Evening star., 1956-11-23


end Of provincialism and preju-
dice.
The source of this cheerful re-
Election on human progress on
what is called Broadway is an
English comedy, THE Reluctant
Debutante" That the critics
should have greeted it with un-
common politeness-like a host
who knows he is in for it but de-
termined to be gracious-and
that it makes large audiences
happy nightly, these bespeak a
change.
The truth is that THE Reluc-
tant Debutante" is one Of those
dainty trifles which run forever
in London but which once barely
lasted the rest of the week in
New York. The difference is one
that might well have made the
English ask if Americans had
sense Of humor. if of course the
English did not already assume
complete knowledge of our lack
of taste.
'The Reluctant Debutante'' is
by no means without merit. 1t
relates the amusing travail of an
upper echelon English mother
making a match for an attrac-
tive daughter whose major in
terestS still are her horse and
dog 1t is acted with a malignant
charm by Adrianne Allen, Will
frid Hyde White and others, and
directed as a sort of 1856 Restor-
alton comedy by Cyril Ritchard.
Playwright William Douglas
Home. witty observer of the
London social scene. is exqui-
sitely supplemented by Mr..
Ritchard. than whom no one
knows better that high and low
comedy can be boon companions.
Nor with such players at his
disposal is Mr.. Ritchard dis
mayed by such dialogue as:
Mr.. Hyde White (reading the
London Tines: "Ah, l see where
the Duke of So-and-So is dead"
Miss Allen: Who cares?"
Mr.. Hyde White: THE Duch- 4
ess. should suppose"
Given the right pitch in con- H
versational give and take. the
truth is that it is impossible /
not to laugh at this sort of
badinage. And always has been, \
as has such another line as
when the wife asks if she should
call the police to report her
daughter is not at home at 3 am.
Il shouldn't think they'd be
interested, says Mr., Hyde White. |
X
AS study of England's ele- \
CANT tribal rites. the Gilbert 1
Miller-Loew's, Inc, production
is properly light and lean.
Its setting is fat in London's
Eaton square ON the day. a kind
of D-day, Sheila Broadent has
chosen for the big push in trap
ping a mate for her daughter
Jane. Her heart is set upon a H
young man whose blood lines
read suitably even if his manner
strikes the daughter as "goofy. y H
If the marriage-bent mother is
to corner her quarry, she will
have to take him away from her
best friend who thinks he would
be Just right for HER daughter. .
In creating this situation, I
Dramatist Home clearly is not
straining his imagination, nor is
he in its further details. These
include Father Jimmy Broad 4
belts passive resistance to his 4
wife's scheme, Jimmys feeling
that the youthful sexes can
handle their own mating prob 4
lens, and his final complication |
of injecting into the proceedings 4
a handsome young bounder no
intelligent girl could resist.
4
Transforming this familiar bit
Of froth into an acceptably
cheerful spectacle is the sort of
thing its English cast was born 4
to do. What goes on on the
Henry Miller stage is perfect
drawing room comedy portrai- n
ture, each detail a polished spe-
cimen of what it has been since
the days of Beaumont. Fletcher. 4
Sheridan. etc.
Miss Aliens is an elegant Carl
cature of the handsome matron