Villanova Digital Library - Poster, "The Front Page," October-November 1974. :: Digital Library@Villanova University

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Full Title	Poster, "The Front Page," October-November 1974.
Author	Hecht, Ben, 1894-1964. MacArthur, Charles, 1895-1956. Conti, Mark. Villanova Theatre Department.
Date Added	13 December 2019
Format	Poster
Language	English
Publish Date	1974
Publisher	Villanova, Pa.: Villanova University
Topic	Hecht, Ben, 1894-1964. MacArthur, Charles, 1895-1956. Villanova University. University Theater. Theater--History.
About	More Details Permanent Link
Disclaimers	Disclaimer of Liability Disclaimer of Endorsement

OCR we A BEN HEGL-GHAS. MAC ARTHURS TLE A ti VILLANOVA ENS AT A COMEDY DIRECTED BY MARK CONTI OCTOBER 3O— HWOVEMUBE MOVEMBER 6-2 CURTAIN 800 RESERVATIONS s27-9788 WE DA THURS FRI— SAT. STUDENTS 150 GENERAL 2.00 STUDENTS 250 GENERAL 300 VASEY THEATRE VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY | The New York @ Times May 12, Theater: ‘Front Page’ Gaily Revived Hecht-MacArthur Play Ed hel Barrymore a ood bad rae and jest une oF 140 tively great bad plavs. T dgzest” that) "The Er | Prise" by Ben Hecht. and ber It is gorgeously melodrae matic, it cuntrives to play ° bank a at and t gether ek arse cou teil at) of the widen Yi ‘were also Mineola, this is an cure fn the whole ¥ Superior stag The play i set in the Pre: ne Bt the Criminal Courts ._offerin wild and heady doses of civic corruption and hard-bitten newsgathering. rancid toughness of tne mewspupermen—all, pox lice reporters—pathered here was probably, even 40 vears ago, mythical” But like ever Rood myth it has a large ele- ment of truth in it, and e Seve the feel, scent an most of ail the excite ment 0 pap with all its hair lama twists and Brian farcical in th newspaper. ie the boy Fe sparer, hold. ‘he front-page | expert smari ad Sweet talking, Beth are neve alfecs Gnnately romanic caricatures, yet not perhaps too far from ality. There are, still peor ‘The battle Between the here is "simple. iildy. wants to go to New Yurk to start 2 new and well;aid career “The ‘wisecracks. have f the side of this speed and dexterity is, 1 think, achieved In Harold flimpses of movies uf th thirties on the late late show. THE EATER Old Play in Manhattan Tho Front P. je (by Ben, Hecht & Ctarles MacArbar; produced by. Hun Stromberg Jr. & Thomas Spenlet) i sil {ler 13 years, a good show. ww, Last wee ee rowdy salute to their ir Chicago n news- per days has brash, improbable life and gaudy, slapdash color, It had lost something, of cou much of its umor still clicked and ina ofits melo ode ma still crackled Tees days when all reporters were cynics and when Chicago's chief industry was crime. Its profanity had not dated, though it no di a Experts in the Trade, Us crack 3e- ol ing € ums (badly muffed by Arnold Moss) still lived up to the public's conception of t buri hatchet to bring off beat; taldy kept his git wane ie altar, a¢ a good porter should; ns do sles crossed Hildy i him, im, editor must. er pro- auction by Jed Harris made famous ‘oadway. The Front Page, as empo an His are eaectatiye brated “into cli- maxes; his adagios b ad- a tensely quiet tone, the play is held from _alipping into old-time meto- ais is a newspaper play, laid the pressroom of the Chica| one Criminal Courts Building, where the reporters are shown in inward and outward dishabille. The cross currents of interest, so flercely con- trasted and so effective in Broad- way—where murder stalked be- tween the dances of the cabaret— a adrol itly handled in The Front where a wedding tries to pertinent to to what ellow” journalism: e is the press room of the Criminal Courts Building in Chicago. here a clutch of reporters are waiting ernig itness a hanging sched ule for the ungodly hour of 5 A.M Earl William: rchist, about to be hang d for Killing a Negro polic ground of the gallows. How the campaign, and the Mayor and Spent panting for re esto on, hi adapte " the sloga form the reds with a pe in an often tw appeal to alte pat voters, expecially the Neg ¢ community, Hours before his scheduled execution the cv nan ese ro om that point Hilly Johnson, the Herald Examiner's ace repor ging editor Walter Burns ecome the dynamic characters, They fight each other, but both are seen to lemned omedy that at times comes rious farce. is a collaboration by Ben em to be. While the ph ish politicians, it doe ruthless newspaper q ing to0 continuously to discern its seri ous implications. With tw ventythres speaking parts, \comn| f and John MeGiver ls droll s the dead- pan Mayor. As a trollop. Peggy Cass turns in a fine performance; so does Dove Merande, as a cleaning wom- Katharine Houghton, as the girl Hildy intends to marry, is pretty and naive and Julia Me ce is prety and mature as her mot reporters are wot various human types: conscientious workers, fakers, shirkers and hypochondriacs. All are roles portrayed with professional skill. is roup Grama, Meanwhile athe setiring re- porter who is ti ¢ the n porters. who are scram! wing for headlines and the editor who is clutching at a coup are the com- onents of a swirling, scattering,

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