Evening star., 1954-09-18

reservations for Monday nights
saint JOAN starring Jean Ar
thur So do many other
prominent residents, enough to
make Miss Arthur's Washington
debut the theatrical event of the
season.
Speaking Of debuts, Washing
ton will see that of another film
star. Jennifer Jones. later in the
Nationals season She will
be here for a fortnight, Novem-
ber 22-December 4. in William
Archibald's Portrait of A Lady,"
adapated from Henry James.
The original announcement of
the Washington booking left the
theater unnamed .. 1t became
the National when the musical,
by the Beautiful Sea-" can
celled out when it was announced
that Shirley Booth would not
tour.
Since Deborah Kerr became
the toast of Broadway last sea-
son in Tea and Sympathy" for
mer film actresses have provided
the legit with much of its major
excitement !. Whatever hap
pened to that myth that stuffy
East Coast drama critics were
prejudiced against Hollywood
performers? .. What are we
supposed to be, octogenarians-
or something?
FEUD OVER: With the drama
season really getting under way
on Broadway next week, the
critics will be too busy to con-
tinue the feud with which they
have been amusing themselves
and readers. Point of dis
agreement in the verbal (you
gotta write a column on some
thing) controversy has been the
8 o'clock curtain on opening
nights. '. It's purpose is to give
morning paper reviewers a few
minutes longer to think what
they want to say and how to
say it. j.. The Daily News John
Chapman took the negative.
He also took something of a
drubbing from his colleagues. d
The 8.o'clock opening night cur
tain will remain.
The early curtain question has
never been raised here. Only
vague resemblance to it was
Arena Stages $3.50 pm. sharp
rise on opening nights. :. When
1t was abandoned in favor of the
$40 convention, not a whimper
was heard. But, under his
breath, one critic muttered mild |
Celtic curses to find himself stuck |
one night with an 1920 pm.
break. :. Turned out to be just |
a phase, passing quickly.
PEOPLE DOING THINGS: Ed
ward Newhouse, who many fancy
as The New Workers. best short
storyist. and who was last heard
from when Irwin Shaw adapted
him for a Goldwyn movie. is
back in the market. The
American favorite of the late
Dylan Thomas and George Or
we'll has a new Houghton Miflin
novel, "The Temptation of Roger
Herriott" in the bookstalls. z.
It's about a mans fight to hold
on to integrity. which has be-
come one of humanity's toughest
jobs. So that's why he has
not been in The New Yorker
recently.
Best literary role to fall to an
actor recently is Hemingway's
"Old Man and the Sea-" which |
will keep Spencer Tracy from
retiring. Which he always
threatens. never intends to do.
-. Leland Hayward will produce
for Warmers, at an indefinite
date. Some time after he has
finished Mister Roberts, the
film which took Henry Fonda
back to Hollywood, now being
shot in the Midway Islands with
John Ford directing. Orson
Welles, the actor who won't Cor
can't) come home again still can
land employment with Hollywood
producers working abroad. . He
is the birthstone preacher char
acter in ''Moby Dick" now
shooting in the Azores under
John Huston. {. Also in the ex-
pensive cast are Gregory Peck,
Leo Gem. and Richard Basehart.
No one, including Rocky
Marciano and Ezzard Charles,
could be happier than the Cap
itol Theater management that |
the outdoor fight season has
ended. Two postponements
OF the fight. forcing the thea
ter's postponement of THE
Egyptian" opening. had the Cap
itol groggy. . ;. It's regular busi-
ness Is more predictable.
y
CHAMPION: Come October 2,
local favorite Victor Borge will |
be the one-man show champion
of all time on Broadway. i
The daffy Danes Comedy in
Music" on that date will enter
its second year at the Golden |
Theater. -. 1t will be his 384th
performance as against the run
ner-up record Of 81. held by Cor
nelia Otis Skinner in her one
woman version of Moulin
Rouge" called Paris '90". *. i
Borge's average weekly "take' of I
$4,000 adds up to a total of
$3.50. 900. Which is just as
profitable, and less messy, than
being Rocky Marciano.
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