Theatre

The Producers who are bringing plays to Broadway this week have apparently learned from their mothers, sisters, wives and girl friends, the trick of making last season’s wardrobe compete rather satisfactorily, at times, with “le dernier cri”. In fact, one producer has reached way back in his “closet” and found something that he thought might go rather well for a spring or summer night. Tomorrow night will see five plays brought back from the past. It will be a test for the producers. We are eager to see whether or not they can be as successful as some of their female relatives.

“June Moon,” the comedy by Ring Lardner and George S. Kaufman, which reveals the workings of Tin Pan Alley, will be brought to the Ambassador Theatre. In the cast will be Harry Rosenthal, Fred Irving Lewis, Ross Hertz, Emily Lowry, Edith Van Cleve, Thomas Gillen and possibly Lee Patrick. . . .”Of Thee I Sing”, last year’s Pulitzer Prize play, will return to the Imperial Theatre with the original cast, including William Gaxton, Lois Moran and Victor Moore . . . . Elmer Rice is bringing “Counselor-at-Law”, his drama success of last season, with Paul Muni in his original role, to the 46th Street Theatre . . . . “When Ladies Meet”, the Rachel Crothers comedy hit, opens at the Royale Theatre . . . . “It’s a Wise Child”, the oldtime David Belasco success, is to be revived at the Hudson Theatre.

The Friars Club will hold its annual Public Frolic at the New Amsterdam Theatre tonight. Lou Holtz, Jack Benny and Jay C. Flippen will be the chief performers, and Harry Rosenthal will arrange the music. A feature of the entertainment will be a sketch called “Memory Lane” with the following taking part: Irving Berlin, Lester Allen, Burns and Allen, Fanny Brice and Beatrice Lillie . . . . Michael Myer-berg will present “Candide”, based on the Voltaire masterpiece, at the Booth Theatre tomorrow night. A special orchestra score, written and arranged by Genevieve Pitot, dialogue by Ian Wolf, and a company of thirty, will be under the direction of Charles Weidman.

“The Fair Lady With Five Husbands”, the new comedy by William Fulmah, is to be presented for one evening only, by the Dramatist’s Workshop, at the 57th Street Playhouse, Tuesday night. The situation in the play arises from the variety of marriage and divorce laws in the United States . . . . The Players Club will present “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”, the historic dramatization of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel of slavery, on May 29. The theatre will be announced later. Otis Skinner will play Uncle Tom and Fay Bainter will be seen in the role of Topsy. The remainder of the company is in the process of casting.

The Fox Film Corporation announces the purchase of “Green Dice”, the Saturday Evening Post story by Anne Cameron, as a starring vehicle for Will Rogers. Mr. Rogers is now working on “The Last Adam”, based on the novel by James Gould Cozzens . . . . Carl Laemmle, president of Universal Pictures, has announced that D. F. Zeidman, well known Hollywood producer, will make two independent productions to be released as a unit of Universal’s 1933-34 program. His initial Universal feature will be titled “Undine”.

Jeanette MacDonald has been signed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for the singing role opposite Ramon Novarro in “The Cat and the Fiddle” to be screened from the current stage success. Miss MacDonald and Mr. Novarro are both in Europe filling concert engagements . . . . Robert Montgomery has been added to the cast of the South American drama, “Night Flight”, in which John and Lionel Barrymore, Helen Hayes, Clark Gable, Myrna Loy and other screen celebrities will also appear . . . . Jean Harlow is the first of the long list of stage and screen stars to appear in the “Hollywood Revue of 1933” to go into production during June at M-G-M, under the direction of Edmund Goulding. Mr. Goulding has written a special number for Miss Harlow, entitled “Dream of Hollywood” . . . .

Norman Taurog, director, Gene Fowler, writer and Benjamin Glazer, associate producer, are in New York conferring with Maurice Chevalier and Paramount executives on the French star’s forthcoming production, “The Way to Love” . . . . Marc Connelly, Broadway playwright of “Green Pastures” fame, has signed a contract to write for Paramount . . . . Columbia’s features now in production are “Cocktail Hour”, “Ann Carver’s Profession”, “Full Speed Ahead” and the “Fighting Ranger”.

BOOK OF JEWISH KNOWLEDGE

Jacob de Haas has completed his editorial work on “The Encyclopedia of Jewish Knowledge,” shortly to be published in one volume by Behrman’s Jewish Book House. This book will contain a compression of all Jewish knowledge and thought from earliest times until today as organized and simplified by fifty Jewish scholars and specialists who worked under the editorial direction of Mr. de Haas. This data has been compressed into 750 pages in which are treated subjects from archaeology to theology.