Oakland Tribune from Oakland, California • Page 25

OAKLAND TRIBUNE, SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 1940 llgAUTV PLUS TALENT) Development Of One-Night Mystery Play Brings Flora. Robson to Curran Stage Flora Robson. one of the most Stand Urged distinguished actresses of the London stage, made her American debut as a legitimate player last season taneous success. After1 a-'trhm-phant season on Broadway, "Ladl, In Retirement" ttarted without break, upon the present Coast ta coast tour. Motion picture audience hava known Flora Robson for her performances in "Wurthering Heights" at Henry Miller's Theater In New York.

The play was the Edward Percy Reginald Denham murder mystery drama "Ladies in Retire Le Gallienne Wants Tour Business Put On Sounder Basis ment" which comes to the curran in San Francisco on September 2 for a two-week engagement Miss Robson awoke the morning By WOOD SOANE8 with Laurence Olivier and Merle. Oberon, in "Invisible Stripes" with! George Raft, in "We Are Not Alone i with Paul Muni, and in the recently I completed "Sea Hawk" with Errol Flynn. "Ladies in Retirement" provide the first opportunity that Bay region: I Eva Le Gallienne, returned to New York after a tour that took her miles to 127 cities in 42 States following her American premiere to find that her greatest London successes had been topped by her initial performance in this country. The critics were unanimous in their enthusiasm over her acting and the has expressed the belief that the theatergoers have had to see thia 0 salvation of the theater lies in a further development of the one- distinguished actress upon the legitij mate stage. play, itself, was reported an instan night stand.

For her part, she will SDend the first ten weeks of this season delivering a lecture on "The Value of the Theater," as a consequence Adagio Team Trains Daily 01 a cnance meeting with a concert manager while she was doing her msen cycle In the Bay area. Up to now Miss Le Gallienne has Major Bowes' Bill Closing Oakland theater patrons will have their last opportunities today to see Major Bowes' "Sixth Anniversary Revue" currently on the stage of the Downtown Theater. To break up the monotony of their routine acts no matter how. denied herself to the Chautauqua business on the ground that she fens had nothing to say. At last she strenuous they may be tha adagiou feels that she is possessed of suf team, the Rita Borden Trio, taken ficient information and a message ,.1 r- i vL to vigorous, outdoor exercise evarjfl to make it worth the while of students and theatergoers to listen to day.

Three husky men and tiny girl. her. CRITICAL AUDIENCES they are. Each of the brawny fel lows standing well over six feet and each weighing in the neighbor hood of 200 pounds takes to horse. what struck Miss Le Gallienne most on her tour was the fact that critical judgment was not confined to Broadway.

She learned that the to swimming pool, to mountain byways or to the golf links every. citizens of Abilene, or Fargo, i.u., aiso nave tneir critical yard sticks, and are, not above using day where they work out at some, thing "different than throwing a girl around." I All three are expert in cracking the bull whip, juggling, tumbling and. in the general art of acrobatics. They keep busy all day long and mem, "In small cities all over the coun try, she observed, "one faces This revue, arranged to celebrate Major Bowes' sixth year on the air, has a cast of 20 people who appear in a variety revue that consumes over a full hour. Entertainers to be in person include The Three' Flashes, "Novelty on Wheels," George Grantv "That Young Jitterbug," Ann Bradley, "Major Bowes' Own Sophie Tucker," Paul Jones, "Personality and Rhythm," Sheila Rogers, "Mimicry and Comedy," Frances Gibby, "Violin Virtuoso," The Five Jersey Farmhands, "Hilarious Musical Group," EUine Dowling, "Versatile Mistress of Ceremonies," The Bridgeport Foursome, "Name Band Imitations" and Cm the screen is "Enemy Agent" with Richard Cromwell, Helen Vinson and Robert Armstrong.

Another chapter of "Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe," a double edition of the latest news and a color cartoon go to rojnd out the program. are. always in good shape to carry. theater public that is distinctively American. At least half of the places I visited were college or university towns, where students on their three-a-day in the Califor nia Auditorium where they ar headliners with Clifford Fischer" who put on their own plays make wonaeriuily quick, responsive au New Folies Bergere.

diences. They catch every point In a penormance nothing escape! mem. "I came in close touch with, audi ences on this tour. After the per. formance in any college town, the 'SKYLARK' ON LONG TOUR Following the conclusion of hevj engagement In "Skylark" at the Cur-.

