The Brooklyn Citizen from Brooklyn, New York • 8

6 Th Brooklyn Citizen, Saturday, April 13, 1940, -T- Mews and Reviews of Stage and Screen OF MICE AND MEN VIRGINIA CITY Hollywoodiana By LUIS ROSADO The Premiere By EDGAR PRICE Medicine Show New Living Newspaper Play, Opens at the New Yorker Theatre A Daring and Provocative Piece Written by Oscar Saul and H. R. Hays. V.Jnvariably, statistics on paper are dry and boring; but on the stage they can be made very interesting as Oscarsaul antH. R.

Hays proved in Medicine Show, ther new living newspaper play which Carly Wharton afoi Martin Gabel brought to the New Yorker Theatre last evening. Taking a leaf from the cjpfunct Federal Theatre, the Messrs. Saul and Hays, have written a strong and powerful piece, mincing no words and condemning in no uncertain terms the American Medical Association. Just how much truth theie Is in, the assertion that 250,000 JIKIVICINK Sliof" a e.w Lisins Miriam Hopkins snd Errol Flynn in scene from Virginia City now in itfs.cond week at the Fakian-Kox Brooklyn Theatre on the same program with Blondie on a Budget. Charles Bickford and Burgess Meredith in a scene, from "Of Mice and Men, now showing at Loew Miiiopu 'ihiane on-tha---same program' with Zanubar, featuring Lola Lane.

GRAPES OF WRATH First Nighters Guide, die needlessly every year in the 1 United States snd the further stait-i lififc fact that the A. M. A. is posed to an Ameiican health plan, we are in no position to say. But we do known that the Measrs.

Saul and Rhys hive written a deeply stirring pjay to caiiAP comment by everyone who sees it. Diiected at just the proper pace by Jules Dassin, with the pi eduction designed and lighted by Samuel Leve and wih music by Hans Hanns Eisler? "Medicine Show is a provocative play which, Ath the ex- Xsn.pap.i plav Oaar Saul Ipan ft- tnd Holt, man Han w(h mu hw, Ritor tarrt by Jul Diwm, pro Hu. tmn ftoairnfrt and llchtari hy am-itol laie, nnFntFl hr Mr Carly harmn and Marlin ftjtbtl. At tha rw ThatrF. Tha raat Siatiai man Martin OabaJ Coburn Ooodwin fop- Drirnthy McOujra John Randolph Jarkann Philip Rnnrnaiif Mr Jntkaon Hfiya Coppln Sullivan laabal Rnnr Harry rf.tnin tor Rii hat Jonti Dr Tnuna Alftad Rydar Mia Yoiinf Zamah Cunnlnrham Dr "White Pram Noaaeit Kennedy Richard Clark Soe Oljve Deerinx nark Norman IJnsrd horinee Linda Lea Vi nia Campbell I Andrew Jjaeph Piaon I Donald Raiaa D.

Ma K-fia II am Hanaen Hen Perry Bruakin Kl'to Sara Flojd John Mebr'jrn V'orjff let- Pater Ff varah Pearl Gatrfea Mery 'orma Oean Bill Ben Rosa. EM Ieifh Whippar 1 pla Row 1 Rinn Sannfl I. rural 1 Of one episode ahdwing T'vau ah Oniuo rox "Alicein Wonderland, is sure to rowar i hold your inteiesj. Its an editorial Dnrt ht T.imou TUESDAY Morning Star new play by Sjlvia Regan, will have Ita postponed premiere at the Longacre Theatre. George Kondolf is the producer.

The piece haa been directed by Charles K. Freeman, the setting haa been designed by Howard Bay and the costumes by Alexander Jojes. Special songs by Lee Wainer and Robert Sour. The cast includes Molly Picon (making her first appejmfffTe in an Rngiish-languaj'tframa on Broadway Bui off Jeanne Greene, Georgette Harvey, Ruth Yorke, Martin Blaine, David Morris, Sidney Lumet, Cecilia Eans. nil Hal Hithai a 7 inti for At 1 11c Ron nm 1 a Luck' Dub rv Hobnit i rkrv 1 a Judge nmiiiCtt I MrLauffh RhU Dr Br Pr.nii i sfirt Afornev In at As.

