The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-06-05

BWeT 70 the prayers OI nlS aQmlrerS.
 What many had hoped would be Q flllip to the last days of a lack luster season proves to be another disappointment by this talented irish dramatist.
 'The Strings" to hold the title down to one breath, is another drama about the courage of the people of the British Isles under the German aerial blitz, following in the footsteps of "The Wookey" and "Heart of a City" And while those two had numerous faults and were written by people who do not pos- sess Carroll,s talent. I must admit that they were more effective dra- mas and possessed of no more cheap heroics than are to be found In "The Strings"
 The Poor Are Courageous
 The locale is steel town on the Clyde river, Scotland and the time the spring of 194l, when that sec- tion wah being plastered nightly with vicious effect by the Luftwaffe. The principal character is Canon Courtenay and the scenes are laid in the refuge room of the presby- tery of his church and in the crypt beneath the church. The Canon is an elderly man of great kindness, who relisheS his whisky and draws no religious line against those he helps. He labor with the rescue workers among the injured and slain, She while giving sfine morale support to all those who flock to his church for safety during the raids.
 Carroll really has little story to tell, beyond the broad sketching of the courage of the poor people.
 Hampden Has Lead
 Among his characters are the town Communist; an upright young councilman and his beloved, who, in the stress of the war, has become pregnant by another man; big hearted harlot who achieves measure of regeneration before bomb kills her; a young pacifist and social rebel, remarkably played by the able Philip Bourneuf, and a crooked councillor who has been lining his pockets and harming the people of the town by diverting foodstuffs and dealing in the "black market"
 In all this there is at the same time too much and too little. Car- roll never lets you get close enough to any of the half dozen problems he poses to permit your interest to fasten on them as 1t should. In short, it is not a tight little, right little story and the excellent work of such players as Walter Hamp- den (the Canon) Colin Keith Johnston, Constance Bowling, Joan Hayden Shepard. Margaret Gra- hame, Ruth Gordon, Art Smith, Tom Fully and Frances Bavier can- not overcome this handicap.
  "A SOMEWHAT more pleasant A event is the production of "Un- cie Harry" in which Joseph SchiId- kraut and Eva Le Gallienne, acting associates of years ago, are reunited to fine advantage in this polite psy- chological thriller by Thomas Job.
 Tits chief trouble seemed to be an unduly slow pace, which may have been corrected by now. NothWith- standing, it holds the interest and is worthy of visit from those who like this type Of entertainment,
 As ig customary in reviewing such EsAys, nuf ipug1i Of the plot nfil be given away here, However, 1t does deal with a man living with his two sisters, who commits the perfect crime" in doing away with one of them in such manner that the other is blamed for the murder, Ee has resented their interference | with a love affair of his,
 Capably supporting the stars are l Beverly Roberts, Adelaide Klein, l LeOpa Roberts, 4, ?. Kaye, Ralph | Theodore. Guy sampsel and Ste phen Chase,
 Produced by Clifford Haymap