Biuaenis in tne dramatic courses came backstage with the member of the faculty who directed their productions, and we would have discussion. They asked questions ran Theater on, Saturday, August 24, Gertrude Lawrence- will begin Berkeley Product Gets Dramatic Lead i Kenneth Tobey, whom theatergoers here' will remember for his work at the Little Theater Vat the ana made comments. They often long tour arranged; by John asked me about the business I used Alter tne run nere tne will journey northward into Canada, in one scene or another. INSTRUCTIVE PARLEYS "Ibsen wrote very few stage di University of California, has a lead then through the Middle West and North as far as Duluth. From there the actors travel South into Texas) ing role tn the current production "Excursion" of fhe garter Theater, Abingdon, Va, V' rections and one must devise one's own things that seem to.

clarify 'J A''-'Vil ft V' FHms of Past and conclude the season In Philadel phia -early In December. Tobey, who har beew ttefidmg the Neighborhood Playhouse In New a line or a motive. There is such richness in an Ibsen play that even after you have been doing it for a Golden is one of the few producers who insists upon sending the production on tout exactly as it was1 long time you suddenly see some new implication. Thus these discus i II York City for1 the past year, has appeared in a number of Barter Theater productions this year, including "Family Portrait" and "Mar-gin for Error." seen in New York. Because Of this.

Great movies of the past to be sions were fun for me as well as ML I VLr! 1 "Skylark" suu has John Emery and Glenn Anders. In the cast A shown daily at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at the Palace of Fine Arts of the students." But the tour didn't stop with col lege discussions for Miss Le Gal lienne. She got some pretty defin- the Golden Gate International Expo.

ition during the week until next Saturday include the following itfi ideas about what the booking cinema masterpieces; Saturday, August 17, through rmces need to take into consideration in the arrangement of tours. Tuesday, August "The ideal itinerary would be to take in about one-third of the coun Three" (1925), wlthLon JChanefc try at a time." she said, "and do that territory thoroughly. There is so much waste motion in the way road attractions are booked. Last year we began in Newark, made excursion into the South, and then doubled back to New England. 1 Mae Busch, Viotor McLaglen.

One of Lon Chaney's best remembered films. Wednesday, August 21, through Friday, August 23 "Maedchen in Uniform" (1931), with Dorothea Wleok, Hertha Thiele. The prixe-winnlng film, made on co-operative fcasls. Saturday, August Italian lDMlCS .2300 CALIFORNIA PfW Tf TW inoake JA. kirunn my hkabt" com.

THE MORTAL STOItW'-Jamel Stewart SURPLUS TRAVEL BuUavan. Robert YoUna and An Art Kaltelanaia and HI Superb Mui Tony Martln-MU Hay worth Edith Fellowa In Teohnlcolor "Trehesn'-DorAthx Lamour Fran Morgan: alo, "Captain I4y' "I remember a week. too. in Jtxtrai rranaia maittra nana Aet-wew aich we did Ohio towns on United Artiste Bho.S Solano at The Alameda Straw Hat" (1927). Rene Clair's fa.

mous comedy, one of the rare Euro. OAKS. mjOAAMI 'Tma PEJIJDIce," Orwr Ctaraen Lauren Olivier A Maurwn O'Salllvaa Alao TOP ALWAYS Leon Errol I I and most of its males may be on AVljJ9 SM 51 1 mH-I' duty at night to keep close watch -irt' -T' tfitlR'iMC iTt'liH-li- for raiders, but the theater carries j-. JgprjJ'J 1 on with slight variation from cus- i- 1 and most of its males may be on duty at night to keep close watch for raiders, but the theater carries on with slight variation from cus Allae PATI-Don AMECHE-ltearr FONDA pean masterpieces of the comic Bins Creebr In "IP 1 HA WAT MT WAT" cinema. "Wail street Activities." tar Geors T.

Hushes every day In The Trlbuma Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, jumped to Syracuse and Utica for Thursday and Friday, and were back in Youngstown on Saturday. Once we traveled 320 miles make a matinee. Draw a line on the map tracing our whole route and it looks like bad knitting a lot of dropped stitches." This is a perennial complaint of RONALD COtMAlf nd JANE WYATWl tom- I I tom. AWFUI. TBUTB-Irene Dunne-Cary Oraol In recent, more peaceful Sum ft -T 1 riak.

