Spotlight on Lee Falk - The Theatre Years

Brattle Hall

Lee Falk had a passion for the theatre, and he wrote several plays including two musicals. During his lifetime he ran five theaters, produced about 300 plays and directed about 100 of them.

These summer theatres were resident equity company, supplemented by guest stars from theatre and film (and later television). The season started late in May and each play normally ran for one week. The actors received a "normal" payment to perform but the guest stars often had in their contracts a percentage of profit of the play. A common contract could be 10% of the gross with $750 per week guarantee. Since most of the plays made very little profit most of the guest stars worked for a fraction of what they would normally earn.

The Cambridge Summer Theatre (1940–1947)

at Brattle Hall (about 495 seats)

According to Phil Davis Louise Falk, acted in one of the summer stock companies at Connecticut in 1939. I assume that Lee Falk met John Huntington during the season. Anyhow, after reading Lee's play "Festival at Salzburg", John Huntington urged Lee Falk to join in producing summer stock at Brattle Hall (location: 40 Brattle Street, Harvard Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts / see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brattle_Hall and https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Brattle_Hall ) in the 1940 season.

The 1940 season

Miriam Battista, John Huntington and Lee Falk as managing trio, for an 8-week season at Brattle Hall. Among the stars reported engaged in June were Walter Slezak, Sheila Barrett and James Rennie, and the plays to be presented will include "The Good Fairy", "Biography", "Corespondent Unknown", "The Spider" and perhaps a new play by Mr. Falk.

Week of	Title	by	Starring	Cast	Credits
July 8	"Tonight or Never"	Lily Hatvany	Helen Ford	Ralph Morehouse, Walter Peterson, Ira Ari, Joseph F. Foley, Stephen Courtleigh, Emily Ross, Henry Lowe, Natalie Bixby and Claire Locke	directed by Neil McFee Skinner, settings George McFadden
July 15	"The Good Fairy"	Ferenc Molnár	Walter Slezak & Miriam Battista	Joseph F. Foley, Ralph Morehouse, Stephen Courtleigh and Emily Ross	Neil McFee Skinner
July 22	"The Spider"	Lowell Brentano & Fulton Oursler	James Rennie	Robert Pelham, Henry Sylvester, Louise Kanasireff, Joseph McInerney, Emily Ross, Thomas Calhoun, Stephen Courtlelgh, Joseph F. Foley, ...	staged by Neil McFee Skinner
July 29	"The Front Page"	Ben Hecht & Charles MacArthur	James Rennie	Wally Peterson, Richard Foster, Bruce Adams, John Huntington, William Weyse, John Shockrow, Edward Mayne, Dan Rudsten, Henry Sylvester, Stephen Courtleight, Miriam Battista, Joseph F Foley, Louise Kanasireff, Emily Ross, Ralph Morehouse, Tom Senna Jr and Ernest Ameral	staged by Neil McFee Skinner
August 5	"Petticoat Fever"	Mark Reed	Guy Robertson	Stephen Courtleight, Louise Kanasireff, Miriam Battista, Ralph Morehouse, Tom Senna Jr, Neil McFee Skinner, ...	staged by Neil McFee Skinner
August 12	"Blind Alley"	James Warwick	Stephen Courtleight & Bruce Adams	Miriam Battista and Louise Kanasireff	staged by Neil McFee Skinner
August 19	"The Barker"	Kenyon Nicholson	Ann Corio	Bruce Adams, Henry Sylvester, Wally Petersen, Barbara Herlihy, Vivian Simonds, Winnifred Dane, Ernest Ameral, John Gerstad, William Weyse, Maria Coxe, Tom Senna, Stephen Courtleight, Miriam Battista, John Shockrow, Ralph Morehouse and Louise Kanasireff	staged by Neil McFee Skinner, settings by George McFadden
August 26	"Your Loving Son"	Abby Merchant	Ezra Stone & Jessie Royce Landis	Kate Warriner, Maria Coxe, Stephen Courtleigh, Charita Bauer, Rex Williams, Dorothy Raymond, Judson Laire and Ralph Morehouse	staged by Ezra Stone
September 2	"White Cargo"	Leon Gordon	Ann Corio	Neil McFee Skinner, Ernest Ameral, Stephen Courtleight, Ralph Morehouse, Bruce Adams, Frank Ferrara, Tom Senna Jr, Richard Foster and John Gerstad	staged by Neil McFee Skinner

Playbills

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  White Cargo

The 1941 season

Co-sponsored by John Huntington and Lee Falk, and with Louise (acting name: Louise Kanasireff) as an actress in the resident company. The production staff included Wylie Adams as stage director, Frederic Lynwood as stage manager and Nina Wentworth as production manager.

Week of	Title	by	Starring	Cast	Credits
July 7	"The Lady Has a Heart"	Ladislaus Bus-Fekete	Elissa Landi	Marjorie Peggs, John Grogan, Ruth Hermansen, Paul Wilson, Robert E. Perry, William Mendrek and Robert Q Davis	staged by Wylie Adams, settings by Andrew Mack
July 14	"A Slight Case of Murder"	Damon Runyon & Howard Lindsay	Lionel Stander	Wylie Adams, Daniel Ocko, William Mendrek, Irving Lebowitz, Wilson Lehr, Coby Ruskin, Lionel Stander, Robert E. Perry, Ruth Hermansen, Louise Kanasireff, Judson Langill, ...	staged by Wylie Adams, settings by Andrew Mack
July 21	"The Philadelphia Story"	Philip Barry	Diana Barrymore	Robert E Perry, Ruth Hermansen, Helen Gilette, Watson White, Willian Mendrek, Louise Kanasireff, Wilson Lehr, Judson Langill, Wylie Adams
July 28	"Smart Women"	Myron C. Fagan	Anna Sten	Jane Middleton, Robert E. Perry, William Mendrek, Ruth Hermansen, Louise Kanasireff, Wylie Adams and Nicholas Harlow	staged by Mr Fagan
August 4	"The Command to Love"	Rudolph Lothar & Fritz Gottwald	Ramon Navarro	Charles Stern, Robert E. Perry, Jane Middleton, Larry Wood, Wilson Lehr, Daniel Ocko, Louise Kanasireff, William Mendrek and Frederic Lynwood	staged by Wylie Adams, settings by Andrew Mack
August 11	"Rain"	John Colton & Clemence Randolph	Leonore Ulric	William Mendrek, Robert Wilcox, Daniel Ocko, Robert E. Perry	staged by Wylie Adams, settings by Andrew Mack
August 18	"Pursuit of Happiness"	Alan Child and Isabelle Loudon	Francis Lederer	Helen Gillette, Emery Battis, Wilson Lehr, Ruth Hermansen, William Mendrek, Louise Kanasireff, Theodore Brown, Robert E. Perry
August 25	"Sorrow for Angles"	George Batson	Ruth Chatterton & Barry Thomson	Wilson Lehr, Marjorie Peggs, Robert E. Perry, Helen Gillette, Ruth Hermansen, Robert Wilcox, Nina Wentworth and William Mendrek	staged by Wylie Adams, settings by Andrew Mack
September 1	"Mr. and Mrs. North"	Owen Davis	Nancy Carroll	Robert Wilcox, Robert E. Perry, William Mendrek, Daniel Ocko, Louise Kanasireff, Fred Lynwood, Emery Battis, Joseph Thayer, Charles Stern, John Taylor (,Wilson Lehr, Marjorie Peggs, Helen Gillette)
September 8	"The Man Who Came to Dinner"	Moss Hart and George S.Kaufman	Adrienne Ames & Edward Massey	Robert E. Perry, Louise Kanasireff, Marjorie Peggs, Helen Gillette, Ruth Hermansen, Daniel Ocko, William Mendrek, Irving Locke, John Taylor, Frederic Lynwood, Winifred Wellington, ...
September 15	"No time for Comedy"	S. N. Behrman	Francis Lederer	Crace Coppin, Jean Goodale, Robert E. Perry, Robert Wilcox, Catherine Ayers,
September 22	"The Male Animal"	James Thurber & Elliott Nugent	Conrad Nagel	Betty Kelley, Edmond Ryan, Robert E. Perry, Louise Kanasireff, Frank Rossi, David Wayne, Irving Locke, Eulabelle Moore, Marjorie Peggs, Winifred Wellington (,Paul Wayne, Robert Wilcox)

Playbills

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  The Lady Has a Heart

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  A Slight Case of Murder

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  The Command to Love

The 1942 season

The 1942 season was announced to last 18 weeks and as co-sponsored by John Huntington and Lee Falk. Due to Lee Falk's WWII obligations this was changed to the co-sponsorship of Louise Falk and John Huntington. The same policy as last year with well-known guest stars from Broadway, Hollywood and the radio, supported by a resident company of professional players. The attractions changed weekly, with Wedensday and Saturday as matinee days. Robert E. Perry both acted and directed this season. Early May the season was announced: Within the first weeks will appear such stars as Conrad Nagle, Fay Wray, Ann Corio, Glenda Farrell and Jinx Falkenburg. Later in the summer there will appear Madeleine Carroll, John Boles, Edna Mae Oliver, Mischa Auer, John Carradine, Ruth Chatterton, Billie Burke and Edward Everett Horton.

Week of	Title	by	Starring	Cast	Credits
May 11	"George Washington Slept Here"	Moss Hart & George S. Kaufman	Cora Witherspoon	William Mendrek, Jack Sheehan, Mary Barthelmess, Charles Bell, Charlotte Sanger, Nancy Duncan, Frank Rossi, Louise Kanasireff, Helen Gillette, Allan Tower, Jolyon Baker, Robert Foster, James Lee, Vergel Cook, Gene Knudsen and Robert E. Perry	staged by Robert E. Perry
May 18	"Personal Island"	Pauline Williams	Fay Wray	William Mendrek, Allan Tower, Chester Gillis, Robert E. Perry, Charles Bell, Mary Barthelmess and Nancy Duncan	staged by Robert E. Perry, settings Andrew Mack
May 25	"Jason"	Samuel Raphaelson	Conrad Nagel	Mary Barthelmess, Hattie Barber, William Mendrek, Louise Kanasireff, Allan Tower, Charles Bell, John Taylor, Louis Roney, Dennis Gurney and Nancy Duncan	staged by Robert E. Perry, settings Andrew Mack
June 1	"It's a Wise Child"	Laurence E. Johnson	Ann Corio	Charles Bell, Robert E Perry, Louise Kanasireff, Mary Barthelmess, William Mendrek, Allan Tower, Edmon Ryan
June 8	"Private Lives"	Noel Coward	Ruth Chatterton & Ralph Forbes	Louise Kanasireff Robert E. Perry and Roderich Winchell	staged by Robert E. Perry, settings Andrew Mack
June 15	"This Thing Called Love"	Edwin Burke	Michael Whalen	Robert E. Perry, Nancy Duncan, Allan Tower, Gene Knudsen, Mary Barthelmess, Charles Bell, Louise Kanasireff, Iren Ryan and William Mendrek	staged by Robert E. Perry, settings Andrew Mack
June 22	"Theatre"	Somerset Maugham & Guy Bolton	Elissa Landi	Robert E. Perry, Louise Kanasireff, Mary Barthelmess, Allan Tower, Nancy Duncan, Charles Bell
June 29	"Skylark"	Samson Raphaelson	Madge Evans	Charles Bell, Dennis Gurney, Robert E. Perry, Allan Tower, Nancy Duncan, Gertrude Duncan, William Mendrek, Louise Kanasireff, Will Robinson	staged by Robert E. Perry, settings Andrew Mack
July 6	"Reflected Glory"	Georg Kelly	Gloria Swanson	Douglas Gregory, Eulabelle Moore, Myrtle Tannehill, Brent Sargent, Wendell Corey, Allan Tower, Mary Barthelmess and Harold J. Kennedy	directed by Harold J. Kennedy, settings Andrew Mack
July 13	"The Dark Tower"	Alexander Woolcott & George S. Kaufman	Gloria Stuart	Philip Huston, Robert E. Perry, Mary Barthelmess, William Mendrek, Winifred Wellington, Nancy Duncan, Allan Tower, Charles Bell
July 20	"Little Women"	Louisa May Alcott	Sylvia Sidney	Louise Kanasireff, Edythe Ward, Mary Barthelmess, Emma deWeale, Nancy Duncan, William Mendrek, Charles Bell, William Murphy, Eva Mudge, Robert E. Perry and Allan Tower	staged by Robert E. Perry, settings Andrew Mack
July 27	"Suspect"	Reginald Denham & Edward Percy	Flora Robson	Nancy Duncan, William Mendrek, Mary Barthelmess, Philip Huston, Dennis Gurney, Allan Tower and Louise Kanasireff	staged by Robert E. Perry, settings Andrew Mack
August 3	"Quiet Wedding"	Esther McCracken	Wendy Barrie	Edythe Ward, Jacqueline DeZuse, Alice Mansur, Emma deWeale, Ruth Hermansen, Irene Ryan, Nancy Duncan, Allan Tower, Philip Huston, Robert E. Perry, Charles Bell, Louise Kanasireff, Mary Barthelmess and William Mendrek	staged by Robert E. Perry, settings Andrew Mack
August 10	"Othello"	William Shakespeare	Paul Robeson	Uta Hagen, José Ferrer, Margaret Webster, George Keen, Robert Harrison, Ernest Graves, Robert E. Perry, Wallace Widdecombe, Charles Bell, Allan Tower, William Mendrek, William Woodson, Emery Battis, Margareth Webster and Louise Kanasireff	directed by Margaret Webster, production manager: John Haggott, settings Andrew Mack
August 17	"Out of the Frying Pan"	Francis Swann	Sally O'Neil	Charles Bell, Gaylord Mason, Nancy Duncan, Blanche Faye, Mary Barthelmess, Gertrude Wind, Will Robinson, Robert E. Perry, Allan Tower and William Mendrek	staged by Robert E. Perry, settings Andrew Mack
August 24	"Ten Nights in a Barroom"	William W. Pratt	-	Alan Tower, Robert E. Perry, William Murphy, Gaylord Mason, Henry Levin, Charles Bell, Grace Eyrick, William Mendrek, Mary Barthelmess, Edythe Ward and Nancy Duncan	staged by Robert E. Perry, settings Andrew Mack
August 31	"You Can't Take it with You"	George S. Kaufman & Moss Hart	Fred Stone & Paula Stone	Nancy Duncan, Ada Roston, William Mendrek, Dennis Gurney, Henry Levin, Harry Nash, Mary Barthelmess, Robert E. Perry, Charles Bell, Allan Tower, Jacqueline De Suze, William Murphy, Elizabeth Rifchin, Emery Battis, John Gerstad, Roderich Winchell and Louise Kanasireff	staged by Robert E. Perry, settings Andrew Mack
September 7	"Tonight at 8:30": "Ways and Means" & "Fumed Oak" & "Hands Across the Table"	Noel Coward	-	Louise Kanasireff, Robert E. Perry, Alan Tower, Charles Bell, Nancy Duncan, Mary Barthelmess, Grace Eyrick and William Mendrek; William Mendrek, Louise Kanasireff, Mary Barthelmessand Nancy Duncan; Grace Eyrick, Nancy Duncan, Robert E. Perry, Allan Tower, William Mendrek, Mary Barthelmess, Dennis Gurney, Louise Kanasireff and Charles Bell	staged by Robert E. Perry, settings Andrew Mack

Playbills and Advertisements

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  Othello

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  Cambridge newspaper "The Tech" May 12, 1942

The 1943 season

Presented by Louise Falk and John Huntington, with Louise Falk (acting name:Louise Kanasireff / Louise Valery) as an actress in the resident company. Robert E. Perry both acted and directed this season. The Cambridge Summer Theatre and Providence Playhouse (operated by Charles Howard & Wendell Corey) joined hands this season, and the various productions were put up one week at the Cambridge Summer Theatre and one week at the Providence Playhouse.

