Daily News from New York, New York • 19

Tbuoyant, made Klecardo's Trsic Out of Town 3t John Thomas "Flowers Placid Comedy With Dramatic Overtones "The Flowers of Virtue," comedy by Marc Connelly. Produced by Cheryl Crawford at the Royale Theatre, New York, Feb. 5, 1942. ir "Plan the James Edward Grant war play, opens to its try-out period tonight in Wilmington, Del. A week in Washington, D.

C-, follows with the local premiere listed for the week after next Robert Harris, of 1 U. S. is supposed to be busy penning a farce, "Bronx, U. S. Donald Burr, in "The Rivals," leaves for Hollywood and film work after the Guild revival finishes its run.

1 ni.MIIE JliiT 1942 Will Reward Fighters! STAGE PLAYS PRINCIPALS: -Carmelita Fortson Tarlotta Garcia Sra fi a Isobfl Etsm Maiia FTrtira Jttaria Morale Sheldon Williams Garoia WalKifl Bemif Ezequiel Jfp Barker rharU Bell Loa Belaeco in a a i i to AM SUNDAY nvrf-A-DAY FlNDAYS. By BURNS MANTLE. (Reprinted from yesterday's late editions) There is an appealing quality to Marc Connelly's "The Flowers of Virtue" at the Royale Theatre that saves the comedy a lot. The Mexican background is warm and attractive. The characters are human and colorful, even when you can't understand what they say.

And the theme that the vibrant and exciting. Josephine Antoine was a wonderworker as Oscar and projected her vocal part surely and fully. Stella Roman unquestionably has lots of sound at her command and was really splendid, but sometimes she seems unable to control the sound, slurring it and making it hazy. Anna Kaskas was a last-minute substitute for Bruna Castagna in the part of Ulrica. Norman Cordon and Nicola Moscona were good, respectively, as Sam and Tom.

Ettore Panizza gave the performance a sure touch from start to finish with his conducting. STAGE PLAYS Says HYMCE, CS47: BENCHLEY om Ml laughing" ATKINSON "Come, original, gtuial" MAT. TODAY 55c to '2 2 ATh town's newest hit play" Lvons Pout NGEL STREET Vincent Price. Judith Evelyn. Leo G.

Carroll GOLDEN W. 45 St. CI. 6-6740. EvI.

8:40 FRIGHTFULLY Y'Aniierxon III. ARSENIC AND OLD LACE i Boris Karloff. Jftsephine Hull, lean Adair. Jrhn Alexander, Clinton Stindberg, Edgar Stehli FULTON. West 46th St.

CI. 6-6380. Evgs. 8:40 Mat. Today Thurs.

2:40. Mail orders filled. Mats. TODAY Thurs. "JHS eddie cantor Banjo eyes "h1 1EATS OX 8 WEEKS IV ADVANCE Orders Filled Promptly HOIXYHOOI Aiht.CI.7-5A 15 Evi incl.SuB.8 :30.

Mats. Today Thors.S I. MATS.TODAY I '2 "A honry for yotir mony." Winrbell George Albtt New Mnsiral Hit Best foot forward with ROSEMARY LAMS Book bv John Ceil Holm VwV hy Hush Martin BalpTi Blsne BARRYMORE.47 St.W.of y. CI Ei.8 :40 John 'Wilsn wTtscnta Ctifton Peggy Leonora Mildred WEBB WOOD COR ETT NAT WICK LITHE SPIRIT NOKI, COWARD'S K-t comrd; MOROM'O. 4 St.

W. of B' a.v. CI. ti-cj-iao Ens. 8:40.

MATS TODAY and WED. 2:40 MAT. TODAY SUN. 'I10 2 20 B-KXCITIVti." J.iKktiiot. t-u ROOKLYN.

U. S. A. Fddie Julie Adelaide dFN'T STFVKNS Ki KIN WOI.FSON FORREST, W.49ii St. CI- 6-887Q.

Evgs. InctJSon. MATINEE TODAY a0 2 Perfs. TomV 3 8:40 "I mm still BENCHLEY pAFE CROWN ith Morri CARNOVSKY Sam JAFFE CORT. 48th St.

E.ot y. BR. 9-0046. No Men. Pert.

E1S. inel. SUN. 8:40. Wat.

Today Sun.55e-$2.20 LAST PAY Fillv present tallulah bankhead Clash by night hy Clifford Odets JOSEPH SCHILDKRAUT L. J. COBB KATH. LOCKE KFJ Asctt. Ht 411h St.