Istanl District 1 Wanton Judge Judge J. I I lod No'att Rmr. rha-Vv rjrnpawH I jon' I Uw '1 Marc Enframe J''lliA'i Mato t-' 1 Rusnalt Hick I 1 27 Knight At'orito fiarto Tenr aln 1 li nn ha-to TrnwbridB John Hamilton hand with figures which sometimes ate alarming. A graduate of tba Mercury Playeis, Mr. Gabel, sounding for all the world lika old man gloom himself, turn in a first-rats' performance.

Otheig whose work atands out include Dorothy McGuire, Zamah Cunningham, Norman Lynd, Philip Bourneuf, Alfred Ryder and Coburn Goodwin. There is a large sup-' porting cast, ail capably handling their respective rolea. Medicine Show, in ahort, la something to be seen, and Its authors aro to ba congratulated for having had the courage to write It. It la a daring and timely topic, beautifully don. Our hat la off to the Messrs.

Saul and Hayi. More power to them. Tytone Power portiays his flist gangster role In Johnny Apollo, new Ttyrntieth Ccntuiy-Fox ptoduc-tion at the Roxy, and the gills still loe him. He sports a black eye dining one portion of the picune which looks quite becoming and dently only serves to iousc the mother instinct, judging fiom the audible sighs among the women in the audience. In the last few se- quences when he dons a snappy striped suit donated by the State I the girla all butt swoon.

What hcartbi eaker! Artist'Thomas Hart Benton's conception of Jane Harwell as Ma Joad in "The Grapes ff Wrath, now in (its second week at the RKO Albee Theatie. The companion piece is Free, Blonde and 21. THURSDAY Heavenly Express, new play by Albert Bain, will open at the National Theatre, with John tiar-fleld, Aline MacMabon and Harry Carey in the featured roles. Other leading parts will be played by Philip Loeb Russell Collins snd Art Smith in a cast that Includes among its principals Harry JBrtsburg, Curt Conway, James OTtesr, Nicholas Conte, Burl Ives, John OMalley, Will Lee, Phil Brown, William Sands, Jack Lambert, Charles Thompson and Randolph Wade. Heavenly Express was staged by) Robert Lewis and the settlngsland costumes were designed by Boris Aronson.

The music was composed and arranged by Lehman EngeL Kermlt Bloomgarden is the producer. Hollywood, April 12 touring the SETS The set for MGMs dramatic film, The Mortal Storm, represents the exterior of the Roth home in Germany. James Stewart has just escorted Margaret Sullavan to the door, well aware that, outside the front gate, some half dozen Nazi Troopers are waiting to avenge themselves on him for refusing to join their party. As Miss Sullavan closes the door apprehensively, Jimmy starts down the walk leading to the street, settling his jaw firmly for the struggle. No sooner is his hand on the gate than the brawl begins.

looks too Slow, Director Frang Borzage commented after one The camera started grinding again. This time the battle was real from every aspect, Miss Sullavan, who is watching from the window, runs from the house in an attempt to stop the one-sided affair, followed by Irene Rich, who portrays her mother. Fists were flying fast and furiously. In some inexpdicable manner, Miss Sullavan managed to get behind Jimmy who was swinging away blindly. She started to pull him off, while Bor-zage grinned his approval at the realistic aspect of the scene.

But Jimmy had his mind on the battle. Feeling the tug from the rear he whirled around with a perfectly timed right, cfitching Miss Sullavan directly in the stomach. In the heat of the scrap he thought that her restraining tug was being exercised by one of his Nazi opponents. let out one brethless little squedk. Jimmy realizing what he had done, turned swiftly and began to apologize.

The camera stopped grinding. The scene'was temporarily at a halt. In another corner a group of the Nazis apologized profusely to Irene Rich and wrapped handkerchiefs about her wrist. It had been cut by scrap- iwjj'agpinst one of the rough buckles on the Storm Trooper uniforms. nor his opponents, could boast of a single another case where the innocenjf bystander takes the rap, Miss Sullavan commented as the company made ready for another take.