Week of	Title	by	Starring	Cast	Credits
June 7	"The Damask Cheek"	John Van Druten	Elissa Landi	Ruth Hermansen, Ann Dere, Dorothy Lambert, Robert E. Perry, Louise Valery, Roger Sullivan and William Mendrek	staged by Robert E. Perry, settings Andrew Mack
June 14	"Without Love"	Phillip Barry	Constance Bennet	Richard Hart, Robert E. Perry, Estelle Harmon, Marjorie Peggs, Louise Valery, George Andre, William Mendrek, Alan Tower, Farell Pelly and William Jeffrey	staged by Robert E. Perry, settings Andrew Mack
June 21	"Strictly Dishonorable"	Preston Sturgis	Jeanne Cagney	Frank Ferrara, William Mendrek, Allan Tower, Richard Hart, Jean Cagney, George Andre and William Jeffrey	staged by Robert E. Perry, settings Andrew Mack
June 28	"Old Acquaintance"	John Van Druten	Leatrice Joy Gilbert	Ann Dere, William Mendrek, Ada Roston, Ruth Hermansen, Elizabeth Rifchin and Allan Tower	staged by Robert E. Perry, settings Andrew Mack
July 5	"Personal Appearance"	Lawrence Riley	Dorothy MacKaill	Jeanne Cagney, Ann Dere, Louise Valery, Richard Hart, Dorothy Lambert, James Lee, Robert E. Perry, Alan Tower and Ofelia Cornejo	staged by Robert E. Perry, settings Andrew Mack
July 12	"Front Page"	Ben Hecht & Charles MacArthur	William Harrigan	Roderich Winchell, Ernest Woodward, William Weyse, Lester Lonergan, Wallis Smith, James Lee, Allan Tower, Barbara Leonard, Joseph Thayer, Frank Ferrara, Richard Hart, Dorothy Lambert, Louise Valery, William Mendrek, Jeanne Cagney, Ann Dere, William Jeffrey, Dehl Berti and Erneste Amaral	staged by Robert E. Perry, settings Andrew Mack
July 19	"Biography"	S. N. Behrman	Ilka Chase	John Ireland, Jeanne Cagney, William Mendrek, Allan Tower, Richard Hart, William Jeffrey and Louise Valery	staged by Allan Tower, settings by Andrew Mack
July 26	"Ladies in Retirement"	Edward Percy & Reginald Denham	Erin O'Brien-Moore	Jeanne Cagney, Ruth Hermansen, Richard Hart, Louise Valery, Marion Grant and Dorothy Lambert	staged by William Mendrek, settings by Andrew Mack
August 2	"The Willow Tree"	J. Harry Benrimo & Harrison Rhodes	Anna May Wong	James Lee, Allan Tower, Ernest Woodward, Richard Hart, William Weyse, William Jeffrey, Ofelia Cornejo, John Gerstad, Elaine Goodell and Louise Valery	staged by William Mendrek, settings by Andrew Mack
August 9	"Emperor Jones"	Eugene O'Neill	Rex Ingram	Beatrice Simkins, William Mendrek, Harry Nash, James Lee, Allan Tower, Lawanune Kennard, Larri Lauria, Ofelia Cornejo, Louise Valery, Barbara Leonard, Dot Beattie, Ruth Homond, Richard Hart, John Gerstad, Nichlas Harris, Ada Roston, Donald Josephs and Roy Allen	staged by Neil McFee Skinner, lighting by Wallis Smith, settings by Andrew Mack, percussion by Board O'Connor
August 16	"The Only Girl"	Herbert Blossom	Patti Pickens & Bob Simmons	Roderich Winchell, Louise Valery, Richard Hart, William Mendrek, Allan Tower, Ofelia Cornejo, Carol Curtis, Edith Feiner, Pat Withington, Jean Gillespie, Dot Beattle and Ruth Homond	staged by Allen Hay, settings by Andrew Mack, pianists: William Weston and Benoit Goulet
August 23	"Brief Moment"	S. N. Behrman	Glenda Farrell	Dean Norton, Allan Tower, Louise Valery, William Mendrek, William Weyse, Richard Hart, Wallis Smith and Barbara Leonard	staged by William Mendrek, settings by Andrew Mack
August 30	"Little Darling"	Erich Hatch	Jeanne Cagney	Louise Valery, Ted Allison, William Mendrek, James Lee, Allan Tower, Jean Gillespie, Fran Ferrara and Richard Hart	staged by William Mendrek

Playbills

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  Without Love

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  Ladies in Retirement (signed by Erin O'Brien-Moore)

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  The Only Girl

The 1944 season

Presented by Louise Falk and John Huntington, with Louise Falk (acting name: Louise Valery) as an actress in the resident company. Robert E. Perry both acted and directed this season. Among the stars likely to appear this season are Madge Evans, Billie Burke, Gloria Swanson, Ralph Forbes, Clare Luce, Brian Donlevy, E. Everett Norton, Nancy Carroll, Ruth Chatterton, etc.

Week of	Title	by	Starring	Cast	Credits
June 5	"Tonight or Never"	Lili Hatvany	Ethel Barrymoore Colt	Allan Tower, William Jeffrey, Lee Nugent, Dorothy Lambert, Robert E. Perry, Richard Hart, Kathryn Cameron and Roderich Winchell
June 12	"Another Love Story"	Sidney Kingsley	Madge Evans	Richard Hart, William Jeffery, Shirland Quinn, Eliot Duvey, Allan Tower, Robert E. Perry, Edmond Ryan, Lee Nugent, Marjorie Peggs and Louise Valery	staged by Robert E. Perry, settings Andrew Mack
June 19	"A Goose for a Gander	Harold J Kennedy	Gloria Swanson & Ralph Forbes	Lynn Carter, Louise Valery, Harold J Kennedy, Lee Nugent, Allan Tower, Miranda Swanson and David Tyrell	staged by Robert E. Perry, settings Andrew Mack
June 26	Anna Christie	Eugene O'Neill	Claire Luce	Philip Wheaton, Roy Allen, James Lawler, Allan Tower, Ralph Cullinan, Dorothy Lambert and Richard Hart	staged by Robert E. Perry, settings Andrew Mack
July 3	"Guest in the House"	Hagar Wilde & Dale Eunson	Julie Hayden	Louise Valery, Joan Eunson, Lillian Stafford, Allan Tower, Kathryn Cameron, Marjorie Peggs, Richard Hart, Robert E. Perry, Philip Wheaton, Julie Haydon, William Jeffrey, Dorothy Lambert Lee Nugent and Roderich Winchell	staged by Robert E. Perry, settings Andrew Mack
July 10	"Dark Eyes"	Elena Miramova & Eugenie Leontovich	Lenore Ulric	Louise Valery, Robert E. Perry, Richard Hard, Ruth Homond, Roy Allen, Muriel Pearce, Ada Roston, Marjorie Peggs and Allan Tower	staged by Robert E. Perry
July 17	"Oh Boy"	Guy Bolton & P. G. Wodehouse	Patti Pickens	Roderich Winchell, Robert E. Perry, Lynne Arlen, Lee Nugent, Louise Valery, Richard Hart, Patti Pickens, William Jeffrey, Allan Tower, Dorothy Lambert, Lillian Stafford and Robert Pryor	staged by Robert E. Perry, settings Andrew Mack
July 24	"The Little Foxes"	Lillian Hellman	Mabel Acker	Beatrice Simkins, Roy Allen, Muriel Pearce, Roderich Winchell, Richard Hart, John Huntington, William Jeffrey, Ruth Homond and Robert E. Perry	staged by Robert E. Perry, settings Andrew Mack
July 31	"Here's To Us"	Shirland Quin	Jean Muir	Ada Roston, Muriel Pierce, Jean Muir, Richard Hart, Louise Valery, Roderich Winchell, Ruth Homond and Shirland Quin	staged by Robert E. Perry, settings Andrew Mack
August 7	"Too Many Husbands"	W. Somerset Maugham	Nancy Carroll	Lee Nugent, Norma Cohan, Kathryn Cameron, Allan Tower, Robert E. Perry, Richard Hart, Lillian Staford, William Jeffrey and Marjorie Peggs	staged by Robert E. Perry, settings Andrew Mack
August 14	"Dark of the Moon"	Howard Richardson & William Berney	Carol Stone	Richard Hart, Roderich Winchell, Frances Goforth, Carl Windel, Ruth Homond, Richard Van Arsdale, Ronald Graham, Boardman O'Conner, Kathryn Cameron, Lee Nugent, Philip Wheaton, Constance Cooper, Myrtle Shaw, Norman Keohane, William Weyse, Allan Tower, Dorothy Lambert, John Gerstad, William Jeffrey, Robert Pryor, Robert E. Perry, Louise Valery, Lynne Arlen, ...	staged by Robert E. Perry, settings Andrew Mack
August 22	"Marriage is for Single People"	Stanley Richards	Jeanne Cagney	Mathilda Calman, Kathryn Cameron, Roderich Winchell, Lynne Arlen, Louise Valery, Allan Tower, Dorothy Lambert, Richard Hart, Ronald Graham, James Lawlor and Myrtle Shaw	staged by Robert E. Perry, settings Andrew Mack
August 29	"Come be My Love"	Edward Caulfield & Pauline Jamerson	Walter Hampden	Dorothy Sands, Kay MacDonald, Constance Root, Jean Adair, Ruth Homond, Charles Bowlby, Joe Latham, Ann Mason, Ada Roston and Edwin Cushman (all New York cast, including Ruth Homond of the Brattle Hall Playhouse)	staged by Arthur J. Beckhard, settings Andrew Mack
September 4	"Come be My Love"	Edward Caulfield & Pauline Jamerson	Walter Hampden	Dorothy Sands, Kay MacDonald, Constance Root, Jean Adair, Ruth Homond, Charles Bowlby, Joe Latham, Ann Mason, Ada Roston and Edwin Cushman (all New York cast, including Ruth Homond of the Brattle Hall Playhouse)	staged by Arthur J. Beckhard, settings Andrew Mack
September 11	"Winterkill"	Jerry Emerson	Margaret Hayes	Dorothy Lambert, Richard Hart, John Gerstad, William Jeffrey, Louise Valery, Allan Tower and Roderich Winchell	directed by Kermit Love, settings Andrew Mack

Playbills

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  Here's to You

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  Too Many Husbands (signed by Margaret Hayes)

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  Dark of the Moon (signed by Carol Stone, Richard Hart, Howard Richardson and William Berney)

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  Dark of the Moon (signed by Carol Stone, Howard Richardson, William Berney and Frances Goforth) / (recomposed image)

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  Tryout in Cambridge Theatre before Broadway (article)

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  Extract of article, "The Brooklyn Daily Eagle" September 21, 1947

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  Winterkill (signed by Nancy Carroll)

The 1945 season

Presented by Lee Falk and John Huntington. Director for the summer stock theatre was Neil McFoe Skinner, who "managed" in 1940.

