Theatre & Cinema

The First Yiddish play to be Anglicized for Broadway presentation in more than a decade will have its initial curtain raising next Thursday night when Daniel Frohman, after a recess of twenty years as a producer, will present an English version of “Yoshe Kalb” on the stage of the National Theatre.

“Yoshe Kalb” made its bid for fame as a novel by I. J. Singer. Maurice Schwartz, however, saw it as a possible smash hit for the stage. He didn’t waste any time, and after arranging for the dramatic rights went to work and in three weeks completed a dramatization. He not only produced the play at his own Yiddish Art Theatre but played the lead himself. Its success was instantaneous and much to Schwartz’s amazement attracted not only Yiddish play-goers but non-Jews as well, who, although they did not understand the Yiddish idiom, or for that matter the language at all, left the theatre enthralled by both an electrifying play and performance.

It soon became the fashion to say that you had seen “Yoshe Kalb.” One night Daniel Frohman, veteran theatrical impresario, was prevailed upon to go down and see it. He was so enthralled by the performance that the very next day he sat down and wrote a letter to Maurice Schwartz in which he said, among other things, that “it ranks in importance and significance with the Passion Play of Oberammergau, with the advantage that the structural basis of ‘Yoshe Kalb’ is not one of religion only, but of broad human interest, that appeals to all classes of people and to all religious adherents.”

Although pleased with the adulations of non-Jews, Mr. Schwartz did not dream of an English version until the play was brought to Chicago months later. Among those who witnessed a performance was Fritz Blocki, Chicago dramatic critic. A non-Jew, he too was enraptured by the play and asked for an opportunity to translate it into English. Mr. Schwartz was more than willing and together they labored for weeks, the one translating and the other dramatizing the play for the American stage.

A stray rumor or so seeped into Broadway to the effect that Schwartz and Blocki were working on the English version of “Yoshe Kalb” and already had backing for the New York production. The gossip was only partly true and slightly premature since Schwartz had not as yet made any definite plans. In fact it was all in a nebulous state until a telegram reached Schwartz from Daniel Frohman. It was short but very much to the point. “Understand you have adapted ‘Yoshe Kalb’ in English. May I have the honor to produce it?” was the message. Schwartz accepted with alacrity and the work of bringing “Yoshe Kalb” to Broadway has been under way ever since.

AMONG THE SHOWS

“All Good Americans”, a comedy at the Henry Miller with as many laughs as a good issue of The New Yorker. Hope Williams and Fred Keating do the wise-cracking, easily and convincingly. It is about a group of American expatriates in Paris. Plot—practically none; Dialogue—superb; Situations—clever; Characters—perfect. This is one for your son or daughter in from school for the holidays.

“Her Master’s Voice”, at the Plymouth with Roland Young and Laura Hope in which Max Gordon sets forth a full evening’s entertainment. The old triangle with a new twict. This time it is the rich aunt, her aspiring singing niece and the latter’s very good-looking husband whom the aunt unwittingly hires as her house-man. A bed-room scene or two. For all aunts and uncles who can still smile.

“Jezebel”, the long-delayed Gwen Davis play which Guthrie McClintic presents at the Ethel Barrymore. Miriam Hopkins plays the lead and does a good job, but the play creaks. The plot is too melodramatic, the dialogue stilted and the situations impossible. A vamp in Louisiana in the eighteen-fifties proves very upsetting to life under the magnolias.

“Tobacco Road” at the Masque, taken from Erskine Caldwell’s novel of the same title. The most unpleasant and disagreeable play of the season. None of Caldwell’s humor is apparent. Not recommended.

PEACE ON EARTH DOING BUSINESS

It seems as though “Peace on Earth”, the play that makes militarists squirm and pacifists gleeful, is overcoming the indifferent notices received from the critics. From the Fourteenth Street Theatre comes word that the “S.R.O.” sign is being polished up and will flash proudly in front of the box-office any night now.

IS THERE A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE?

Those arrogant ladies and gents who stand behind the grill of a theatre’s ticket window are not surprised when a slightly worried, usually puffing and mustached gentleman rushes up to the window, pushes a card under the grating, whispers his seat-location and flits off into the interior of the auditorium. The worried man, as you should guess, is a physician. Somewhere a patient of his is in an uncertain state and the doctor must be ready to be summoned at any time. The fantastic number of such cards pushed towards the treasurer of the Broadhurst is some index of the kind of audience being attracted to Sidney Kingsley’s play, “Men In White”, now enjoying a successful run at that house. This play, which has so many kind words for the medical profession, is the doctor’s haven and they have been supporting it nobly. The treasurer reports that many of the cards left behind at the window are responsible for a good number of these physicians being called away before the finish of the show. These reluctantly-leaving “medics” never do know how the play ends. Covici, Friede, the publishers, timidly suggest that these doctors can now buy the printed version of “Men In White” at the nearest bookstore.

CINEMA FARE HEAVY AND VARIED

“Alice in Wonderland”, Lewis Carroll’s immortal classic, is fare for the movie fans. Paramount has made this children’s story, which adults have taken up as their own, into a picture. Friday it opened at the Paramount Theatre and is expected to run on indefinitely. There are so many reasons for seeing it that it is futile either to warn or advise you about going. If you are a Carroll fan you certainly will want to see whether Paramount has done what you have imagined they should have done and if you’re not, you’ll have to take the kids who will like it without knowing what it is all about. Alice is played by 17-year-old Charlotte Henry of Brooklyn. She was picked as the result of a contest in which some 7,000 potential Alices nominated themselves for the part. She is a newcomer to pictures, having played but a few unimportant roles.

America’s Sweetheart, you remember, Mary Pickford, is back on Broadway but not in a picture. She is appearing at the Paramount as part of the stage show and does a skit with a supporting cast.

Another picture a little out of the ordinary is Eddie Cantor in “Roman Scandals” which opened at the Rivoli yesterday. It is a typical Cantor production with plenty of music, dancing, action and comedy. Cantor does the part of a young man in West Rome, Oklahoma, whose imagination carries him back to the aid of beauty in distress in the Rome of the Caesars. It is as promising as it sounds.

RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL

The Radio City Music Hall is showing an elaborate musical picture this week called “Flving Down to Rio” with Dolores Del Rio playing the feature role. The star of the production is Fred Astaire whose dancing is just as breath-taking as it ever was. Practically no plot but grand entertainment with plenty of tuneful tunes.

“Queen Christina” is the title of Greta Garbo’s new picture which will open at the Astor next Wednesday evening. It is based on an original story by Salka Viertel. You probably know that there was in the seventeenth century a Queen Christina of Sweden who has since become meat for the psychiatrists because of her obvious and intense dislike of all members of the male sex. We are told that Garbo’s “Christina” has very little in common with her unhappy namesake.