Evening star., 1934-07-22

A certain "ineffable" quality in
Clifton Webbs playing, kind of
witty nonchalance. q slightly die
away finesse. will be missed in the
work of those who take his place in
las Thousands Cheer" Yet Jerome
Cowan, who handles most of Mr..
Webb's turns--he does Gandhi, John
Rockefeller, sr.; Douglas Fairbanks,
ir.; Noel Coward and other bits--iS
clever, and he catches quite enough
of his predecessors manner to pass
with the average spectator. 1t isn't
every day that you can find an artist
so versatile as Mr.. Webb. who can
both sing and dance and do real act
ing when the latter is called for. But
by dividing up his various tasks.
giving the singing to one, the dancing
to another and the satirical limitations
to Mr.. Cowan. the net effect is sur
prisingly successful.
Miss Miller is, Of course, finished
and delightful musical comedy star.
But little Miss Stone Is also finished
and delightful. and every now and
then-as in her brief imitation OF
Lynn Fontanne, for instance, in the
sketch spoofing Noel Coward-She re-
veals satirical gifts hitherto scarcely
suspected. In fact, without being un-
gracious TO her more experienced pred
ecessor, it may be said that Miss
Stone seems a perfectly satisfactory
permanent member of the cast.
One evening last week Helen Brod-
erick was indispoSed and Miss Mar
guerite Irving took her part, SO that
three of the original cast were missing.
1t speaks we'll for the sound stun OF
which LAS Thousands Cheer" is made
that even this change seemed to make
no serious difference in the general
evenings entertainment.
THE County Theater, at Sufern,
N. Y, is one Of the barn theaters
which make use of practical barn.
The country gentleman who has
amused himself by turning it into
playhouse with social-center attach
ments, including quarters for the dis
play and possible sale of neighborhood
arts and crafts, has put the audtto-
rum itself in the hayloft and kept the
cow-barn dining room almost intact,
so that you can have the double
pleasure of watching the actors in
mufti consuming food while survey
ing the erstwhile COW stanchions, now
painted a spotless white.
A new play, Round Trip" by Blair
Hall. recently acted there by pro-
fessional cast, including Gavin Muir
and Ann Davis, is one of the few
barn circuit entertainments we have
been able to see as yet. 1t was well
played, and started, Interestingly
enough, with everybody awaiting,
with varying degrees Of sympathy,
foreboding and concern, the return of
the young husband from brief but
naturally upsetting stay In the peni-
tentiary. Bill Haines was more or
less the victim apparently of the
boom m-depression period, and what
would happen to him, his loyal wife,
and how he might pick up broken
threads again in Wall Street and with
the circle of country-house friends
and acquaintances in their Mount
Kisco neighborhood seemed timely
and promising as the basis of a play.
~ -.,-s.,..,
D A. E. THOMAS, author bf the
IN much-liked mo More Ladies"
and many other plays, feels that
something remains to be said on the
subject of the recent Pulitzer Prize
award and amiably volunteers to say
it, After mentioning the special quail
ifications of the jury, Messrs. Ham,
ilton, Eaton and Strong, he asks:
uXMhat honnanro ITHACA thrna hnicr