Week of	Title	by	Starring	Cast	Credits
June 11	"Blithe Spirit"	Noel Coward	Elissa Landi	Kay Strozzi, Roderich Winchell and Marjorie Peggs	directed by Neil McFee Skinner
June 18	"Her Cardboard Lover"	Jacques Deval	Diana Barrymore	Edward Finnegan, Roderich Winchell, Robert Foster, Harry Ellerbe, Louis Borel, Eliot Duvey, Edythe Ward, Ray Hinkley, Peggy Stuart, William O'Halloran, Joanne Palmer, Marian Seldes, Randolph Campbell, William Otis and Cindy Hodges	staged by Harry Ellerbe, settings by Paul McGurie
June 25	"The Passionate Congressman"	Lee Harrison Falk	Neil Hamilton	Kurt Richards, Gertrude Flynn, Nick Harris, Edmon Ryan, George MacQuarrie, Bruce Adams, Ruth Homond, John McKee, Louise Valery, Frank McNellis, William Becker, Philip Wheaton, Roderich Winchell, Eliot Duvey, William Otis, Donald Josephs, Carter Jefferson	staged by Neil McFee Skinner (or Paul McGurie ?)
July 2	"My Sister Eileen"	Joseph A Fields & Jerome Chodorov	Libby Holman	Bruce Adams, Leila Ernst, Nick Harris, Norma Kellar, Ray Hinkley, Richard Kilbride, William Becker, Conner Jameson, Constance Moorehead, Eliot Duvey, Edythe Ward, Robert Foster, Kurt Richards, Robert Paine, Peggy Stuart, Winifred Wellington, Roderich Winchell, Philip Wheaton, Philip Bresnahan, Richard Van Arsdale, Paul Clark, Anton Hjelmar, Ruth Homond	staged by Neil McFee Skinner, settings by Paul McGurie
July 9	"Alice In Wonderland"	Eva Le Gallienne & Florida Friebus (adapted from Lewis Carroll)	Margareth Speaks & Emile Renan	Edythe Ward, Jerry Ross, Marian Seldes, Joanne Palmer, Robert Foster, Elisabeth Bradlee, Peggy Stuart, Kai Strozzi, Dorothy Lambert, Ray Hinkley, Bruce Adams, Philip Wheaton, Gertrude Woodard, Eliot Duvey, Kurt Richards, Ruth Homond, Roderich Winchell, Constance Moorehead, Norma Kellar and Hibbard James	music by John Charles Sacco, staged by Neil McFee Skinner, choreography by Jerry Ross, lighting by Eliot Duvey, settings and costumes by Paul McGurie
July 16	"Alice In Wonderland"	Eva Le Gallienne & Florida Friebus (adapted from Lewis Carroll)	Margareth Speaks & Emile Renan	Edythe Ward, Jerry Ross, Marian Seldes, Joanne Palmer, Robert Foster, Elisabeth Bradlee, Peggy Stuart, Kai Strozzi, Dorothy Lambert, Ray Hinkley, Bruce Adams, Philip Wheaton, Gertrude Woodard, Eliot Duvey, Kurt Richards, Ruth Homond, Roderich Winchell, Constance Moorehead, Norma Kellar and Hibbard James	music by John Charles Sacco, staged by Neil McFee Skinner, choreography by Jerry Ross, lighting by Eliot Duvey, settings and costumes by Paul McGurie
July 23	"The Spider"	Fulton Oursler & Lowell Brentano	Victor Jory	Kurt Richards, Conner Jameson, Ruth Hammond, Roderick Winchell, Dorothy Lambert, Ray Hinkley, Eliot Duvey, Edward Finnegan, Bruce Adams, Edythe Ward, ...	staged by Neil McFee Skinner
July 30	"Over 21"	Ruth Gordon	Lillian Harvey	Ruth Hammond, Kurt Richards, Lilian Harvey, Neil Skinner, Edmond Ryan, Ray Hinkley, Winifred Wellington, Roderich Winchell, Peggy Stuart, Eliot Duvey and Marion Seldes	staged by Neil McFee Skinner, settings by Paul McGurie

Playbills and Press review

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  My Sister Eileen (signed by actors)

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  Alice In Wonderland

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  The Spider

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  Favorable Press Review for "The Passionate Congressman"

The 1946 season

Returning in 1946 Lee Falk and John Huntington found that they could manage to operate one more summer theatre, if they could produce a play a week at the new Boston Summer Theatre and then move it to Cambridge the next week. One more thing was that television was beginning to compete with theatre and movies. One way to attract audiences was to bring in complete travelling shows from New York. These shows could easily be booked to play two theatres in two weeks.

Week of	Title	by	Starring	Cast	Credits
June 10	"The Hasty Heart"	John Patrick	Lilian Harvey	Paul Anderson, Eliot Duvey, William Mendrek, Robert Crawley, Roderich Winchell, William L. Brown, Allan Tower, William Jeffries	staged by Lee Falk
June 17	"Ten Little Indians"	Agatha Christie	Michael Whalen	Robert Crawley, Pamela Gordon, Eliot Duvey, Eileen Heckart, William Mendrek, William Jeffrey, Marion Grant, Allan Tower and Roderich Winchell
June 24	"Springtime for Henry"	Benn W. Levy	Edward Everett Horton	Norma Phillips, Matthew Smith, Muriel Hutchison and Elaine Ellis	staged by Henri Caubisens
July 1	"Night Must Fall"	Emlyn Williams	Dame May Whitty	Ruth Homond, William Mendrek, Marian Seldes, Marion Grant, Constance Moorehead, Allan Tower and Walter Starkey	staged by Lee Falk
July 8	"Sailor, Beware!"	Kenyon Nicholson and Charles Robinson	Ann Corio	Fred Graves, Bernard Kates, Robert Foster, Robert E. Weil, Phillip Wheaton, Karl Malden, Robert Crawley, Eliot Duvey, Roderich Winchell, Kae Dirrane, Peggy Corday, Lois Harmond, Eileen Heckart, Edward Finnegan, George Roland and Conrad Jameson	directed by Ann Corio, staged by Lee Falk
July 15	"Angel Street"	Patrick Hamilton	Francis Lederer and Bramwell Fletcher	Helen Shields, Roderich Winchell, Marion Grant, Ruth Homond, Dallas Burroughs and Richard Murphy	staged by Gant Gaither, settings by Paul McGurie
July 22	"Burlesque"	George Manker Watters & Arthur Hopkins	Bert Lahr	Eileen Heckart, Eliot Duvey, William Mendrek, Richard Crouch, Ruth Homond, Dorothy Lambert, Lois Harmon, Robert Weil, Allan Tower, Joe Battaglia, Paul Clark, Peggy Corday, Marian Seldes, Mimi Key, Marlilyn Parent, Peggy Corday, Irene Allarie, Fred Graves, Dallas Burrows and Richard Murphy	staged by Lee Falk
July 29	"Goodbye Again"	Allan Scott and George Haight	Roger Pryor & Phyllis Brooks	Joseph Rainey, Dallas Burrows, Jacqueline Freeman, Marion Grant, Bernard Kates, Constance Moorehead, Robert Foster, Roderich Winchell, Edward Finnegan and Joseph Magennis	settings by Paul McGurie, lighting by Eliot Duvey
August 5	"They Knew What They Wanted"	Sidney Howard	June Havoc	Robert Crawley, Roderich Winchell, Paul Clarke, Allan Tower, Robert Weil, George Roland, Richard Murphy, Donald Pharis, Estelle Ritchie, Anne Magennis, Joy Saunders and John Magennis	Staged by William Mendrek, lighting by Eliot Duvey
August 12	"The Best of Friends"	Andrew Rosenthal	Libby Holman	Eric Victor, Constance Brigham, Bertha Belmore, Donald Burr, Patricia Shay, Madeleine Clive, Brian Otis, Madelyn, Killeen, Eliva Sutherland, Crystal Ames, Alberta Pryme	staged by Rex O'Mally, settings by Matt Horner, chorography by Eric Victor, musical arrangements by Leo Kahn and Maynard Rutherford
August 19	"The Time of Your Life"	William Saroyan	James Dunn & Julie Hayden	Joe Magennis, George Roland, Bernard Kates, William Mendrek, Norman Brooks, Robert Foster, Donald Pharis, John Hawkins, Elva Cromwell, Roderich Winchell, Eliot Duvey, Eileen Heckart, Robert Crawley, Fred Graves, Robert Well, Ann Magennis, Estelle Ritchie, Dallas Burrows and Joe Saunders	staged by Lee Falk, settings by Matt Horner
August 26	"Meet the Wife"	Lynn Starling	Mary Boland	Stapleton Kent, Mimi Key, John Roche, Keith Barton, Noel Mills, Gene Blakely and Edward Cullen	staged by Stapleton Kent, directed by Eliot Duvey

Note

• 

  Night Must Fall

The 1947 season

The season of 1947 at the Cambridge Summer Theatre was the last on involving John Huntington and Lee Falk.

Week of	Title	by	Starring	Cast	Credits
June 30	"The Glass Menagerie"	Tennessee Williams	Julie Haydon & Helen MacKellar
July 7	"Joan of Lorraine"	Maxwell Anderson	Magda Evans	William Mendrek, Richard Crouch, Magde Evans, Allan Tower, Robert Foster, Bernard Kates, Roderich Winchell, Norman Brooks, Gertrude Flynn, Casey Walters, Bruce Adams, Clyde Waddell, William Jeffrey, Robert Crawley, Richard Boone, Winifred Wellington, Estelle Harmon and Paul Clarke	staged by Lee Falk, settings by Matt Horner
July 14	"Pursuit of Happiness"	Alan Child and Isabelle Loudon	Freddie Bartholomew	Gertrude Flynn, Melvyn Miller, Allan Tower, Casey Walters, Jean Gillespie, Winifred Wellington, William Mendrek, Richard Murphy, Ted Rowland and Roderich Winchell	staged by Lee Falk, settings by John Wulp and Tom Phillips
July 21	"There's Always Juliet"	John van Druten	Miriam Hopkins	Ruth Hermansen, Richard Kendrick and Robert Chawley	staged by Edward Goodman, settings by Matt Horner
July 28	"Dracula"	Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderston	Bela Lugosi	Gertrude Flynn, Casey Walters, Allan Tower, William Mendrek, Robert Foster, William Becker and Connie Moorehead	staged by Lee Falk, settings by Matt Horner
August 4	"The Man in Posession"	H. M. Harwood	Richard Arlen	Roderich Winchell, Sally Chamberlin, Jane Middleton, Harry McCabe, Jack Woods, Robert Crawley, Winifred Wellington, Elva Cromwell and William Jeffrey	staged by Lee Falk, settings by Matt Horner
August 11	"The Ghost Train"	Arnold Ridley	Arthur Treacher	Allan Tower, Gertrude Flynn, Bernard Kates, Robert Foster, Joe Saunders, Andrea Duncan, Ann Summers, William Mendrek, Casey Walters, Richard Crouch, Paul Clarke and Richard Murphy	staged by Lee Falk

Playbills

• 

  newspaper "Boston Herald" July 27 1947

The Boston Summer Theatre (1946–1958)

• 

  Lee Falk at the Boston Summer Theatre - as seen by Al Capp...!

at New England Mutual Hall (about 914 seats)

The "Boston Summer Theatre" was located at the "New England Mutual Hall" auditorium, a part of the vast "New England Mutual Insurance Building" (constructed in 1941) connecting Boylston and Newbury streets. It was used for helding company or social events and mainly for films and theatre performances between the 1940’s and the 1960’s. The entrance was then situed on 225 Clarendon Street, a few steps away from Boylston Street. During the 1960’s, the place was recalled "New England Life Hall" with an entrance at 501 Boylston Street. (see : http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/58272 )

Lee Falk had divorced in 1945 and when he returned in 1946 he fell in love with an actress of the summer stock, Constance J M Lilienthal. They were married in August 1946.

When returning in 1946 Lee started seriously directing and during this and the next seasons he directed a play every week. However, after the 1947 season he found that he could not operate his new summer theatre all by himself and the cartoonist Al Capp became his new silent partner in 1948.

The Boston Summer Theatre was doing well for many years until 1957 when Lee Falk started to lose money. Al Capp had dropped out in 1956 and John Huntington came back for the 1958 season. But sadly, they still lost money and Lee Falk decided to throw in the towel.

The 1946 season

Week of	Title	by	Starring	Cast	Credits
June 24	"Night Must Fall"	Emlyn Williams	Dame May Whitty	Ruth Homond, William Mendrek, Marian Seldes, Marion Grant, Constance Moorehead, Allan Tower and Walter Starkey	staged by Lee Falk, settings by Paul McGurie, lighting by Eliot Duvey
July 1	"Sailor, Beware!"	Kenyon Nicholson & Charles Robinson	Ann Corio	Fred Graves, Bernard Kates, Robert Foster, Robert E. Weil, Phillip Wheaton, Karl Malden, Robert Crawley, Eliot Duvey, Roderich Winchell, Kae Dirrane, Peggy Corday, Lois Harmond, Eileen Heckart, Edward Finnegan, George Roland and Conrad Jameson	staged by Lee Falk, settings by Paul McGurie, lighting by Eliot Duvey
July 8	"Angel Street"	Patrick Hamilton	Francis Lederer & Bramwell Fletcher	Helen Shields, Roderich Winchell, Marion Grant, Ruth Homond, Dallas Burroughs and Richard Murphy	staged by Gant Gaither, settings by Paul McGurie
July 15	"Burlesque"	George Manker Watters & Arthur Hopkins	Bert Lahr	Eileen Heckart, Elliot Duvey, William Mendrek, Ruth Homond, Dorothy Lambert, Lois Harmon, Robert Weil, Allan Tower, Joe Battaglia, Peggy Corday, Marian Seldes, Mimi Key, Marilyn Parent, Peggy Corday, Irene Allarie, Fred Graves	staged by Lee Falk
July 22	"Goodbye Again"	Allan Scott & George Haight	Roger Pryor & Phyllis Brooks	Joseph Rainey, Dallas Burrows, Jacqueline Freeman, Marion Grant, Bernard Kates, Constance Moorehead, Robert Foster, Roderich Winchell, Edward Finnegan and Joseph Magennis	settings by Paul McGurie, lighting by Eliot Duvey
July 29	"Burlesque"	George Manker Watters & Arthur Hopkins	Bert Lahr	Eileen Heckart, Elliot Duvey, William Mendrek, Ruth Homond, Dorothy Lambert, Lois Harmon, Robert Weil, Allan Tower, Joe Battaglia, Peggy Corday, Marian Seldes, Mimi Key, Marilyn Parent, Peggy Corday, Irene Allarie, Fred Graves	staged by Lee Falk
August 5	"The Best of Friends"	Andrew Rosenthal	Libby Holman	Eric Victor, Constance Brigham, Bertha Belmore, Donald Burr, Patricia Shay, Madeleine Clive, Brian Otis, Madelyn, Killeen, Eliva Sutherland, Crystal Ames, Alberta Pryme	staged by Rex O'Mally, settings by Matt Horner, chorography by Eric Victor, musical arrangements by Leo Kahn and Maynard Rutherford
August 12	"The Time of Your Life"	William Saroyan	James Dunn & Julie Hayden	Joe Magennis, George Roland, Bernard Kates, William Mendrek, Norman Brooks, Robert Foster, Donald Pharis, John Hawkins, Elva Cromwell, Roderich Winchell, Eliot Duvey, Eileen Heckart, Robert Crawley, Fred Graves, Robert Well, Ann Magennis, Estelle Ritchie, Dallas Burrows and Joe Saunders	staged by Lee Falk, settings by Matt Horner
August 19	"Meet the Wife"	Lynn Starling	Mary Boland	Stapleton Kent, Mimi Key, John Roche, Keith Barton, Noel Mills, Gene Blakely and Edward Cullen	staged by Stapleton Kent, directed by Eliot Duvey
August 26	"The Late George Apley"	John P. Marquand & George S. Kaufman	Grant Mitchell	Elva Cromwell, Mabel Acker, Robert Crawley, Ruth Homond, Richard Crouch, Marion Grant, Allan Tower, William Mendrek, Lucia Seger, Marian Seldes, Robert Foster, Judith Elder, Winifred Wellington, Eliot Duvey and Roderich Winchell	directed by Lee Falk, settings by Matt Horner
September 2	"The Late George Apley"	John P. Marquand & George S. Kaufman	Grant Mitchell	Elva Cromwell, Mabel Acker, Robert Crawley, Ruth Homond, Richard Crouch, Marion Grant, Allan Tower, William Mendrek, Lucia Seger, Marian Seldes, Robert Foster, Judith Elder, Winifred Wellington, Eliot Duvey and Roderich Winchell	directed by Lee Falk, settings by Matt Horner

