Oakland Tribune from Oakland, California • Page 24

12-B 3 OAKLAND TRIBUNE, SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1940 Drama Takes Cast Romps As Stanford Through Play Season Opens RETURN I NGr-i. FAVORITESI lg iff A vm i Mr SaW; Scorning Jl 'in'''f' -SA Intellectual Turn Here r- Stage for February Cultural in Theaters and Clubs By WOOD SOAKX3 February will find the cultural lide of the theater functioning in these Jlrts, if one may take any stock in the golden word of the Drew agents. The lint gun was fired yesterday by the Eastbay Children's Theater with Uie presentation of a group of one-act plays for the delectation of juvenile audiences at the City Club Almost simultaneously the stu dents of Stanford University's drama division, with a new director at the helm, their season with The Warrior's Husband" a play that -originally started Katharine Hep burn on way to. stardom. Tomorrow evening 'Ruth Draper opens Jwo-weeksr engagement at the Curran with her character sketches, "Mips Draper is ignoring Oakland! on this visit but is planning to play two weeks, in the interior, in eluding' San Jose.

'Sacramento. Car mel and her way to NEW DIBjCTpB On Februart 8, the Berkeley Com munltv Players will hoist their' 1940 pennant -at th Codornices Club House with a play called "It Never Rains, But--" which will be dis tinguisnefl by the presence of a new director; lnl the person -of Austin Mallett, who-, has succeeded Ferdi nand T. Kebely. -r, Mallett was Initiated into the bus inesa of play-acting during his stu dent days at University High School where he was stage manager for the school playt under Miss Margaret Ryan. Subsequently ha omed the famous old Berkeley- Playhouse group with Alice Brataerd and JEver-ett Glass.

He returned to Berkeley, after college drama and seasons with the Golden Bough and Forest Theater in Carmel, to work under Kebeley. He has spent the last two years in that capacity. His first solo flight will be made with "It Never Rains, But-" February 13 and 1 will bring the Oakland Theater Guild into the foreground with "Goodbye Again" which will be presented at the City Club Theater with John Marshall enacting Kenneth Bixby, the lecturing au-' thor gets into a peck of trouble on a tour, SIMILAR THEMES Curiously enough, the basic theme of "Goodbye Again" is not greatly unlike "The Man Who Came to Din- ner" which will bring Alexander Woollcott in a caricature of himself to the Curran sometime in March, In both plays the foibles of temperamental writing men are placed In the But, to get back to the original subject of this essay, the final little theater contribution of February unless someone starts to get additional ideas-once this is in print Is to take place on the 16th and 17th at the University, of California. There the students, directed by Edwin Duerr will-go for a dash of farce in the presentation of "Room Service" the New' York hit which was given such a wretched production in films by the Marx Brothers, that it seemed incredible that New York, had entertained it for BOO performances, i It will be rather interesting to see how the student actors manage to project the swift John Murray-Allen Boretz farce on the limited stage of Wheeler Hall. Nevertheless If they can manage to keep out of their own way "Room Service" should be a lot of fun.

SUDDEN DEATHS All- these noble experiments are not confined to the. Pacific Coast. In New York art and melodrama are also" at odds with curious results. Two recent failures noted were Roark Bradford's "John Henry," ia which the novelist sought to make a aiage play of his own book; and "The Man Who Killed LlncolnV taken by Elmer Harris and Philip Van Doren Stern from the latter'a book. Both experienced speedy deaths, lasting scarcely long enough to havo their openings recorded by the gentlemen of the press.

There was some talk of reopening "John Henry" largely because- of the potential draw of Paul Robeson but the backers failed to oome to the starting line additional money. In the' case of "The Man Who Killed Mncoln the curtain fell with finality. One of the many errors in this enterprise seemed to be the de- cision of the authors to write a pro-Kram preface in which they sought to explain what they had in mind. This is almost fatal, except in the ease of a Shaw, because if the play, Itself, is inarticulate a preface isn't going to be of any help. BEYOND THEIR REACH We have studied him (John Wilkes Booth) with neither rancor nor affection," they wrote.