"But she learned her lesson. Never did she attempt to tackle Jimmy. Boom Town set represented a circus. The bleache'rs aref ull of extras in comtumes of the 1919 vintage. A hillbillyband.

make believe they were playing. Clark Gable, in a western outfit, riding a donkev stops in front of the bandstand, takes his hat off and bows to the audience. Director Jack Conway is satisfied. Clark gets off the donkey and goes to Jack and asks him. Was the donkey facing the camera with a happy smile To which Jack answered, What did he have to look happy about? He was carrying-you.

At Warner Brothers studio, they have reproduced the market place of Venta Bruz, an inland Panama town in the sixteenth century. The set is The Sea Hawk. Jhe cameras are lined up in front of the Halfway House where the treasure is brought by the Spapiards from the South American jungles for loading on their galleons and transport to Spain. The unusually large battery of arc lamps make the heat oppressive. Purposely so, Michael Curtis, the director informs us to get the feel and atmosphere across to the actors as well as dhe public.

We ar-rived just as they had finished rehearsing a scene. Errol Flynn stood by and moved closer to I just watched myself being double crossed, he said. It felt funny, especially when I know that I am going to be captured and made a galley is something funnier, Mike Curtiz said, Errol, yorf will have to work in the next scene so you better call off that tennis match. Errol was deeplv disappointed. If that Indian hadnt tipped things off so well in this scene today, Itould have my tennis game.

Now Ive got to' put a ten days growth of beard, wear rotten rags and have myself slapped up with a lot of mud. Lufhy guy that Tilden, Errol hurls over his shoulder as he leaves for his dressing room, he can play tennis all the We make a mental note. Some day we must cneck with Big Bill and get his reaction. Chances are he would love to trade places with Errol At United Astists Studio. Basserman, for nearly fifty years Germanys most famous actor, admits that Hollywood has him slightly confused.

Recently, he was borrowed by Walter Wanger from Warner Brothers, who hae him under long term contract, for an important role in Per- sonal History. Elaborate dialogue tests were madei" Then he worked his first scenes for the picture. right. he said. What do I Director Alfred Hitchcok day, the same thing happened, and well into the third day.

Baserman admits he was beginning to get worried. Why did they hire me if I dont talk? he demanded. It happened that there was a series of scenes in which he was supposedly under the influence of a powerful drug and cannot utter a -word. Finally, he said his first lines for the film and riWffftd his appreciation. At last, the actor sighed, Basserfnan talks Playing his irrst comedy role since coming to this country, Peter Lorre came out of a scene with Zorina and Erich von Stroheim in the I Was an Adventuress set at Twentieth Century-Fox.

Lorre, grinning like a mischevious youngster, sidles up to Director Gregory Ratoff. you see the man crying on your set yesterday? he asked in all seriousness. asks Ratoff. What was he crying for? What was the matter? Had I'said something bad to what I wondered. continued Peter.

No I went Up to him. I said, the matter, old fellow? He said Nothing. Nothing much. Im just homesick So very, very homesick. You see, Im an American.

roars. Out of the cast of some twenty, there isnt a single American. Zorina is Norwegian; Erich von -Stroheim, Austrian Lorre, Hungarian, and Ratoff, Russian. Even the dialogue director, Dr. Serge Bertensson, is Russian born.

FLICKERS AND FLICKERITES Rita Hayworth has made up her mind that the next time her cat climbs the tree outside her apartment, she will call the fire de-. partment instead of trying to rescue it herself. The other morning the cat sneaked out when she opened the door to get the paper. Rita got a kitchen stepladder climbed up into the branches, and grabbed the cat just as neighbors in the opposite apartment pulled up the hades and opend the window to see who the Peeping Tom was. Between apologies to the neighbors and attention to the scratches received from the ungrateful at, Rita was a good half hour lata getting on the set of wHaaa and to a page ripped Jfi orn the living news-j paper and its as timely as today's headlines.

It hits and hits hard at Unaffected by all thia female ado- bose indirectly responsible for the lation, Tyione goes on to g-ve an 250,000 pievcntable deaths in this excellent performance, as a gentle-. country every year. Someone is reman gangster. Fiist thing you know, I gponsible. and the Measia.

