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showing results    1 - 100 of 284 titles     on off  images   on off  sort by   title date  results per page         10  25  50  75  100  <  1  2  3  > Eileen Darby Photo Assignments John Henry December 30, 1939 Starring Paul Robeson in the title role at the Colonial Theatre in Boston. The show opened on Broadway 11 days later on January 10th, 1940 at the 44th Street Theatre. Despite its short run this was the show that marked the beginning of Eileen Darby's Theatre photography career, the images of which were her first published in the NY Times Photo Section in 1940 by photo editor Victor Talley. 11 images » Two On An Island January 13, 1940 The Elmer Rice comedy about a boy from Ohio who meets a girl from New Hampshire while trying to find success on the island of Manhatten. The show featured a very large cast of over 90 performers including Betty Field and John Craven as the young lovers. Set design by Jo Mielziner. The show ran for 96 performances. images available upon request There Shall Be No Night March 27, 1940 Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne star in the Robert E. Sherwood 1941 Pulitzer Prize winning drama about the Russian takeover of Finland in 1938. The show featured Montgomery Clift, Phylis Thaxter, and Sydney Greenstreet. images available upon request Return Of The Vagabond May 8, 1940 George M. Cohan reprises his role as the vagabond made famous in the 1920 play "The Tavern". The play was a terrible flop, closing after only 7 performances, and causing Mr. Cohan to sadly remark, "They don't want me no more." It was his last appearance on Broadway. Widely noted as opening on May 17th, the play actually opened on May 13th and closed on May 18th. images available upon request Flight to the West December 13, 1940 Elmer Rice's anti-nazi drama about a disparate group of characters aboard a Yankee Clipper flight from Lisbon to New York. The play featured Betty Field, Karl Malden, Hugh Marlowe, and Kevin McCarthy, ran for 136 performances, and was considered one of the best of the year. Set design by Jo Mielziner. images available upon request My Sister Eileen December 23, 1940 My Sister Eileen was a joyous comedy based on Ruth McKenney's New Yorker stories about the urban adventures of her attractive sister Eileen. The Max Gordon production, staged by George S. Kaufman, ran for an incredible 864 performances. In a tragic twist, newlyweds Eileen McKenney and husband novelist Nathaniel West were killed in an automobile accident only 4 days before the opening. The show was adapted into the great musical Wonderful Town by Betty Comden, Adolph Green, and Leonard Bernstein in 1953. images available upon request Louisiana Purchase circa 1940 A musical comedy featuring Broadway team William Gaxton and Victor Moore, Irene Bordoni, Vera Zorina, Carol Bruce, and with a score by Irving Berlin. Victor Moore stars as Senator Oliver P. Loganberry on a campaign to expose the corruption of the Louisiana government in this lighthearted spoof inspired by the administration of the late Governor Huey Long. images available upon request Carmen Amaya January 20, 1941 famous Spanish dancer Carmen Amaya. images available upon request Native Son March 5, 1941 Based on the fantastic award winning novel by Richard Wright and directed by Orson Welles only two months before the release of his film masterpiece Citizen Kane. Starring Canada Lee as Bigger Thomas, a tormented black man in the slums of South Side Chicago wanted for killing a white woman. A powerful commentary on the American racial environment. 20 images » Boys and Girls Together March 21, 1941 A musical revue starring Ed Wynn with a score by Irving Kahal and Jack Yellen. images available upon request Night Before Christmas March 29, 1941 A comedy in three acts written by Laura Perelman and S.J. Perelman. The show featured Harry Bratsburg (who later became Colonel Sherman T. Potter on the hit TV show M*A*S*H), a young Shelley Winters, and was later made into the film "Larceny, Inc." starring Edward G. Robinson and featuring Anthony Quinn and Jane Wyman. images available upon request The Beautiful People April 15, 1941 Images from the opening of the William Saroyan play at the Lyceum Theatre, 1941. 