box 31/5
25 Professen-Bernhandi
July II, 1936
THB NEw STATESMAN AND NATION
4
the other hand, is individual and often effective. The actors
moment the general public has realised what the struggle of ihe
artist dircctor against the commercial manager means in the film
made the most of their marionette parts, and Mr. Godfrey Kenton
as the hero acted and declaimed well.
world. It is, of course, very unfair to compare a repertory per¬
formance with a Broadway production or even with last weck's
* One Rainy Afternoon,' at the London Pavilion
admirable production at The Embassy of Professor Bernhardh.
The producer then had, no doubt, knowledge ofthe best Viennese
Clearly the intention of Miss Pickford and Mr. Lasky was to
productions of that play to draw on. But it is just because the
give this light Parisian comedy the light French touch. Von
critic is genuinely grateful to The Embassy for its very high level of
know what they wanted: they wanted je ne sais quei. Their
work that it must be pointed out that Storm Song is all but
scenario is taken—by a Mr. Stephen Morehouse Avery, rather
ruined by noise without audibility, by mis-casting and a general
forcibly, alas—from Mousieur Saus-Gene; and in the hands of
lack of conviction until the last passionate argument between
Raymond V. Lec, director of the film, it has become a clumsy
Szilard, the director and Gordon King, his assistant, before Szilard
American farce. Where it might have neatly gesticulated, it
rushes out to photograph tlie storm and go down with the hookers
thumps onc on the back with a boisterous humour that is as
as they try to save their nets. In the carlier scenes Mr. Esmé
different from gaicty as an American salad is from salad. At its
Percy as Szilard is never convincing and Mr. John Fernald as
best, a certain healthy sparkle is the nearest it gets to Joie de miore.
Gordon, though admirably convincing is inaudibly noisy. Indeed
At its worst, it’s laborious and vulgar.. . In a Paris bristling
most of the cast—Mr. Alan Wheatley as Alf Quilt and Miss
with tabloid reporters, a young French actor, Philippe Martin
Norah Gordon as Sibby were brilliant exceptions—shout till one
(Francis Lederer), kisses a girl (Ida Lupino) by mistake for
thinks of Wagnerian opera badly sung. And this is a great pity, for
somcone else (Comtesse Liev de Maigret) and is sent to jail.
Storm Song is interesting, amusing, at times moving, and well
Although he contrives with one or two deft touches to relieve the
worth secing.
general tension of an absurdly over-acted film, Mr. Lederer, wlio
is referred to throughout as Martang, is misdirected to the point
6A Bride for the Unicorn, at the Westminster
of appearing miscast. He has a Central European accent; Miss
Lupino, who hails from London, now talks American; and in
Mr. Denis Johnston's other play, produced by himself at the
this film she is affianced to Erik Rhodes, an English actor who
Westminster Theatre, is more ambitious. In a hotch-potch of
specialises in an Italian accent and a dago manner that are over¬
styles, covered perhaps by the term expressionism, we are given
emphasised, inaccurate and, one would have thought, not at all
the adventures of John Foss in quest of the ideal. It begins with
funny. The abilities of Joseph Cawthorn and Donald Meck are
a breaking-up day at school and the bust of Lynkeus singing the
too sorely tried in two very silly parts, whereas Roland Young,
school song; the statue steps from his pedestal and introduces a
Mischa Auer and Richard Carle just manage to turn the smirk
mysterious masked woman whiom John Foss marrics. Theygotoa
that’s in their lines into a smile, and Hugh Herbert gives a
hotel—the wedding couple, the statue, the headmaster, the old
splendidly comic performance, relying on that music-hall technique
boys and all. The masked woman disappears. During the rest
which somchow makes a virtuc of exaggeration. He almost saves
of the play John Foss looks for her in pubs, on battlefields, at
the film.
cabinet mectings, and when he finally discovers her she unmasks,
revcaling herself as Death. It is a crude play, with some brilliant
* The Tempest,'' in Regent’s Park
scenes. The general effect is of a piece of collage, in which a
The Tempest, as Lytton Strachey pointed out, is in some ways
figurc of Everyman, say, has been stuck on to a Ballet Joos. The
an exceedingly gloomy comedy; and it is natural that the setting
expressionism sccmned rather heavily Teutonic; the humour, on
of an open-air theatre should tend to bring out its lighter and more
innocently lyrical side. With this reservation, the performance
at the Open Air Theatre in Regent’s Park is, on#the whole, ex¬
tremely satisfying. Mr. Baliol Holloway—but need ihey hiave
made him up to look quite so like a more etiolated version of
King Kong ?—gave an uncommonly forceful rendering of the
ZIPZL
part of Caliban and did full justice to the magnificent lines of
poetry that Shakespeare put into the mouth of a savage and
deformed slave. Mr. Lawrence Baskcomb is an admirable
Stephano: Mr. Ion Swinley an adequate and dignified, if not
sufficiently alarming, Prospero; while Mr. Gyles Isham adds
AE
—E
vigour and interest to the not very rewarding role of Antonio, the
usurping Duke. The ballet was pleasant in effect, but sometimes
rather haphazard in execution.
LURRICATINC
THE COMING WEEK
VDE
Fnipar, July 1oth—
Athletics. A.A.A. Championships, White City.
Saruapay, July 11h—
" Hansel and Gretel,' Hyde Park, 3 and 7.
officially
Left Theatre Weck-end School, Netherwood, The Ridge, Hastings.
Sunpay, July 121h—.
Prof. J. C. Flugel on“ The Psychology of Aggression,?' Conway
recommended
Hall, 11.