Playbills

• 

  Night Must Fall

The 1947 season

Week of	Title	by	Starring	Cast	Credits
June 23	"Joan of Lorraine"	Maxwell Anderson	Magde Evans	William Mendrek, Richard Crouch, Magde Evans, Allan Tower, Robert Foster, Bernard Kates, Roderich Winchell, Norman Brooks, Gertrude Flynn, Casey Walters, Bruce Adams, Clyde Waddell, William Jeffrey, Robert Crawley, Richard Boone, Winifred Wellington, Estelle Harmon and Paul Clarke	staged by Lee Falk, settings by Matt Horner
June 30	"Joan of Lorraine"	Maxwell Anderson	Magde Evans	William Mendrek, Richard Crouch, Magde Evans, Allan Tower, Robert Foster, Bernard Kates, Roderich Winchell, Norman Brooks, Gertrude Flynn, Casey Walters, Bruce Adams, Clyde Waddell, William Jeffrey, Robert Crawley, Richard Boone, Winifred Wellington, Estelle Harmon and Paul Clarke	staged by Lee Falk, settings by Matt Horner
July 7	"Heaven Help the Angels"	Ted Luce	Grace & Paul Hartmann	Bill White, Ted Luce, Jane Bishir, Larry Lawrence, Maud Patten	Piano: Phil Ingalls, Drums: Jack Aiello. Settings Matt Horner
July 14	"There's Always Juliet"	John van Druten	Miriam Hopkins	Ruth Hermansen, Richard Kendrick and Robert Chawley	staged by Edward Goodman, settings by Matt Horner
July 21	"Dracula"	Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderston	Bela Lugosi	Gertrude Flynn, Casey Walters, Allan Tower, William Mendrek, Robert Foster, William Becker and Connie Moorehead	staged by Lee Falk, settings by Matt Horner
July 28	"The Man in Posession"	H. M. Harwood	Richard Arlen	Roderich Winchell, Sally Chamberlin, Jane Middleton, Harry McCabe, Jack Woods, Robert Crawley, Winifred Wellington, Elva Cromwell and William Jeffrey	staged by Lee Falk, settings by Matt Horner
August 4	"The Ghost Train"	Arnold Ridley	Arthur Treacher	Allan Tower, Gertrude Flynn, Bernard Kates, Robert Foster, Joe Saunders, Andrea Duncan, Ann Summers, William Mendrek, Casey Walters, Richard Crouch, Paul Clarke and Richard Murphy	staged by Lee Falk
August 11	"Laughter from a Cloud"	Lynn Riggs	Ilka Chase	Paul Clarke, Susan Douglas, Gene Byron, Polly Rowles, Ralph Longley, Cynthia Latham, Donald McDonald, Peter Harris and Barry Mitchell	staged by Jerome Mayer
August 18	"A Slight Case of Murder"	Damon Runyan & Howard Lindsy	James Dunn	Joe Magennis, Gertrude Flynn, Constance Moorehead, Casey Walters, Bernard Kates, William Mendrek, Robert Crawley, Allan Tower, William Jeffrey, Robert Foster, Roderich Winchell, Matt Horner, ...	staged by Lee Falk, settings by John Wulo, lighting by Estelle Harmon
August 25	"The First Mrs Fraser"	St John Erving	Jane Cowl	Reginald Mason, Allan Tower, Robert Crawley, Casey Walters, Anne Summers and Constance Moorehead

Playbills

• 

  Joan of Lorraine

• 

  Joan of Lorraine (program / front)

• 

  newspaper "Boston Herald" July 20 1947

• 

  Heaven Help the Angels (signed by Ted Luce and Jane Bashir)

• 

  Heaven Help the Angels

• 

  Dracula (signed by Bela Lugosi, Gertrude Flynn and Bernard Kates)

• 

  Laughter from A Cloud (signed by Cynthia Latham)

The 1948 season

Week of	Title	by	Starring	Cast	Credits
June 21	"Seven Keys to Baldpate"	George M. Cohan	William Gaxton	Roderick Winchell, Elva Cromwell, William Gaxton, Robert Crawley, Dorothy Beattie, Winifred Wellington, George Haggerty, Elizabeth Ayers, Bernard Kates, Clyde Waddell, William Jeffrey, David White, Richard E. Davis, Howard Price and Dallas Burrows	directed by Lee Falk, settings by Matt Horner, lighted by Estelle Harmon
June 28	"John Loves Mary"	Norman Krasna	Jackie Cooper	Constance Moorehead, Harry Mccabe, Bernard Kates, Clyde Waddell, Winifred Wellington, Robert Crawley, Jack Woods, Elizabeth Ayer and David White	directed by Lee Falk, designed by John Wulp, lighted by Estelle Harmon
July 5	"The Last of Mrs Cheney"	Frederick Lonsdale	Kay Francis	Joel Ashley, David White, Joseph Holland, Constance Moorehead, ..	directed by Lee Falk, settings by Matt Horner
July 12	"Othello"	William Shakespeare	Wesley Addy	Kurt Richards, Joseph Holland, William Cobb, Paul Lewis, Canada Lee, Ernest Graves, Roderick Winchell, Davis White, George Kyron, Claire Luce, Bernard Kates, Howard Price, Richard E. Davis, Lorraine Mac Martin, Constance Moorehead	staged by Henry Jones, settings by John Wulp
July 19	"The Marquise"	Noel Coward	Lillian Gish	John Williams, Judson Laire, Joel Thomas, Bernard Kates, Constance Moorehead, Winifred Wellington, David White and Joseph Holland	directed by Jerome Corey, settings by Matt Horner
July 26	"Design for Living"	Noël Coward	Ilka Chase	Derrick Lynn-Thomas, Robert Carroll, + Allen Nourse, Constance Moorehead, Elizabeth Ayers, Winifred Wellington and Arthur Loeb	directed by Lee Falk, designed by John Wulp, lighted by Estelle Harmon
August 2	"The Little Foxes"	Lillian Hellman	Ruth Chatterton	Beatrice Simkins, Nick Harris, Ann Follmann, Jerome Collamore, Christopher Marvin, William Jeffrey, Robert Emhardt, Elizabeth Ross and Allen Nourse	staged by Henry Jones, settings by Matt Horner, lighted by Estelle Harmon
August 9	"The Beaux' Strategem"	George Farquhar	Brian Aherne	Richard Temple, Maureen Stapleton, John Merivale, Patricia Jenkins, Carmen Mathews, Allen Nourse, Victor Beecroft, Jerome Collamore, Winifred Wellington, Mary Forbes, Paul Lewis, Howard Prioe and William Jeffery	staged by Brian Aherne and Arthur Marlowe, designed by John Wulp, lighted by Estelle Harmon, music by Alred Reynolds
August 16	"Kind Lady"	Edward Chodorov	Sylvia Sidney	Allen Nourse, Winifred Wellington, Peggy Fenn, Constance Moorehead, Christopher Marvin, Thomas Palmer, Margareth Magennis, Fred Graves, Cecil Clovelly, Diane deBrett, Jane Sutherland and Jerome Collamore	staged by Lee Falk, settings by Matt Horner, lighted by Estelle Harmon
August 23	"Springtime for Henry"	Benn W. Levy	Edward Everett Horton	Matthew Smith, Vivian Vance and Ottilie Kruger	directed by Henri Caubisens, designed by John Wulp

Playbills

• 

  Seven Keys to Baldpate

• 

  Seven Keys to Baldpate

• 

  John Loves Mary

• 

  Othello

• 

  The Marquise

• 

  Credits for "The Marquise" (see mention "For Mr.Falk")

• 

  Design for Living

• 

  The Little Foxes

• 

  The Beaux' Strategem

• 

  Kind Lady

• 

  Kind Lady cast list

The 1949 season

Week of	Title	by	Starring	Cast	Credits
July 4	"Pretty Penny"	Harold Rome and Jerome Chodorov	-	David Burns, George Keane, Michael Kidd, Lenore Lonergan, Marilyn Day, Carl Reiner, Barbara Martin, Bud Sweeney, Walter Scheff, Bill Skipper, Barbara McCutcheon, (Ken Spaulding, Peter Gennaro, Jay Lloyd, Onna White, Diane Sinclair, Wayne Lamb, Evelyn Taylor, Robert Morrow, George Spelvin, John Henson, Florence Henson and Barbara Weaver)	staged by George S. Kaufman, dances and musical numbers staged by Michael Kidd, costumes by Kenn Barr, settings by John Wulp
July 11	"Yes, My Darling Daughter"	Mark Reed	Ann Harding	Constance Moorehead, Allan Tower, Lucille Benson, Elizabeth Ayers, Allen Nourse and Leslie Nielsen	directed by Lee Falk
July 18	"Let Us Be Gay"	Rachael Crothers	Kay Francis	Joel Ashley, Ruth Hermansen, David White, Constance Moorehead, Elizabeth Ayers, Allan Tower, Nina Wentworth, Allen Nourse and Leslie Nielsen	staged by Jerome Shaw, settings by John Wulp
July 25	"The Philadelphia Story"	Philip Barry	Sarah Churchill	Jane Sutherland, Mabel Acker, Leslie Nielsen, Richard Crouch, Allan Tower, Joanne Palmer, Jeffrey Lyn, David White, Robert Carroll, Allen Nourse, Norma Leary and Howard Price	staged by John Craven, settings by John Wulp, lighted by Estelle Harmon
August 1	"The Barretts of Wimpole Street"	Rudolf Besier	Susan Peters	Allen Nourse, Susan Peters, Augusta French, Constance Moorehead, Elizabeth Ayers, Christopher Marvin, John Perkins, Jack Woods, Carl Elliott, Howard Price, Allan Tower, Diana Kemble, David White, Robert McQueeney, John Taylor and Leslie Nielsen	staged by Howard Bailey, settings by John Wulp, lighted by Estelle Harmon
August 8	"Amphitryon 38"	Jean Giraudoux	Elisabeth Bergner	Tom Rutherfurd, Harry Townes, Allen Nourse, Allan Tower, Leslie Nielsen, Philip Huston, Amelie Barleon, Jane Southerland and Ethel Britton	directed by Jose Ruben, settings by John Wulp, lighted by Estelle Harmon
August 14	"Happy Birthday"	Anita Loos	Joan Blondell	Lucille Benson, Evelyn Davis, Allen Nourse, Christopher Marvin, Diana Kemble, John Perkins, Norma Leary, Elizabeth Ayers, Joan Blondell, Constance Moorehead, Leslie Nielsen, David F. Perkins, Jeff Morrow, Paul Clarke, Belle Flower, Ruth Hermansen, ...	staged by Elmer Brown, settings by John Wulp
August 21	"Present Laughter"	Noël Coward	Edward Everett Horton	Diana Kemble, Augusta French, Paul Clarke, Jane Seymour, Katherine Meskill, Dudley Sadler, Allan Tower, Allen Nourse, Lisa Ayers and Ruth Hermansen	staged by Arthur Marlowe, settings by Martin Bloom
August 28	"Accent on Youth"	Samson Raphaelson	Paul Lukas	Ruth Hermansen, Howard Wendell, Leslie Nielsen, Constance Moorehead, Allan Tower, Elizabeth Ayers, John Perkins and Paul Clarke	staged by Lillian Uvarday, settings by John Wulp, lighted by Estelle Harmon
September 5	"The Philadelphia Story"	Philip Barry	Sarah Churchill	Jane Sutherland, Mabel Acker, Leslie Nielsen, Richard Crouch, Allan Tower, Joanne Palmer, William Kemp (July 25: Jeffrey Lyn), David White, Jeffrey Lynn (July 25: Robert Carroll), Philip Tonge (July 25: Allen Nourse), Norma Leary and Howard Price	staged by John Craven, settings by John Wulp, lighted by Estelle Harmon

Playbills

• 

  1949 program

• 

  Petty Penny

• 

  Pretty Penny, pre-review from June 12,1949 newspaper

• 

  The Philadelphia Story, (August 25 to 30, 1949 week)

• 

  Coming next week..."The Barretts of Wimpole Street"

• 

  The Barretts of Wimpole Street, (signed by actor Richard Quine / not playing)

• 

  Accent on Youth, (signed by Leslie Nielsen)

• 

  The Philadelphia Story, (September 5 to 10, 1949 week).