"We have tried to present him simply as a human being, with all a human being's thoughts and feelings." Having read that paragraph and Draper Art Defies Titles if'' Wally Neal SOANES through the roles as to the manor born. Particularly deft in their characterizations Ross, who undertook theJ difficult role of the pampered husband of Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons; Sylvia Berry, who brought grace and stage presence, as well as loveliness to Antiope; and Bucky Henshaw, who handled the romantic Theseus intelligently. Since nearly all of the speaking roles were well played it is difficult to single out individuals, yet a word must be spared for the comic touch given Gaganius, the chatty herald, by Aubrey Austin, and Nancy Behlke's profiteering Heroica. The role of Hippolyta was played with directness and authority by Sylvia Onesti. "The Warrior's Husband" set production standard that will keep the Stanford students on their toes for the balance of the season.

Location Trek day, mundane articles as Ironing boards, cans of cleaning fluid, vacuum bottles, bars of soap, rolls of adhesive tape, cartons of safety matches, flashlight batteries, safety pins and ant powder. That merely skims the surface. An itemized list of all the props taken to McCall, Idaho, for the filming of "Northwest Passage" fills some 33 twpewritten pages single-spaced, and the quinquiremes of Ninevah never carried stranger or more vir-ied cargo than those 12 boxcars. In Hollywood the location trip generally is acf.laimed the greatest ever attempted Ar cinema purposes. Talks to Himself While watching his debut film, "Brother Rat and a Baby," 19-month-old Peter B.

Good slipped off his mother's lap and trotted down to the screen to "have a talk with himself." ALAMEDA AL ameda 4742-47 WILLIAM POWEI.J. Myrna Loy in "ANOTHER THIN MAN" i.Giivn i mi', or STRAND Park St. opp. Alameda Ave. "THE ESCAPE" Amanda DUFF and Kane RICHMOND Sc "In Earlr Arliona" with Bill Elliott A.P.

WIREPHOTOS Today's Plcturea with Today's News In THE TRIBUNE 31 UNITED ARTISTS TW. 2300 "THE GREAT VICTOR HERBERT" ALLAN JONES and MARY MARTIN Also "NURSE EDITH CAVELL" with ANNA EAGLE GEORGE SANDERS TiTr TT-1 TW inoaks 2300 twA V. "DISPUTED PASSAGE" Dorothy Lamour Akim Tamirofi; also Plus Six Acts Screen VAUDEVILLE with Hal Kemp Orchestra-Prof. Jerry Colona Charlie Toy-John Carroll "Bab!" Kane CAMPUS Bancroft at TeleKraph STARTS THURSDAY 8Mb Gliitry's "CHAMPS EI.YSEES Constance BENNETT and Roland YOUNG "TOI'J'KR TAKES A TRIP" PflPTTWflV Park Blvd- E- mh rnj VV I Claudette COLBERT Henry Fonda in "Drums Alont the Mohawk" "WHAT A LIFE" with Jackie Coooper GRANADA E. 14th 89th Av.

"Rulers of the Spa" Douglas Fairbanks Jr. -Margaret Lockwood "DAY-TIME WIFE" with Tyrone Power PALACE 23rd Ave. E. 15th ROAR1NC TWKNTIKS" JAMES CAGNEY and PRISCILLA LANE "ESPIONAGE AGENT" with Joel McCrea RIVOLI Kan Pablo near University INIITI'HK GRETA CARBO DOUGLAS "DAY-TIME WIFE" wilh Tyrone Power ORIN Adeline at Alcatrai -iVy'111' "Drums AIoiie the Mohawk" Claudette COLBERT and Henrv FONDA "The Roarinr Twenties" with James Cagney STAGE PRESENTATION TONIGHT PAT APF sanTeandro rrvijrvL. "rulers of me sea" Douglas Fairbanks Lockwood "INTERMEZZO" with Leslie HOWARD HAYWARD 577 Castro CACNirv Priscllla Lane in "ROARING TWENTIES" "Alleiheny Uprising" wilh Claire Trevor Tj MV Solano at San Pablo iiiDAll I "BABES IN ARMS- MICKEY ROONFY afld JUDY GARLAND "Hero for a Day" with Charles Grapewin czxz PmDlTO San Pablo at Fairmount tC-nnilVJ "DANCING CO-ED" Lana TURNER and Richard CARLSON "THE REAL GLORY" with Gary Cooper GRAND LAKE IkT GRETA GARBO MELVYN DOUGLAS Also "ETERNALLY YOURS" with LORETTA YOUNG.

