The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-10-02

Jamie" is the name of the comedy, which was written by Josephine Bentham and Herschel williams and produced by Brock Pemberton. It Is far from a dis tinguashed work and, whether those concerned like it or not, must face comparison with last seasons Junior Miss" which was and is a much superior comedy. Those who ere not too exacting and who find humor in the antics of adolescents WiH be able to overlook the too ob- vious plot manipulations and enjoy Themselves to an at least moderate degree. It has its share of laughs, 70 maybe it is carping to dwell upon at frailties.
 "Janie' is the 16-year-old daugh- ter of small city newspaper pub fisher whose chief aim in life is to exact a new printing press from nriorities minded government. There is a big Army camp at the edge of the city and the choleric publisher has editorialized against parents permitting their teen-age daughters to keep company with the soldiers. Janie's beau is a fel- low high school student but a rival seoon appears in the person of the soldier son of a fancy-free woman who was maid of honor at the wedding of Janie,s parents and who tags along with her son wherever he goes, much to his annoyance. Jamie and her boy friend split up over the soldier. Jamie and her girl friends give what they think is to be a small party for a few soldiers during the absence of her parents and when about 200 members of khe Army charge in unbidden the fat is in the fire. However, out of the mess comes all-around recon ciIiations and new printing press for father. You'll have to discover for yourself that one of the chief forces in achieving happy ending as Janie's seven-year-old brat sister, @lsheth, played to the hilt by Clare Foley.
 A Broadway freshman, Gwen Anderson, does all right with the role of Jamie and another new conner. Frank Amy, is happy flEd ag her beau. Others in the large cast include Linda Watkins, How ard st. John, Betty Breckenridge, Margaret Wallace, Blaine Fillmore, Kenneth Tobey, Maurice Marsoc and Nancy Cusnman.
 rTsHE MORNING STAR" Is the
 A title of Williams latest play snd the fourth drama we have had fn the last two seasons about Lon don during the all-out German Eff raids. It is neither the least, ndr the best of these-an alto sskher tlnimpressive lot. Maybe the inc play about England in this war win have to wait until after it is over. just as Journeys End" did not come along until decade after world War I.
 Ik seems to me that Williams whose excellent, 'The Corn Is fsfeen1 still is making money on ffse road with Ethel Barrymore fer two seasons. has failed most zz.Is time in making his characters .seople you can care about. I had 4ot the slightest stirrings at any fime for any of the lot. An actor sifaseif, williams is prone to hoke Slnas ID bit in all of his plays, z.se Ae seems to do so more in this s.sE than in his others. There Is
 sesy. syrupy-voiced tart such as
 meflean playwrights must have
 sensed with eight or ten years
 2o she Is really too. too much for SI,Fthing but the rowdlest and safrk far~fetehed farce and she not s1IF seems unbelievable herself, but snakes the leading man, serious. Ainded physician, seem unbeliey-
 hIs also by reason of the fact that He ia supposed to be infatuated #iih her. 1 don't say it can't hap- etn. but I do say that on the stage
 sS result Is silly.
 AAVway, the plot concerns the
 '|1rls of the aforementioned young
 MOE fo resolve his marital and
 6IfAslenai troubles during the
 |E which Wfecks part of his
 .lhegs home but doesn't force