22 images » Betsy Blair / Betsy Allen May 21, 1941 Betsy Blair was the wife of Gene Kelly. images available upon request Mister Big September 4, 1941 The rehearsals of the murder-mystery comedy produced and staged by Geroge S. Kaufman that ran for only 7 performances. Featuring Fay Wray, Hume Cronyn, Mitzi Hajos, Betty Furness, and Robert Whitehead. images available upon request Candle In The Wind September 13, 1941 Chosen as one of the 10 best plays of the 1941-1942 season, starring Helen Hayes, staged by Alfred Lunt, and featuring Evelyn Varden and Lotte Lenya. images available upon request Jooss Ballet September 23, 1941 images available upon request The More the Merrier September 26, 1941 The comedy staged by Otto Preminger. It ran for 16 performances at the Cort Theatre and featured Keenan Wynn, Teddy Hart, J.C. Nugent, Frank Albertson, and Grace McDonald. images available upon request Anne of England September 27, 1941 Drama produced by Gilbert Miller that ran for only 7 performances with Flora Robson, Frederic Worlock, Leo G. Carroll and Jessica Tandy as Abigail Hill (afterwards Mrs. Masham) at the St. James Theatre. images available upon request Mata and Hari October 10, 1941 Eccentric dancers Ruth Mata (Meta Krahn) and Eugene Hari (Otto Ulbricht). images available upon request Macbeth October 22, 1941 The revival starring Dame Judith Anderson and Maurice Evans with Staats Cotsworth as Banquo. It was very successful and ran for 131 performances. images available upon request Spring Again October 26, 1941 A successful comedy directed by Guthrie McClintic featuring Grace George and C. Aubrey Smith. The plot tells of a long suffering wife subjected to constant stories of her husband's Civil War hero father at Shiloh who decides to recount his families real true story as a dramatized radio serial. images available upon request Theatre November 15, 1941 Posed photographs images available upon request High Kickers circa 1941 The 171 performances hit starring George Jessel and Sophie Tucker. A burlesque troop is arrested in Ohio, but manages to get off by exposing the mayor's wife as an old trooper. images available upon request Let's Face It! circa 1941 Music and lyrics by Cole Porter, starring Danny Kaye with Vivian Vance, Eve Arden, and Edith Meiser. Featuring Nanette Fabray, Mary Jane Walsh, Helena Bliss. Based on the 1925 hit comedy play, "The Cradle Snatcher's." images available upon request American Theatre Wing Stage Door Canteen Opening March 2, 1942 images available upon request A Kiss For Cinderella March 8, 1942 The revival of the 1916 play by James M. Barrie, best known for Peter Pan. Starring Luise Rainer, fresh from back-to-back Academy Award wins in 1936 and 1937. images available upon request Silvia Weld May 26, 1942 images available upon request Laugh Town Laugh June 4, 1942 The Broadway vaudeville show featuring Carmen Amaya, Jane Froman, and starring Ed Wynn. The show was Miss Froman's last before her tragic plane accident that crushed both her legs in Lisbon, Portugal in 1943. images available upon request Gene Autry July 28, 1942 14 images » Morning Star August 21, 1942 Gregory Peck made his Broadway debut in this Guthrie McClintic production, written by Emlyn Williams, which centers on the happenings of the British newspaper Morning Star. The play was Peck's calling card to Hollywood, despite its short 24 performance run and less than stellar reviews. These images are from the rehearsal. 7 images » Eve of St. Mark September 3, 1942 The very well received Maxwell Anderson war play about the journey of Quizz West (William Prince) from a young farm boy to a soldier in the jungles of the Philippines. The play was adapted into a film featuring Vincent Price in 1944. images available upon request Maid In The Ozarks September 14, 1942 A farce staged by Jules Pfeiffer. The play about Kentucky hillbillies migrated from Los Angeles to Chicago and was roundly panned by critics. Tenaciously, the producer kept the show running until it was purchased by two Chicagoans who better marketed the show with a panache that drew theatre-goers and brought the play to profit. After five successful years traveling the country the play finally made it to Broadway in 1946. images available upon request Show Time September 17, 1942 A highly successful (342 performances) vaudeville show featuring George Jessel, Jack Haley, Ella Logan, and Lucille Norman. It was the longest running Broadway show up to that point. images available upon request Wine Women And Song September 26, 1942 A revue-vaudeville-burlesque show that ran for 150 performances and featured Margie Hart, Jimmy Savo, Pinkie Lee, and Herbie Faye. images available upon request The Skin Of Our Teeth October 14, 1942 Written by Thornton Wilder, directed by Elia Kazan, and featuring Fredric March, Florence Eldridge, Tallulah Bankhead, Florence Reed, and Montgomery Clift. Considered one of the best American plays ever written, this magical fantasy depicts the entire history of humanity in the persons of Mr. and Mrs. George Antrobus, their family, and friends. 