PLAYS and PLAYERS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 5, 6 July 1939, Page 21

PLAYS and PLAYERS

A TENEMENT STAR?

IRISH PLAYWRIGHT.

The announcement that Louisa Corchia, "coloratura soprano," was to sing at Carnegie Hall, New York's Covent Garden, a few months back, covered a human drama of hope and faith in a girl's voice. Seventeen-year-old Louisa is the daughter of aii unemployed furrier; she rented the hall with the life savings of her cousin, a bartender. Her, concert was a .desperate bid for fame. ■ -The optimistic songstress hoped to end her family's poverty and repay her cousin. Those who had heard the Corchia voice spoke in glowing terms of her undoubted talents, but it was yet to be ployed that New York realised the presence of such a budding opera star in its tenement district. BENN LEVY AGAIN. • After a lengthy absence in New York and Hollywood, playwright Benn Levy returned to the British, stage with a new play, "The Jealous God," which had a successful season at, the London Lyric. It was originally called "The Mulberry Bush" (the title of a play written by Edward Knoblock about ten years ago). Mr. Levy describes his play as dealing with the contemporary state of mind. The play is on, a light note with occasional, serious tones, and the last act shows the. reaction of his characters to the effects of a world

upheaval. Mrs.. Benn. Levy., (the charmr ins American actress, Constance Cummihg), played a modern young woman with a sense of frustration that causes unhappiness; Irene Vanbrugh played the chatelaine of a country house, and others in the cast were C. V. France as a gentle philosopher, the father of the hero of the piece; Frank Allenby as an idealist; Alexander Knox, the young husband; Patrick Barr, his best friend; and Allan Jeayes as a shrewd business man. Scenes include a country cottage, a country house, and a London boarding-house.

ANN AND BERNARD,

Ann Harding, the lovely blonde actress of stage and screen, is married to Werner Janssen, the distinguished conductor-composer, and recently accompanied him to Helsingfors, Finland, where he conducted a Sibelius concert before the famous master himself; Dr. Janssen is recognised as the world's foremost authority on the work of Jan Sibelius. Miss Harding has been appearing in an American revival of Shaw's "Candida," and it is interesting to record that the American actress and the author himself once had an argument over a Shavian play—"Captain Brassbound's Conversion"—in which Miss Harding played Lady Cicely Waynfleet. The couple met in Hollywood five years ago, and when Miss Harding mentioned how she had enjoyed playing the part at the Hedgerow Repertory Theatre, Moylan. Pasadena, Mr Shaw snapped: "That must have been a piratical performance," and Miss Harding snapped back that it was not, turned her back on the author, and left him. Mr. Shaw's comment had made her genuinely angry, as it was, to her mind, a direct reflection on one of the best little theatres in America. Miss Harding is ever loyal to the Hedgerow, where she had been acting on and off since the beginning of her career; she knew the proper royalties had- been paid. The incident created quite a flurry at the time. DIRECTORS AT WORK. Edward Ludwig, who directed the Deanna Durbin picture "That Certain Age" has joined the notable' Columbia roster headed by Frank Capra, Howard Hawks, Wesley Ruggles, Frank Lloyd, and Rouben Mamoulian. L,udwig is scheduled to start direction on "Coast Guard." thrilling drama, co-starring Randolph Scott and Ralph Bellamy. Fred Kohlmar is the production supervisor.

Frank Capra has begun production of "'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," a spirited comedy in which Jean Arthur and James Stewart co-star with Edward Arnold, Claude Rains, Guy Kibbee, Eugene Pallette, and others in featured roles.

Howard Hawks, having completed "Only Angels Have Wings," an epochal drama co-starring Jean Arthur and Cary Grant, is preparing another important production for Columbia.

Wesley Ruggles will direct "Arizona," based on the Clarence Budington Kelland novel, and Jean Arthur has been assigned the starring role.