The 1950 season

Week of	Title	by	Starring	Cast	Credits
July 3	"The Second Man"	S. N. Behrman	Franchot Tone & Margaret Lindsay	Gloris Leachmann, Walter Brooke, ..	staged by Jean Dalrymple, settings by Richard Hill
July 10	"Angel Street"	Patrick Hamilton	Laraine Day	Ernest Cossart, Ferdi Hoffman, Betty Underwood, Elfrida Derwent, John Perkins, Paul Clarke	directed by Irvin Sudrow
July 17	"The Gay Divorce"	Dwight Taylor - Cole Porter	Carole Stone	John Perkins, Dick Sykes, Jack Whiting, Brenda Hollis, Angela Carrol, Mary Jane Kersey, Joan Mann, Allan Tower, Lenore Lonergan, Paul Clarke, Arny Freeman and Allen Nourse	directed by Lillian Udvardy
July 24	"Apple of his Eye"	Kenyon Nicholson & Charles Robinson	Edward Arnold	Betty Brew, Allen Nourse, Helen Shields, Allan Tower, Vera Ferguson, Lillian Afan, Fred Sherman, Peggy Fenn and Edwind Biudana	directed by Jerome Mayer, settings by Richard Hill
July 31	"On the Town"	Leonard Bernstein	Nancy Walker	Nita Naldi, Ruth Webb, Beverlee Boseman, James Jewel, John Sylvester, ...	staged by Carl Shain
August 7	"Over 21"	Ruth Gordon	Eve Arden & Brooks West	Maggie Magennis, Peter Harris, Allan Tower, Melvin Miller, Peggy Fenn, Austin Fairman, Blanche Faye, Allen Nourse and Norma Leary	staged by Tyler Winn, settings by Martin Bloom
August 14	"Dear Brutus"	James M. Barrie	Brian Aherne	Harry Ellerbe, Allan Tower, Harry Sothern, Constance Moorehead, Helen Craig, Peggy Fenn, Winifred Wellington, Allen Nourse, Charlotta Sherwood and Joanne Palmer	directed by Lee Falk, settings by Richard Hill, music by Van Williams
August 21	"Blind Alley"	James Warwick	Zachary Scott	Joanne Palmer, Peter Harris, Robert Allen, Dorothy Young, Ralph Robinson Jr, Peggy Fenn, Zachary Scott, Eileen Heckart, Allen Nourse and Paul Clarke	staged by John Hapgott, settings by Richard Hill
August 28	"His French Wife"	Charles Dean & Richard Doscher	Edward Everett Horton	Natalia Core, Stewart Bradley, Peter Harris, Maggie Magennis, Allan Tower, Paul Clarke and George Spelvin	directed by Howard Magwood, settings by Martin Bloom
September 4	"Finian's Rainbow"	Fred Saidy, E Y Harburg & Burton Lane	-	Philip Truex, Mary O'Fallon, Tom McElhany, John Cal Brown, Harriet Jackson, Mia Stenn, Bernice Hall, Paul Clarke, Allan Tower, Allen Nourse and John Diggs	directed by Philip Gordon, musical director Herbert Hecht

Note

• Constance Moorehead did appeare in several television shows this year.

Playbills

• 

  Angel Street (signed by actors)

• 

  Blind Alley (signed by Zachary Scott)

The 1951 season

Week of	Title	by	Starring	Cast	Credits
July 2	"Alice in Wonderland"	Frances Pole	-	Florence Frosberg, William Krach, Roy Raymond, Bruce Adams, Adele Thane, Allan Tower, John Dooley, William Ryan, Patty Collins, Patricia John Canty and John Henson	music composed by Charles Sacco, staged by Robert Perry, settings by Matt Horner, lighting by Eliot Duvey, costumes by Miss Pole
July 9	"Here Today"	George Oppenheimer	Eva Arden	Wayne Carson, Eulabelle Moore, Brooks West, Patricia John Canty, Viola Roache, Bert Thorn and Christopher Marvin	staged by Howard Quinn, settings by Matt Horner, lighting by Eliot Duvey
July 16	"Brigadoon"	Alan Jay Lerner & Frederick Loewe	-	Douglas Rideout, Orville Sherman, Joe Graham, Robert Scoble, Eleanor Fairchild, Wayne Carson, Christopher Marvin, Buell Jolly, Grace Olsen, Marcella Dogde, Polly McCulloch, James Schlader, Lois van Pelt, Allan Tower and Charles Booth	staged by William Krot, settings by Matt Horner
July 23	"Mirror, Mirror"	George Oppenheimer	Kay Francis	Joel Ashley, Jeanne Flanigan, Patricia John Canty, Joe Graham, Kay Francis, Wayne Carson, Nina Wentworth, Helen Donaldson and Allan Tower	directed by Julian Borris, settings by Matt Horner
July 30	"A Streetcar Named Desire"	Tennessee Williams	Julie Haydon	Beatrice Simkins, Norma Leary, Jerry O'Loughlin, Joe Graham, Norma Connolly, Edmond Hurshell, Paul Clarke, Wayne Carson, Joan Archer, Allan Tower and Nina Wentworth	directed by Jack Woods, lighting by Eliot Duvey
August 6	"Pal Joey"	Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart	Carol Bruce	Bob Fosse, Joe Graham, Phyllis Dorne, Joan Mann, Doris Schmitt, Nora Barstow, Rita Tanne, Sylvia Karlton, Paul Clarke, Carol Bruce, Edmond Hurshell, Joe Abdullah, Wayne Carson, Shannon Dean, Dick Bernie and Allan Tower	staged by John Mann, settings by Matt Horner, musical arrangement and direction by David Baker
August 13	"Glad Tidings"	Edward Mabley	Melvyn Douglas & Signe Hasso	Adele Thane, Virginia Dwyer, Ann Sturgis, Patricia Benoit, Allan Tower and Henry Garrard	staged by Mr Douglas, lighting by Eliot Duvey
August 20	"Clutterbuck"	Benn Levy	Arthur Treacher
August 27	"Come Back, Little Sheba"	William Inge	Joan Blondell	Ian Keith, Janet De Gore, Jerry O'Loughlin, Allan Tower, Beller Flower, Paul Clarke, Jan Solomon, Wayne Carson, Joe Graham and Joe Abdullah	staged by Paul Krauss
September 3	"Susan and God"	Rachel Crothers	Joan Bennett	Anne Francine, William Langford, Jean Casto, Douglas Gordon, Stuart Roberts, Mary Haynsworth, John Merivale, Walter Coy, Meinda Markey and Ann Duncan	directed by Edwin Gifford
September 10	"Here Today"	George Oppenheimer	Eva Arden

Ad and Playbills

• 

  1951 Season Ad (with Lee Falk adress in New York)

• 

  Pal Joey

• 

  Glad Tidings

• 

  Come Back, Little Sheba

The 1952 season

Week of	Title	by	Starring	Cast	Credits
June 23	"Carmen Jones"	Oscar Hammerstein II and Georges Bizet	Muriel Rahn	George M. Brooker, Charles Riley, Duke Williams, Elton J. Warren, J. Flash Riley, Luther Saxon, Rosetta LeNoir, Al Rivera, Eric Henry, Edward Christopher, Theresa Merritte, Audrey Vanterpool, George Fisher, Joseph Lewis and William Dillard	staged by Dick Campbell, chorography and dances by Sheldon Hoskins, settings by Theodore M. Sastrom, lighting by Eliot Duvey
June 30	"Carmen Jones"	Oscar Hammerstein II and Georges Bizet	Muriel Rahn	George M. Brooker, Charles Riley, Duke Williams, Elton J. Warren, J. Flash Riley, Luther Saxon, Rosetta LeNoir, Al Rivera, Eric Henry, Edward Christopher, Theresa Merritte, Audrey Vanterpool, George Fisher, Joseph Lewis and William Dillard	staged by Dick Campbell, chorography and dances by Sheldon Hoskins, settings by Theodore M. Sastrom, lighting by Eliot Duvey
July 7	"Season with Ginger"	Roland Alexander	Melvyn Douglas	Leore Thatcher, Polly Rowles, Gena Rowlands, Rita Vaughan, Betty Lou Keim, James Broderick, Billy James, Allan Tower, Wayne Carson, Frank Milan
July 14	"Nina"	Andre Roussin	Edward Everett Horton	Martha Linden, Christopher Plummer and Joe Graham	settings by Theodore M. Sastrom, lighting by Eliot Duvey
July 11	"Kiss me Kate"	Cole Parker & Bella Spewack	-	Arthur Maxwell, Juliana Larson, Lee Lindsey, Betsy Holland, William Graham, Forrest Carter, Orrin Hill and Alan Kass	staged by Emory Bass, musical director James Reed Lawlor
July 28	"Gramercy Ghost"	John C. Holm	Veronica Lake	Dulcie Cooper, Christopher Marvin, Allan Tower, Mark O'Daniels, Robert Quarry, Joe Graham, Phillip Abbott, John Conwell, William Leonard and Edwin Thurston	staged by Robert Quarry, settings by Theodore M. Sastrom, lighting by Eliot Duvey
August 4	"On Your Toes"	-	-	Bill Callahan, Joan Lowe, Bill Callahan, Elizabeth Buda, Joan Holloway, Wayne Carson, Katherine Sergava, Nina Popova, Yvonne Adair, Arney Freeman, Roy Milton, Robert Kirby, Gregg Owen, Bob Haddad, Jimmy Taravella, Arthur Wenzel ...	directed by John Fearnlay, dances by June Graham, cosumes by Stanley Simmons, pianists: Dean Fuller and John Cooke
August 11	"Private Lives"	Noel Coward	Victor Jory & Alexis Smith	Pat Breslin, David Orrick and Sally McMorrow	staged by Ashmead Scott
August 18	"One Touch of Venus"	S. J. Perelman & Ogden Nash	Carol Bruce	Robert Carroll, Eleanore Bagley, Stanley Prager, Bob Shaver, Betty Buday, Kevin Scott, Corky Geil, Wayne Carson, Nora Britow, Rober Kirby, Pat Stanley, Ray Hamilton ....	staged by Gus Schirmer Jr
August 25	"A Night at Madame Tussaud's"	Edwin Justus Mayer (+ script by Peter Lorre)	Peter Lorre & Miriam Hopkins	Ralph Clanton, Viola Frayne, Rudulph Justice Watson, Allan Tower, Paul Clarke and Helen Dayton	directed by Peter Lorre
September 1	"Jezebel's Husband"	Robert Nathan	Claude Rains	Claudia Morgen, Eileen Heckart, Robert Emhardt, Ruth McDevitt and Robert Kieth Jr	directed by Sherman Marks, settings by Theodore M. Sastrom, lighting by Eliot Duvey
September 8	"The Happy Time"	Samuel Taylor	Denise Darcel	Richard Trask, Robert DeCost, Mary MacLeod, Allan Tower, Gregg Juarez, Al Thaler, Martha Barron, Gayle Chandler, Edward Finnegan, Joe Graham and Gerry Hiken	directed by Jules Racine, settings by Theodore M. Sastrom, lighting by Eliot Duvey

Playbills

• 

  Carmen Jones

• 

  Season with Ginger

• 

  Nina

• 

  Kiss me Kate

• 

  Gramercy Ghost (signed by actress)

• 

  On Your Toes

• 

  One Touch of Venus

• 

  A Night at Madame Tussaud's

• 

  Jezebel's Husband

• 

  The Happy Time

The 1953 season

Week of	Title	by	Starring	Cast	Credits
June 29	"Bell, Book and Candle"	John van Druten	Alexis Smith & Viktor Jory	David Orrick, Maud Scheerer and Allan Tower	staged by Clarke Gordon, settings by Theodore M. Sastrom, lighting by Francis Sidlauskas
July 6	"Carousel"	Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II	Patricia Northrup	Barbara Cook, Lucille Benson, Tom Rieder, Lewis Ford, Hal Currier, Lois Van Pelt, Ann Barry, Paul Brown, Scott Merrill, Kenneth Leroy, Sydney G Stevens, Edwin Thurston, Allan Tower, Mona Tritsch, Kenneth Leroy, James Goodwin and Sydney G. Stevens	directed by william Hammerstein, choreography by June Graham, settings by Theodore M. Sastrom, lighting by Francis Sidlauskas, costumes by Joe Crosby, at the pianos; Victoria Crandall and Moreland Kortkamp
July 13	"John Loves Mary"	Norman Krasna	Farley Granger	Hollis Irving, David Van Celet, Philip Abbott, Allan Tower, Ethel Britton, Wayne Carson, Lawrence Goulding, Lillian Udvardy and Hal Currier	directed by Paul Lammers, settings by Theodore M. Sastrom
July 20	"One Thing After Another"	Sheldon Noble	-	Elizabeth Berryhill, Carol Brumm, Gordon Connell, Betty Cole, Robert Cowell, Jane Connell, Louis Bennet, Mary Madigan, John Tomaschke and William Rush	presented by The Original California Strawhatters, sketches and lyrics by Elizabeth Berryhill, music by Gordon Connell, additional sketches and lyrics by David Fulmer and Betty Hirshfield and John Tomaschke, additional music by Kathryn Bailey and Maurice Engleman, directed by Elizabeth Berryhill, musical direction by Gordon Connell, musical numbers staged by Jeannde Taylor Herst, settings by John Tomaschke and Ralph Headrick, costumes by Carol Brumm, pianists: Roslyn Frantz and John Price
July 27	"Annie Get Your Gun"	Irving Berlin, Herbert & Dorothy Fields	Sara Dillon & Jack Dabdoub	Donna Driver, Jack Crawley, Rita Karlin, Lee Stemer, Doris Driver, Allen Waine, Lucille Benson, Nora Bristow, James Tarbutton, Jack Dabdoub, Sara Dillon, Hal Currier, Allen Waine and Jerry Stiller	staged by Milton Lyon, at the pianos: Robert Drumm and William Clarke
August 3	"Life with Mother"	?	Billie Burke	Harry Bannister, James Hickman, Lucille Benson, Hal Currier, Maude Patton, Muriel Pearce, Bobby Alford, William Hinnant, Nina Wentworth, James Goodwin, Sydney G. Stevens, Sheila Pinkham, Shirley Fowler
August 10	"Peg O' My Heart"	J. Hartley Manners	Margaret O'Brien	Ethel Britton, Ken McEwen, Constance Moorehead, Lenn Phipps, Wayne Carson, Allan Tower, Albert Johnson and John Conwell	directed by Stanley Ackerman, settings by Theodore M. Sastrom, lighting by Francis Sidlauskas
August 17	"Island Visit"	Andrew Rosenthal	Cedric Hardwicke & Lili Darvas	Ludmilla Toretzka, Guy Arbury, Mary Scott and Anne Lubowe	staged by John Effrat
August 24	"Gentlemen Prefer Blondes'"		Betty Bartley & Ann Francine	Bob Haddad, Earl Oxford, Don Barton, Merrill Hilton, Velma Rayton, Hal Thompson, Hildegarde Halliday, Peter Held, Forrest Carter, Job Sanders, Rhoda Kerns, Hal Currier, Larry Silverson and Richard Kilbride	music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Leo Robin, musical direction by Wayne Sanders, settings by Theodore M. Sastrom
August 31	"The Play's the Thing"	Ferenc Molnar	Ezio Pinza	Stellar Broadway Cast	directed by Ezra Stone
September 7	"Mister Roberts"	Thommas Heggen & Joshua Logan	Wayne Morris	Hal Currier, Frederic Downs, David Van Celet, Matt Briggs, Sydney G. Stevens, Bruce Michael, Charles Polk, Paul Clarke, Larry Silverson, Lenn Phipps, Gregg Jurarez, Wayne Carson, Ann Sorg, Arthur Wenzel, Fred Alger, Dick Villard and Ed DiLorenzo	directed by Barnet Biro, settings by Theodore M. Sastrom
September 14	"Mister Roberts"	Thommas Heggen & Joshua Logan	Wayne Morris	Hal Currier, Frederic Downs, David Van Celet, Matt Briggs, Sydney G. Stevens, Bruce Michael, Charles Polk, Paul Clarke, Larry Silverson, Lenn Phipps, Gregg Jurarez, Wayne Carson, Ann Sorg, Arthur Wenzel, Fred Alger, Dick Villard and Ed DiLorenzo	directed by Barnet Biro, settings by Theodore M. Sastrom

