Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1950-09-24
|BroodWoy's.
Is
n Nkf.sas -
By William Glover
NEW YORK.

4A1C COA tdA1 10 up OII bIOdu~
ways perennial scramble for
footlight fame and fortune. and
q first Offering plus a loaded
calendar bode well for entertain
ing evenings ahead.
An all-English band came into
the Music Box with Daphne
Laureola," James Brides London
success and the first of a half
dozen British imports already
definitely booked in for New York
presentation.
During the next four nights an
equal number Of dramas will hit
the local boards as a healthy
sampling Of the profusion Of
works being shaped by angels.
producers, stars and stagehands
for pre-New Year arrival.
Getting back to first things, it's
pleasure to report that Dame
Edith Evans, one Of England's
greatest stars, Is at the peak of
her skills with a captivating per-
Torrance in the Bride offering.
With her. Cecil Parker, another
"old pro" of the London stage, is
making his American debut to a
warm public ovation.
| No Masterpiece.
The production is by Leland
Hayward and Herman Schumlin
in association with Laurence
Olivier and has been directed by
Murray Macdonald in competent
style. The only ingredient, alas,
to prevent completely favorable
card, is the play itself.
Mr.. Birdie has previously pro-
claimed his mission is to enter
tain while he delivers a message;
the first, without the fine casting,
would be dubious. The second OBJ
jective remains inscrntable.
Daphne Laureola" concerns
Lady Pitts, a woman of half a
hundred years who has married a
rich octogenarian. AS a result,
or despite this and a prediction
for getting her kicks vicariously,
she has suffered a nervous
breakdown and become an adept
at copious inhaling of double
brandies.
What plot there is concerns the
efforts to get her back on her
feet and solve the male COM
plications of her life. The
opposite gender is represent
ed by Cecil Parker as the hus-
band, Peter Williams, the care
taker- chauffeur, who becomes her
second mate when the old lord
passes out, and John Van Dreelen,
hot-headed young Polish refugee.
This latter role is complicated by
the fact the young Pole develops
an idealized passion for the lady
and has an unmanageable tend
ency to pass out from fainting
spells or punch in the nose
whenever excited.
None of that sounds too prom
Using and the writing by itself
compounds flashes of brittle wit
with more frequent applications of
f1fth-rate wheeZes and long dry
stretches Of nothing much. The
title comes from the Greek myth
of the woman who eluded pursuit
by Apollo when she was changed
into a Daphne Laureola tree.
Mitchell Takes Over.
Other than the doings at the
Music Box. the Broadway week
had Thomas Mitchell taking over
the Willy Loman role in Death
of a Salesman" at the Morosco
after long road workout with the
plays national company, and the
continuation Of superlative enter
tainments at the Metropolitan
Opera House by that other early
season British import, the Sadler's
Wells Ballet Company.
Beginning tomorrow night, the
weeks quartet of dramatic arrivals
runs as follows: Affairs of State"
a Louis Verneuil comedy at the
Royale, with Celeste Holm and
Reginald Owen of the movie lots
among the performers: on Tues
day at the Biltmore, Mango Jones
presents Owen Crump's comedy,
Southern Exposure. after an
original showing at Theater 50-51
in Dallas. Tex; Wednesday sees
Flora Robson arrive in BLACK
Chiffon" at the Forty-Eighth
Street. and on Thursday, Season
in the Sum-" by Wolcott Gibbs.
bows in at the Cort, with Richard
Whorf. Nancy Kelly and Paula
Laurence among those present.
All are straight dramatic offerings.
The music jobs come later.