KRyant LAST 2 Perfs. MAT. it 2:40 TONIGHT at 8:40 CJIIMX COL1IEN preenfs A I A ROSE "eKANKKN ata .1 tha MwiiniKr Hit in Town! BOOTH 45 St. W. ef B'way.

CI. 6-5969 Men. thru Sat. TODAY.Wed. 41 Tr.ur.

Evs 55c-I2T20TnatiTSatT7sun. Feh.l2. 55t-SI-63 ILBERT SULLIVAN JOOSS BALLET "The Mikado." "Bii in Old Vienna" ST. JAMES Thea. W.44 St.

Eva. 8:30.2 Perfs. Sun. Opens FEB. 12 SEJW" GILBERT MILLER presents EART OF A CITY lT LESLEY STORM HENRY MILLER'S 43dSt.E.of ay.BR.9-39ri Co.

niaht $1.10 to $5.50: Evs. thereafter $1. 10-53. 30 Wits. Thurs.

i Sat $1.10 to $2.75. Mail Orders Now MATINEE 5ftc to 2(1 t'tVe! KATINA PAXINOU Hedda gabler LbNGACRE. 48th ST. EVGS. 8:40.

55c to S3. 30 MAT. TODAY SUN. 110 2 2U I PERFS. SUNDAY MAT.

at 2:30 EV6. 8:30 "MOKE I.AI than my other mn-iral on Dorolhv hiloallen GEORGE JESSEL'S rilGH KICKERS SOPHIE TUCKER 5TM0NTH and America Ioveliet Slmw Ciirls ROADHURST. W. 44 St. CI.

-6699. Evas. 8:30 t.Oll BALCONY AVAILABLE MATINEE TODAY 20 2 Perfs. Tom'w 3 8:40 "A BRILLIANT SHOW World-Teleoram 50c. $1 $1.50 TEAR ND KDITiOV of the ISensatmnal Musical l-etravayaiiza IT HAPPENS ON ICE at Only Tee Theatre Center TheaftV Rockefeller Center.

CO. 5-5474 Evw. except Monday. Mats. Today.

Tom'w tt Thurs. 501 Scats for Every Perf. 50c. EVGS. AT 8:40 HOLIDAY MATINEE LINCOLN'S BIRTHDAY the SATURDAYS a dc 2 Back at Met In Verdi Work "A Masked Ball," opera in four acts and five scenes with a book by Somma and music by Verdi.

Produced at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York, Feb. 6, 1942. Opera it Presentation -jc -fc -jr PRINCIPALS: Giovanni Martinejli John Charles Thomas Stella Roman Anna Kaskas 1 Jorh Autome Riocardo Renato Amelia Virion Oscar By DQUGLAS WATT. (Beprinted from yesterday" tote edition) Verdi's "A Masked Ball" was thrillingly sang last night at its first Met presentation of the John Charles Thomas Stella Roman season. This production was rungs i above last year's, the first in a quarter of a century.

For one thing, it had John Charles Thomas, rejoining the company in the role of Renato. "A Masked Ball" has a grave i dramatic weakness which vitiates much of the opera's, effectiveness. The emotions linking Riccardo and Amelia are never developed suf-: ficiently to give impact to the scene of Renato's discovery, which 11 I. A auuuiu ue LieiiieiiuuuK buu is lite climax of the whole opera. This is meant to be a tragedy of misunderstanding but the quixotic quality is never emphasized and the audience feels the frailty of the coincidence.

All of the opera, therefore, which is concerned with Riccardo's vagaries, and that is all but one scene, seems rather lukewarm and depends almost entirely upon Verdi's resourcefulness and incidental scenes to carry it. Feelings Well Caught. That one scene, in Renato's home, is magnificent until the entrance those Swedish finger men, Sam and Tom. Husband and w-ife are closeted with their sudden es- 1 trangement. It doesn't matter why for the moment.

They there and alone together and Verdi has caught their feelings beautifully. "Eri Tu" is the most wonderful thing in the opera, seconded by Amelia's throbbing outburst preced- ing it. So we come to Thomas, who sang "Eri Tu" with shattering beauty,) lifting the performance to its high- est level and holding it there until i the waves of applause had died away. Then the plotters came again i and with them a lesser reality. Three, at least, of the other members of the cast were superla- i tive.

