The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1942-03-06
seem mild by comparison.
Elderly Aunt Stems In


This isn't what I would call a
well-made play. It Is repetitious to
the point of occasional boredom, the
people at times seem to utter SIM
pletons and YOU want TO give them
an admonishing boot, and after 1t is
over you don't believe a word Of
1t, but 1t must be admitted that 1t
does make an impact on audiences.
A sufficiently uninhibited spectator
might be expected to rush upon the
stage at any Of several points and
administer thorough throttling to
the lovely Miss Anderson.
Douglas Proctor Is a highly Sue
cessful commercial artist with q fine
wife and young daughter. Into their
home they bring the wife's young
cousin, a "heart" case who has had
a tough time Of 1t with her drunkard
father, or so everybody thinks. In
no time at all the girl begins to turn
the family. topsy- turvey without any
Of them realizing that she Is re-
sponsible. The wife and husband
begin quareling, the daughter be-
gins to imagine she isn't well, the
husbands best model quits him, he
takes to drink and loses commits
sions, and the servants quit.
When the wife finally realizes
that the guest is at the bottom Of it
all, she tries to send her away, but
the husband sides against her until
he has his besotted outlook
changed when the girl reveals that
she Is simply making q play for him
SO she can take over lock, stock and
barrel. He then makes up with his
wife and the plan to send the girl
away the next morning, but she es-
capes from the house during the
night and runs to the village min
ister with q tale Of the artist at
tempting to attack her and Of wild
orgies in which he INDUCES with his
models. This brings on a tabloid re-
porter and photographer from the
city and there Is the deuce Of time
until the artist gets the upper hand
by conhscating the girls diary, in
which she has written all OF her
scheming thoughts.
1t still looks like she would win
out, however, when she RECEIVERS the
diary and destroys its discriminating
evidence and also snags the artists
worshipping younger brother as a
fiance. But there Is an elderly, de-
ternined aunt in the family who
would rather see the boy dead than
married to this psychopathic vixen.
I won't reveal the climax, but here's
a hint-remember that the girl has
a weak heart and Is allerglc to birds.
Plan IN" Doesn't Jell
Miss Anderson, whose stage de-
but this Is, plays the role Of the girl
to the hilt and gives considerable
promise OF developing into some
thing of an actress. Leon An1es, as
the artist, and Louise Campbell, as
his wife, are admirable. katherine
Emmett does nicely as the aunt, and
Pert Kelton Is conically effective as
a model. Others prominently con-
cerned are Walter Beck, William
Prince, Richard Barbee, Helen Stew
art, Frieda Altman and Hildred
Price. Reginald Denham, an ex-
pert when it comes to the polite
type Of horror drama, is the direc-
tor.
DIRECTLY as to Plan M" a melo-
ID drama by James Edward Grant
Of Hollywood, which was produced
by Aldrich and Myers, and did not
tarry long. The plot concerns the
substitution Of a German Nazt for
a high British official and the sub
sequent doctoring Of Britain's plan
OF defense against an invasion 50 as
to make defense ineffective. Sounds
good, but this version didn't JeD
sufficiently to make 1t good theater.