3 images » The Great Big Doorstep October 27, 1942 Dorothy Gish and Louis Calhern head an impoverished Cajun family caught in a Louisiana flood, when the doorstep of a patrician mansion floats on to their property. The doorstep installed at the entrance to their shack fuels their desires for a grander life, in this comedy by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett. images available upon request Yankee Point November 7, 1942 A comedy in three acts directed by and starring John Cromwell and Edna Best, featuring John Forsythe. Produced by Edward Choate, the show ran for only 24 performances. images available upon request The Great Big Doorstep November 11, 1942 Dorothy Gish and Louis Calhern head an impoverished Cajun family caught in a Louisiana flood, when the doorstep of a patrician mansion floats on to their property. The doorstep installed at the entrance to their shack fuels their desires for a grander life, in this comedy by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett. images available upon request The Sun Field November 14, 1942 The short-lived baseball comedy by Milton Lazarus, based on the novel by Heywood Broun. The flop ran for 5 performances and was called by one critic, "A lengthy anecdote." images available upon request Counsellor-at-Law November 20, 1942 A successful revival of one of Elmer Rice's most popular plays about an attorney who prefers the warmth of his secretary to the cold indifference of his wife. Paul Muni recreates his original role from the 1931 production. images available upon request The Three Sisters November 26, 1942 Katharine Cornell, Judith Anderson, and Gertrude Musgrove star as the three sisters in this distinguished revival of the Anton Checkov play, staged by Guthrie McClintic. The show featured Edmund Gwenn, Dennis King, Alexander Knox, Ruth Gordon, and, in a bit part, a very young Kirk Douglas making his Broadway debut. images available upon request The Russian People December 12, 1942 An adaptation by Cliford Odets of a Konstantin Simonov drama, produced by The Theatre Guild. Elisabeth Fraser and Leon Ames are lovers in this story of the heroic battle waged by humble Russian villagers against the well-armed invading Nazi army. images available upon request Dark Eyes December 16, 1942 Three destitute Russian actresses in New York write a bad check and hope to be rescued by accepting an invitation to a Long Island estate. Writer/actresses Elena Miramova and Eugenie Leontovich are joined by Ludmilla Toretzka to complete the madcap trio that finds rescue in finance and romance in this popular farce directed by Jed Harris. The show ran for 230 performances. images available upon request Something For The Boys December 17, 1942 A musical comedy starring Ethel Merman with Allen Jenkins and Paula Laurence. Produced by Mike Todd, written by Herbert Fields and Dorothy Fields, with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The show featured choreography by Jack Cole and was his first Broadway musical. Three distant cousins inherit a Texas mansion located near an Army base and become involved in military and romantic maneuvers. images available upon request This is the Army circa 1942 Irving Berlin's revue, written as a benefit for the U.S. Army Emergency Relief Fund. The play was turned into a film version in 1943, successfully raising $9.5 million, becoming the most profitable film of that year. All of the cast and production team of the Broadway show were former or current members of the armed forces. images available upon request Miles White January 11, 1943 Gifted costume designer Miles White paints designs in his studio during the production of the Ziegfeld Follies of 1943. His show immediately following was Oklahoma!. 5 images » The Patriots January 21, 1943 The first play produced by The Playwrights' Company for a playwright who was not a founding member of the group. Written by Sidney S. Kingsley and starring his wife, Madge Evans. The play explores the philosophic differences between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton on the future of the United States. images available upon request Counterattack January 23, 1943 Featuring Morris Carnovsky and Sam Wanamaker as Red soldiers interrogating seven German soldiers (Karl Malden) during the siege of a small town on the Eastern front. The play ran for 85 performances. images available upon request 50 Years Empire Theatre - "Life With Father" January 25, 1943 Special showing of Life With Father, for the 50th Anniversary of the Empire Theatre. 