New Play in Manhattan

The Gentleman from Athens (by Emmet Lavery; produced by Martin Gosch) has Ginger Rogers' mother involved in two $1,000,000 lawsuits; on the radio last September she denounced it as Communist propaganda. On Broadway last week it seemed, with its plea for peace on earth and good will toward men, about as Communistic as the average Christmas card. And just about as creative.

Playwright Lavery--hoping to rouse men's minds by tickling their ribs--has written a comedy about a roughneck (Hollywood's Anthony Quinn, making his first Broadway bow) who hijacks his way into Congress. To attract attention there, he introduces a bill calling for World Government. Soon he really believes in the bill, and is using gangster tactics to get it passed. That is the end of him as a Congressman, but the beginning of him as a man.

The Gentleman emerged as a classic of hack Hollywood writing; the gags virtually bear serial numbers. Amusing no one, inflaming no one, the show did a fast fold.

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