Saul and Presenting the finest offerings of the modern theatre at -i Warner Brothers will be trying to Hays place the reaponslbility wheie prices within the reach of everyone, la project that has been borrow hin a piaymate for James they bplieve it bei0ngs. the subject of much conversation, more printers ink and Cagney and Humphrey Bogait. even some hasty computation on withotif many Johnny Apollo is the alias Ty- tangible results, became a reality on "Easter Monday, when Vinton Freedley opened his new production of Ferenc Mol- tone adopts when, as a young college man, he is forced to leave school following' the sentencing of hia they believe it belongs. Medicine Show, in reality Is no play at ail, but a geiies of short scenes, well written 'Tor the moet part, dealing In facts snd figures on the ail important question of Returning to Cast. Richard Kollmar, honeymooning agtor of Too Many Girla, will return to hia duties as chief, singer in the Rodgers and Hart musical at the Imperial on Monday evening.

Kollmar wbia married last Saturday to Dorothy Kilgallen, newspaper columnist, and newly wedded couple ha been vacationing in Cuba. 'New Addition s. Charles Laskey Isis new addition to tjje east of tliKKG. DeSylva-Irving Beilin Purchase," now inrehearaal with health. The solution for a national health plan is put fairly and squarely up to the American people themselves.

It lest solely with them since, according to Jhe authors, it is their privilege to speak through nars Liliom at Manhattan's Forty-fourth Street Theatre. The play one of the greatest of; this century; the cast an all-star fame Slow tO CatdlUp company, headed by Burgees Meredith, Ingrid and Elia Kazan, the price plenty of seats at movie-houae figures, all made movie-houae figures, Steinbeck haa found that there's a flip between the the ballot box. Mr. Gahel, In addition id being ijiHam Gaxton, Vera Zorina, Victor Moors and Irena Bordoni In th leading rolea. co-producer of the show, acts the role of the statistician, always on combination that spelled packed bouaea and long lines at the box-office.

many cup of success and the lip. The man who wrote the moat widely diacussd novel of modern Liliom proved immediately Rlat had hia fingers on suc- DOROTHY LAMOUR 1 banker father prison because of embezzlement. Fighting to -pin a parole for his father, Tyione becomes seriously involved with the underworld, in fact, turns gangster, and there is plenty of action and excitement before everything is straightened out in true Hollywood fashion. Dorothy Lamour, cast as a night club entertainer who meets Tyione after his college days, offeis fur-ther evidence of tlje fact that" she no aetjess, butmeiely a prop for a sarong. Since there is no call for a sarong in the story, the prop seems quite extraneous.

She sings two numbers, Dancing for Nickels and Dimes by Lionel Newman and Frank Loesscr, and This la the beginning of End? Mack Gordon. An excellent supporting cast helps to put the picture across. Mickey Dwyer is tops as a brutal, ruthless gang boas. Edward Arnold, as Cain Sij. turSiTvn a good account of the wfderly iqptct.

and Charley Grapewin present an interesting" characterization of a judge. Henry Hathaway directed the film from the screenplay by Philip Dunne and Rowland Brown and the original story by Sajnuel G. Engel and Hal Long. Mary Raye and Naldl, distinguished international ballroom stars, Jiead the new Fancbon and Marco stage show. Other acta are Senor Wencea, th Lazanders.

the Four Sidneys, Ann Marlowe, the Gae Foster Girls and Paul Ash with the Roxy Theatre Orchest ra. Neglected Road Cities Make Bids for Skylark John Golden announces that at least a dozen mid-Western cities within close proximity to large metropolitan centera have put bfeis with guarantees for the presentation at their Ideal auditoriums for one and two night engagements of Gertrude Lawrence Skylark, comedy by Samson Raphaelson at the Morosco Theatre. wtifn the play is toured next season. These towns, Mr. Golden asserts, were on his regular booking ached ules for all his attractions about a decade or so ago.