10 images » Men In Shadow March 10, 1943 Originally an English play in 1942, the show was brought to Broadway in 1943. A flop that ran for 21 performances, the drama revolves around the hiding of three American airmen in an old French mill house. Written by Mary Hayley Bell, wife of renown actor John Mills, and produced by Max Gordon. images available upon request Dancing In The Streets March 12, 1943 Mary Martin's first starring role in a Broadway play, that never made it to Broadway. The play closed in Boston. images available upon request Apology March 18, 1943 Produced and Directed by Lee Strasberg, the play ran for only 8 performances and tells the story of a man who chooses not to marry his childhood sweetheart, instead marrying another woman. images available upon request Three's A Family April 22, 1943 Written by the husband and wife team of Phoebe Ephron and Henry Ephron, the parents of Nora Ephron. A three act farce about an extended family crammed into a small Manhattan Upper West Side apartment. The play ran for 497 performances, well into the next season. images available upon request First Million April 26, 1943 An Ozark hick family of bank robbers resolves to save every penny until they accumulate their first million, only to be thwarted by the honesty of their own turncoat son. The play was a flop and ran for only 5 performances. images available upon request Sons o' Fun May 1, 1943 Originally starring Olsen and Johnson (Ole Olsen and Chic Johnson), Carmen Miranda, and Ella Logan images available upon request Early To Bed May 6, 1943 Written by George Marion, Jr., with music by Thomas "Fats" Waller. Musical comedy mixups at a Martinique bordello run by Madame Rowena (Muriel Angelus) and her gaggle of guests. The show was a hit, with a lot of the music also featured in Ain't Misbehavin' in 1978 as a retrospective of the life of "Fats" Waller. images available upon request Early To Bed May 22, 1943 Written by George Marion, Jr., with music by Thomas "Fats" Waller. Musical comedy mixups at a Martinique bordello run by Madame Rowena (Muriel Angelus) and her gaggle of guests. The show was a hit, with a lot of the music also featured in Ain't Misbehavin' in 1978 as a retrospective of the life of "Fats" Waller. images available upon request The Student Prince June 10, 1943 An operetta revival with music by Sigmund Romberg and directed by Jacob J. Shubert, featuring perennial Shubert favorite Everett Marshall as Dr. Engel, Frank Hornaday as Prince Karl Franz, and Barbara Scully as Kathie. The show was toured endlessly in revivals by the Shuberts, who considered it a guaranteed moneymaker. A young Prince falls in love with a barmaid whilst studying at Heidelberg with his tutor, Dr. Engel. images available upon request Room Service June 25, 1943 5 images » Rosalinda (Die Fledermaus) July 6, 1943 Max Reinhardt's production based on the operetta "Die Fledermaus", composed by Johann Strauss, Jr. and conducted by Erich Wolfgang Korngold. The show was a phenomenal unexpected success and ran for 611 performances. images available upon request Chauve-Souris July 20, 1943 A Russian musical revue that was a sensation on Broadway in several incarnations throughout the 1920's as staged by it's master of ceremonies, Nikita Balieff. This short lived revival was mounted by arrangement with his widow. The show featured colorful Russian costumes, settings, dance, acrobatics, and song and was a wonderful spectacle. The performance featured Dania Krupska, who later became an assistant to Agnes de Mille and an accomplished choreographer. images available upon request The Merry Widow (Die Lustige Witwe) July 21, 1943 Rehearsals for the classic Austrian Franz Lehár 1905 operetta with choreography by George Balanchine and starring the celebrated singing couple Jan Kiepura and Marta Eggerth as Prince Danilo and the widow Sonia. Prince Danilo, a carousing rake of a chorus-girl chaser from the mythical land of Marsovia, sets his sights on wooing the richest widow Sonia with an aim to keep her riches within the kingdom of Marsovia. Conducted by the famous operetta composer Robert Stolz and directed by Felix Brentano. 7 images » Felix Brentano July 26, 1943 Director Felix Brentano at the rehearsals for The Merry Widow (Die Lustige Witwe). 1 images » The Merry Widow (Die Lustige Witwe) August 1, 1943 The classic Austrian Franz Lehár 1905 operetta with choreography by George Balanchine and starring the celebrated singing couple Jan Kiepura and Marta Eggerth as Prince Danilo and the widow Sonia. Prince Danilo, a carousing rake of a chorus-girl chaser from the mythical land of Marsovia, sets his sights on wooing the richest widow Sonia with an aim to keep her riches within the kingdom of Marsovia. Conducted by the famous operetta composer Robert Stolz and directed by Felix Brentano. 