Theatre

There Were people who actually believed that the depression would turn men’s minds to non-material and cultural interests, what are generally termed “the better things of life” Joseph Wood Krutch, writing in this week’s Nation expresses the feeling that that has not happened, to judge by the theatre. He says: “Prosperity is supposed to debase one’s taste and hardship is supposed to elevate it, but the spiritual a wakening supposed to follow the depression is so far no more evident in the theater than the spiritual awakening supposed to follow the war ever was.” He feels that this year some of the best of the new plays failed dismally for lack of the support of the public and those plays that succeeded were competently mediocre.

As far as we have been able to ascertain there is not a new play scheduled for Broadway this week. All the theatrical activity seems to be centered in the various summer playhouses throughout the country…. The Chicago Opera Company, which opened its New York engagement at the Hippodrome last night with “Aida”, under the direction of Mr. Salmaggi, will broadcast the complete operas twice a week.

Shortly after the completion of Fox Films “Berkeley Square”, in which he is currently appearing, Leslie Howard (he was the star of the stage version) will walk out of Hollywood, England-bound, and nothing will stop him. The actor’s determination to leave for home within the next four weeks is being maintained despite the scores of tempting offers that continue to pour in on him… “The Devil’s In Love”, with Loretta Young, Victor Jory, Herbert Mundin and Harvey Stephens, was placed in production at the Fox studios last week…. “The Good Companions”, the film adaptation of the novel by J. B. Priestley starring Jessie Matthews and directed by Victor Saville, a Gaumont-British production, will be released in America this summer by the Fox Films Corporation.

Ed Wynn will leave New York for the Coast the first week in July and production will start on his first Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer picture not later than July 15. No interruption of the comedian’s current broadcasts will be necessitated by the coast journey, for it is planned to continue regular air sessions from California. This will be Wynn’s first trip to Hollywood to make a motion picture inasmuch as his two earlier films were both made in Eastern studios. Arthur Caesar is now at work on the script of the picture, which will be directed by Charles Riesner….. After the first Coast showing of “When Ladies Meet”, an adaptation of the Rachel Crothers stage play in which Alice Brady has a leading role, Miss Brady was at once signed up to a new long-term contract by MGM. “Turn Back the Clock” is announced as the title of the screen story on which Edgar Selwyn and Ben Hecht have been collaborating and which is now being made ready for production at the MGM studio. Selwyn, whose productions include “The Sin of Madelon Claudet”, “Skyscraper Souls” and “Men Must Fight”, will direct the new film himself.

Samuel Goldwyn has succeeded in signing contracts with the estate of Emile Zola, French novelist, by which he secures the last outstanding European rights to “Nana”, thus making possible the immediate picturization of Zola’s great work with Anna Sten in the role of the famous courtesan, it was announced. Mr. Goldwyn also announces that he has signed William Anthony Maguire to adapt to the screen “Roman Scandals”, the original story by George S. Kaufman and Robert E. Sherwood for Eddie Cantor. This is a story based on George Bernard Shaw’s “Androcles and the Lion”.

Warner Brothers will release five feature pictures during this month. Among them are the “Life of Jimmy Dolan”, starring Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., which is scheduled to have its Broadway premiere soon at the Rialto Theatre, Loretta Young plays the leading feminine role…. Norman Foster has been signed by Radio Pictures for the leading male role opposite Ginger Rogers in “Rafter Romance”, in which Miss Rogers will be starred ….Joe E. Brown’s next picture for First National will deal with life in the United States Navy. No title has been selected as yet.

With the signing of Lionel Atwill and Lillian Bond for important roles, a complete cast of William Hurlbut’s mystery story, “The Secret of the Blue Room”, was announced this week by Universal. The cast includes Paul Lukas, Gloria Stuart, and William Janney….Vicki Baum’s latest story, “I Loved a Man”, was purchased by Universal and will be placed in production just as soon as a director and a cast can be chosen. It is to be released some time next season…..Because of the tremendous popularity he has enjoyed throughout the country as the star of the screen musical, “Be Mine Tonight”, Jan Kiepura, young opera star, has been placed under a long-term contract to star in pictures for Universal…..”I Cover the Waterfront” continues in its third week at the Rivoli Theatre.

THE JEWS AND THE CHURCH

Dr. Cyrus Adler, president of Dropsie College, announces the publication of an interesting and important work, entitled “The Church and the Jews in the Thirteenth Century,” by Dr. Solomon Grayzel.

While the book aims to give no more than a picture of the relations between the Roman Church and the Jews of Europe between the years 1198 and 1254, it must, of necessity, go into the origin and development of many aspects of the Jewish status in Christian society before and after those years. The thirteenth century was one of the turning points in the history of the West, and with the various phases of that changing world as a background, the book points out how Jewish life also began to change.