"CUFFORI FISCHER'S MUTHT ftOOWTWII mers, "A Midsumer Night's Dream" ha? been a steady diet at the Open Air Theater in Regent's Park. This year is nn exception, although the CAPITOL akba'wb' I PARKWAY Park Blvd. ft B.101M "TYPHOON" State Fair Books Popular: Bands Urs arc not doing so well this year, an apathy ascribed variously to the weather, which has been un stars on tour. Gertrude Lawrence, The All New LOHETTA Tf OUNG and, BAY Mlluvwu blfckout orders interfered with the MT HBART" Tenr Martin in "mubio in Three of the Nation's top "name lighting effects, one of the princi vno is soon to end her four-week stay in San Francisco, will virtually hemstitch her way across the Dorothy LAMOUR and Robert PRESTOTT l.eretta Youns In "DR. TAKES A WIFE' nRANSni VXlUUXili'l.

"nuilAN AND oon" Joan CRAWFORD and Ftedrle MARCH Walter PUieon tn "PHANTOM RAIOERS'i Slmms, his featured girl singer, also appeared there. bands, all of which will appear at seasonable on the East coast, the election didoes and the war. Probably all played a part, but the chief reason for bad business is faulty the California State Fair in Sacra pal charms of the production. So the starting time was moved up to 6:15 a return to the custom of Shakespeare's own day, permitting PALACE 33rd Ave. ft E.

TAKES A comment, bne moves north from here, drops back to the midsection of the map, goes north again and 'then retraces her steps to Texas, rlJTnJIPC 5otlee at Shatter ttUiyiLn "rdiit i on a DON AMECHE ft MARY BETH HUOHES will be ihown at and p.m. aim "TUB GIRL IN SIS" witli Florence Rice atarta a Ac Popare In Color tUrta aa A Val, 1 Wekattr'a American Dictionary All Volumes, Standard ENCYCLOPEDIA mento, August 30 through Septem memories on the part of promoters Horace Heldt, who plays four days at the State Fair, was born in Alameda, and got his start in music by forming the Californlans while at LOR ETTA TOtma end RAY MXLLAND hiiuet CODE" with Oesrte O'Brien' ber 9, owe a vote of thanks to Call fornia. Originally the straw hat circuit was designed to provide Summer entertainment for resort customers OF 1941 4 iinany snutting up shop In Phila delphia. RIVOU San Pablo near University, "LILLIAN RVSRELL" TICKET MU-ROWVCD SCATS Kay Kyser, who opens the fair and at the same time give actors Charlotte Greenwood'! last Allea PATR-SOQ AMBCHK-Hearr rONDAl Blnr Croiiby in "IF 1 HAD MY WAY-H DIMOND Frultvale Ave. ft Hopklni rouB ioki" the playing of the piece by daylight On this side of the ocean, the drums are beginning to roll in advance of the new season.

The Theater Guild, for one, is pretty cheerful in that Philip Barry has IHI1MAN CUT CO ANP CIAMI Vtt CUV AT UPW.U1. OAKLAH turn taniaiMia AuftirOliuit Hi amu A a slight source of revenue in the the University of California. Orrin and Wee Bonnie Bakerr.also to. be heard four, days at' the State Fair, skyrocketed to IIMIVIO HAT1 lit IMC TAX CIHim ftt, DON AMECHB ft MARY BETH HUOHES' FLORENCE RICB hi "OlRIi IN BIS" LORIN and plays the first three days, played his first successful engagement in a San Francisco night club. Ginhy dull months.

Later it was ex tour of the East she played, in succession, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Detroit, St. Louis, Toledo, Colum- ri at vr rtaroiMANCi and ih "TYPHOON" tn Tephnlpnlnf' Dorothy LAMOUR end Robert PRKSTorJ: niRPIV Foothill Bird, ft Talrfal rAlflTAAi "MT FAVORITE WIFS" panded into a testing field for new plays with drama school sidelights and finally source of Summer promised to have another comedy (mil Irene Denne-Cary Grant-Randolph leett Ellen WITHOTTT PATAfF RAN EEANDRO rtUiKC WEDISONTHE MAN" SPENCER TRACY end RITA J0HN80NI fame by their rendition of "Oh, Johnny, Oh" while playing an engagement at a San Francisco hotel. ready for Katharine Hepburn as soon as she finishes her picture revenue for established stars. DRAWING CARDS Will be ihown at end 8:50 p.m. alio "SANDY IS A LADY" with Baby Sandy, atarta at p.m.