Giovanni Martinelli, bright and VAUDEVILLE rOWDHWMf HtySBPrO5E ROADS- TODAY A lOMOKKOW World's fere mct Woqr ion swrm-ww with '( 3 ointa 1 tC'fi-M teMCNiH 20H55 CcruiA- MIDMGHT SHOW TOITE, KKMI SIA1 1942 Will Reward Fighters! mm IKS it. rover Bemis Trinidad Perez Paeo rez Nancy Bemip Gpnf ral Orijas-Col. Gomez Jrank Craven S. Thomas Gomez Peter Bf-auvais Vire-inia jLederer -Vladimir Snkoloff Samson Gordon as a crooked go-between. Peter Beauvais is a sympathetic youth and there are a -particularly attrac tive pair of young folk realized by Jess Barker and Virginia Lederer.

Craven, as I say, is unhappily crushed and Isobel Elsom, with a splendid idea of the character of an American novelist, is all but inarticulate a good share of the time. It seems to me a man with the gifts should be able to start with this cast today and write an entirely new and vigorous drama for them by a week from Saturday. Any one of the old-time master playwrights could have done it. The setting is one of Donald Oenslager's handsomest patios, and Donald has done a lot of patio work recently. Theatre Canteen For Service Men The American Theatre Wing War Service is expanding its activities and will shortly open a canteen for service men in the unoccupied Little Club, beneath the 44th St-Theatre.

The "Stage Door" Canteen will be open from five P. M. to midnight daily. There'll be dancing, entertainment and' light refreshments, aii free of charge to men in uniform. Jane Cowl and Selena Royle are co-chairmen of the Canteen committee.

All the work will be done by theatre folk. Two young actresses are registered to serve as hostesses and dancing partners. A nightly floor show will feature leading entertainers and celebrities will be on hand to greet the service men. Even the cooks and dishwashers will be theatre workers and volunteers. The necessary redecorating will be done by collaboration of every craft and union in the theatrical industry.

Lee Shubert has waived rent and will also provide heat maintenance. G. S. Schedule Here's the future schedule for the current Gilbert and Sullivan repertory at the St. James, which will continue to be combined with selected works by the Jooss Ballet: "Pirates of Penzance" starts on Feb.

17; "lolanthe," Feb. 23; "The Gondoliers," March "Ruddigore," March 10; "Patience," March 17. After "Patience," a further repertory will be announced. Brooklyn Opera Ponchielli's "La Gioconda" will be revived by Alfredo Salmaggi tonight at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. OPERA losmur at s.nu LA GIOCON DAballet OF THE HOURS" S0e-77e-99e Plus Tax nnJ BROOKLYN ivi ACADEMY OF MUSIC METROPOLITAN OPERA Today, 2, TOSCA.

TonigM 8: 15 (SI. 10, 4.40), FAUST. Sun. 8:30, GALA PROGRAM. Mon.

8, LOHENGRIN. Wed. 8:30, BOHEME. Thurs. 1, G0ETTERDAEMME8-RUNG.

Thurj. 8:30, RIG0LETT0. Fri. 8:30, TOSCA. Sat.

2, TAHRHAEUSER. KNABE I'lAKO TSED EXCLUSIVELY 8:10 SUN. o- tv hOVITL NlOlSl ICMIET HIT CORT THEATRE MATS.TODAY H- 55c '2 18 CRAZILY MOVING.DIVERTING.COCK-EYED' tileln Waldorf, ott Abbott itremeute I -v -r A New Coney By Vj IN Samson Rapharlsr-n 1 'Junior joy." WattbM lrT-KTT-Tk rirr The JUJN1UK iVlli Comt.lT SmKh LYCEUM 45 St. E. ay.

CH 4-42 EVGS. 8:40. MATS.TODAY. WED. 2 4T 250 SEATS EVERY PERFORMANCE AT 11.10 IHAK TOriAV eo.

ii 75 Atiiiisr.n. 7 GERTRUDE LAWRENCE L.V THK MI SICAI. BIT ADY IN THE DARK ALVIN. 52 at B'may Cl. 5-68A6 IIXTOX FBKKOLEVS Mutirat btunativn DANNY KAYL ET'S FACE IT! HEhRKhT and I-OtOHT Eve Benny Mary Jai Edith Vivian ARDEN BAKER WALSH MEISER VANCE COLE PORTER SONGS IMPERIAL Thea 45 St.

CO. 5-7889. Evas Matt. TODAY Thar. (LiiKOln day) F.t 23 MATINEE TODAY 4 "A PERFECT COMEDY" Atkintca.

