Evening star., 1942-11-10
for survival. They ride these cosmic

1or survival. They ride these cosmic
glaciers to live on.
Act 2 transports these characters
to Atlantic City, with salt water
taf1y emporiums and bingo parlors.
Mr.. Antrobus has been elected pres
ident OF the Order of Mammals and
presides at the annual frolic.
Sabina, the main wins the beauty
award, encouraged by swarthy for
tune teller, makes siren eyes at Mr..
Antrobus, only to have his radio
broadcast and their frivolity ended
by the great deluge.
Then comes the war. Before the
act really begins the stage manager
drafts some volunteers for actors
who are i'll. The Antrobuses turn
again to the task of rebuilding and
readjustment. Here the playwright
reverts to a serious message with
the hope that the Antrobuses who
have managed 5000 years Of happi-
ness and vissiscitude will push ahead
with advanced ideas. So he ends
his play with these words:
This Is where you came in. We
have to 60 on for ages and ages yet.
You 60 home. The end Of the play
isn't written yet. Mr.. and Mrs
Antrobus. Their heads are full of
plans and they're as confident as
the first day they began-they told
me to tell you: Good night"
In awarding the laurel for an un-
usual performance the first sprlg
goes to Tallulah Bankhead, for a
lively and capricious delineation of
the irreverent and outspoken Sa-
bina, who runs the gamut from the
scullery to daughter of the regiment.
Tallulah has been the sultry heavy
villaineSs so often that her talents
as a skilled farceur and happy-go-
lucky comedienne have been con-
cealed. The play is alert and alive
when she is about, and II it has low
gear interludes it Is when she is
missing
Fredric March and Florence FL
dredge are ideally cast as the Mr..
and Mrs. of all time. Their joys and
their spats are limned realistically,
as are their relations with problem
children. The Eldredge radio speech
is genuine satire, favored with
shafts of humor that fit todays
hurly-burly. The Antrobus roman
tic rebellion is one OF the plays
high lights and is a March Bank
head contact worth watching every
minute. Frances Hef1in plays the
gay and giddy Gladys, and plays her
with delightful wholesomeness. This
ingenue has a glorious voice, face
and figure that indicate Hollywood
destiny. Montgomery Cliff SYM
bolizes the soul Of tyrant and
natural belligerency befitting Nazis.
Florence Reed appears only as the
fortune teller of the second act, one
of the best written characters of the
script, played for every ounce of its
cynical Importance.
Even the orchestra for "Skin of
Our Teeth" goes classical "Hellza-
poppin," with a flrst-class imitation
of beer-stube brass band. There is
high nonsense through most Of the
three acts, but the thoughtful will
also find lines that are sound philos-
ophy, and worthy Of careful study
Toss your cares away and you can
enjoy an evening Of escape with
Thornton Wilder.
X X
Bette Davis on Newsreel.
Bette Davis becomes a newsreel
star when Warner Bros. release
their weekly issue Of current events.
She will be editor and commenta-
tor for Women at War;" special
events section of the reel. Also
planned to have 1000 photograph
ers throughout the country sending
their local shots on 16-mm. film
Those found suitable will be blown
up, used and paid for.
Spencer Tracy, in Baltimore, was
using his Washington influence yes
terday to get four seats for This
Is the Army" Wednesday night.
Military musical did 1903 900 in a
fortnight at Philadelphia, with the
net profit $178,129.
4 \ X \
| New Title Sought.
United States Navy officials had
preview peep at a new picture fea-
turing Charles Laughton as ad-
miral. Robert Taylor as captain and
Brian Donlevy. They gave the fea-
ture an enthusiastic salute, but
didn't like the title, Cargo of In
nocence." Accordingly, Metro-G Gold
Mayer is searching for new