"DONALD DUCK" atarta nine ijreiDy "ir I HAD MY WAY" Good Music at Ice Follies bxajii Aurri -vomrae 1 WfiBnTKa 1 stint in "The Philadelphia Story" and completes a road engagement dus ana uuaaio. It wouldn't be so bad if these excursions could be made on de luxe trains, but many of the Jumps set out by the United Booking Office In New York call for branch lines with wretched ac-commodations and ghastly schedules. STRAIN ON ACTORS HKIT AWKBIfAW P1CTIONARY Now the Summer theaters have discovered that when they have a ,877 Clitia FRUITVALE' K. 14th ft 37th Ave. JAMES STEWART HAYWARD which was interrupted at the behest of Hollywood.

lAMER TRWA1tTl CURRAN pkrfo'Swnm LAST WEEK SanFra.el.ea FURTHER IXTINSIOH IMPOSSIIll ENCASEMENT POSITIVELY ENPS AUO. 24 Merfaret Sullerran In "MORTAL STORM" Marsaret SuUevan In "MORTAL BTOBM' "QUEEN OP THE Yurke' Tallulah Bankhead doing "The Second Mrs. Tanquary" or a Gertrude UArTAiN 18 A Coburn Richard Aldnch, Gertrude Law rence's new husband, is in posses flATFWBY hlo ft BUnford Lawrence appearing in "Tonight at Ernie Kratzlnger, musical director of the Ice Follies, now appearing nightly at Winterland in San Francisco, is said by press agents "HlshlUAta eJ Ulatory by Manafleld Dally In The Tribune 8:30" or a Joe E. Brown doing "The Ray Mllland In "hn. takvh a wivk" sion of a contract with John Barry-more calling for his return to "My Dear Children" on September 2 in OIL "bullet CODE" -with Oeorse O'Brien I Show Off" they are repaid by big GERTRUDE "7i crowds.

to have real genius in preparing 1 Jl If producers read their history Bjrmyiiuiui; tuTuiiKemenis wr soio Chicago, scene of the biggest tri umph for star and play. NEWS FROM THE ROAD and ensemble work. For years the music for skating TTMT M'h Ave. nr. Hopktna ALliUlJAUatvATERLOO BRIDGE SAMSON RAPHAELSON'S acts appearing at ice arenas was The Lunts will spend most of thi NEW COMEDY Vivien Leish and Robert Taylor; Barry Barnea In "THIS MAN IS NEWS'; blared out" by organs or brass season touring with "There Shall Be No Night" John Pollock, in ad pr pptf Ban Pablo Ave.

nr. 3ju(' XJa "CAFE TYRONE" POWIR ft LORETTA Claire Trevor tn "CABKER WnUN" DTSTTA '1'elrphone hi utile XUAialV NORTHWKKT SeeneerTraayRobertYouns WalterBrenna Actors who have difficult roles, requiring physical as well as mental effort, need their rest Most of them are perfectly willing to play every night in the week, but they lack the stamina to do without rest, and rest is an unknown quantity on. a jerkwater line in an antiquated pullman. The boys who do the tooklng rarely travel any further than from Qir offices to Long Island, and they go de luxe. I happened across a letter from W.

A. Darlington to the New York Times the other day, giving a hint of the English reaction to war. England may bo having its blackouts. vance of Gertrude Lawrence, will bands, not unlike circus bands. Only marches requiring plenty of "brass" were considered acceptable.

With the advent of the Ice Follies, it was With JOHN EMERY GLENN ANDERS CRIME SCTIE3 "HELP- they wotBd discover, wnat dramatic stock managers discovered but never actually learned years ago namely, that it is virtual suicide to go into the guest star business unless you have enough guests to make a season of it. It only takes a week to educate an audience to the better things. Time and again, when the Fulton, the MacArthur, the Macdon-ough and other stock theaters were operating, their managers would get a bright idea and hire a Leslie Carter, a Florence Reed or even an Alice Gentle for a brief Business would soar upward in fine TWO WEEKS ONLY EEftlNNINa MONDAY EVENING, SRFTEMIER 2 Kratzinger who insisted on a better balanced and a more symphonic TinillnoiRaymond Maaaey leave her in Philadelphia along in October and move to the Lunts. Miss Lawrence will then revert to musical comedy, starting on Christmas night in Boston. A recent- survey of the half-'way mark in the Summer theater' sched I L.

musical organization. The string section and the woodwind section are just as important and valuable to nrDDITA Ban Pablo at ran mount UCJtllUlL iJllX'g A DATE" DEANNA DURBW and KAY FRANC' Dead End Kid, tn 'CALL A MFSSENO TW frtnaka 2300 I.AKr. i in GRAND "AjaWea him as is. the brass section, he says. ule indicated ihat these barn thea- IJOT.