18 images » One Touch of Venus August 27, 1943 The rehearsal for the original Broadway musical comedy starring Mary Martin as the statue Venus, who comes to life to woo the shy and befuddled barber played by Kenny Baker. Staged by Elia Kazan, choreographed by Agnes de Mille, with music by Kurt Weill, lyrics by Ogden Nash and book by S.J. Perelman. 18 images » Othello August 30, 1943 Rehearsals for the most celebrated American revival of Othello in the 20th century, starring Paul Robeson as Othello, Uta Hagen as Desdemona, and José Ferrer as Iago. Staged by Margaret Webster. 2 images » Tomorrow the World/Elissa Landi August 30, 1943 A major hit drama about a well-meaning typical American family that adopts a Nazi youth who attempts to indoctrinate them toward his warped values. The play made stars of Skippy Homeier as the 12 year old Nazi youth and Joyce Van Patten as young American daughter Patricia Frame. Written by James Gow and Arnaud D'Usseau. images available upon request A New Life September 13, 1943 Produced by The Playwrights' Company and written and staged by Elmer Rice. Nightclub singer Edith Charles (Betty Field) marries Captain Robert Cleghorne (George Lambert), scion to a wealthy Arizona family, after a short and wild romance. After Captain Cleghorne disappears at sea, Edith gives birth to his son at the exact moment of the Captain's unexpected return. A battle ensues between Edith and The Captain's family when they seek to remove the son back to Arizona for a privilaged upbringing, ultimately failing. The play was roundly panned by critics and went on to 70 performances. images available upon request Kiss And Tell September 16, 1943 A comedy staged and produced by George Abbott, and starring Jessie Royce Landis and Robert Keith as the parents of teenager Corliss Archer (Joan Caulfield). It also marked the Broadway premiere of Richard Widmark as Lieutenant Lenny Archer. The show was a situation comedy staged around the friends, neighbors, and love interests of Corliss Archer, and was a big success at 956 performances. images available upon request Othello September 18, 1943 Margaret Webster and the Theatre Guild's presentation of Othello, starring Paul Robeson in the title role, Uta Hagen as Desdemona, and Jose Ferrar as Iago, in what would become Broadway's longest running staging of the Shakespearean classic at 296 performances. It was a particularly unusual performance in that the role of the Moor, Othello, was played by an African-American on a Broadway stage. It received rave reviews, lauding Robeson, Ferrar, and Hagen equally. 10 images » One Touch of Venus September 22, 1943 Directed by Elia Kazan and starring Mary Martin. Choreography by Agnes De Mille. The images from this performance were taken in Boston, two weeks before the October 7, 1943 opening on Broadway at the Imperial Theatre. images available upon request The Merry Widow (Die Lustige Witwe) October 3, 1943 First dress rehearsal images for the classic Austrian Franz Lehár 1905 operetta with choreography by George Balanchine and starring the celebrated singing couple Jan Kiepura and Marta Eggerth as Prince Danilo and the widow Sonia. Prince Danilo, a carousing rake of a chorus-girl chaser from the mythical land of Marsovia, sets his sights on wooing the richest widow Sonia with an aim to keep her riches within the kingdom of Marsovia. Conducted by the famous operetta composer Robert Stolz and directed by Felix Brentano. 5 images » Winged Victory October 8, 1943 A poignant play by Moss Hart with an enormous cast of armed forces men, and uniquely, women. The show was written by order of General Arnold of the U.S. Army, with all proceeds benefiting the Army Relief Fund of 1943. It told the story of the growth of the Air Force, following six soldiers from civilian life to battlefield flight. Hart traveled 28,000 miles with Air Force men to research the project. It later became a 20th Century Fox film, retaining most of the original cast members. images available upon request Get Away Old Man November 23, 1943 A comedy written by William Saroyan, produced and directed by George Abbott. Starring Richard Widmark as the self-aggrandizing writer Henry Bird, who is hired by a Hollywood producer (Ed Begley) to create a script for a film about "all mothers everywhere." Saroyan wrote the show upon his return from Hollywood, where he wrote "The Human Comedy." images available upon request Storm Operation November 24, 1943 A Maxwell Anderson play produced the The Playwrights' Company. Anderson spent significant time on the North African front with General Eisenhower researching for the work, which was ultimately panned by critics and ran only 23 performances. Oddly, the play was selected by the Burns Mantle annual as one of the season's 10 best plays. images available upon request The World's Full Of Girls November 1943 A flop of 9 performances over 6 days produced by Jed Harris, written by Nunnally Johnson and based on the novel "'Till I Come Back To You" by Thomas Bell. images available upon request Carmen Jones December 2, 1943 George Bizet's opera Carmen reset in a parachute factory in the wartime South. Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and produced by Billy Rose. These images are from the opening night performance. images available upon request Mexican Hayride December 28, 1943 A musical starring Bobby Clark as a comedic con-man on the lam in Mexico, and featuring June Havoc as an American female bullfighter. Book by Herbert Fields and Dorothy Fields. Produced by Mike Todd. Music and lyrics by Cole Porter, who found a much needed hit in the song, "I Love You." images available upon request A Connecticut Yankee circa 1943 A jive-talk, wartime update of the 1927 classic. Music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Lorenz Hart. Book by Herbert Fields and staged by John C. Wilson. Featuring dancer Vera-Ellen. The show was the last by Lorenz Hart, who was ejected for being drunk and disorderly from the opening night performance, dying a few weeks later from pneumonia. The production reprised the old standards, "My Heart Stood Still" and "Thou Swell", and introduced a new show-stopping number, "To Keep My Love Alive", which was added for Vivienne Segal, fresh from her Broadway run in the hit, Pal Joey. images available upon request Harriet circa 1943 The story of Harriet Beecher Stowe starring Helen Hayes, staged by Elia Kazan, and produced by Gilbert Miller. 2 images » New Faces of 1943 (New Shoes) circa 1943 Another Leonard Sillman musical revue, albeit one with unfavorable reviews. The show featured John Lund, who later became a big star at Paramount Studios, Irwin Corey, Doris Dowling, and Alice Pearce. images available upon request Oklahoma! circa 1943 The musical that redefined what a musical could be for Broadway. A love triangle storyline and classic songs such as "The Surrey with the Fringe On Top" and "Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin'" all led to a staggering 2,212 performance phenomenon. Richard Rodgers music, Oscar Hammerstein II lyrics, Agnes de Mille choreographer, Alfred Drake and Joan Roberts star, and directed by Rouben Mamoulian at the St. James Theatre. 42 images » Ziegfeld Follies circa 1943 Upon the death of Florenz Ziegfeld in 1931, his widow Billy Burke sold the rights to the valuable phrase "Ziegfeld Follies" to her husband's long time rivals, the Shuberts, who staged editions of the follies in 1934, 1936, 1943, and 1957. This edition of the elaborate musical revue starred Milton Berle, Ilona Massey, and Arthur Treacher. images available upon request The Cherry Orchard January 6, 1944 The last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov about an aristocratic family that loses their estate to a man coming up from a lower social class. The play ends with the axe chopping sounds of the estate's cherry orchard being cut down by the new owner. Directed by and starring Eva Le Gallienne at the National Theatre. 35 images » Jacobowsky and The Colonel January 26, 1944 An arrogant Polish Colonel (Louis Calhern) and shy but wily Jew S.L. Jacobowsky (Oscar Karlweis) find themselves escaping from the Nazi invasion of Paris in 1940. This comedy-drama written in German by Franz Werfel was first adapted into English by Clifford Odets and later rewritten by S.N. Behrman. Staged by Elia Kazan. images available upon request Allah Be Praised February 13, 1944 Despite a cast headed by Broadway favorites Patricia Morison, Mary Jane Walsh, Jack Albertson, Joey Faye, and Sid Stone, and dances performed by Anita Alvarez, Milada Mladova and the Kraft Sisters staged by Jack Cole, this lumbering musical excursion to Teheran proved to be a humorless dud. 6 images » A Highland Fling March 11, 1944 An 18th century gentry ghost (Ralph Forbes) in a Scottish castle seeks to free himself after 150 years by finding a sinner to reform to good in this George Abbott staged comedy that ran for 28 performances at the Plymouth Theatre. images available upon request The Searching Wind March 29, 1944 A scathing indictment of appeasement and the public's indifference to it, The Searching Wind tells the story of a husband, wife, and his former flame set against the rise of Fascism in western Europe from 1922 until 1944. Written by Lillian Hellman, and featuring Dennis King, Cornelia Otis Skinner, Barbara O'Neil, and Montgomery Clift. images available upon request Pick-Up Girl April 14, 1944 Rehearsal images from