Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-02-21
One Foot
In Aisle
Lunt and I.
FOntdnIle
by Arthur
Bugs Baer

ktNNN e.
Which Is lust about the plot
a. "The Pirate az The Martin
Beck ThCatcr in Nejp York.
THE titles Of the Lnt-Fon'
tame plays mean no more than
NO Smoking signs in cigar stores.
IL you saw them I'm the
Tanning of the Shrew" and
"The GuardSman" then you saw
them in The Pirate"
THEY don't read script any
more. Lunt just takes quick
shave and Fontanne immobilizes
her profile.
THE PIRATE" is a fantasy
tcith relapSeS. Wen. that is a
sign OF plenty. The more lCdsh
on a line the more It says.
THE only business in which
there is one thousand per cent
profit is stealing milk bottles out
OF baby carriages.
AND you have the sensation
that is just what Lunt and Fon-
tame are doing.
THEY accepted The Pirate"
merely 10 amuse themselves. For
them the audience does not
exist. That's true Of lot OF
actors.
LUNT and Fontanne do not
chelo scenery. But they sure
make a nice meal on dialogue.
AS FOR the plot2 Well. we
are going 10 tell IL to you. At
your next party. break open a
bonbon, read the motto and that
will be the general idea.
FONTANNE plays Manuela
the wife of Pedro Vargas a very
important man in the West In
dies. She finds life as dull as
yellow teeth.
SO SHE seeks escape in read
ms about the career OF the fabu-
ious. swashbuckling pirate Estra-
mudo who once drowned nine OF
the SHitan,s wives in a sack.
should say that once Is enough.
SHE isn't hep but EStramudo
Is none other than her tNsSv. fat,
husband Pedro. It's like a mu0g
being nominated on both the
Tdmmdny and the reform
tickets.
ALONG comes Serafin a stroll
ling baritone played by Lunt at
the USUAL speed for strotling
baritones within city limits and
In hospital zones.
AND right here i want 10 20
on record. The tights are on
Lunt when they would look bet
ter on Fontanne.
y 1 THINK they should toss a
coin between acts 10 see who
wears EN- next.
WELL, tDhen Serdtin secs
MdHueld he goes TOR her like a
farmer for machinery cdtd-
Iogue.
PEDRO tries TO give the stroll
Ing baritone hot foot but Sera-
fin recognizes him as Estramudo.
That puts the hot foot on the
other shoe.
SERAFIN had captured Estra-
mudo in the old days. So Estra-
mudo pleads with Serafin not TO
expose him i'm the Broadway
columns and Serafin relents.
PEDRO. nee Estramudo. gives
Serafin permission 10 stage his
carnival in the town square.
But after that one show there is
10 be a buns rush with Serafin
the leader OF the grand march.
WHEN Seratin DISCOVERS that
EmdHueld Is infatuated Nth
the gldmorouS EStrdmudo.
man she thinks she neuer Sdn.
SerdtiH realizes he tUouId be a
sucker TO Squeal on Pedro Var
gas.
INSTEAD. ne gets Manuela
and bends her ear with the
startling information that he,
himself. is Estramudo.
THERE is nothing that Pedro
Vargas can do about that and he
does II very well.
BUT he rats on Serafin and
informs the Viceroy that the
terrible pirate Estramudo is in
town as big as mumps and As
sassy as drunken parrot
EVERYTHING is Straiohten-
ed out Ike a Stdrched Sbirttatl
and lore triumphS over all.
That's the defense factory
m ottt. nv SweethedrtS are
Dedrtng oUerdHS too.
THAT'S the plot. The movies
have bought IL for some reason,
. even though the copyright eX-
pired In 1914.
IL YOU are a Lunt and Fon-
tame fan then this show is right
up your alley like footprints in
wet weather.
THE only criticism I have 20
make Of an enjoyable evening is
Lunt's gandering about the
stage. He oyerdoes the itinerary
OF strolling baritone.
He icdits IN conceutric cir
cleS. PAGES on the diagonal and
clips Dutch Corners.