. , That Miss Gibson plays it superb- ly and .'••.•(•res is the one nu-iii'ii-a After 13 . weeks in Chicago to moderate grosses ^at $2.50, the plains city tabbed .this one a« standing a good chance for a substantial New York run. After Monday's pren^ier it looked as if the east may dupli- cate..the Chicago verdict, although the two towns rarely agree on their stage entertaiiiirient. "Elmeir"' is going to have girl trouble. The Lardner, Cohan and Huston tinuinverate of names cari't do it any harm, plus there, being nothing: ill in four team.s battling to' a tight finish in each big league at this time, and then the. series. It's a toss up in New York whether- there are. more femme baseball or fight fans at $3. Just another election the women may decide and probably no definite verdict until after the series is over, especially if some of the games are played in New York. As a play it is .the. best w.rltten to date on the national pastime. Its second act jam: hinges on the gamblers and ■ the psychological knot is further tightened in the first scene of the final episode when the plot gives Elmer a twi.st with the f10,000 he's been framed into accepting. . , 4.,,„ Love interest revolves around the home town girl whom the fast ball novice won't leave home for until she refuses to acknowledge that she's in any way Interested. Lardner- has sprinkled it with some smart cracks, a couple of old gags and a phoney microphone radio bit into which Elmer pours his self-esteem. . The three months in the mid-west has the show down to rock bottom without waste of material or action. In authenticity it's as close as it need be with the fault finding to come from ball club dressing room inhdbltants, not the fans. First act is practically all com- edy plus the mystifying undertone of Elmer's disinclination to sign a New York contract, with neither the Giants or Yanks sped lied. Plot peak of this stanza arrives when Elmer informs Nellie she's got him Plenty bothered, and that's why he won't leave Gehti-Swllle. Her cool exit sponsors his signature, •. --Second-.act---opsning Ls a room down south with the ball oTub regulars in session and told to. lay off riding Kane during trainiag by the manager; A cut tl^^'V'"'{J^ to Nellie's store, where a detective Is tipping off the girl to sign ^.v^-'yv; thing and aid In rounding up the baseball gamblers. ^J^'s SopleinlKT The individual fronting, for the sure thing mob has two I .O. V-«• Elmer's for $5,500. He wants Nel- lio to assume them and accept a $l,Ono bonus for signing a etter tn the pitcher to folU.w instnicDons She slgh.s, calls the cop and tliats **^T^".lrd scene is in a ,St. Lf.uis hotel where Evi-lyn Corey, sh<.w.u'ir fnend of the club manager, p-rsuadi-.s tlio rookio'.sen.-^ation to fll her what., worrying him. It's Xh- ?r,.r,..(i he s and rarln' for blood. It looks cur- tains for Kane until he prodiu>es a belting slip .showing lu''s placed $r>,50u. part of the $10,0t'0, at even money on his team with himself in the box. Final Hash is in the Kane home again with Elmer holding out for $30,000. the scout pulling ilie $3(.i,0u0 instead of the $120,000 c.ontniot out of his pocket, Nellie acqniesi'ing to a license and reading off ad- con- tracts as the" curtain drops. Huston prods everything from the role that it holds and is a re^ pres.sed example