One of the most surprised young men on Broadway is Sidney Kingsley, whose play, “Men in White” (Broadhurst), has blossomed out as one of the big hits of the theatrical season. It is slated for a run that should take the piece well into the Spring.
Three months ago this young man (he is only 27 years old) was just another one of the bright boys on the well-illuminated boulevard, waiting for a break. He certainly got it. Now he finds himself famous. Not only is his play drawing theatre-goers but a moving picture company is negotiating for the picture rights, Covici, Friede are issuing the script in book form, lecture agents are after Kingsley for speaking engagements and rival producers are angling for his next work.
A soft-spoken, little fellow, he feels slightly bewildered by all the attention. A few years ago he was a student at Cornell University with a burning ambition to be a playwright. Some of his things were produced by the college dramatic club but “Men in White” is his first professional venture.
“Men in White” is fine “theatre.” Dramatic and moving, it gives the medical profession its first kind words in years. Kingsley is not a physician. He gathered the technical material in his play by sheer perseverance. When he was in Hollywood writing it, he came very close to being a pest because of his habit of cross-examining everyone he met about the practice of medicine. Kingsley believes in what he has done and for that reason the play has a sincerity that is apparent. It is rather soon to make nominations for the Pulitzer Prize but it would surprise no one if “Men in White” received it.
MOLLY PICON
Miss Molly Picon, who is equally at home on the Yiddish and American stage and who has done vaudeville tours for R.K.O., will be seen in a new role when “Birdie”, a musical play in English, opens on Broadway sometime in December. The vehicle was adapted by Kenneth Webb. Abe Alstein has composed the musical score and Molly herself has written all the lyrics. Jacob Kalisch, who in private life, in fact even in public life, is Miss Picon’s husband, will be the producer.
A PLAY ON THE NAZIS
Nazi Germany makes fine copy but as yet there has not been a successful play, book or picture produced on the subject; however, there does seem to be a play in the offing that looks as though it had a chance. Tuesday at the 49th Street Theatre “Birthright” by Richard Maibaum, will have its premier. The cast will include, among others, Sylvia Field, Montague Love and Louis Lowton. Irving Barrett and Robert Rossen are the producers.
THE WEEK’S PICTURE
The movie of the week is “Eskimo”, Metro’s great epic of the North. It is now showing at the Astor and you can’t afford to miss it. The company claims that the players in the cast, with a few exceptions, were found among the Eskimos who lived on “location.” The story was adapted from two novels, “Eskimo” and “The Sea Tyrant”, both by Peter Freuchen, who appears in the picture. This six-foot-four bearded giant, who has lived in the Arctic for years, was in town last week. An amusing fellow with a zest for life, he was ranting about the Nazi movement. He said, “Of course you know that I am a Jew.” I knew no such thing and his wife, who was present, remarked, “Peter, I’ve known you twelve years and in all that time I have never heard you mention anything about religion but in the last four months you have been insisting you are a Jew.”
HECHT ON COWARD
Another picture which sounds promising is “Design for Living”, which will open at the Criterion Theatre next Wednesday. If you have seen Noel Coward’s play you must go to the picture because Ben Hecht did the adaptation and didn’t use one single line that was spoken in the play.
MARTHA GRAHAM’S GROUP
Looks like the dance is in for a big season. With the Jooss Ballets still doing business we can be prepared for a whole series of dance programs during the winter. Tonight at the Theatre Guild, Martha Graham’s not unknown dance group will give a recital. Eleven of the sixteen members of the company are Jewish girls. One of them, Lillian Shapero, is not only an able dancer but directed the dances used by Maurice Schwartz in Yoshe Kalb. Although Miss Graham is not herself Jewish she prefers Jewish girls in her group because she finds that they are willing to work hard, practice diligently and are intelligent interpreters of the work before them. Among the girls in the company are Gertrude Shurr, Anna Sokolov, Lillian Ray, Sophie Maslov, Lilly Mehlman, Ethel Butler, Pauline Nelson, Mattie Haim, Syd Brenner and Mary Radin.
MONTE CARLO BALLET
Still more dance news. . . . Next month, the Monte Carlo Ballet Russe will arrive in New York for a four-week stay at the St. James Theatre, commencing on December 22. This is the first time in seventeen years that New Yorkers will have a season of the Russian ballet. This particular group is a famous one. The nucleus was formed from former members of the Diaghilev Ballet Russe. The Monte Carlo Ballet was organized three years ago at Monte Carlo under the patronage of the Prince and Princess of Monaco, to carry on the art of Diaghilev, who died in 1929. A repertoire of twelve ballets has been arranged and a full symphony orchestra will supply the music. There will be no fewer than 53 dancers in the company.
ALTERNATING MUSICALS
Having definitely established Peretz Hirshbein’s “Once Upon a Time”, Yiddish folk musical co-starring Samuel Goldenburg and Joseph Buloff, as the week-end attraction at the Second Avenue Theatre, Michael Saks has decided to alternate that play with an entirely different type of musical by Alexander Olshanetzky, called “Three in Love.” While the former is to be presented on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the latter offering will make up the bill during the balance of the week.
“THE ROAD TO HAPPINESS”
“The Road to Happiness”, a new Yiddish melodrama by Simon Wolf, in which Celia Person and William Schwartz are co-starred, had its premiere at the Brooklyn Lyric Theatre Friday evening. The play will serve as the week-end attraction at that Jewish playhouse. The cast of principals in the new drama will include William Ziegenlaub, Sarah Filler, Leon Seidenberg, Paula Klida, Ben Gailing, Anna Zieman and David Levenson.
TESTIMONIAL REVIVAL
Leon Blank, Yiddish stage veteran, now being starred with Aaron Lebedeff in “A Jewish Romance”, current musical at the Brooklyn Rolland Theatre, will be seen there in a revival of “The Watchman”, one of his early dramatic hits, which is to be offered for the first time in ten years next Thursday evening, as a testimonial to the actor in celebration of his fiftieth anniversary before the footlights.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