DAVID NIVF.N Blllie Burke-Hugh Herbert-ZD su Pitts-Plus a NEW WALT DISNEY REVUE Three Lucky Day" "Farmyard It Wilbur" PTWTT Phone FR uitvale 4109 rUWiniLb "GOLDEN BOY" Barbara STANWYCK St William HOLDEN "WINTER CARNIVAL" with Ann SheridM CTMfMT Foothill Blvd. at 74th 1 Iwll 1 MICKEY ROONEY Judy GARLAND in "BABES IN ARMS" "BAD LANDS" with ROBERT BARRAT Fox SENATOR TW inoaks 2300 Cont. Show KAY KYSER and His Collcsc of Music "THAT'S RIGHT. YOU'RE WRONG" with Adolphc MEN.lOU ic Lucille BALL Also Bob HOPE and Paillette com ARD "THE CAT AND THE CANARY" By WOOD Stanford University ushered in the 1940 season with a very pro fessional touch at the Memorial Theater last evening, using as a vehicle Julian Thompson's "The Warrior's Husband" which served to introduce F. Cowles Strickland as director of dramatics.

It was an amusing choice, this bawdy farce dealing with the af fairs of the Amazon women ana the invading Greeks, and the students made it a hilarious evening, giving expert account of themselves in the various roles and doing their acting, well costumed and in beautiful settings. The Memorial Theater is equipped with all of the modern stage con veniences and Strickland seems not only prepared but able to use them. As a consequence the pro duction had little of the amateur flavor and the players romped Munitions Go On The strangest traveling museum that ever was loaded into twelve railroad freight cars spilled out into the Idaho woods ahead of Spencer Tracy, Robert Young and Walter Brennan There were 1000 cannon balls and dozens of Indian drums, there were sugar kettles, gun racks, log rests, weaving frames, spinning rush bottom chairs, silver bells, leather bellows, anvils, mixing bowls, spice boxes and bean pots. There were antique desks, tables and chests, brass-studded and iron-studded. There was enough old pewter to make a collector go into raptures.

There was a pelt of every animal of the North American woods. There were candlesticks, decanters, porcelain pitchers, sand shakers, map containers, bear traps, crystal ink wells, mahogany buckets and brass clocks. And there were also such every Telephone AL ameda 3900 VVJVjUL JOHN LITEL In 'DEAD END KIDS on DHEKS PARADE' CITY IN DARKNESS' with Sidney Toler NEPTUNE Central at Webster Donf Sa III See HI "N-I-N-O-T-C-H-K-A" GARBO MELVYN DOUGLAS Also Barlon MacLane In "Blr Town Ciar" POPEYK EXTRA LENGTH CARTOON SPECIAL STAGE ATTRACTION INTRODUCTORY BOOK-NIGHT PIEDMONT Piedmont and Linda PI edmont 2727 GRETA GARBO In "NINOTCnKA" Rulert of the Sea-Dpuglag Fairbanks Jr. IT OAKS Solano at The Alameda I ORBTA GARBO and MELVYN DOUGLAS DAY-TIME WIFE" with Tyrone Power BERKELEY Shattuck a Channing JAMES STEWART 'MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON" JEAN ARTHUR and CLAUDE RAINS CALIFORNIA TW inoaks 2300 Cont.

from 1:00 Todayl Bob HOPE-Paulf tte GODOARD in "THE CAT AND THE CANARY" "That's Riht. You're Kyser "STRANGE AS IT SEEMS By JOHN HIX EVERY DAY in THE TRIBUNE. Foothill Blvd. Seminary lXirllVJli Claudette COLBERT Henry Fonda In "Drums Alenf the Mohawk" "WHAT A LIFE" with Jackie Cooper IMlUTrtMn Fruitvole Ave. Hopkins LSllVlKJiVlJ "ETERNALLY YOURS" LORETTA YOUNG and DAVID N1VEN "South o( the Border" with Gene Aulry TCP Foothill Blvd.