of the dumb rookie who thinks" he can duplicate Walter Johnson's fast one underhanded. Huston plays it so faith fully tliere is lacking the fire which has marked his previous legit performances, • Huston is almost paralleled by Nan S u n derl a nd a s! X el 1 i e. T t n u s u - ally tall, Miss Sunderland has a c.i?rtain degree of appearance to over- conie, and that she charriis this han- dicap into submission is no mean accomplishment opposite a trouper of Huston's calibre.., These two ai'c the cast's mainstays plus Katherine Francis making her leveMieaded show girl stand up, as does Harold Ilealy with his assignment of man- ager. Tom Blake registers, as a scout, Llda MacMillan meets, the, popular conception of what a small town mother should be, while T)ioma$ Gillen does well as Elmer s younger brother. Kate Morgan is successful in ai minor cfMnedy jiart, and Edith Luckett, formerly inip"v- tant down south In stock, mtikes her newspaperwoman reasohablCk A Jengthy list of minor bit players .support. . , ■ A surprise is I>ardner's serious- ness as to book. Either he lias re- frained from the expected salvo of crackling dialog or -it was_ toned down by Cohan and'Forrest. There s many a chuckle in. the script, some due to situations, but no-denying thi- lack of penetrating wit which the initiate counted upon from the author in dealing with one of .his best known subjects. Between Cohan and Forrest not .>muc.h could go wrong with the basic material and nothing has. ^ „,„ IVs just that Elmer but fieetingly contracts the heart In that dressing room scene and that it always ..has. been difllcult to make a theatregoing public take acny sport subject seri- ously. Of these instances only two come to mind, ''Strongheart" and "The Whip." ' . Cohan's new comedy has got to get the women to last. Such a leat impresses as beyond its scope, ami If it can date line its programs 1929 it will have outguessed this decision. The show figures optimistically for a good start because of the cur- rent baseball whirlpool and then a drop. And Huston can eat up the profits Jn that breakfast he puts away in the first act. .'Sif- do AMth. This may )z>- for many Ann-riv-an bi>>s. \\hi'-i> is aiioUu-r k-ason for the appi-al of tlic char- <»oti'r, Eddie's sweetie .-lud. a fnruv't' pal conio' i>ver as iniertainors. Eddie is in . the • uuardlioiisc, • having splurged i,ti a Kreiich inn. and being pinclied for i>ayi'n'g off in df^i'i" coupcuis. They let Kddie do a bit of songsiering, anil just before ho is taken baeU to the hoosegow is told that the girl and the pal are mar- i-ied. Thai's,another wallop for the boy. He knows his mother is very ilf and that his sister is In trouMe. ■ Something of iin idea is the ti.Pal sc'ene, that of a tJermah dugout be- hind the linos; Kornier Cennan otll- cer.s are used, and m.iist of the scene is in German. ,\n .\meriean ollleer, the. man .who. has despoiled Emily,; hiis been captured, and Kddie, ree- ognizing hi.m in a sl.iell hole, follows within the Gerinan lilies. The Ger.- mans are pieiured- us. hiueli l''ss harsh'than the war reporis. Eddie leavn.