Tinna LIFE WITH FATHER aith Ho war a LINDSAY, Di.rc.th, STICKNEY KMP1KK. Ml St. -iHil Seat, at I. HI LAST WEEKS! LAST WEEKS! Positiiely Closes ftbruary 28 EVANS ANDERSON A NATIONAL 41 St. PE.

fi-8S Eves. Matinm TtlllAY A ED. rthniiiMAMi: TOMORROW (Sunday) NIGHT PROCEEDS TO ACTORS' FUND Seats Nc "COMPI.ETKI.Y Athintvn. 7tug MY SIS JER EILEEN A 1 THE KKITOIS (IMIEFIV HIT ILTMOR 47th St. W.

of B'way CI EVGS. 8401 A TS.TO DA Tind RSJ .40 MAT TODAY THURS. S4f P-Coitiplelfly Entcrtainin0 APA IS ALL GUILD 52nd St. W. of Ba.

CO E. Intl. SUN, at 8:40. Matl.Trlay 4. Thar.

41) "Brilliant belong on your MUSTfist." John Maon biotru, ortd-Tfleviili CHEKYL CRAWFORD presttUt Po Ueorge tjershwin RGY AND RF urirfi TOHIf IX SPAN ANNE HKCIUN sltl.LI:f. f'oniluttt'r MAJESTIC Thea 44 St CI. 6-0730. Ew 8:30 Efs. Mats.

TODAY A Thur. 12.2ll-5.1a terliirmance Every Suiidnu Sicht at fi-ftfr SEATS NOW FOB NEXT ti WEEKS MAT. TODAY THURS. 'Pat Hitrheoefc offers an entirely Irresistihlo orformance. Watt.

Herald Tribune SWMKiHT I1EEKE HIMAN prctenlm OLITAIRE A neir t'hw JOHN VAX HRTTFN PLYMOUTH. W. 45th CI. t.0 PERFS. SI Ml Slat.

2 Fun Starts 2:20 8:20 Prepare to DcfcndYeurerlt SOLS EN A JOHNXIN In ONS O' FUN SXZl? with CABMEN IB ANUA ELLA I (M.4.N WINTER GARDEN, a. 50th St. Mutinees A Siindas-. I.10-S'J.;fl Malineea Lincoln's Birthday (Thur.) Fet. 23 C.

AlBKEV GEORGE ana SMITH OPRING AGAIN PLAYHOUSE Sl.E. of y. BR S-2MK Evas.8 OMal odayW ed i ncol iCt day 2 flNEE TODAY at CHEHYI. S.I 11 t'Kt) tires, nit JIAKC CONNEILY'S New 1'lav "THE FLOWERS OF VIRTUE 1 fith FRANK CRAVEN" ROYALE V.45lh St. CI 5-5760.

41! A THEATRE I.I ILD nioduttivit MARY BOLAND BOBBY CLARK WALTER HAMPDEN In SHERIDAN Urtatett tfrneiii HE RIVALS SHUBERT 44th St.W.of B'aray. CI. 8 SfrSO Kvaw. 8:33. Milt.

TODAY 1THI LAST 2 WEEKS I "''r 1V7 "Drama at Its nest." Walter Winchell Watch on the hhine Luclle Watson Paul Luhaa Mady Christians MARTIN BECK. 45 St. W. of 8th Ave Evas. 8:40.

Mat. Today oV Llaeoln Birthday 2:40 flowers of virtue will always" bloom, even in a scorched earth world is one that should be preached. "The Flowers of Virtue" is the pleasantly placid sort of play that play reviewers are most frequent- Virginia Lederer One of an attractive pair. accused of blasting out of the theatre because it falls a degree two short of their too fixed standards. Well, let's be sporting and give It a chance.

It has been a hurried job of writing and staging, so far as Mr. Connelly is concerned, and he has not done his best by it, cither as dramatist or director. He has let the cast have its way, upparently, about playing it down to such an extent that a third of the dialogue is lost and a third smothered with accents. No Chance for Frank. He has crushed Frank Craven, the star, into a walk-on part with few lines and no spirit, giving him but a single last curtain speech vith which to pull himself to ithin sight of the audience.

And yet his sensitive feeling for specific scenes, and his nice feeling for the human qualities and the decencies of his better characters, iriake it possible for him to hold the little play together. They should also make it possible for him to start work on it this morning and have it in fine shape by the first of the week. We will accept it as the play it's going to be. There is no reason the cast should be timid about playing it. The story is a straight, simple ad-Venture in which a tired American businessman, seeking relaxation in Mexico, finds himself facing the bold attempt of a small-time Hitler to frighten a simple and trusting people into a tribute paying slaveryt Happy Outcome.

He is shrewd enough to outwit the would-be dictator and to restore the village to its people and to their preferred way of life, which they are prepared to accept as a miracle. The best performances are those Vladimir Sokoloff as the cocky little dictator without a funny mustache, and S. Thomas Gomez as a humble but progressive native the dictator would liquidate. Leon Belasco had a nice chance I.