Frank Lloyd has the momentous task of bringing "Tree of Liberty" to the screen, a powerful romantic drama of the early days. ■. ;

Now 43 years old, Michael Egai». playwright, has had a varied career. He has been a journalist, a publicity agent, served in the war as a wireless operator, and at 39 sat down and wrote his first play, "The Dominant Sex." This was produced at the Embassy Theatre, where the Irish author "had been Press representative and associate manager. It was a great success and was later put on at-the Shaftesbury Theatre • and then ,at the Aldwyeh, where it had a long run. His 'second play, "To Love and to Cherish," was recently put on at the Kirigsway; it.is the amusing, argumentative story" of two divorced young men' who are claimants for the hands of the daughters of a parson who condemns divorce.. Bob Beatty, a friend.of the playwright, who is a Canadian, went over specially at the author's request to play the aggressive, not-quite-divorced Dave Manford. Laidman Browne"played the parson, and Lydia Sherwood' played one of the hapless daughters. ' JOHN BOYNTON PRIESTLEY. In his newest play, "Johnson Over Jordan," J.. B. Priestley has confounded the critics, and divided them into opposite camps of thought. Some have condemned the playwright for his,play about death; others sing "his' praises. For his theme, Mr, Priestley went {jack to the medieval Roman 'Catholic' conception of a period of purgatory between death and everlasting life. In the New Theatre production, Ralph Richardson (that undeniably ' .clever ar^or seen so recently in-New Zealand in "South Riding") played' Johnson, who, when the curtain rises, is already dead. Each act is preceded by a short funeral scene followed by a second scene intended to depict the adventures of the dead man's mental content. Johnson relives all the baser incidents of his mental and physical life, the story culminating in a magnificent final act wherein Johnson reaches "Inn at the End of the World," where goodness and strength.' and beauty of soul lie. Mr. Richardson gave a superb performance. Critics would like to see >him in Shakespeare.-

WHIRLWIND CAREER.

It is interesting, in view of the forth-, coming film depicting ■,their- life, -story (Fred Astaire .and Ginger Rogers), to know that Irene and Vernon-/'Castles were a spectacular couple whose rise to fame w&j, one. of the sensations* of . the pre-war years. In 1907, Vernon Castle was a young and thin English theatrical performer, with a forte for magic. He "was engaged by tew Fields to play one of the five stooge waiters in the Fields show "Girl Behind the Counter," and was associated with the producer until 1911, when; he met and married, against her father's wishes, a young New Rdchelle debutante, Irene i'oote. They were gaged by Fields—Vernon as the vidtim in the famous shaving scene in "lienpecks," and Irene as a singer. / The Castles received a Paris offer and were facing starvation there when their big chance came; head waiter Papa Louis of the Cafe de Paris gave them a .-tryout of their acrobatic, dance number "The Grizzly Bear," and so successful. was their appearance their "Castle Walk" then became the rage. They!re-. . turned to Manhattan at a princely salary and began their triumphs,, iv 1914, when Mr. Castle enlisted for. service with the British flying force in, France. Later, in 1918, he crashed when making a test flight with .a- pupil at the Fort Worth Flying. School, where he was instructor. Thus .terminated a whirlwind career. '.. Hi 3 widow went into retirement, later remarried, and at present lives'a'very quiet life, busy with her dogs and other hobbies and seldom appears, in public' ' . '..".■ PRAISE FROM HITLER. Marion Daniels, the English-bora Californian dancer whom Hitler complimented on her acrobatic grace,. is a charming young lady! The Fuhrer himself asked that Miss Daniels should appear in the Munich season of "The Merry Widow," and as the \ young . dancer was at Nice at the time, she flew with her mother from ;that resort. After the performance. Hitler, pre-.. sented her with money and flowers, and the dancer then flew back to Nice j' after a happy experience of the Glee- - man leader. He told her: "You ar» really the best dancer I have ■ evar seen." . . . : .. ■. ,;..-■ :. ' - V>; ':'•.