Playbills

• 

  Carousel (signed by actors)

• 

  Bell, Book and Candle

• 

  John Loves Mary - On Stage Program cover

• 

  John Loves Mary - On Stage Program

• 

  John Loves Mary

• 

  One Thing After Another (signed by actors)

• 

  Annie-Get-Your-Gun (signed by actors)

• 

  Peg O' My Heart

• 

  Island Visit

The 1954 season

Week of	Title	by	Starring	Cast	Credits
July 5	"Gigi"	Anita Loos	Patricia Benoit	Maud Scheerer, Marion, Morris, Liam Sullivan, Allan Tower, Margareth Bannerman and Nina Wentworth	directed by Clarke Gordon, settings by Theodore M. Sastrom
July 12	"The Lady's not for Burning"	Christopher Fry	Uta Hagen & Herbert Berghof	Wyatt Cooper, Gaye Jordan, Clarke Gordon, Marion Morris, Henry Silva, Allan Tower, Dick Hamilton, Champ Reynolds and Conrad Bain	directed by William Hickey, settings by Theodore M. Sastrom, lighting by Francis Sidlauskas
July 19	"The Hasty Heart"	John Patrick	Farley Granger	Dick Hamilton, Wesley Lau, Clarke Gordon, Wyatt Cooper, Earl Jones, Champ Reynolds, Frances Heflin and Allan Tower	directed by Walt Witcover, settings by Theodore M. Sastrom, lighting by Francis Sidlauskas
July 26	"Song of Norway"	Milton Lazarus & Robert Wright and George Forrest	Lucille Manners	James Jewell, Delores Micheline, Paul Knowles, Robert Fortin, dance by Ruthanna Boris and Frank Hobi, ,,,	musical director Miss Crandall
August 2	"The Little Hut"	Andre Roussin	Marie Wilson	Walter Brooke, Melville Cooper and Jack Lord	directed by Richard Barr
August 9	"Autumn Crocus"	Dodie Smith	Margareth Truman	Ingeborg Roebbeling, George Voskovec, Pamela Simpson, Ethel Hodges, Lucie Lancaster, Anne Pearson, Marc May and Horace Cooper	direced by Morton DaCosta, settings by Theodore M. Sastrom, lighting by Francis Sidlauskas
August 16	"The Boys from Syracuse"	Richard Rodger & Lorenz Hart	-	Jerry Craig, Vincent Henry, Jay Harnick, Al Checco, Leonard Phipps, Alex Palermo, Allan Tower, Ray Hyson, Jack Weston, Patricia Wilkes, Jean Bradley, Patricia Wilson, Jon Denton, Nina Greer, Adele Aron, Marjorie Redmond and Joanne Freyer	staged by Gus Schirmer Jr, dances by Maria Karnilova, at the pianos: Wayne Sanders and Anthony Christefare
August 23	"The Vegetable"	F. Scott Fitzgerald	Wally Cox	Alice Pearce, Marilyn Gennaro, Donald Macdonald, Peggy Cass, Harry Bergman, Pete Turgeon, William LeMassena, Conrad Bane, Wayne Carson, Allen Tower and Charles Reynolds	directed by Peter Turgeon, production supervised by William Redfield, settings by Theodore M. Sastrom, lighting by Francis Sidlauskas
August 30	"Stalag 17"	Don Bevan & Edmund Trzcinski	-	All-Brodway Cast: John Sullivan, Joseph Elic, Tom Maier, Conrad Bain, Robert Shawley, Robert Fitzsimmons, Stewart Bradley, Leonard Phipps, Mike Antonakes, George Kopp, William Story, Lothar Rwalt, William Le Turgeon, Frank Curry, Ludwig Roth and Tony Landolfi	staged by Duford Armitage
September 4	"The Winslow Boy"	Terence Rattigan	Basil Rathbone	John J. Connoughton, Nina Wentworth, Harry Mehaffey, Dorothy Peterson, William Whitman, Joan Wetmoore, Richard Robbins and Conrad Bain	directed by Clarke Gordon, settings by Theodore M. Sastrom

Playbills and illustration

• 

  The Hasty Heart

• 

  Autumn Crocus

• 

  Lee Falk and actress Barbara Britton in front of the Boston Summer Theatre's Gate

• 

  Bronxville Review Press Reporter, 5 August 1954

The 1955 season

Presented by Lee Falk in association with Al Capp.

Week of	Title	by	Starring	Cast	Credits
July 4	"The Woman with Red Hair"	Sam Locke & Paul Roberts	Barbara Britton	Edmon Ryan and William Redfield	directed by Mr. Roberts, lighting by Theodore M. Sastrom
July 11	"Cyprienne"	Dorothy Monet	Uta Hagen & Herbert Berghof	Leonard Phipps, Anna Meara, Allan Tower, Robert Culp, Margaret O'Neil and Rex O'Malley	settings and lighting by Theodore M. Sastrom, music by Lee Pockriss
July 18	"No Time for Comedy"	S. N. Behrman	Sarah Churchill	Butterfly McQueen, Alexander Clark, Robert Carroll, Frances Tannehill, John Moorehead and Conrad Bain	staged by Roger Brackett, lighting by Theodore M. Sastrom
July 25	"The Great Waltz"	Moss Hart	Patricia Bowman	Edward Stinnett, Dean Mundy, Marden Bate, Sherri Sherlock, Lisa Rapport, Lyn Ballard, Betty Hairston, Ed Powell, Dorothy Vance, Howard Kahl, Angeline Collins, Robert Fortin and Josh Wheeler	directed by Charles K. Freeman, musical direction by Vicky Crandall, featured pianists: Miss Crandall and Moreland Kortkamp
August 1	"Member of the Wedding"	Carson McCuller	Ethel Waters & Janet de Gore
August 8	"The Rainmaker"	N. Richard Nash	Eva Marie Saint	Will Geer, Arthur Storch, Jack Mullaney, Mark Richamn, Truman Smith and Jeffrey Hayden	directed by Jeffrey Hayden
August 15	"You Can’t Take it with You"	George S. Kaufman & Moss Hart	Charles Coburn	Dulcie Cooper, Jill Miller, Helen Martin, Allan Tower, Elmer Brown, Arthur Anderson, Jesse Lucas, Juleen Compton, Andy King, Bob Lansing, Joseph Leon, Cynthia Carlin, Josef Draper and Nina Wentworth	staged by Harold Winson, settings by Stuart Whyte, lighting by Theodore M. Sastrom
August 22	"Wedding Breakfast"	Theodore Reeves	Shelly Winters	Virginia Vincent, Martin Balsam and Anthony Franciosa	directed by Frank Corsaro, settings and lighting by Theodore M. Sastrom
August 29	"Wonderful Town"	Joseph A. Fields and Jerome Chodorov	Evelyn Page	Ken Clifford, Alan Kass, Frank Larkin, Peggy Hadley, Gordon Shearer, Adele Aron, John L. Moorehead, Sybil Page, Ted Wills, Maude Patten, Jack Naufhton and Joe Sargent	staged by Gus Schirmer Jr, at the pianos Anthony Christofaro and Natalie Charlson
September 5	"The Tender Trap"	Max Shulman & Robert Paul Smith	Sloan Simpson & Jack Manning	Terri Clark, Robert McQueeney, Constance Moorehead, Sloan Simpson, Bette Ellen, Robert Lansing and Francis Perkins	directed by Jack Manning, settings and lighting by Theodore M. Sastrom

Playbills

• 

  Cyprienne

• 

  No Time for Comedy

• 

  Wedding Breakfast

• 

  The Rainmaker

The 1956 season

Presented by Lee Falk.

Week of	Title	by	Starring	Cast	Credits
July 2	"Lentil"	Rose Caylor	Fay Bainter, Glenda Farrell & Joan Tetsel	Florence Dunlap, Frances Fuller, Allan Tower, Bert Bertram, Tom Poston, Georgia Harvey, Jenny Hecht, Vera Fuller Mellish and Rubee Raymon	production by Linnell Jones, staged by Lee Falk, settings by Stuart Whyte, production assistant Alan Brock
July 9
July 16	"Beasop's Fables"		Beatrice Lillie	magician: Fred Keating, pianists: Eadie, Rack, John Philip and Shannon Dean	produced and directed by John Phillip, settings and costumes by Ellen Blume
July 23	"The Chalk Garden"	Enid Bagnold	Lillian Gish & Dorothy Gish	O. Z. Whitehead, Adele Thane, Charron Follett, Muriel Pearce, Frances Ingalls and Neil Fitzgerald	staged by Charles Bowden, settings by Stuart Whyte
July 30	"Stars of the Ballet Theatre"	-	Nora Kaya & John Kriza	Lupe Serrano, Ruth Ann Koesun, Scott Douglas, Catherine Horn, Christine Mayer and Enrique Martinez	musical director: Joseph Levine, piano accompanists Jaime Leon and Irving Owen, settings by Stuart Whyte, lighting by Al Petruccelli
August 6	"The Fifth Season"	Sylvia Regan	Chico Marx	Fred Graves, Joann Murphy, Dorothy Rice, Carl Don, Robert McQueeney, Ann Summers, Paul Carr, Olga Bielinska, Lorraine Kates, Lisa Barry, Marie Kelly and Allan Tower	directed by Lee Falk, settings by Stuart Whyte, lighting by Al Petruccelli
August 13	"Anniversary Waltz"	Jerome Chodorov & Joseph Fields	Sylvia Sidney	Ada Roston, John J. Connoughton, Shirley Pat Connoughton, Barry Thomson, Casey Walters, Joann Murphy, Sorrell Booke, Burt Austin, Allan Tower, Harriet MacGibbon and Carl Laing	directed by Richard Barr, settings by Stuart Whyte
August 20	"Paris"	Marin Brown (& Cole Porter)	Jane Morgan & Russel Nype	John Scanlan, Muriel Pearce, Allan Tower, Burt Austin, Frances Brandt, Jackie Balwin and Jack Emrek	directed by Jack Emrek, musical direction by Ernest Bragg, settings by Stuart Whyte, lighting by Al Petruccelli
August 27	"Oh, Men! Oh, Women"	Edward Chodorov	Neil Hamilton	Jenny Egan, Ray MacDonnell, Juleen Compton, John Scanlan, Dodie Bauer, Robert Gallagher and Burt Austin	directed by Lee Falk, settings by Stuart Whyte, lighting by Al Petruccelli
September 3	"The Solid Gold Cadillac"	Howard Teichmann & George S. Kaufman	Billie Burke	Maurice Burke, John Cecil Holm, Reynolds Evans, Iggie Wolfington, Susan Willis, James Gildersleeve, Willis Wynn, Milo Boulton, Elaine Swann, Fred Dixon, Dick Libertini and Don Perkins	directed by John Giroux, settings by Stuart Whyte
September 10	"Beasop's Fables"		Beatrice Lillie	magician: Fred Keating, pianists: Eadie, Rack, John Philip and Shannon Dean	produced and directed by John Phillip, settings and costumes by Ellen Blume

Playbills

• 

  Lentil (signed by actors)

• 

  Beasop's Fables (July)

• 

  The Chalk Garden (signed by actors)

• 

  Oh, Men!-Oh, Women!

• 

  The Solid Gold Cadillac (signed by Billie Burke)

• 

  Beasop's Fables (September)

The 1957 season

Presented by Lee Falk: Boston Summer Theatre Festival.

Week of	Title	by	Starring	Cast	Credits
July 8	"Volpone"	Ben Johson	Ian Keith & Alfred Ryder	Tom Bosley, David Bauer, Arthur Malet, Peggy Feury, Jane McArthur, Clifford David, Ray Bieri, Lance Cunard and Guy Sorel	directed by Gene Frankel, settings by Stuart Whyte, choreography by Tom Hasson, music by Daniel Gordon, Lee Thompson at the piano, lighting by Al Petruccelli
July 15	"Thieves' Carnival"	Jean Anouilh	Melville Cooper & Marjorie Gateson	Lawerence Spector, John Reese, Guy Sorel, Monica Lovett, Jane McArthur, David Bauer, Tom Bosley, Lance Cunard, Sylvester Campbell, George Liker, Dalila Mockapetris and Paul Epstein	directed by Warren Enters, production designed by Jack Brown, incidental music by Elmer Gordon, choreography by Tom Hasson, lighting by Al Petruccelli
July 22	"Venus Observed"	Christopher Fry	Melville Cooper & Murray Matheson	Lawrence Spector, Jack K. Hollander, John Reese, Tom Bosley, Robin Howard, Maureen Hurley, Ann Summers and Monica Lovett	directed by Lee Falk, production designed by Jack Brown, lighting by Al Petruccelli
July 29	"Back to Methuselah"	George Bernard Shaw	Celeste Holm	& James Daly, Felix Deebank, Valerie Bettis, Michael Tolan, Arnold Moss, John Granger and Dorothy Whitney	directed by Philip Burton, settings by Marvin Reiss, costumes by John Boyt, lighting by Paul Leaf
August 5	"The Madwoman of Chaillot"	Jean Giraudoux	Florence Reed, Estelle Winwood & Melville Cooper	Ernest Austin, Lance Cunard, Jack K. Hollander, Guy Sorel, Lorraine Kates, Ned Murphy, Gloria Liftman, Alvin Epstein, Andrea Wahl, John Reese, Robin Howard, Edmund Roney, Tony Koufman, Donald Curran, Lawrence Spector, Ray Bieri, Tom Bosley, Maureen Hurley and Adele Thane	directed by Warren Enters
August 12	"The Potting Shed"	Graham Greene	Frances Starr & Frank Conroy	& Gene Lyons Robin Morgan, Tom Bosley, Maureen Hurley, Edward Finnegan, Lawrence Spector, Edmund Roney, Adele Thane, Joan Croydon
August 19	"Lysistrata"
August 26	"Summer and Smoke"	Tennessee William	Margareth Phillips & Gene Lyons

Playbills

• 

  Volpone

• 

  Back-to-Methuselah

• 

  The-Madwoman-of-Chaillot(signed by Estelle Winwood and Alvin Epstein)

• 

  The-Potting-Shed

The 1958 season

Presented by Lee Falk and John Huntington.