^ lhal the sister has l eeii taken care of and there will be, a marriage. But the news-of liis mother's death is the Slick that erystalizes all. the boy's griefs. Just a.s he is gently ordered to .follow live guard, Eddie, softlv. soliliingly repeats llie .lewish prayer for .the dead, the Kaddlsh. , Pathos of "War Sung" l.s under- current. There .are laughs and that kind of language whieli . must be so if doughboys.ar<' .around. The play is minus the element of roinance. Love interest is really the hoy .and his mother. Jes.sel gives as good a portrayal of Eddie KOsen as lie. diil of the blackface wiivliler in ",.razz Singer,' with a. very good supporting cast. Clara Langsner as the mother could be no more failliful. Shirley Booth. •Lola Lane, Charles \Vi).«on and the Germans .seemed »>speeially good among 1he others, pf whieh there are quite a number. First act c(^uld be cut, for .i.he show is running 20 minutes too iong. There should bewi public for ."War Song," • especially in tiie principal eitlos. and Jessel llgures himself mpro of a road attraction than a Broadway name. Jbrc Ispeiili'ii; or (.'Ulting ~ho;:;d be The pre>i nei^ of weiueii is a< > lone, e.int- ed tor li> tb*' e.-iptui-- oi' .i lirid' ship to liavt UiUih il at .Murtit;iir.ie. Shy does mil'h to brli;hlen the. performanee. He is a eoui'-dian who has not been given a.'* imieii i;redit as he deserves, tJnly oneo'nV-bit ia notiicd. that of the. gl.ass oi" ale. Esther Howard is nun li l>eii-'r than In the original show, foiling with Shv at times. .Miss- t\inabau, also a "eut(> trick, le.ads numbers with Shv which are a deliglit. Bobby t'onnolly, staging the niim- bers, hns displayed . inore . novelty and cleverness tlian any.Mi.mee di"- reetor thus ftir this , .se.astui. ^P.■lth wltli the chorus and iu;ile enseipblo liis worU stands (Hit time after time,: .V team of .speeialisl,';, -.Kosila and Uamon, are employed. Their; lahgo Is a hijihllght ahioUg the dame.-s.: ~lt's the same unit that nu'ned out VlVsert .Soriir."- S;nne' produein-s,. aUtliiM's., .I'oiivposer a.nd .•lin-.-'lor. I'liey eaiiliire f.r.-.'Ab l.iurel.s lien-.- I fii ('• THE BIG FIGHT Tlirri-" art I'omoily ilraiini h. .Mili-.n TKr-- bcvt liriiiipi r ■.^^\^ .M,i\ M.o. uk l.'i-.-Ui'-t'd r>v Sant H. M;Mrri» mill AM.cil l.-'«is. Slav- riiiK .liw'lv'Lioinp-ipy iiii'l lOsli'l'"- ra.yii''. At. .\I;iJi-sti.', .Vow VofK, yopf. 1^. Sli'Vi- LiiKail, .TijliM'S .Manar.' f. ' ■ .Iii'-k l;,'<,'>li-iKh , NVmiam Itli'fiariH ., ... i.i'Wi-^ .Sluiinnu .Ii-ri'i'iin Uall ■ ........ ;• lli-iii> I'hiilipl , Hurry .-tulibs I'Mua lieniK'tt , . .1 )u\ I- Wi'lnsieln ........ .X'r liir Kllian ■ , .,1. W.-.lai'.kson J.,.. •. .i-uil Di- .Mel ". ..... ...-.,. ■. ..Toun Slilnoy , ■ ..■ .. ,.. .H.slM'f 'ruj.lor ,.' Hai ry .\ll(.-hell ' ;i"•i>;>'> t'ole ijatl'il.t's ^MaiiapM-.. ■ • ■ Dvvi ti Martin (ieorKo... '....I'ail l)e .Mel I'lniijk '•Imi)>\\t"' .si.iiiii...Ariliui' H. VInion lllllle MniiiT, t'lihloy's . Hiiiilii'V ■, • Hlllli- .Mr.Munus ..Koy Maih'rave Sniffv Jii\ie Hililii> .Mttnn ).pft,v WIlsD-n....-. ; .(-...jrilon ' •onover HiMtoIU. 1 .NMck H! S,-». . Ui^liihai-l Dr l>Il^'i;s.;. ■Wlnnlv . . ■... Mallii'iin .Man Slim;.,...... Uai'l'.v. lll'llTK'^. .. ... Jim. :'. ShirU-y..,... I'hil;..; lloniy....... I'IfikTe Kryr, l,e\\ls. THE WAR SONG the National Sept. 24. Stars Gp"''KC • chs. . Written by the Spev.;ack8 and Ji>.s.-<ei. Staged by Albert; l«wls. Mrs. Roseii. ....... • Social Worker. i... Emily Rosen • • Pill Swanson.' Sally Moss Herman Wagner Eddie Boson • • Hob Ell^lns. .1 •• Vr, Hay man..... ri\'lllan onicer..........