St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 83

'Happy Hunting' Next at Muny Opera A W.Ai't. ST 4 iv Standish Pert Gibson Girl Virginia, That Is THE GIBSON' GIRL, 1958 ii a real bfeuty. I mean t'virginia Gibson, who started off in the Municipal Opera chorus las Virginia Gorski, back in 1943 when she wa atill in St. lphonsus High School, and is now a talented performer returned to the opera for the first time in eight lumraen to itar this week i "Happy Hunting." Walter Kerr, the eminent New York Herald Tribune drama Critic, in his review of -Happy Hunting" at its Broadway opening, described Virginia as "a startlingly pretty Ingenue," and enchanting." That's the old eye, Walter. You couldn't be righter.

I talked to Virginia one evening last week in the patio beside the Forest Park Hotel awimming pool (she was staying the hotel with her mother.) She was wearing white silk toreador trousers and a wnite blouse. Her pretty face has a -pert cast, with a nose that turns up slightly at the end, a peaches and cream complexion, and golden-reddish hair, cut hort, and tinted a shade lighter than its natural color. Her gray-blue eyes are calm, and she still rolls them upward to accentuate a point. Her manner is straightforward. While the seems more sophisticated than she did the last time talked to her back in 1949, more sure of herself, Hollywood hasn't spoiled her.

She is not at all hardened or theatrical, fche has that refreshing naturalness, and is a nice, friendly girl whom everyone likes. She still doesn't drink. "How did you escape all the fabled temptations of Holly-Wood?" I asked the petite actress. "Oh, it was easy," she liuRhed. "I always had lajgaai mmai I HWIBIM I Ill-Ill II II I MWm Bf 1 TTT 1 Tgllf aaaaM 'v -i i i A AV-'V I A (V 4 a HERBERT MARSHAL lifts a ttone to crush the monttrous thing at VINCENT PRICE lookt on in horror.

It's the climax of "THE FLY," horror-science melodrama now at the ST. LOUIS. At the Movies Dy Myles Standish friends who lived quietly. One of my best friends was Virginia Mayo (Miss Mayo also was a St. Louis girl, a graduate of the Muny Opera chorus) ever since we worked In the Warners picture, 'Painting the Clouds with Sunshine' together bark In 1951.

Virginia, sur-prislnrly enough In view ef her success, still is never sure of herself. She likes a friend to hnlster her eon- VIRGINIA GIBSON, ALLAN JONES and PENNY SINGLETON (right) will be ttarred in the musical comedy, "HAPPY opening tomorrow nig.it at Municipal Opera. THE FLY A first-rate science-horror chiller, done with imagination and plausibility, and well acted by Vincent '-Price, Patricia Owens, Al Hedison and Herbert Mar- shall. ST. LOUIS.

THE KEY A strange and powerful story of a woman, who through compassion and the memory of her dead sweetheart; takes many lovers in war Brilliantly di- rected by Carol Reed, with some exciting sea action shots, and finely actcdj by William Holden, Trevor Howard and Sophia Loren. ESQUIRE. I i'HE VIKINGS A lusty saga of the Barbaric raiders, filled with adventure, scenic splendor, spectacle, lust, battle, cruelty and gore. With Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis, Janet Leigh, Ernest Borgnine. Fourth week.

LOEW'S STATE. NO TIME FOR SERGEANTS The screen version of thej; stage comedy is completely hilarious the first half, although the last half is too broad and isn't paced fast-enough. Funny work by Andy Griffith, Nick Adams" Myron McCormick. Fourth week. FOX.

KINGS GO FORTH Natalie Wood as a sweet French girl whose father wts a Negro, is wooed by two American soldiers, Tony Curtis and Frank Sinatra, in a romantic, sincere, but a little too pat tale of love in war. Fifth week. ORPHEUM. THE NIGHT HEAVEN FELL Brigitte Bardot's latest picture is a continuation of the successful formula a rather trashy melodrama of B.B. caliber, laid in Spainr and Brigitte in the required number of undress OAK and RICHMOND.

THE GIRL IN TIIE BIKINI An earlier Brigitte Bardot film in its fourth week. Lots of Brigitte, as indicated by the title, and a slow-moving, choppily cut drama about a search for sunken treasure. APOLLO. Count Basle's Band Run At Jazz Festival Here 'Missouri Legend" Continues MUNICIPAL OPERA, for the week starting tomorrow night, will present for the first time In St. Louis, the musical comedy, "Happy Hunting," which ran almost a year on Broadway before closing last Nov.

30. It will star Allan Jones, back at the opera for the first time since 1934, Penny Singleton and Virginia Gibson. Presentation of "The Mis- Count Basie's orchestra will sourt Legend," a comedy by be featured in the first St. E. B.