Week of	Title	by	Starring	Cast	Credits
July 7	"Visit to a Small Planet"	Gore Vidal	Bert Lahr	Kenny Delmar, Stanley Tackney, Josephine Nichols, Kathryn Shaw, Jeff Davis, Stratton Walling, Grenadier Saadi, Ernest Austin, Al Petruccelli and John Lasell	staged by Pat Chandler, settings by Stuart White, lighting by Pema
July 14	"Mid-Summer"	Vina Delmar	James Mason	Pamela Mason, Suzanne Caubayene, Portland Mason, Adele Thane, Paul Andor, Betty Bartley, Jonathan Morris, Douglas Deane and Edward Finnegan	staged by Harold J. Kennedy, settings by Stuart Whyte, advance director Albert Penn
July 21	"Separate Tables"	Terence Rattigan	Basil Rathbone & Geraldine Page	Adele Thane, Catherine Proctor, Ann Shoemaker, Lucy Landau, Barbara Lester, Edgar Kent, Audrey Ridgwell, Ralph Purdom and Ann Stanwel	directed by John O'Shaughnessy , settings by Stuart White, lighting by Pema
July 28	"Tonight at 8:30"	Noel Coward	Faye Emerson & Murray Matheson	Judy Tucker, Faye Emerson, Murray Matheson, Peter Pagan, Jean Cameron, Charles Campbell, Edward Hastings, Rita Vale and Keith Herrington	directed by Christopher Hewitt, settings by Stuart Whyte, produced by Elliot Martin, Stuart Ross at the piano
August 4	"A Hole in the Head"	Arnold Schulman	Hal March	Ronnie Gates, Michael McAloney, Edward Finnegan, Ernest Austin, Donna Pearson, Maude Patten, Avril Gentile, Bill Tierney and Teena Starr	directed by Michael McAloney, settings by Stuart White, lighting by Pema
August 11	"Dulcy"	George S. Kaufman & Marc Connelly	Dody Goodman	Gene Lyons, Gloria Barret, Howard Mann, Justice Watson, Perry Fiske, Brooks Rogers, Lawrence Fletcher, Betty Rollin, Leo Bloom and Sanford McCauley	directed by Robert S. Finkel, show curtain by Marvin Reiss, settings by Stuart Whyte
August 18	"Sweet and Sour"	Florence Lowe & Caroline Francke	Melvyn Douglas	Connie Sawyer, Ina Balin, Gerald Hiken, Lesley Woods, Martha Greenhouse, Theodore Goetz, Albert Leberfeld, Alice Yourman, Daniel Reed and John Zee	directed by Don Richardson, settings by Stuart Whyte, lighting by Pema, costymes by Gene Coffine
August 25	"The Happiest Millionaire"	Kyle Crichton & Cordelia Drexel Biddle	Victor Jory	Maude Patten, George Ebeling, Richard Blair, Nick Smith, Jon Jory, Gaye Jordan, Ernest Austin, Marta Linden, Ellis Baker, Emma Rossi, Dalton Dearborn, Lou Nova and Cele Mclaughlin	staged by John O'Shaughnessy & Edward Hunt, settings by Stuart White, lighting by Pema
September 1	"Third Best Sport"	Eleanor & Leo Bayer	Celeste Holm	Sally Gracie, Ernest Austin, Jane Hoffman, Milo Boulton, James Karen, Russell Gaige, Andrew Duggan, Tony Kraber, Irene Cowan and Joseph Boland	directed by Michael Howard, settings by Stuart White, lighting by Pema
September 8	"Separate Tables"	Terence Rattigan	Basil Rathbone & Geraldine Page	Adele Thane, Catherine Proctor, Ann Shoemaker, Lucy Landau, Barbara Lester, Edgar Kent, Audrey Ridgwell, Ralph Purdom and Ann Stanwel	directed by John O'Shaughnessy , settings by Stuart White, lighting by Pema

Playbills

• 

  Visit A Small Planet (signed by actors)

• 

  Mid-Summer (signed by actors)

• 

  Separate Tables

• 

  Dulcy

• 

  The Happiest Millionaire

• 

  Third Best Sport

The County Playhouse (1952–1953)

at Framingham Cinema (about 2500 seats)

Framingham Cinema [1] was part of "Shopper’s World Mall", the world’s biggest shopping Centre located at Worcester Road, Route 9, Framingham, Massachusetts. It opened on October 4, 1951. The large Jordan Marsh dome on the southern end (see second picture below) was the sole anchor store for the mall in the earliest days. The dome was visible from the air and was used on aeronautical charts as a visual reporting point for aircraft approaching Boston's Logan Airport. At the time, It was reputed to be the third largest (in diameter) unsupported dome in the world after St. Peter's Basilica in Rome and St. Paul's Cathedral in London.

The original design of the Shoppers' World included a multipurpose theater, originally called “The Cinema” sited at one end of the mall. The house contained a large orchestra seating section, a balcony, and a full stage with a fly area for curtain, scenery, and lighting grid. ( Source Wikipedia article : [2] )

Lee Falk and Al Capp rented the Cinema during the summers of the years 1952–1954 to put up "the second week" of the plays from the Boston Summer theatre. The Framingham Cinema cancelled the last year of their contract and the County Playhouse operated only for the seasons of 1952 and 1953. Marlon Brando, Billy Burke and Ezio Pinza were some of the guest stars playing at the playhouse.

Views of the Framingham shopping mall and cinema

• 
• 

The 1952 season

Week of	Title	by	Starring	Cast	Credits
July 1	"Season with Ginger"	Ronald Alexander	Melvyn Douglas	Leora Thatcher, Polly Rowles, Gena Rowlands, Carol Lee, Ann Sturgis, James Broderick, Billy James, Allan Tower, Wayne Carson and Frank Milan	directed by Don Hershey, settings by Theodore M. Sastrom, lighting by Eliot Duvey
July 8	"Nina"		Edward Everett Norton	Marta Linden, Christopher Plummer, ..
July 15	"Kiss Me, Kate"	Samuel & Bella Spewack	Juliana Larson	Arthur Maxwell, Lee Lindsey, Betsy Holland	Directed by Emory Bass, music and lyrics by Cole Porter
July 21	"Come On Up...Ring Twice"	Miles Mander, Fred Schiller and Thomas Dunphy	Mae West	George Gilbreath, Rosetta Crawford, Albert Bergh, Grant Gordon, Therese Quadri, Jerome Gardino, Saul Davis, Steve Parker, David Langdon, Howard Ledig, Rand Elliott, Alan Furlan, Willis Claire, Larry Lee, Wayne Carson, Jim Wyler, William Leonard, Joe Graham	adapted by Mae West, directed by Herbert Kenwith, advance director for Miss West Sherwood Katz, settings by Theodore M Sastrom, lighting by Eliot Duvey
July 28	"On Your Toes"	Rodger & Hart	Arny Freeman	Katharine Sergava, Bill Callahan, Yvonne Adair + Broadway cast
August 4	"The Gramercy Ghost"	John Cecil Holm	Veronica Lake	Mark O'Daniels, Robert Querry, Christopher Marvin	Directed by Aden Alrich
August 11	"The Glass Menagerie"	Tennessee Williams	Dana Andrews	Walter Matthau, Mary Todd, June Walker
August 18	"Jezebel's Husband"	Robert Nathan	Claude Rains	Ossie Davis, Vinie Burrows, Ben Gazzara, Carmen Matthews, Claude Rains, Robert Emhardt, Ruth McDevitt, Judith Parrish, Claudia Morgan, William Leonard and Robert Kieth Jr.
August 25	"One Touch of Venus"		Carol Bruce
September 1	"The Happy Time"	Samuel Taylor	Denise Darcel	Gregg Juarez, Robert De Cost, Mary Macleod, Al Thaler, Richard Trask, Allan Tower, Martha Barron, Gayle Chandler, Edward Finnegan, Gerry Hiken, Joe Graham
September 8	"Desert Song"	Sigmund Romberg	Arthur Maxwell & Florence Forsberg

• Produced by Lee Falk in association with Al Capp.

Playbills

• 

  Season-with-Ginger

• 

  Kiss Me, Kate

• 

  Come On Up...Ring Twice

• 

  The Gramercy Ghost

• 

  The Glass Menagerie

• 

  Jezebel's Husband (signed by actors)

Press extract

• 

  annoucement for "The Gramercy Ghost" / "The Boston Globe" August 3, 1952

The 1953 season

The County Playhouse was granted a licence to "conduct plays and musicals at Shoppers' World, Cinema, week days, June 15 - September 5 inclusive, from 8:00 to 11:30 o'clock P.M., and on Wedensdays and Fridays, 2:00 to 5:30 P.M., also." (Town of Framingham, selectmen's records, regular meeting of the board of selectmen June 16, 1953)

Week of	Title	by	Starring	Cast	Credits
June 15	"Bell, Book and Candle"	John van Druten	Alexis Smith & Viktor Jory	David Orrick, Maud Scheerer and Allan Tower	staged by Clarke Gordon, settings by Theodore M. Sastrom, lighting by Francis Sidlauskas
June 22	"The Moone is Blue"	F. Hugh Herbert	Zachary Scott	June Dayton, Dean Harens and Hal Currier
June 29	"Life with Mother"	Lindsay-Croose	Billie Burke	Harry Bannister, Alan Jay Shnapier, Bobby Alford, James Goodwin, Maude Patton, James Hickman, William Jeffrey, Helen Ray, Nancy Devlin, Lucille Benson, Ethel Britton, Hal Currier and Louise Kirtland
July 6	"The Play's the Thing"	Molnar	Ezio Piaza
July 13	Carousel	Oscar Hammerstein II	Barbara Cook	Brodway cast: Patricia Northrup, Tom Rieder, Donald Blackey, Jane Morrissey, Scott Merrill, Lucille Benson, Mona Tritsch, Kenneth LeRoy, Ann Barry
July 20	"Annie Get Your Gun"	Irving Berlin	Sara Dillon & Jack Dabdoub
July 27	"Arms and the Man" (1)	George Bernard Shaw	Marlon Brando (2)	William Redfield, Anne Kimbell, Sam Gilman, Philip Rhodes, Janice Mars, Carlo Fiore, Nydia Westman	Directed by Herbert Ratner, costunes by Valerie Judd, settings by Theodore M Sastrom, lighting by Francis Sidlauskas
August 3	"Peg O' My Heart"	J. Hartley Manners	Margaret O'Brien	Ethel Britton, Ken McEwen, Constance Moorehead, Lenn Phipps, Wayne Carson, Allan Tower, Albert Johnson and John Conwell	directed by Stanley Ackerman, settings by Theodore M. Sastrom, lighting by Francis Sidlauskas
August 10	"Three Men on a Horse"	John Cecil Holm & George Abbott	Wally Cox
August 17	"Gentlemen Prefer Blondes'"			Betty Bartley, Ann Francine, Peter Held,
August 24	"Personal Appearance"		Dagmar
August 31	"Mister Roberts"	Thommas Heggen & Joshua Logan	Wayne Morris	Hal Currier, Frederic Downs, David Van Celet, Matt Briggs, Sydney G. Stevens, Bruce Michael, Charles Polk, Paul Clarke, Larry Silverson, Lenn Phipps, Gregg Jurarez, Wayne Carson, Ann Sorg, Arthur Wenzel, Fred Alger, Dick Villard and Ed DiLorenzo	directed by Barnet Biro, settings by Theodore M. Sastrom

• (1) arrangement with Morton Gottlieb and Albert Selden.
• (2) Lee Falk said Brandon turned down a TV job paying him $10.000 for this performance.

Playbills

• 

  Carousel

• 

  Arms-and-the-Man

• 

  Ad for "Peg O' My Heart"

The Marblehead Summer Theatre (1954–1955)

In 1952 Lee Falk said he had rented the North Shore Music Tent in Beverly, not far away from Marblehead. This might have been the start of the Marblehead Summer Theatre or some other project that wasn't realized. The North Shore Music Tent opened in 1954 as an open (open-air) summer-stock theater, but if Lee Falk was involved in the project is not known.

at Marblehead High School Auditorium (900 seat)

The "Marblehead High School Auditorium" takes place in the "Marblehead High School", 2 Humphrey Street, Marblehead, Massachusetts.

The Marblehead High School Auditorium was used for summer theater from the late thirties. M Blake Johnson and John L Washburn operated their "North Shore Playhouse" here for more than ten years before a new management took over the premises in 1950. The North Shore Playhouse then moved to Beverly High School.

The new management consisted of William B Cowen jr (managing director), Richard M Rockett, John Foley and Curt Winters. Their "Marblehead Playhouse" was only active for three years, and there was no 1953 season.

Lee Falk and Al Capp rented the premises to theirs "Marblehead Summer Theatre" in 1954.