Fairfax rvinrA ALICE FAYE and WARNER BAXTER "Henry Goes Arlsona" with Frank Mocgan "Barricade" at and 10:111 "Henry Goes Arizona" at 2:50 and 9:00 "Lincoln in the While House FRUITVALE 14lh st 0bVo "THE CAT AND THE CANARY" "WE ARE NOT ALONE" with Paul Muni I TT3TOWN College at Shatter lVVlX "ETERNALLY YOURS" LORETTA YOUNG and DAVID NIVEN "BARRICADE" with ALICE FAYE p't'Txr 8 San Pablo Stanford UnlliVVnl "ROARING 20'S" JAMES CAGNEY and PRISCILLA LANE "DANCING CO-ED" with Lana Turner STAGE PRESENTATION TONIGHT TOWER 5110 Telegraph Avenue 'nhone TW Inoaks 23O0 CONTINUOUS TODAY FROM 1:00 p.m. JAMES CAGNEY and PRISCILI A LANK "THE ROARING TWENTIES" also VIRGINIA WEIDI.ER in "BAD LITTLE ANGEL" ALLENDALE 38th Av. nr. Hopkis Both Features 1st RUN ALLENDALE-LAUREL District Henry Fonda in "Drums Aloni the Mohawk" Taylor-Greer Garson BTTRFT Hopkins near 38th Avenue UtjrLI-iL 'nhone AN dover 8800 BASH, RATHBONF in "RIO" with VICTOR McT AGLEN "TO CARtULLO Alro "I AM A CR'MNAL" with Jrhn CARROLL arrf Mai-y KOPNMAN P-lrcted Short Snhlects! Late News! GOfnov the ORFT Menta' WIZARD IN PERSON! ON OUR STAGE! Mat ntest Chante- Coast Guard' FREE CANDY TO THE KIDDIES SPECIAL LADIES' MATINEE MONDAY HOPKINS Hopkins 35th Avenue FRuitvale 10121 RULERS OF THE SEA Douglas Fairbanks Lockwood DAY THE BOOKIES WEPT -JOE PENNER and BETTY GRABLE Donald Duck DUCK" EL REY San Pablo Ave. nr.

35th Gary Arthur ''MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN" 'Dars-ernus to Know" with Anna May Wong DTT7 12th 7th Ave IUJ.li "GOOD GIRLS GO TO PARIS" Joan BLONDELL and Melvyn DOUGLAS "Gran Jury Secrets" with John Howard Changes Dad Wally Neal who is appearing 1 fih VMIkSaaSJBSSSSJBSSSJBSSJSBSJSBSSJSSJSJS Play Will Be In thrashing about for just the right word to describe the art of Ruth Draper, who will play an engagement' of two weeks at the Curran Theater beginning tomorrow, some critics have hit upon the French word, "diseuse," meaning "ah artist in talking." This word is really almost synonymous with our English word "monologist." The word monologist has stood, ever since its absorption from Greek into English, for every possible variety of unassisted theatrical delivery; the recited prologues to plays, the long philosophical soliloquies; the introspective asides, declamations in prose or verse; character recitations from famous books of fiction; half-sung and half-spoken song narratives; vaudeville patter, impersonations, plays for one character, and, finally, "character impressions." "Monologist" might easily, then, be used to describe what Miss Draper does. But because the star has written every one of her 36 sketches, and the manner in which she performs them the word fails to embrace the scope of her art. 'Room Service' On Campus "Room Service," listed recently as Broadway's comic "wonder child," will be the February attraction of the Little Theater of the University of California under the supervision of Edwin Duerr. Written to be played in a hilarious cuckoo-laced style, the farce will exhibit the most proficient carrtpus zanies in the leading roles.

Grant Holcomb, Bob Hudson and George Spelvin will enact the Marx Brothers trio roles. Holcomb will be the persevering, penniless producer who, with his director and author, attempt to find a backer for their play despite' the efforts of a hotel manager to oust them from his hotel. For the two evenings of the play, Friday and Saturday, February 16 and 17, Wheeler stage will be transformed into Room 920 of the White Way Hotel in New York, Times Square, where a moosehead and a tapeworm will compete for laughs with -the actors, "Room Service" is. a George Ab- seen the. piny, Richard Lockridge wrote: "The Intention, if a little tautological, is possibly, the best reason for attempting to capture for the stage the drama of Booth's 'mad aci' and the drab melodrama of his flight and, death.

