,, ',If 29, / 9 12 LEG iinin A ririE Thy .13illboat-41 9 Conducted by EUCENE BUHR -Communications to 1564 ereedway, New 'tete Case BROADWAY RUNS More 'No Opinion' Revielvs Again; On War Canceling rerr...... to Aug. 22 inclusire. Dramatic Opened Per). Goes to Actors Kronenberger, Anderson !Definite Angel Street (Golden) Dee. 200 3) again brings up the rear of the first- Arsenic and Old lees (rut- (Continued front page NEW YORK, Aug. 22.-First test of a :feit. 477 ing taken by Miss Waldorf; and at Tire stringers, as ha has clone each of Use war emergency legit contract cancellation Blither Spirit (11 oit) 5___ 210 three years since the tabulation was Claudia (return) lat. James) 24_-.. 104 World-Telly the shows Brown missed was decided in favor of Madge were covered by a number of people, no started. However, each year lie has low- Evans, Ruth Chatterton and Ralph 1:gaZTitit'lf`s(tIV747,11pirol 11,1'56-11H one of whom saw any great number of ered his percentage of fence -sitters and Forbes by the American Arbitration As- My Sister Eileen hdltmorei Dec. 24.'0 1382 shows. On The Mirror the some situation this year lie isn't fat' above the rest of Banyan Stasyra,e Meissen) _ Aug. 17- 8 sociation, Thursday (20), against John Uncle Barry (Broadhurst)_ May 20___ 102 as usual was In effect, but Winchell the pack. Hayden, operator of the Olney Theater, caught only eight shows that were'scorerl By long odds the greatest progress in Olney, Md. Amount involved was "con- Musical COT/tail/ this year and so fell under the limit of getting off the fence was shown by Rich- siderably over $1,000," according to an 10, arbitrarily set up three years age for ard Locksidge, of The San who in 1940- Equity official. By Jupiter (Bluthert) lino 04 '41 of 17 Actors' Let's yens It inclusion. scored an average per cent "no (return) I-- and ended up of 11 Dispute came before the AAA at the ) In general the individual "no opinion" opinions" ninth the insistence of Hayden, after Equity ruled NewN ew 110011, The (revival) 'WC. 17--- percentage went 'way up. In 1940-'41 first-striugers. Last season his percentage mand Mess 7 dropped to 14 and he came hr a good that he had no right to cancel the con- Porgy (revival) Aug. 10--- Winchell led the tabulation with no "no tracts of the three players on his own. (Majestic) Jan. opinion" notices at all and there were third. The others in order were: Cole- Hayden, who opened the Olney Play- Sons o' Yen (Winter Qs. 22--- 544 three others who scored under 10 per cent man, 16 per cent; Brown, 17 per cent; 15, deal Brooks Atkinson, of The Times, 18 per house last May closed two weeks Stir Garter (Musio De n. 804 each. During 1941-'42 Louis Kronenber- later, attributing the cause to gas and Box) Joao 70 ger, of PM, and John Anderson, of Tice cent; Richard Watts Jr., of Tire Herald- tire rationing. JournalfAmerfean, tied for the lead with Tribune, 19 per cent; Miss Waldorf, 20 Accordingly, said Equity. Hayden no- 9 per cent each, the Kronenberger gets per cent, and Mantle, 25 per cent. tified the trio that he was closing the Four Set for Minneapolis the edge by a few fractions of a per- Winchell this year had one "no cowbarn because of a "war emergency," centage point, opinion" scored in the eight shows on and was therefore relieved of contractual MINNEAPOLIS, Aug. 22.-Four attrac- Three of the first nine-stringers, tho, the records, giving him 121/2 per cent. obligations to them. The Misses Evans tions have been booked thus far for did manage to lower the percentages they An interesting sidelight on the tabu- and Chatterton and Forbes, who were Minneapolis' legitimate season at the scored the previous year, but in the lation is the fact that, while the first- to appear In Olney in June, presented a Lyceum Theater here, of 'whic)t Leo cases of two of them it was by a single stingers' percentages of "no opinions" claim to Equity council, based on pay- Murray is manager. Other bookings are percentage point each. These two were went up, the percentage of the second- or-play contracts. still in the making. Already set, altho Miss Waldorf, who dropped from 21 per stringers went .down. These, lumped to- Council decided was no dates are not yet available, are Velez and cent to 20 per cent, and Burns Mantle, gether, showed only 12 per cent "no that there opinion" reviews season . Penn (emergency," because Hayden, Yolanda, The Corn Is Green, Angel Street of Tire Nests, who dropped from 26 per during the just "didn't give the theater a chance," ruled, and Watch on the Rhine. cent to 25 per cent. Mantle, however, es against 41 per cent during 1910- against him, and was about to satisfy at'11. the claim out of Hayden's bond When he Toughest of the first stringers were