• An M. P •■A--;; Private James Perkins.. Private Harris 'Winters. .Clar.i T.anpancr .Edn Hi'inenifinn ..Shirley IlooUi .Raymond Gulon :.Ijola Lane , . I'.iul Kei . ...Gforijo Jessel ..Edward Ijfiter Ted Atbey .. .Krank Spelvln .. .Charles IVlers .WlUliim G.'oxitn ..Joseph I.aibam THE NEW MOON Op<'ietta in uvi>.a<-ls. I'ii'.-ontoil by r,au n-ni" Si:)iwab and l-'rimU Miindcl at tliv liniH-rlal .Scpi. I'.f. Wriiti-n by (.Hear Haln- mL'^it'ein, L'll. MUndi'l anil Hiliwab. . Si'Oro. by. SiKnuinil ri.piiilMM K. . .Sunilii-ra siaKPiV by .r.obby Connolly. Sel llnB.s'ili'.'-ll,'"ed by Don- iilil OcnslaKnr; WliUcy Kali'li ->;„■„„ Jack J.)lllon. known a.s*llve I Im-r; • Jatk .Penipsey L.'I) I'urilello .^ilililey Wynne Sn.Swball,..-;.; . ..,-. l,l('Vio'ntllil Uouliey HaltllnB HakiM'.... Itad- • • • • • • • Danny.- ;. mil ;., Jeny ihf (^ro'-k Henry ClarK J. I.e.Saint ...Ualpli. .'-•mlth fiank CulUhan. ..... ;i)an . Keny ...;;.v;au .viiyn •iuri j a.uvaJla Julie iMiinsii'ur Iti-autiinr. Capl. I'aul Duval,. Viriiinic '. Hlbaiiil... JlOberl Alexander .He.viic .Taciiue.s •. . Mrirlannc I'bilUppp riotildc J.;onibnsie. Tavern I'l-oprletor., KJfiwer Olrl.:-. A Spanl.Ti'd A Danci.T Kouclrel Ic ■.... The Daneer.M;...... Till'-.Musli-ianK...... ■(.'ajit. l-.)i-Jf;in . .. .Marie I'allaban :iMi-l»' Kll>p'o i .I;Mward SfU. Jy. ...... ,Mnx' I'lfimiin , . .J"li)tK'rt Vl;illli'ay Uu.'i rthy. lAle Hvan.9 .Karle MlU.-holl .,. .I'.'wiyn Herl>ert William o'.N'e.nl }5.sther Howard ,.,..TJanlel fjarne.s Olga ,\llmnl . .Korniari JJelmonto KdlMi Khelilon 'I'liomnH Jiaile .Ro.'-ita anil llanion Hernanden 'J'rio , .•. lie.vter ■ Porr (TlKef'.s .SeroiulM) Baiiler'si .Sofon.l. ... "Italian J.-iVk" Uvrman ^ ....Anllii.ny Mii'.uiUfte ...... Vli lor Kllian, Jr. .SlfiJ- Malloy Matil'T'.s .,^*i>('iii)il.. McssiMiKer liny. .. Me.'-.seliKer- Hoy ... ()tilo'i-i- Kvlly...... IJeferei;.'... .• ,\nni)Ui\i-vr; ilU'llo' Alinnuni'iT. .1,>lin KelVy . ..loi' . Di'rnsieUl :..liii> Hnni|>hieys . Niiiinnn l.'earce ^^IX^m;^^ Sin;;^iw::;c^ K^nkiin Gap-'t. Conroy Private IDggenbotham. Mr.' King...; •• Oorporal RlngUng Private ChlckoppiJOlls.. Private Rudy Shorer.. Mrs. James Perkins... (Jorman Operator-.. ..Ohiirles W'il.son Peter K. llawley ...Edwin Jerome ....Paul O'Brien ...T-l. C. Warren ,...T. K. llen.'Wn ..Patricia Kenny .Lieut. Piiul Kehultz Von Bergen Major S. An>on Rumann X5rlnkhorHoff......Capt. Herm.an I.ehmnrin Major Von Stoch..... .Col. ISdinund U.ewe German Sergeant Ueut. Hans Oolb- blc per'formance of this me.-.s proves lost shootirig <\";f' " ..1.-1*...,--.^ , lii.. ,.,irv «iir- iw.iii;.-. iinil how h<'K goillf tram 1)1 infi house and how he's going to pay it back. As sh" leaves to >:trai:ibten that talent amrpersonality can sur- vive aiiything. . To this petite, brilliant girl has been lianded perhaps the toughest, most reekingly rotten role in Amcr- -• Jcan hi story.^ .w it1rouA..:!'L J:rjr.^rJi?lg word or moment. A pietu're ."^ar, ••ni.in-made." as she says, with the proi)orly improper ciniihasis. sh''^ I a gin ticnd. ,'i pushover. :i Irainp ntid a trollop. She is h' ld ui) as" sy- bolic of the class ITer nredi^ces'^or In th" arms of . t^ani". the'^^r^. or-'vdu.'