With! their goal always beyond their reach, the authors have striven earnestly. But Booth remains elusive." "If the authors are not to take sides about the significance of Lincoln's murder," Brooks Atkinson observed, "their play can be little move than a sensational crime story, quite apart from the people involved. But that is less importnnt in the theater than the fact that the play is badly acted." The critics seemed in agreement that the best scene was that in whicli Booth wad given a dressing down by Samuel Cox, and that far and away the best acting was contributed by Whitford Kane in the comparatively small role of Cox. This is the same Whitford Kane who resigned the role as Grave Digger in Maurice Evans' "Hamlet" to take over the "Man Who Killed Lincoln" chore. BORN IN A TRUNK Down Los Angeles way, there is considerable excitement in connection with the forthcoming debut of Alexander Woollcott in "The Man Who Came to Dinner," a play that will bring him to the Curran in San Francisco after a few break-in weeks In the forthcoming Oakland Theater Guild's "Goodbye Again" is most confused by his status as an actor.

This is Wally's first dramatic endeavor, and he finds that although his father, Walter Neal and his mother, Zerelda Neal, are both in his play, he is not their little boy. Walter is taking the part of Arthur, a somewhat straight laced, over-conscientious young lawyer, Zerelda is the "other woman" in a triangle, and 8-year-old Wally is supposed to be Theodore That fixes him up with an entirely different man as his father on the stage, namely, Ray Morse, who plays Clayton. In spite of handicap, Wally is working very hard on his part, even to the exclusion of his usual skating practice in the evening and on Sundays. His new skates are on the shelf, and so are his neighborhood companions until after his theater guild work is over. He has his script word for word, but the action has to be suited to the word, and from now on rehearsals come first.

Wally is only a little afraid that rehearsals come first after proper bedtime (his mother has a lot to say about those things). Java Dances at French Theater Devi Dja and her Bali Java Dancers who scored a hit at the Geary Theater last December, return in a new program for a two weeks' en- gagement at Ferrier's French The ater, 1470 Washington Street, San Francisco, opening next Thursday nighf under the management of A. Piedro, by arrangement with Andre Ferrier. A native gamelan orchestra provides accompaniment. Performances will be given every night and on Saturday matinees.

These entertainers, now on their first American tour by special permission of the Dutch Government, have been acclaimed as the fore most exponents of Oriental and pantomime since Uday Kar and his Hindu Ballet, CURRAN 2 San Francisco dance WEEKS at the Biltmore down south. Debut, however, is not quite the proper word. Use of it, as a matter of fact, has brought a sort of. reprimand from Agent Al Spink, who never overlooks a chance to quarrel with a drama editor if the row will result in more space for what ever he is promoting. Bail-ringer Woollcott, ha'd have you arid me know, was as much as born in a stage trunk.

"Alec Woollcott," he declaims under a special delivery airmail stamp, "began acting before he was dry behind the ears. His first appearance on the stage was In Kansas City where his family had moved when he was a youngster of two. The future critic and Broadway player enacted one of the Vinard children in the tableau of 'Trilby' at Coates Opera House. "He also romped through the role of Puck in 'A Midsummer Night's At Hamilton College ho took leading parts in school dramatics. That was before the bulk of his present Chestertonian figure had cast its shadow." RISKY BUILD UP From that it would seem that Master Woollcott was a sort of composite picture of Wilton Lackaye, Mickey Rooney, Ruth Draper and Bing Crosby.

"There was considerable consternation along the Rialto when in 1931 it was announced that Woollcott would make his Broadway debut in S. N. Behrman's 'Brief Moment' this is Spink speaking again "It turned out, however that he was thoroughly at home behind the footlights for Harold Sigrift, the character he played, was v.ery like his creator. Almost the entire time he was view of the audience, Harold observed the foibles of his follow creatures and shot poisoned darts from a soft on which he sprawled in crumpled elegance. "Seven years later Mr.