HWW IRENE DITNVB and CARY gkaxtj. "MT FAVVHliW Also Amoflht ft Jlr Bih Unth TJITT East 12th St at 7th XUleV "RFMKMBKRTHE NT.m style. Then the season would end and the stock leads would resume Barbara STANWYCK-Fred MacMUWi)--v It got the year's tfreat- ANN KOTHERN In ESTELLE WINWOOD playing to empty houses. Now it is happening in the straw hat circuit Already this season has MAIL ORDERS B-rt Mtr-MyrfryMtlodwim t'e-Xr-NflJlf "liOne ti naval est applause as a book! NOW screen audien- seen several of the promoters forced let Oakland Shewlnk-Roaaahow Attraction BENIAMINO OIOLL Operatic Tenor. In "iHE UFI OP OTOSEPPE TERDP'-- ai4.

La Travlata. II Trovelore. IXtlNSID IWO 1111(11 TONICHT AT 8:30 A 1 47 WW4Uuv 7 "IT'S nviwuA nimnrN and KAY IT'S to close by the sheriff. Next year NOW Mlm' trt.l Orek.l.H,llal.S.t,l.S,0al.l.U,aM, Mata.lOnk.l.n,Bal. l.H.l.I.eai.iM WaUaoe "aary In 'TWENTY Lb it will probably be worse.

The Sum Cample ta Ensliah Tltleal.Conti from n-i ii ri mi 'Ht'li -v i TH All-AMERial HIT MUSICAL RfVVE arlircQ lelagtaph Ave. at ciaremom TQWhH Phona TW intake 2300 rucESi as. Sl.ia, utjts, ta.te, Ina. tax. feat at WintcrlM, WA.

tlltl Sharnaa. Clar la S. T. a4 Oaklaas. aaaU aaW at 1 aa.

MAT. SATUBOAl p. If. rSICESl St, tl Jt, fl.aS WINTERLAND ces win nave a cnance to cheer the year's most exciting mer theater, it seems to me, has a place, but It should be as a testing ground for new plays and new actors. Then it will serve some useful purpose in the theater and may eventually be self-sustaining.

Until then it will be minor show business with red ink in evidence. CONTINUOUS SHOW Today-Open-1 Pv Fox btHAioa rwiT.R-B-E-C-C.A Laurence OLIVIER ft tfoan FONT A And "Charlie Chan'a Moriler frui-f 0 iirt A aim "TYPHOON" DOROTHY LAMOUR-ROBERT PRESTON HllrooW TktiJri 1 1 1. 4 uiJMa tftHh Avnuie LAUREL 'frTJS; Hopiuni nar wx MGMY8 SiMf MaT; Ii30 LAST 2 WEEKS KuflE runie ileal idaiut nonsE siiotu nnioTPT T. AMOUR tn "Johnny Apollo" "SAINT t'AKK OW Coburn-Robert Yeans I AUGUST 10 -18 IARAIN MATINEES WED, SAT. SEATS HOW ALL FEIFORMANCES 4 faac Bm 'Olfkca toe bmt Gaarr Ttieatnn Sberaiaa a.y at Caawelle.

OakJaaat. Tsafcf Rent, Beraeler. Penla-alar Ticket Agaacr, Fata Alta. Aa Weilen Uoioa Olfice. vogue VICTOR Mel GUM UGHTH0ISI SAN FRANCISCO SHERIFF'S FOSSE DICK GRIFFITH AMERICA'S FINEST STAILfS STARRING NORMA SHEARER ROBERT TAYLOR I COMING SOON RONALD Itiaa aa Hara SkawAa'ailtilaa OiaMa' it 75c CAll.

eoifSfUM TMAiUM BIANB aUNAGtMfMf A. t. ftfMWO Vat "4.