demanded that. arbitration proceedings Kronenberger and Brown, who each gave be held. favorable reviews to just 22 per cent of Wood, the shows they covered. Easiest on pro- AAA panel, composed of Peggy ductions was Mantle, who said that 44 Eddie Dowling and William Fellowes )' Jr(ItICI'S per cent of the shouts he reviewed were Morgan Jr., sustained Equity, and the was deducted from the bond. okay with him. claim The following table gives details of the standings; 1==2:31132:MIIMECE:=1 Pct. of Shows No No Heavy Pitts TWITS coluntin per.shwitere (111 titres of than) are probably heartily tired by Scored Opinion Opinion now of case the of Macbeth vs. Macduir, wherein Maurice Evans was charged Louis Kr...bargee 87 8 9';, by five PM... members of his company with attempted coercion and intimidation aimed balm Anderson, Journal- at forcing them to appear tinder sub-Equity conditions In a series of free show- Schedule Set ings American ' 85 for the soldiers of Camp:Meade. In addition, Mr. Evans has just won a cap- Rickard Lackridgo, Sun 84 12 14% PITTSBURGH, Aug. 22. -Five plays taincy in the army, entitling him to direct amateur theatricals at a Nebraska camp Robert Coleman, Mirror 76 12 16% have already been named as American after having been classified by his draft board as IA. Obviously, Equity council John Mason Brown, World- could hardly be Theater Society subscription engage- expected to hear charges against an officer now-or shortly to be- Telegram 66 11 17% ments, Manager Sam Miami of the Nixon serving the country of his adoption. But if there's little chance of the charges now Brooks Atkinson, Times 79 14 16% Theater has announced, with the sixth being heard, that fact merely points up the criminal stupidity of council when it Richard Watts Jr., Herald- ref used to hear , not yet set. Already listed are Fontanne them in the first place, Tribune 78 15 19% N. This corner end Lunt in S. Behrmaree The Pirate, doesn't know whether Mr. Evans is guilty or innocent of the Melia Waldorf, post 86 17 20% week of October 5; Fredric March in Mr. charges -nor does it know whether his accusers are suffering justly or unjustly Burns Mantle, News 84 21 25% October 10; a Helen Hayes' under counter-charges of selfisbness. In order Sycamore, to allow Equity council to avoid Waller Wineholi, Mirror 1 12%% show 26; a October Junior Miss, December making decision that might have been embarrassing both parties In the case All Others 41 5 12% 7, and Carnegie Tech drama., Prof. Thomas remain unexonereted. Job's Uncle Harry, in January or,Febru- Pointing up this fact is a move from what I confess to bo an entirely 'unex- pected quarter, In the last issue of Equity Magazine an article was run on the The fullest fall schedule the Nixon disposition of the ease along with an editorial playing up the importance of a High School Shows has had sot in years, as revised this secret ballot by members of companies confronted with similar situations-a pro- week, will begin August 31 with Conrad cedure that has now become mandatory according to Equity rules. It seems that May Be Out for Nagel to The Moon Is Down. The new this material was violently objected to by 10 members of the Evans company who Lincleay-Crouse show, Strip for Action, did play the camp shows. The current Issue of Equity) Magazine carries their pro- will premiere September 10 for 10 days, test, objecting to the fact that they were not permitted to defend themselves Duration of War following rehearsals here: The new against charges of allowing themselves to be intimidated and coerced. NEW YORE, Aug. 22.-Probable Ref Izapoppin will play a week beginning Perhaps they weren't intimidated; perhaps the five members who brought the in- September 21, followed by six days of charges were. I don't know-and neither does Equity council. definite postponement of a reparatory Priorities. theater for the exclusive attendance of Certainly the charges should have been heard and one group or the other high school students, because of war This Is tlae Army finally has been exonerated. As things stand, both sides have legitimate grievances. I still think conditions, was indicated in the report marked definitely for the week of Octo- that, despite Mr. Evans's army work in Omaha, the charges should be heard, even of John E. Wade, superintendent of ber 12. Katharine Cornell will star nri at the frightful expense of calming vitriolic; Equity officials to become terribly, schools for New York City. Theu the Three Sisters the week of November 2, terribly embarrassed. interest of the city's high school teach- followed by a, fortnight of Gertrude ers and Actors' Equity, Board of Educa- Lawrence in Lady ins the Dark. Then speaking of free shows at camps, last