Behrman again wrote another part for Woollcott. This was in 'Wine of Choice' and his character was Binkie Nie-buhr. described as 'A Lithuanian Cupid' who makes unending visits and talys to acting an interest in the lives of his friends. Binkie, hi? action and lines leads us to suspect, is slightly parasitic. Sample speech: 'The truth is I'm not the man I was, pharlie.

I can't make the visits I used to. It's top fatiguing." If nothing more, all of this should be a warning to those who might, hnsuspectingly invite Woollcott to be a house guest during his San Francisco tenure of office. He seems to be the sort of character who'd Given Twice Opening of the Berkeley Com munity Players production of "It Never Rains, But" is set for Thursduy evening at 8:15 o'clock st the Codornices Clubhouse, accord ing to Charles W. Davis, superintendent of recreation in Berkeley. A repeat performance has been scheduled lor the following eve ning.

"it Never Rains, But" is dl rected by Austin Mallett, who pre vious to his association with the Berkeley Community Players has had a diversified experience in Little Theater work. His initial interest in drama was formed at Uni versity High School, where he rounded out his interest in acting by becoming stage manager, under uie expert guidance of Miss Mar garet Ryan. Mallett later played tor several years with the Berkeley Playhouse. His college experience under Viola Evans culminated in his being instrumental in the for mation of the Marin Chapter of Delta Psi Omega, the National Junior College Drama Honor So ciety. He was also active in Carmel with the Theater of the Golden Bough and with the Forrest Theater, all carrying on an interest in experimental drama work.

For the past two years Mallett has been associated with Ferdinand T. Kebely, the former director of the Berkeley Community Players. Among the members of the cast for "It Never Rains, But" are: Irving Citron, Mary Hunter, C. Al-lister MacMillan, Eldie Kiefer, James Keilty, Toni Asbury, Lucille Wilson, Ray Carre, Jackson Gill, Linda Leslie, Art Wilsonj? Louella Abbey, Frances Wentz, James Mills, Dale Hammond, Geraldine Abbey, Henrietta Abbey, Johanna Bertel-sen, Nadyne Glans, David Lane and Harriet Thomas, The Berkeley Community Players are cosponsored by the Berkeley Recreation Department under leadership supplied by the recreation section of the Works Project Administration. Quote of the Week Ann' Sheridan, who was approached by a real estate agent about buying a house, told him: "I'll live in a rented bouse until I'm married I'm not the type of girl who ahould itajr unmarried." bott production, and enjoyed a rec-Shan-jord run of 500 consecutive performances pn Broadway.

BEG. MONDAY MATINEES WEDNESDAYS, AND SATURDAYS TUbMAGIC WOMAN" Alexander ff oollcott FEB. 5 IN HER CHARACTER RUTH DRAPER PROGRAM FOR FIRST WEEK ouoiiiiiiu ITALIAN LESSON. COUNTY KERRYf DOCTORS (Feb. 5-S) THREE GENERATIONS! CHURCH 1 TUE.

FRI. OPENING BAZAAR; THE DEBUTANTE WOMEN AND MR. (Feb. 11-11) CLIFFORD-. MAINE PORCH: "VIVE LA FRANCE!" WED.

-SAT CHILDREN'S I ENGLISH GARDEN! THREE BREAK-(Feb. 7-10) FASTS! CLASS IN GREEK POISE; THE ACTRESbi RAILWAY STATION ON WESTERN PLAINS, WED. MAT. FRENCH DRESSMAKER; GERMAN COVERNESSf THE DEBU-(Feb. 7) TANTK! 3 IMAGINARY FOLK SONGS; LOVE IN BALKANS; SCOTTISH IMMIGRANT) CHURCH IN ITALY.

SAT. MAT CHILDREN'S PARTY; DALMATIAN PEASANT; DOCTORS; (Feb. 10) MAINE PORCH; RAILWAY STATION ON WESTERN PLAINS, SEATS NOW. PRICES: NUhl Baieonar, 2.20, l.RIS, 1.101 Gallery, Mc. Wed.

and Sat. Matinees; Orchestra, 2,30 Balcony, 1.93, l.lOi Gallery, Me. Prlees Include tax. Mail orders jromntrr tilled. I If i spun "ft.