Ginty about Jesse James, will continue by the George Williams Players on the roof of the Y.M.H.A. building, 724 Union boulevard, at 8:30 o'clock this evening, and Saturday and next Sunday nights. Louis Jazz Festival at Kiel Auditorium at 7 o'clock tonight. Also featured will be Singleton Palmer, Sammy Gardner, Gus Elijah Shaw, John Orange, Norman Mason, and the Modern Jazz Octet, consisting of Oliver Nelson, Bert Dabney, Peanuts Whalum, Johnny Mixon, Chuck Carter, Lee Hyde, Fred DelGaudio and John Cotter. Emcees will be Jim Butler, Spider Burks and Philadelphia friend of Liz's; Olive Templeton as Mrs.

Sanford Stewart a Philadelphia Main Line dowager; and Caroline Worth, Luciile Smith, Joseph Cusanelli, Edmund Lyn-der'k and Walter Richardson. Belasco and Miss Meiser had the same roles in the Broadway production. Belasco made his Muny Opera debut earlier this season in "Silk Stockings." Libcrto had leads on Broadway in "Look, Ma, I'm Dancin," "The Boy Friend," "Brigadoon" and revivals of "Anvthing Goes" and "Lady Be Good." Wayne Pans Own Film HOLLYWOOD, July 26 No press agent for "The Barbarian" is John Wayne. "It's pretty, but there's no central story line," he comments openly. His lack of enthusiasm stems from the difficult time he had with John Huston on the picture.

They didn't get along. Vivian Oswald. The show starred Etrjel Merman on Broadway, with Fernando Lamas and Miss Gibson in support. The musical score by Harold Karr, with lyrics by Matt Dubey, included the hit, "Mutual Admiration Society," plus "irn," "A New-Fangled Tango," "This Much I Know," "This Is What I Call Love," and "Don't Tell Me." The book, by Howard Lindsay and Eussel Crouse, playwrights who authored many hits, including "Life With Father," and "State of the Union," is laid in Monaco, on board ship, and near Philadelphia. Liz Livingstone (Miss Singleton) and her daughter Beth (Miss Gibson), aspiring members of Philadelphia society, aren't invited to the Grace Kelly-Prince Banter wedding.

Liz Is infuriated and to get revenge seeks an even higher-ranking royal husband for "Rosalinda, a new version of Johann Strauses "Die Fle TICKETS NOW ON SALE AT THEI BOX OFFICE OR ORDER BY MAIL! iOX OFFICE OPEN SUNDAY la NOON TO P.M. WEEKDAYS 10 A.M. TO P.M. dermaus," will have its final CUA kf DQ AT performance tonight. It stars i If UWA I Jean Fenn, Ralph Herbert, golden oo presents Wilbur Evans, Hans Conricd, CROOK MEETS CROOK" Thomas Hayward and Mia Sla- sa.

i-sm venska- I 1:30 P.M. Nightly Foot locmt St. Come Out for Fun to the Ultra Modern Premiere W8d.A.13tb8:30p. Amumiiit Pork "Funlond Ovcrloakina tti Mlssiislpcl" FREE Admission If fidenre, and I think she relied on me a lot." ij IN MY LAST INTERVIEW with Virginia Gibson In 1949, ended the story this way: "When I asked her If she had movie gmbitions, she said no, nobody would notice me, but there 4as quite a warm light in her eye, and I bet she makes it some day not too far away." She made it the next year on a contract with Warner ferothers. She did "Tea for Two," in 1950 with Gordon MacRae iuid Doris Day, "Goodbye My Fancy," with Joan Crawford In C951, "About Face" with MacRae In 1952, and "Seven Brides tpt Seven Brothers" for M-G-M in 1954.

Mostly Ingenue roles. "Warners dropped my option," she said. "There are Just to many musicals, and they had Doris Day. And who can ahine in comparison to her vivacity?" Then she scored on TV in a series, "So This Is Holly-Wood," co-starred with Mitzi Green, In 1954. She played In XV dramas with Gloria Swanson and Ethel Barrymore, and one for the Lux Playhouse with Lillian Gish called "Miss Susie Single." Last season she was one of the stars of the Lucky Strike Hit Parade, one of the top singing-dancing jobs on TV, "But I'm through with that," she said cheerfully.

"The show Is moving to another network and none of us will be retained for next season." "I loved the Hit Parade," she said. "II was always Intriguing. So matter If the song was bad and a lot of them were we had the problem of thinking up a new and Interesting way of presenting it. I know the kids' especially adored the show because wherever I go, children and teenagers tell me about things on the show I've forgotten myself." SHE ORIGINALLY WASN'T INTERESTED in the Ingenue To1e of Beth Livingstone (Ethel Merman's daughter) In "Happy llunting" when it was being cast back in 1956. More than 200 girls had been tried out and found wanting for the part, when they asked Virginia to audition.

