The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-05-19


 derstudy roles.
 "A Highland Fling" is exactly what the title would seem to indi- cate, Q Scottish play, It is a fam tasy somewhat m the Sir James Barrie manner and has to do with a ghost, an angel and daft girl, I liked so much of 1t that 1t seems Q shame to carp, but 1t is fact that the play is burdened with subplot about the Scone Stone legendary slab on which ancient Scottish kings were crowned - much to its detriment. This sub plot could so easily have been tossed out of Producer George Ab- botts office window and probably the only reason he didn't do it is because he is 8 humane man and 1t might have hit some Fifth Ave, pedestrian on the head.
 Anyway, Miss Curtis wrote her. self . nice part and does well with theh playing of it. She has the role of daft Scottish girl living near e castle where dwell the young Laird and ghost ancestor of his who died 150 years ago. The req son the old Laird is still a ghost and not an angel in Heaven is be- cause he died full of such sins as gambling. liquor and woman-chas- ing. The ghost finds his shade life fairly interesting because the daft ie is in love with him. It seems that in Scotland only the slightly touched and children can see and converse with ghosts. The ghosts angel wife finally persuades him that Heaven is pretty attractive place and he consents to under take the task that will enable him to get his wingst-he regeneration of some man who is as much of a sinner as he was. He proceeds to go to work on the village rounder and the latter in order to be rid of the haunt pretends to reform. Knowing that the ghost is Heaven bound at last the girl snaps out of her mental quirks and into the arms of young Laird. But the ghost doesn't quite get to Heaven and comes dashing back to reclaim the girl only to find that it is too late. So eventually he goes protestingly carried hither right up into the flies in the arms of his angel wife.
 The ghost role is played some what sedately by Ralph Forbes. and Frances Reid is a most fetch- ing angel. John Ireland is able as the young Laird, mad among the others are St. Clair Bayfield,, Karl Swkanson, Patti Brady and Gloria Hallward.
 THE juvenile delinquency problem is treated in "Plck-Up Girl" by Elsa Shellel. She also is an actress. but doesn't appear in this play. It is an earnest but not inspired work and there is no subtlety whatever in the treatment of this important and interesting subject.
 The whole action is continuous and the scene is a juvenile court where the principal case involves a l5-year-old girl who first went wrong withga sailor and then was caught with a middle-aged man. There is 8 young violin student who is in love with her and the ending gives some promise of a better future for them. although the girl is sent away to home for rehabilitation because her own home is not a proper place for her to be. There is the usual indict- ment of her parents and society in general, but Miss Shelley does not seem to have any ideas about what should be done. Of course, 1t is not necessary that she present any Ideas or remedying the situ- ation, but when the play isn't a tight, tense affair that justifies it- self simply as able melodramatic entertainment, you begin to think along such extraneou lines.
 The play employ able William HaETignn as an understanding juy- emile court judge; Doro Merande; Kathryn Grill: Pamela Rivers, a Chicago girl who made her Broad