the Elsa Shelley courtroom drama about a young deceased delinquent girl. images available upon request Pick Up Girl May 2, 1944 An examination of all the aspects of juvenile delinquency in close detail for the first time on a Broadway stage. Written by Elsa Shelley, the play was somewhat well received but also criticized for its numerous sordid details that detracted from the drama. images available upon request Stovepipe Hat May 12, 1944 Out-of-town tryout of the Walter F. Hannan, Edward Heyman and Harold Spina musical flop at the Shubert Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts. The production opened May 16th, 1944 at the Shubert Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut and closed in Boston, canceling the scheduled Broadway opening. Featuring Morton Da Costa and Parker Fennelly, choreographed by Helen Tamiris, with sets and costumes designed by Lucinda Ballard. images available upon request Anna Lucasta June 21, 1944 Successful American Negro Theatre production about a prostitute (Hilda Simms) who is redeemed by the unconditional love of her husband (Earle Hyman). The performances of the family members gained repeated praise from the critics, in particular Canada Lee, Rosetta LeNoire, Frederick O'Neal, and Alice Childress. Several cast members made notable achievements later in their careers, including O'Neal who became the first black president of the Actors' Equity Association, and Hyman who became very well known in the 1980's as Russell Huxtable on "The Cosby Show". images available upon request Kiss And Tell July 5, 1944 A comedy staged and produced by George Abbott, and starring Jessie Royce Landis and Robert Keith as the parents of teenager Corliss Archer (Joan Caulfield). It also marked the Broadway premiere of Richard Widmark as Lieutenant Lenny Archer. The show was a situation comedy staged around the friends, neighbors, and love interests of Corliss Archer, and was a big success at 956 performances. images available upon request Catherine Was Great July 18, 1944 In an elaborate Mike Todd production, Mae West as empress Catherine The Great seduces all the men in her court except for Ray Bourbon, who plays a fay dress designer. She saves all of Russia, but not her reputation as a playwright in this ill-conceived muddle. 1 images » Anna Lucasta August 30, 1944 Successful American Negro Theatre production about a prostitute (Hilda Simms) who is redeemed by the unconditional love of her husband (Earle Hyman). The performances of the family members gained repeated praise from the critics, in particular Canada Lee, Rosetta LeNoire, Frederick O'Neal, and Alice Childress. Several cast members made notable achievements later in their careers, including O'Neal who became the first black president of the Actors' Equity Association, and Hyman who became very well known in the 1980's as Russell Huxtable on "The Cosby Show". images available upon request While The Sun Shines September 8, 1944 The George S. Kaufman-staged English comedy import, whose laughs revolve around the wooing of a bride-to-be (Anne Burr) by a French airman (Alexander Ivo) and an American lieutenant (Lewis Howard), and the outlandish silliness of her father (Melville Cooper). images available upon request Sadie Thompson September 21, 1944 A musical version of W. Somerset Maugham's "Rain," in which the title character was originally offered to Ethel Merman, who turned it down, and was replaced by June Havoc. The production was directed by Rouben Mamoulian, whose previous Broadway show was Oklahoma!. images available upon request Rebecca September 1944 Daphne Du Maurier's adaptation of her own novel "Rebecca" satisfied the curiosity of hinterland theatregoers eager to see Diana Barrymore and her husband Bramwell Fletcher in the roles played so brilliantly in the 1940 Hitchcock film version with Joan Fontaine and Laurence Olivier. Gotham critics were not kind, and the show ran a mere 20 performances. images available upon request Sing Out Sweet Land (part of series: American History In Song) November 1944 Walter Kerr's colorful salute to American folk and popular music, produced by the Theatre Guild and featuring Alfred Drake, fresh from Oklahoma!, Burl Ives, and Juanita Hall. images available upon request Many Happy Returns December 11, 1944 A very poorly received comedy starring Mary Astor, in her Broadway debut, as Cynthia Laceby and Neil Hamilton as Henry Burton. The show follows the wooing escapades of a sophisticated woman who ensnares a young man, his older banker father, and then several other men before the curtain falls for 1 of only 3 performances. 1 images » <  1  2  3  >

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