Evening star., 1945-11-17

him in the hero's role, in fact-was
regarded in odd corners as the sort
which might arouse just such an
angry reaction on the part of the
English. To moviegoers who were
not up to date on their current
military history, the film could only
create the impression that Flynn,
single had driven the JapS
out of Burma. Or, If not quite
single with the help of
few other Americans. Certainly, the
British were nowhere around on
the premises of objective Burma"
X y X
Burma Victory, which Warmers
now have agreed to distribute, will
tell the story which perfectly rebuts
the one told in objective Burma"
1t is straight documentary pro-
duced by 1t. Col. David Macdonald,
whose first fame as war picture
maker came in the release of the
brilliant Desert Victory" That
still stands as one of the high points
in the cinema's war journalism
achievements.
Burma Victory" deals with the
dramatic experience of one of the
wars forgotten armies, the British
18th. For four and one-half years
it fought not only for a chance to
meet and annihilate the Japs, but
heat, thirst, monsoons, the jungle
and its manifold diseases.
1t is the factual answer to the
fiction of Flynn and that Warner
Bros. will distribute it makes every
thing just fine between the studio
and the British Empire.
Pax, it's wonderful And scarce.
Happiest playwrights in New York
today are Russell Grouse and How
ard Lindsay, authors of State of
the Union" When they left Wash
ington with the production, they
had every reason but one to believe
they had sensational hit on their
hands. That one reason was the
unbridled enthusiasm for the COM
edy during its prior-to-New York
bookings in Philadelphia, Pitts
burgh, Detroit and Washington. In
the past that sort of thing has
brought plays into New York in a
condition known in the trade as
''oversold."
State of the Union" however,
turned out to be an exception. The
reviews were superb" in the word
of our informant, who normally uses
superlatives with discretion.
, They are backed up by a 16-week
seat sale, than which no better
backing is to be had.
X
The Children'S Theater does won-
derfully with its existing repertory,
as both parents and children we'll
know, but it finds occasion to
broaden its program. 1t will do that
with its presentation at the National
next week of Lady Gregory's Golden
Apple, which will be offered for the
first time to a children's audience.
1t is the feeling of the sponsors
Of the theater that The Golden Ap-
pie" will be the best of its produc-
tlonS for the year, which shows what
it thinks of Lady Gregory, who rates
that kind of thinking, of course.
November "a is the date of the
performance.
X
Now that it has The Rugged
Path launched and doing capacity
business on Broadway, according to
Varietyis invariably reliable book
keepers, the Playwrights' Company
is preparing its second project of
the season. That is Elmer Rice's
new comedy, Dream Girl" whose
heroine is a young girl romantically
and otherwise involved in the world
of business.
Star of the production will be
Betty Field, in private life the wife
of the playwright.
Dream Girl" which will be di-
rected by Rice, will open in New
Haven, play brief stand in Boston
and 60 thence direct to New York.