"But they wanted me to pay my railroad fare from Hollywood back to New York," she said. "I thought why waste the money? If they've turned down so many girls, why would they pick me? But my agent Insisted. He said he'd pay the fare himself. Can you imagine an agent ever doing that? "At the tryouts, under the critical eye of Miss Merman, I did a scene and sang a song from the musical. It was narrowed down to four girls, and I was picked.

Do you know why? I think," Virginia giggled, "it was because I wasn't as sexy as some, of the others. Miss Merman didn't want a real bosnmy girl taking attention away from her." And Virginia got unanimously enthusiastic notices. SHE HAD JUST FINISHED a week at the Kansas City Starlight Theater playing Becky Thatcher in the presentation of the original musical, "Tom Sawyer." "It Isn't great," she said, "but it would make a nice attraction for children at summer theaters. There are several catchy songs. I think Muny Opera ought to do It." Virginia, who was born in North St.

Louis, entered the Muny Opera chorus when 16 and danced in the Forest Park Shows in 1943, 1944 and 1943. In the fall of '45, she understudied Joan McCrackcn In "Billion Dollar Baby," on Broadway, then played the lead role for five or six weeks and scored quite a success. Then she got a role in "Park Avenue," a flop sophisticated musical, returned to Municipal Opera in lead and ingenue roles In 1947, 1949 and 1950, and meanwhile was featured in "Look Ma, I'm Dancin' and "High Button Shoes" on Broadway. MORE THAN appearing In "Happy Hunting," which Is old stuff to her, she looks forward here to doing the Ella Logan role in "Finian's Rainbow" at Muny Opera next week. She's never done it.

I reminded her that she used to get ahead when in the ehorus by always volunteering to be an understudy for a principal. "And now," she said with a note of pride, "I've got understudies." la wrm wm pk an a a. is e. a mm PICNIC GROUNDS KIDOIELAND fj Ratai to Croup and Portltl FREE Parking I FREE Parking Uj fl i Sii 11 MM IS alOilL fli 1ST il ill tt nn ninrv rnpun tii nkv ur rnmi oruiu inc uhi SWIM -SKATE -PLAY SKY GARDEN BAR AND RESTAURANT UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT NEW HIDES Nw Klddlt Caterpillar FUN FOR ALL! Nw Citar Car 10781 Loekaway Dr. UN.

7-5435 lui Srvt Pork SElIGHT GAY ENTERTAINMENT LlUfiiOIPAL OPERA Obm Air TliAMtram In D-L ALWAYS S000 RESERVED SEATS AT 75c and $1.25 louipi Complat Air Conditioning for Your Comfort if itnmfnrtiMt! drfd fife ynu I Iks! Expi-fm but nrlc from ill Mrtt of eity dirMt to milrt owtrorttfr Frpw park I for 5000 can. TONIGHT AT CiS-LAST TIME HAN CONRIEO ROSALINDA Good Seats Available at All Prices Climb aboard with: these fearless young adventurers for 17,000 miles of romance. WEEK BEG. TOMORROW NIGHT at 8:30 INDS SUNDAY, AUG, i First Time in SI. Ltuis.

Direct from Long Sensational Broadway Run! Beth. She runs into the Duke of Granada (Jones), pretender to the Spanish throne, at the Hotel Riviera. Sanford Stewart a young lawyer whom Beth really loves, is investigating the financial difficulties of the hotel, finds the Duke doesn't pay his bills for his high living, and orders him thrown out. Liz invites the Duke to come to her home in Philadelphia with his entourage. There she begins to fall in love with him herself.

JONES SCORED a sensational hit singing Schubert's 'Serenade," in "Blossom Time" at Muny Opera back in 1932. The handsome tenor became an Immediate favorite, appeared In seven additional productions that summer, in seven in 1933, and in nine in 1934. He went to Hollywood under contract to M-G-M in 193S. He appeared in "A Night at the Opera," and "A Day at the Haces," Wth tiie Mark Brothers. Then he became a star opposite Jeanette MacDonald in "The Firefly" and Irene Dunne in "Show Boat," and in a number of other films, including "The Great Victor Herbert," "The Boys From Syracuse," and "Honeymoon in Bali." He last appeared here at the American theater in 1949 co-starred with Ed Wynn in a revue, and several years ago toured as Sky Masterson in "Guys and Dolls." Miss Singleton made 44 "Blondie" movies, based on the comic strip, from 1938 to 1952.