The 1954 season

Week of	Title	by	Starring	Cast	Credits
July 5	"Paris '90"	Cornelia Otis Skinner	Cornelia Otis Skinner
July 12	"Mister Roberts"		Gene Raymond
July 19	"Songs of Norway"		Lucille Manners	James Jewell, Delores Micheline, Paul Knowles, Robert Fortin, Ruthanna Boris, Frank Hobi
July 26	"Autumn Crocus"	Dodie Smith	Margaret Truman	Ingeborg Roebbeling, George Voskovec, Pamela Simpson, Ethel Hodges, Lucie Lancaster, Anne Pearson, Marc May and Horace Cooper
August 2	"The Vegetable"	F. Scott Fitzgerald	Wally Cox	Alice Pearce, Marilyn Gennaro, Donald Macdonald, Peggy Cass, Harry Bergman, Pete Turgeon, William LeMassena, Conrad Bane, Wayne Carson, Allen Tower and Charles Reynolds	revisted by Wally Cox /Peter Turgeon /William Redfield, directed by Peter Turgeon, settings by Theodore M Sastrom, lighting by Francis Sidlauskas, production supervised by William Redfield
August 9	"The Little Hut"	Andre Roussin	Marie Wilson	Melville Cooper, Walter Brooke
August 16	"Stalag 17"	Don Bevan & Edmund Trzcinski		ALL-Brodway Cast
August 23	"The Show-Off"	George Kelly	Joe E. Brown	Sheila Pinkham, Ann Dere, Frances Helm, David Van Celet, Bryan Doyle, Robert Shawlay, Charles Reynolds, Kerr Buchan	settings by Theodore M Sastrom,
August 30	"Heaven Can Wait"	Harry Segall	Steve Cochran	Patricia Peardon, Allan Tower, Murial Williams, Lester Mack	directed by Lay Nilsen

• 

  Marblehead High School Auditorium mention for "The Show Off" 1954 play

The 1955 season

Week of	Title	by	Starring	Cast	Credits
July 4	"Mother was a Bachelor"	Irving W. Phillips	Billie Burke	Donald McClelland, Susan Seaforth, Robert Baines, Edwin Cooper, Terry DuHaine, Virgina Gerry, Tommy Halloran
July 11	"No Time for Comedy"	Samuel Nathaniel Behrman	Sarah Churchill	Robert Carroll
July 18	"Picnic"	William Inge	Gloria Vanderbilt & Jack Warden	Sylvia Davis, Helen Auerbach, Peter Sargent, Peg Hillias, Louise Larrabee, John Connell, Nina Wentworth, Maude Patton and Vaughn Taylor	staged by Sidney Lumet, settings and lighting by Stuart White, advance director Albert Penn
July 25	"Member of the Wedding"	Carson McCullers	Ethel Waters
August 1	"You Can't Take it With You"		Charles Coburn
August 8	"The Winslow Boy" (1)	Terence Rattigan	Basil Rathbone	Colin Keith-Johnston, Sarah Burton, Pamela Simpson, ...
August 15	"Blithe Spirit"	Noel Coward	Eva Gabor	Alan Manson, Paula Laurence, Anna Minot, Muriel Pearce + "Stellar Brodway Cast"
August 22	"The Caine Mutiny Court Martial"		Jeffrey Lynn
August 29	"Sabrina Fair"	Samuel Taylor	Jacqueline Holt	Earl Hammond, Larrabee Jr. Gaines Kincaid, Tyler Win, Olive Templeton, Sue Smidt, Joe Guilfoyle, Joe Bridges and Bob Lansing

• 1 Presented by Lee Falk, staged by Basil Rathbone, production director George Mully
• the performance of August 16 was a benefit performance aiding the Mary Allen Hospital in Marblehead.

Playbills

• 

  Mother was a Bachelor

• 

  No Time for Comedy

• 

  Picnic (next week announcement)

• 

  The Winslow Boy

• 

  Blithe Spirit (signed by actors)

The Bahama Playhouse / British Colonial Playhouse (1950–1955 ?)

at British Colonial Hotel (about 280 seats)

Described as a theatre in a H, with the crossbar of the H as the stage and the audience on both sides. It was a tiny stage, curtainless and without scenery. It was founded in January, 1951, by Martin Manulis and Philip Langner. It had a resident company and brought in guest actors.

The 1951 season

Martin Manulis co-prodused the eight-week stock season with Philip Langner opening on January 29, with 5 performances per week in the Bahamas Playhouse on the grounds of the British Colonial Hotel, one night a week at the Capitol theatre on Bay street.

Week of	Title	by	Starring	Cast	note
January 29	"Springtime for Henry"	Ben W Levy	Edward Everett Horton	Katharine Bard, Marta Linden and Murray Matheson	directed by E E Horton
February 5	"John Loves Mary"		Jeffrey Lynn	Tom Ewell and Katharine Bard	(scheduled for subsequent weeks: "Harvey", "For Love or Money", "Arms and the Man", "Second Man" with Zachary Scott)
February 12	"Harvey"		Tom Ewell
February 19	"For Love or Money"		John Loder
February 26	"Arms and the Man"		Francis Lederer	Louisa Horton,
March 5	"Miss Mabel"		Lillian Gish	Romney Brent
March 12	"Castle in the Air"		Cyril Ritchard	Magde Elliot,
March 19	"Voice of Turtle"		Richard Greene

The 1952 season

Eight weeks - run by the same people who operated the New Parsons Theatre in Hartford. The first three weeks were directed by Martin Manulis and then by Romney Brent. In December 1951 their plans were: Jane", "The Grass Harp", "Gigi", "The Fourposter" and "Don Juan in Hell".

Week of	Title	by	Starring	Cast
January 28	"Goodby Again"	Allan Scott and George Haight	Tom Ewell	Marjorie Ewell, Marta Linden and Katharine Bard.
February 4	"Second Man"	S N Behrman	Zachary Scott
February 11	"Blithe Spirit"	Covard	Zachary Scott	Katharine Bard, Marta Linden and Queenie Smith.
March 9	"Libel"		Alan Napier
?	"A Case of Scotch"	Aimee Stuart
?
March 17	"O Mistress Mine"		David Cole

• John Loder in O Mistress Mine
• John Dall, Margaret Phillips, Romney Brent, Gordon Mills, Lathrop Mitchell, Richard Shepard, Ralph Lycett, Frank J Perry, Aaron M Frankel

The 1953 season

Lee and his wife Connie used to spend parts of the winters in Nassau, Bahamas. Lawrence Langner, Martin Manulis and Charles Bowden had been operated the theatre for two years without any financial success. In 1952 they asked Lee Falk if he would like to manage the theatre and he accepted.

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Week of	Title	by	Starring	Cast
February 2	"Private Lives"	Noël Coward	Judith Evelyn
February 9
February 16	"The Constant Wife"	W. Somerset Maugham	Judith Eveland	Constance Moorehead, ..
February 23	"Bell, Book and Candle"	John Van Druten	Charlton Heston & Lydia Clarke	Maud Scheerer, ..
March 2 (?)	"Accent on Youth"		Murray Matheson	Constance Moorehead, ..
March 9 (?)	"Old Acquaintance"	Jan Van Druten	Ilka Chase
March 16
March 23

note:

• Bahamas Playhouse - eight weeks
• Stuart Vaughan played in "Bell, Book and Candle" and "The Moon is Blue", he also directed four of eight plays.
• Starring in 1953: Arthur Treacher, Murray Matheson, Judith Evelyn, Charlton Heston, Ilka Chase...
• Also Jane Henderson, Jacqueline Holt
• "Personal Appearance” with Miss Veronica Lake and "Over Twenty-One" with Miss Ilka Chase.

The 1954 season

Before its eight-week season under the direction of Lee Falk, the British Colonial Playhouse had undergone extensive renovations. The fourth winter season was under Lee Falk's direction and with Ralph Lycett as public relations manager. The plays were given Mondays through Fridays, mostly for seasonal subscribers, and then move to Capitol Theatre on Saturday nights for a pop-priced showing to the general public.

For this season Lee Falk mentioned one play on Elizabeth the First: "either Elizabeth and Essex or Young Elizabeth" and a few actors: " Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Maria Riva, Farley Granger and Wayne Morris". In January he said either "Gigi" or "Bill of Divorcement" with Phyllis Kirk was lined up for February 22, followed by "Affair of State" with Louise Albritton. The three remaining plays were still to be announced.

This season the British Colonial Playhouse was owned by Lady Oakes, directed by Lee Falk and produced by Laurence Langer of Theatrical Guild of New York. It was under the patronage of his Excellency, The Governor of the Bahamas, The Earl of Ranfurly.

The management decided to extend the season with one week.

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Week of	Title	by	Starring	Cast
February 1	"Pygmalion"	George Bernard Shaw	Murray Matheson & Leueen MacGrath	Frances Helm, Nancy Nutt,..
February 8	"The Play's the Thing"	Molnar	Magda Gabor
February 15	"The Lady's Not for Burning"	Christopher Fry	Uta Hagen & Herbert Berghof	Frances Helm, -- Directed by Clarke Gordon (charge of properties: Nancy Nutt)
March 1	?	?	?	Marion Morris
March 1 (?)	"Affairs of State"	Louis Verneuil	Louise Allbritton	William Tregoe (?)
March 1 (?)	"Gigi"		Estelle Winwood & Frances Helm	(charge of properties: Nancy Nutt)
	"The Play's the Thing"		Magda Gabor & Murray Matheson	(charge of properties: Nancy Nutt)
March	"The Country Girl"	Clifford Odets	Nils Asther & Constance Moorehead	Nancy Nutt,..
March 29	"The Glass Menagerie"

• The resident company this season: Miss Frances Helm, Mr. Wyatt Cooper, Mr. Claude Horton, Miss Jean Cameron, Mr. Bryan Doyle, Miss Marion Morris, Miss Frances Woodbury, and Mr. Conrad Bain.
  • Frances Helm appeared in Pygmalion, played the title role in Gigi, Allison in The Lady's Not for Burning, Celia in The Cocktail Party, Laura in The Glass Menagerie and Pat in The White Sheep of the Family
  • Katharine Molson was member of the resident company. (She acted with Murray Matheson and Conrad Bain.)
  • Conrad Bain was member of the resident company
• Among the audience March 1: Kirk Douglas, the Swedish tenor Jussi Bjoerling and wife, Lord Ranfruly and Lady Ranfurly, Louise Allbritton...

The 1955 season

Late 1954 the producer Frank Falk was plotting a new season. The venture was capitalized at $5.000, with Lee Falk as general partner and Larry Aldrich as sole investor. Aldrich was to recieve 25% of the profit.

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The schedule of plays includes "The Four Poster," "Don Juan in Hell," "Dial M for Murder," "The Vinegar Tree," "The Cocktail Party," "A Phoenix Too Frequent," "Ways and Means."

Week of	Title	by	Starring	Cast
January 31
February 7
February 14
February 21
Februar 28	"The Vingar Tree"	Paul Osborn	Shirley Booth	Michael Steel,
March 7
March 14
March 21

• Edward Everett Horton, Murray Matheson (?), Diana Douglas

The 1956 season

Lee Falk produced five musicals at the British Colonial Playhouse , directed by C W Christenberry jr.

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Week of	Title	by	Starring	Cast
	"Don Juan in Hell"
February	"Song of Norway"		Angelene Collins
	"Die Fledermaus"		Angelene Collins

• Van Hawley
• Vicki Crandall was co-producer and musical director.
• Alex Palermo performed and was choreographer.
• Dorothea MacFarland performed in addition to doubled as costyme designer and director.
• If the theatre still was operated by Lee Falk after the 1956 season is uncertain.

Other theatres

1950

The Grist Mill Playhouse

Playbill

Lee Falk was the producer on "On The Town" by Betty Comden and Adolph Green with music by Leonard Bernstein at The Grist Mill Playhouse (Andover N.J.) week of July 17, 1950.

Credits:
Staged by Carl Shain, Choreography by Beverlee Bozeman, Assistant Director: Paul Lamers, Set Designed by William Moore, Music Arranged and Executed by Dean Fuller and David Craig.
Cast: Nancy Walker, Ruth Webb, James Jewell, Nita Naldi, John Sylvester, Chris Alexander, Robert Gallagher, Beverlee Bozeman, Faith Forte, Marilyn Gelber, Walter Neal, Portia Nelson, Steven Lee, Robert Calder, Robert De Voye, Eleanor Fairchild, Gordon Peters, Alice Thorsell, Betsy Stickney, Jean Timmerman, Zelene McDavit, Barbara Bronson, Robert Holly, Malcolm Stickney, Robert Hebbard, Lanny Gans.

Spa Summer Theatre

Lee Falk was the production supervisor of the musical comedy "On the Town" by Betty Comden and Adolph Green at Spa Summer Theatre (Saratoga) week of August 7, 1950.
Credits:
Music by Lonard Bernstein, Staged by Carl Shain, Choreography by Beverlee Bozeman, Assistant director, Paul Lammers, Settings designed by Donald Shirley, Musical arrangements by Dean Fuller, Production supervised by Lee Falk, At the pianos Dean Fuller and Arthur Medoff.
Cast: Robert Gallagher, John Sylvester, Chris Alexander, James Jewell, Gerry Lockerty, Gwyneth Dun, Kenneth Rosen, Portia Nelson, Beverlee Bozeman, Nancy Walker, Robert Calder, Robert de Voye, Ruth Webb, Eleanor Fairchild, Nita Naidi, Clyde Waddell, Vera Ferguson, James Feltner, Klaus Kolmar, David Roykouff, Mina Barstow, Katherine Jones, Dana Kraus, Faith Lavine, Judy Jones.

Lee Falk was the director for the play "Roman Candle" by Sidney Sheldon at Spa Summer Theatre (Saratoga) week of June 27, 1960.
Credits:
Production designed and lighted by Charles J Hammer Jr.
Cast: Bill Story, Ben Etheridge, Scott Brady, Ann Folger, Jane Bruce, Robert Steward, Conrad Bain, Joseph Holland, Walter Mathews, Susanne Storrs, John Huntington, Henry Whittemore, Casey Walters, Robert Van Dorn, Joel Taylor

1958

Renata Theater

Lee Falk was the director and co-producer for the play "Winkelberg" by Ben Hecht at Renata Theater (NY) in 1958. It opened January 14 1958 and run for 58 preformances.

Credits:
Set Designer: Lester Polakov, Costume Designer: Don Jensen, Lighting Designer: Lester Polakov, Press Representative: Lewis Harmond & Sol Jacobsen, Stage Manager: Ernest Austin, Edward Roney and Bob Sugarman.
Cast: Arthur Anderson, Ernie Austin, Aza Bard, Sorell Booke, Norman Budd, Frances Chaney, Tom Clancy, Jayne Heller, Harry Holsten, Robert Earl Jones, Mike Kellin, Louise Kirtland, Sondra Lee, Michael Lewis, James Mitchell, Shirley Smith, Bob Sugarman, Helen Waters

Playbills

• 

  "Winkelberg" front program

• 

  "Winkelberg" inside program

Sources

• This article is based on "The Theatre Years", an article written by Peder J Bjørkmann with help from Andreas Andreas Eriksson, printed in "Lee Falk – Storyteller", (GML Förlag 2011), pgs 61-65.
• Supplementary information is taken from Billboard magazines, newspapers and playbills.