I am going to make every effort to play these cities, stated Mr. Golden yesterday, not only because I feel there is a definite trend everywhere to the living theatre, but a definite audience haa grown up willing to support Broadway plays with Broadway casta. More important, new civic auditoriums have replaced the unattractive, antiquated playhouses that once housed the drama in these com munltiea, making it inviting to attend. Being new, they are 'mechanically equipped to handle any production rp matter the size. Offer such as I have received for Miss Lawrence in Skylark cannot be overlooked by myself or any producer who haa the good of the theatre at heart.

A vibrant theatre cannot live without -support of th road and Its about tima recognized the fact and set about In our co-operative ways remedy the condition." the right show-right price formula would be a boon to the theatre, that it would draw on the vast audience which haa become a stronger to the legitimate stage, and that it could be a financial Mr. Freedly ha one of the top 'moneymakers of tha spring season. Broadway is sittlhg up and taking notice, particularly of tha fact that Mr. Freedley, whose name as synonymous with the beat in musical comedy, is now making tha ticket window sing a song of success at prices everyone can afford, when, previously it Jingled for him to the tune of $5.50 and $6 60. The most recent Important attempt at a popular-priced theatre was last season's effort by th Playwright' Company with Abe Lincoln in Illinois." Refort have it that it did not nieasur lip to expectations.

Tha eo-n elusion drawn wer that th low price policy to be inaugurated from the very jurt ofjhe run, not Introduced montha after the premier as a "cut-in-price" offer. The importance of east of first link proportions haa also bean established. Mr. Freedley's new production of Liliom" is enafted by Margaret Wychery, Ann- Mason, John Emery, -Arnold Korff, Joseph Macauley and other prominent players. in addition to th three heading th cast.

Miss Bergman, who created a screen sensation a few month ago when aha mad. her debut before tha cameras in is repeating tha furor with her first appearance on the English-speaking at age. cess several time; but he got his firat prolonged taste of auccese only a relatively ahort time before Darryl F.rtZanuck began hi production of The Grape of Wrath, the Steinbeck story that touched the heart of the nation, now showing at the RKO Albe Theatre. Steinbeck wa born and reared in Monterey County, California. He wrote nine book before be wrote The Grapee of Wrath." Two of these sold moderately well.

The remainder paseedi virtually unnoticed. Zanuck, who had long appreciated tha power and appeal of Steinbeck's writing, made a bid for The Grapes of Wrath" a eooiyas th book was published. Thie ffifywa successful qnd the picture was Tiished into production. g. Zanuck selected -Nunnally John-1 eon, one of Hollywood' moet bril llant writers', to do the screenplay and to ba hik aesociat producer for "The Grapee of Wrath." Johnson and Steinbeck went over the completed script In detail.

In the end Steinbeck congratulated Johnson for havjng fashioned a drama which followed the book faithfully and retained the spirit and humor of the original characters. Academy, Award Winner John Ford directed The Grapes of Wrath." Henry Fonda playe Tom Joad. Among other playera featured In thf east are Jan Harwell as Ms JosA John Carradln as Casy. tha prncher; Charles Grape-win as Grampa; Dorris Bow don as Roaasbarn, and Russell Simpson as Pa Joad. 'i iy- Gets New Actors The most recent additions to New Pin and Needles" are Sherman Edwards.

Jack Rosa, Sylvia Cahn and Elsa Tirado. They are graduates ok rehearsal company and drama school which Labor Stage main talned at ft littl theatre on street for th peat two month. All four are, of course, members of lha 1. G. W.

UU. and wllMem as extras in New Pin and Needle" for th time being Rose Hobart Cast Rosa Hobart, Broadway iftase favorite, will play the feminine lead opposlta Ken Murray in A Night si Earl Carroll, Paramoqct a film atory of Hollywood's moat glamorous nltery. Jn today's eaatlng Mias HoBxtt was assigned the role of Ramona Lira, sophisticated ntgbt club hostess and movls colony ealsbrlty. Co-atarrod with Bing Crosby and Boh Hope in "Road to Sings- Krt, held ever a second wnafc at the Brooklyn Paramount Thaatns fc 2 ivn Homs. a I.