.is tak^s cyani.l< \ I^'T'^^ '"r'^ir'^uneh' in the producer's clfiee (on l]i«the last "'•VJl^^l'^n'-rvthi. u- "casting-ootu-h,".the lines .say). Thenianager. walks in hep. to < m rMl.mu (5eorgo Jessel created a distinct following In "The Jazz Singer"/(the play, not the pictur-e), and it is to the same customers that "The War Song" should appeal. The Spewacks and Jessel probably hav"'.t. written a great'play, but there Is emnriqriTTiTi it; to vi-in. a measure of box-omce success. . , "War Song" Indicated its .draw- ing possibilities ahmg the lines in- dicated by beating.that of "The Bio Kight" on the final Saturday in rhil- .adelphia. At that time the; last .'ict was'being tirikered .with, but.-'^.tst week in Newark alteiidance was satisfactory. , Jessell's earlier play had the .lew- ish young man- harking to th" call of his religion,Whereas this (u.ie has the same typo of young professioniil in the war. The new pl.'iy deal.- with the war actually and not as an aftermath, which .may lay it op''" to some criticism. It is made plausible, huwevei-, ami there is a strain of satire aliip..-!. tbroiigliout, the draft cojijIh;.'.. in f'M the first dig. -, Eddif; l{oscn and his .sisd-r -hrnii; I^arry Schwab and Erank M.'indel have done.lt'again, for "Xew Mooii'? is another musical success. Every sea.son they .ai»em to stick one across. -Good News" i.s .still run- ning and before tliat "The Desert Song." "Moon" is of the latter type, an operetta intelligently . written, smartly produced and gifted with plenty of melody. This show was tried out last sea- .son and taken off for the reputed reason that the managers couldn't find a prima donna. J'.ut the book was entirely rewritten, and tliat al.so goes for the original score except for two numbers. Jn making a new presentation of "Moon" Oscar IlainmerHiein, 2d, col- laborated with >Mai)del .'iiul Schwai). Komherg sitent his sn'inmer tinl<er- ing witli liew tune:--. Maybe (be llammerslein kid needs ■ a pre.ss .iirent. i-Ie has coiUril.-iil'.'d to many .«,'musieal success and his work i.-' now accepted ;is a mailer of cour.sc. . In making over, tiw show llobert 1Iulii(luy, VS-)iliamOiNeal-and Xyle I'ivans were riytained from , among the principals appi-arlng ih the first version; JUrtliday and. O'Neal were in •"'J'he Desert Song." Gus- Shy moved his trunk next -door in j s'wiii liing from "Good Ne-w.s.'.' a hap- 1 l,y Idea. Marie Callahan, also of tlU' fn-)glJial cas-1., makes a corking teann- niaie for: .Shy. ■ .- ' ' ' ' , 'J'hir .i^wei'l-voiced beauty Evelyn Ili-rhirt is the nolalile adilltlon. She Is lovely lo l<Jok iipoli, lovely to lis- ten to,'and both ,'is ar-tress .and a songbird. "One Kis.s' and "Dover Co me j{;ick to Mc" were be;intifully ■ rendered h ! llalliilay. I soi'ed .'^nell ; liefii ted ,\|i Ijoib M.ilerljeri and ()'Neal's volurne spon- eoiiiributions as "Stont- •11," one of the few soUgS r<-!;iiie-d rrom Ih" original '^c-ire, a.n<l ".Softly, as i;i .a. ;\Ioi-iiing Suiu'i:-r-." W'iMi ;i Mi;.ie eii-'-mlile 0.1- ovi-r . •!'.) vole.--- |eil .bv Iiallid;i.y and. O'Ni-al, ■^''^.•Aro ^dcn^con ^ w'^ h^ support of their moM.e,-. \'^IV'' -w ' n the L-am^^^^^^^^ wil l I widowed by the Sp=.n).^k-M;v r.e..n iV.t r Vellie ir s « . Thev war. Tlie mother is fe.-.rful ll.at he, I dl K- ne ;i e'.s hock. ;^!^^ to i Eddie will be .seized in Ihe draft a,:.! ^;^#nc TT^Ir=Eljm>t-l^^4-vv;.Md.t.bcn^.Edd '.rA Js N.S^ S -^^l aet eu. tain] think,, he can bull hi.^ w^.y . ■ ' o; . '■.