The Wilmington morning star., 1947-04-06
J0LS0N CAREER
IS REJUVENATED
Hottest Boxoffice Posi-
bility Is 61-Year-Old
Singing Star
sy JACK O'BRIAN

NEW YORK, April 5.-F-The
'lottest boxoffice possibility r.
.ently decorating the theatrical
horizon is Al Jolson VINO will be
81 May 26.
So spectacular is the %rejuvena-
ton of already spectacular Jolson
career that dozens of Broadway
managers are drooling dollar signs
at the thought of presenting Al in
a series of concert appearances
such as that arranged by Arthur
Lesser for Maurice Chevalier.
Negotiations are now in progress,
with no papers signed by anyone
concerned at this writing, to have
the venerable but vocally and ply
sically athletic Jolson appears for
a series Of one-man shows at the
Alvin theater when the u OF Joan
of Lorraine" is completed there
early in May.
Nicky Blair, owner of the Car
nival night club, is only n OF a
dozen or more who have expressed
the desire 10 manage Al in such an
engagement, Jolson would appear
every evening except Sunday and
twice, on matinee days. For a
month-long run. says Blair and his
managing competitors, Al would be
the seasons ranking boxoffice SER
sation.
Mike Todd last year said he had
Jolson signed for a musical play
but that deal fell through. The
nanny singer can just about write
his own ticket for a radio show
but has indicated his unwillingness
to take. over the physical burden
of an entire weekly presentation.
Several times a millionaire, Jol-
son would not be making his cur
rent appearances for anything ex-
cept sheer love Of his trade. Not
long ago he appeared at a New
York radio studio at 2 a. m. and
sang for the fun of it until dawn
on an all-night disc Jockeys pro-
gram, bringing along his W &C
companist in the bargain. What
the Broadway promoters are count
ing on is APs unregenerate love
of the spotlight.
Cuff stuff: The Theater Guild an
nounces Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fon-
tame will end their Broadway en-
gagement of 30 Mistress Mine
on May 81, a run which tops all
previous Lunt and Fontanne en-
gagements by 1872 performances
The nearest to this record was
the 3O0-time engagement OF ROD
ert Sherwood's Idiots Delight,
in the 1886 season counting
performances in England, Scotland,
Germany. France and Belgium. the
Lunts will have appeared in their
current vehicle a total of more than
l 900 times 1t was written by
Terence Rattigan -. For the rec
ord, the b~oxoffice take for the run
will have topped 81. PIP, 900.
Call Me Mister will be a year
old April 10 'Voice of the
Turtle" starts Sunday perform
ances for the first time since the
smash hit premiered.
George S. kaufman, long a bit
ter critic Of all things Hollywood,
finally succumbed to the cinematic
Establishments and will direct "The
Senator Was ~Indiscreet." starring
William Powell and Peter Lind
Hayes Nunnally johnson. who
will produce. wrote the flop music
al, "Park Avenue" in %collabora-
ton with Kaufman; Charles Mac
Arthur also will be a party to the
upcoming senatorial antics having
prepared the screen script.
Richard Aldrich will open his
cape playhouse at Dennis, Cape
Cod. June 80. Bucks county
playhouse, in the heart of the fash
ionable Pennsylvania writing col
ony. begins its summer semester
June 6 1.-THE Fourth Little
Show has been put off until Sep
TENDER . Bert Lair is wanted
for. two musicals in the fall -.
There's talk of Bob Hope coming
back to Broadway for a musical
comedy and of Danny Kaye,
Beatrice Little, Martha Rave,
Grocho Marx. Jimmy Durante,
Ray Bolger, Victor Moore, William
| Gaxton and Vivienne Segal
not together, however who