1
Anti-Fascist Demonstration. Speeches by the Earl of Listowel,
Herbert Morrison, Ernest Thurtle and others, Victoria Park,
by
I
1
25 Professen-Bernhandi
July II, 1936
THB NEw STATESMAN AND NATION
4
the other hand, is individual and often effective. The actors
moment the general public has realised what the struggle of ihe
artist dircctor against the commercial manager means in the film
made the most of their marionette parts, and Mr. Godfrey Kenton
as the hero acted and declaimed well.
world. It is, of course, very unfair to compare a repertory per¬
formance with a Broadway production or even with last weck's
* One Rainy Afternoon,' at the London Pavilion
admirable production at The Embassy of Professor Bernhardh.
The producer then had, no doubt, knowledge ofthe best Viennese
Clearly the intention of Miss Pickford and Mr. Lasky was to
productions of that play to draw on. But it is just because the
give this light Parisian comedy the light French touch. Von
critic is genuinely grateful to The Embassy for its very high level of
know what they wanted: they wanted je ne sais quei. Their
work that it must be pointed out that Storm Song is all but
scenario is taken—by a Mr. Stephen Morehouse Avery, rather
ruined by noise without audibility, by mis-casting and a general
forcibly, alas—from Mousieur Saus-Gene; and in the hands of
lack of conviction until the last passionate argument between
Raymond V. Lec, director of the film, it has become a clumsy
Szilard, the director and Gordon King, his assistant, before Szilard
American farce. Where it might have neatly gesticulated, it
rushes out to photograph tlie storm and go down with the hookers
thumps onc on the back with a boisterous humour that is as
as they try to save their nets. In the carlier scenes Mr. Esmé
different from gaicty as an American salad is from salad. At its
Percy as Szilard is never convincing and Mr. John Fernald as
best, a certain healthy sparkle is the nearest it gets to Joie de miore.
Gordon, though admirably convincing is inaudibly noisy. Indeed
At its worst, it’s laborious and vulgar.. . In a Paris bristling
most of the cast—Mr. Alan Wheatley as Alf Quilt and Miss
with tabloid reporters, a young French actor, Philippe Martin
Norah Gordon as Sibby were brilliant exceptions—shout till one
(Francis Lederer), kisses a girl (Ida Lupino) by mistake for
thinks of Wagnerian opera badly sung. And this is a great pity, for
somcone else (Comtesse Liev de Maigret) and is sent to jail.
Storm Song is interesting, amusing, at times moving, and well
Although he contrives with one or two deft touches to relieve the
worth secing.
general tension of an absurdly over-acted film, Mr. Lederer, wlio
is referred to throughout as Martang, is misdirected to the point
6A Bride for the Unicorn, at the Westminster
of appearing miscast. He has a Central European accent; Miss
Lupino, who hails from London, now talks American; and in
Mr. Denis Johnston's other play, produced by himself at the
this film she is affianced to Erik Rhodes, an English actor who
Westminster Theatre, is more ambitious. In a hotch-potch of
specialises in an Italian accent and a dago manner that are over¬
styles, covered perhaps by the term expressionism, we are given
emphasised, inaccurate and, one would have thought, not at all
the adventures of John Foss in quest of the ideal. It begins with
funny. The abilities of Joseph Cawthorn and Donald Meck are
a breaking-up day at school and the bust of Lynkeus singing the
too sorely tried in two very silly parts, whereas Roland Young,
school song; the statue steps from his pedestal and introduces a
Mischa Auer and Richard Carle just manage to turn the smirk
mysterious masked woman whiom John Foss marrics. Theygotoa
that’s in their lines into a smile, and Hugh Herbert gives a
hotel—the wedding couple, the statue, the headmaster, the old
splendidly comic performance, relying on that music-hall technique
boys and all. The masked woman disappears. During the rest
which somchow makes a virtuc of exaggeration. He almost saves
of the play John Foss looks for her in pubs, on battlefields, at
the film.
cabinet mectings, and when he finally discovers her she unmasks,
revcaling herself as Death. It is a crude play, with some brilliant
* The Tempest,'' in Regent’s Park
scenes. The general effect is of a piece of collage, in which a
The Tempest, as Lytton Strachey pointed out, is in some ways
figurc of Everyman, say, has been stuck on to a Ballet Joos. The
an exceedingly gloomy comedy; and it is natural that the setting
expressionism sccmned rather heavily Teutonic; the humour, on
of an open-air theatre should tend to bring out its lighter and more
innocently lyrical side. With this reservation, the performance
at the Open Air Theatre in Regent’s Park is, on#the whole, ex¬
tremely satisfying. Mr. Baliol Holloway—but need ihey hiave
made him up to look quite so like a more etiolated version of
King Kong ?—gave an uncommonly forceful rendering of the
ZIPZL
part of Caliban and did full justice to the magnificent lines of
poetry that Shakespeare put into the mouth of a savage and
deformed slave. Mr. Lawrence Baskcomb is an admirable
Stephano: Mr. Ion Swinley an adequate and dignified, if not
sufficiently alarming, Prospero; while Mr. Gyles Isham adds
AE
—E
vigour and interest to the not very rewarding role of Antonio, the
usurping Duke. The ballet was pleasant in effect, but sometimes
rather haphazard in execution.
LURRICATINC
THE COMING WEEK
VDE
Fnipar, July 1oth—
Athletics. A.A.A. Championships, White City.
Saruapay, July 11h—
" Hansel and Gretel,' Hyde Park, 3 and 7.
officially
Left Theatre Weck-end School, Netherwood, The Ridge, Hastings.
Sunpay, July 121h—.
Prof. J. C. Flugel on“ The Psychology of Aggression,?' Conway
recommended
Hall, 11.
1
Anti-Fascist Demonstration. Speeches by the Earl of Listowel,
Herbert Morrison, Ernest Thurtle and others, Victoria Park,
by
I
1