■^ti:illlie;ir1-;d JMm).' Jjrovli'e.l a. l;ieU. ■•\S';ini ii.g Voti.' a du-.a Ijy Mi.-.^ 11' i - »i..)t, and IlaUldiiy. is slill aiiotiji-ri iium!.'!• w hi' l). rales hi^ii. _ | S.loI"-Ll"i 'Jlll LL^ K'-'i- 1 "The Dig Fight" is Jack IXinp.sey and Estelle Taylor, .siivihg a lousy opera for llie authors and producers. The ex-ciiainp cros.sed everyone up, to and including the critics, by tdrning In a performance that many a member of the Equity in good standing .would have been proud to father. ■ . : .•' . : Dcmp.s<'y astoundeil the customers with his stage presence, his likable boyi.slinesB and his all-around per- formance. When he rcaehe.'? the stag(.' where he won't have to worry about remembering lines, ho will re.'illy act and feel the part o£ "Tiger" Dillon, the champion who refused to take a header and tossed his nianagcr on the eve of the big light for sugge.'iting it. :\llss Taylor is assigned lines that sounded as though they were writ- ten by a Hollywood supervisor. She Is given mlglity little material and hot more than a. dozen natural speeches in the entire three acta, but she. slipix'd enough sincerity Into the inii)Os,sible sides, to make the p.'irt stand up. Der picture teelini(|iu; is constantly battling svlth tlie stage requirements and slie ia whipsawed when forced to follow vhilerit physical projection of emo- tion with a banai .speech, uninspired and flat. In the first act In the "Barber -.SI 1 op'!: scene,, - il.i.s.s ^TayJor id..made to repeat one. about sleephig with a .hian, until It's a won/b-r ahe didn't -antagonize evei-jbody la the audienec . That .she didn't, and went on from that hic.ss of drivel to -wlrt apiiliiuse. on hrr merits, she can couiit- iis an outstanding aehievc- ment. ' J u.'^t what D;ivid fVelasco co.n- Iributed to tin- produeticin Is prob- • lemalical'.- Staging.- was :ill right i)Ut - who ever sponsored the play showed .a (b plorable la'-U of ring kno-^vledge, !<even glarin;^ hnprob- ;ibilltii v;itli ibe inosl. eons)deuoufi the sei-nes in the two lighters' .dressing rooms the -nig'ut of tiio I light. ' The contender's • .m.'iii'iger. Own) Merlin, i-; m.'cd- by liie author I to t< ll hi' li.^'liif-r to hit low. l.j'att ; ;it)d u.-i bis lai"- in the < Iin-he.s. lOven if bis brodii-r was the i-.-reree l.e iv,,,iM 111' !!,ro\\ll i. lt. i-' fiii.g ■r r'Hi'itii'tiii^: oii'- iMiWi ol' iii^. in- ; I nie! inns... Tl/i .■;,)• v.bo T.l.'.y-'! ;l • - "i '• ti-ier ;,/•..- Ci.r:!' f i\'.a-i-l--; for "War Song" is anotle r o ts no swi 11 ' te til" li''V. ,diiu;. s iiri^ the slow. ,thinl<inu' Kim-r Moiin- ' "War Soni .h. box ,or t„.-,t ;;vi/r.u?^s/;:;i;'i:w^i'.:.;i.-:'^ s of , tram". • .. i , , • i-...! .l-M i;. HI ],(• rotten s<ddi'-r ).< i • J'-'-' -'•'■' l . is I'-al human aiid kii ■•.ii."- .av-n.-'! in qiiarri-ls that he bad rni'li.i'ti to !< 1. !i niovi III' ri! for <'iiu.-' v.il'i iii*' band i>i")ie er'-d liii ;ind in tlie Cai-ft/o.-i.Ti. S ' laiil in X'-w (ir;. • n.-- in iT ' I a!i I |;iiid in \'^'' ' ':e! M- ' •■ fiir- 1 ■■• I .'' ! • " fi -' i • il Ilia • 1 ■ '•' ' ■ '•' ,-!iil at i' ii- I <(•. ••!•■• ;'. y .'111 ; 11 • .III .-.lid i- i- ;. ri. I ..I -, A' 1' I' itMO ( -1 .l-.Vl I V.-,!|l II I. |.. . I-U'- • i. ■. 1! . r.i . r !'..■;- >iir »'i '• fi'--.;_ !■ lahi; to 11 .It. to iip.l'i lint .u • iii^t j. .iiii- ; . ' M- ■ : . ti «