spring a group of young tion approved a plan last winter to two weeks of Let's Face It. For Christ- INCIDENTALLY,actors and actresses, none of whom had yet played in professional productions, create a rep company, consisting of stock . mas and New Year's weeks, it will be rehearsed a couple of comedies and played them at a Southern camp. So enthu- and name players, that would enact Sons o' Fun. siastic were the soldiers that the little group of eager Thespians was kept at the classics and other plays considered neces- same camp for 28 days-a record that compares favorably, I suspect, with that of miry to education. most VS0 units. According to reports, the nightly announcement that the group Wade's report, made public Thursday "Army" in question was not a IMO unit was greeted by the soldiers with applause. I can't (20), cited that the war might neces- on Stem verify the report, not having access to the soldiers at the camp-hut I sincerely sitate changes in eduantional methods trust that it is a mistake. and that "immediate fruition" of the Until September 26 In any case, this same group of young actors approached the 1.120 to offer its Equity plan would be somewhat diffi- services in any way possible during the fall. The MO, bowever, as represented by cult under present conditions. Plane NEW YORK, Aug. 22.-Thie Is the Bert Lytell, said that it couldn't avail itself of such services, and the kids went called for rotating companies to work Army, Irving Beeline all :soldier show, away with the impression, mistaken I hope, that the printery reason was that they she weeks each, under Equity conditions, which opened on Broadway July 4 for were not Equity members. to be attended by high school English an original one -month run for the belie- This corner very definitely agrees that union minimums must be maintained students under the direction of their fit of Army Emergency Relief, will even for free shows for camps; this Is a point that the USO rightly admitted at its teachers. finally pull stakes here September since minimums to a of A philanthropic institution was con- up inception, union and the right their maintenance are part backing the plan on an experi- 26, by a War Department directive, and that very way of life that the boys for whom the shows are presented are committed sidering open at the National Theater, Washing- hardly rule out nonunion groups of mental basis until a grant could be to defend. However, that should sufficient from local or federal governments. ton. October 5. shinty, providing they, too, receive use same union standards. After all, the gotten Berlin's production was intended to USO, unlike the WPA, was not formed to create jobs for otherwise hopeless per- grass $1,000,000, but those in charge of formers; it was created to give the.boys in Uniform the best possible entertainment the funds estimate that by the time tho available. "Claudia" Toter Starts Well show ends Its run it will have enriched And the quality of the entertainment, rather than membership in a union, NEW Aug. 22,-According to the fund to the tune of $3,000,000, in- should and must be the deciding factor. wax, cluding the film rights. word received by the John Golden office These kids had already proved by their record at the camp they played that here, the tour of the first company of Top weekly gross of the military pro- they can provide entertainment that the boys very definitely like. It's possible duction was $48,383, which was rolled Claudia, starting in San Francisco, is that other similar groups are around-which Is a disheartening thought in view set to clean up. opened to $2,256, up last week. It has been averaging al- complaints coming from the camps regarding the quality of DSO It most that every week since it opened. of occasional with the first week pegged at around Intake the first week totaled approxi- shows. 18G. San Francisco stay will last four weeks, mately 4190,000 (half of which was sub- a mimeographed communique from Messrs. Sam- :scribed by the opening-night audience), LAST week this corner received Company is the original, with Dorothy which was more than Yip Yip Yaphank, uel J. Friedman and Bill Doll, currently engaged in beating loud publicity McGuire, Prances Starr and . Donald Berlin's first soldier show during the drums in behalf of Michael Todd's Star and Garter at the Music Box. The dispatch Cook. It had been playing at the St. last war, under the same audiences. stated that August 26 is the 40th anniversary of Bobby Clark's debut as a paid per- James here but was replaced by the grossed during the entire run. (Sec FROM OUT FRONT on page 10) road company beaded by Phyllis 'Matter.

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