She had started out in stage musicals in "Good News," "Follow Through," and "Hey, Non-ny, Nonny." Since leaving the movies she's done TV, musical comedies, straight plays and night ciubs. Miss Gibson, featured in a number of motion pictures, Broadway and TV shows, is back for the first time since 1950. OTHER PRINCIPALS will be Don Libcrto as Sanford Stewart Leon Belasro as Arturo, manager of the Hotel Riviera; Edith Mciser as Maud Foley, a Ava to Co-Star HOLLYWC July 26 Stanley Kramer has received confirmation from Ava Gardner that she will co-star in his production of Nevil Shute's novel, "On the Beach." Gregory Peck agreed over the weekend to appear in the movie, which is to be filmed on location in Australia, starting in January. AllUJ JCJVES PEiWY SINGLETON Share In their perils and VIRGINIA GIBSON in mm LSI Thrill to their exciting quest for vith 11 IWih 'a 1 sari LEON BELASCO tH LIBERTO EDITH MEISER OLIVE TEMPLETON Hflariaiii Story Spoofing Greco Kelly-Princ Rainier Wadding. Suck hit tuntt os "Mutual Admiration Society" Vi'eslt Beginning Monday Night August 4 FIRST TIME AT MUNICIPAL OPERA Tie Delightful Musical Fantasy About An Irish Leprechaun and His Pot of Gold in glorious ruw: Vibrate to the pulsating rhythm of ancient Caribbean portsl VIRGINIA GIBSON in dm nttnart yaarm ll fWMV'' TIM HERBERT JACK WASHBURN CLAIBORNE GARY EDDIE BRUCE ARTHUR TELL Hut Ballot Hunt Start YVONNE CHOUTEAU MIGUEL TEREKHOV I JAMES MaeARTHUR and JESSICA TANDY in Walt Disney's "THE LIGHT IN THE FOREST," scheduled next at the OrpHeum.

It's about a white boy who it brought up at an Indian. CANNOT AND Will NOT BE SHOWN IN ANY OTHER THEATRE WITHIN 250 MILES OF ST. LOUIS). DON'T DELAY ORDER TODAY! Gfocco Morro?" Many-Tiino Scort Incfvdot "How 4ro Things In Premlwra and Old Devil Moon. SUNDAY, AUG.

3, 1958 ST. JOSEPH'S GARDENS 12 Ik A RUSSELL AVIS. WED. AUG. 13th 8:30 p.

TICKETS NOW. THEATRE AuWLo Encloiad ll $. tJallll-Ja'l'lil-i'llfl thaek movy ordar I fornoti lor the 7th I Locust Sts. St. leuit 1, Me.

performance I 3rd Choice CITY ART MUSEUM Forest Park A LOOK AT CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN PAINTING III talk by Jaquelin Ambler Tnmnrrnw ef p.m. FEATURED ON MONDAYS CANDLE LIGHT SUPPER the nlw Milium K.itaurant Maiden With Brando HOLLYWOOD, July 26 Karl Maiden, who played the role of the priest with Marlon Brando in "On the Waterfront," will Join the star In the latter's first independent picture, "Guns Up." It is to go before the camera In Septem-brr in Mexico for release by Paramount. i 9 Convenient Area-Wide Ticket Offices DOWNTOWN: Lobby Arcade 8th and Olive Stt. Opto to 4. WEST: Municipal Theatre.

Forest Park, to FamoHS-larr Clayton Store, Vandarvoort't Clayton Store, Stii, laer I Fuller Westroads. SOUTH: Famous-Barr Soulhtown. NORTH: Famous-Barr Northland. EAST ST. LOUIS: Sears-Roebuck.

BELLEVILLE: Rhein't Music Store. Tickati tvAiltbl durirq dytims itora hours tbovt locations: TICKET PRICES: 73s. S1.25. $2.00, $2.75. S3.S0 FOREST PARK BOX OFFICE OPEN TODAY A.M.

to P.M. Buy eheic iiati lor pr(ormnci ef oiflfi at the Municipal Theatre Foret Part today. Ample free parking tpaee in front. 2nd Choice Nome OArficle 1-2S4S Evtnr avtninq at 1:30 m. Saturday nd Simdav Matinatt at 2:00 p.m.

Orehtstra S2 Una Ji. IS lakeny $1.55 Matinaa at 00 p.m. Orchaitra $1,70 Uoja jl. 55 laleony $1.20 (Taxat Includad) freak vanhovic Addren City Slnta Itoit melon itsmpid, salf-eddranacf anv.cpa 7 27 DANCIN I Admi.ile. $1.00 WIN) Tkli 4G July 27, 1953 ST.

LOUIS POST-DISPATCH P..