Friday, August 8, 1958-1 4

T]

Many Good Laughs in 'Sweet and Jacob Frankels
Celebrate Golden
Sour,' Northland Play Based on Wedding
Anniversary
Jewish Life in the Last Century

"Sweet and Sour," the new
play that is headed for Broad-
way, is being given a severe
test here, in its first showings
this week at the Northland
Playhouse.
Students of the theater must
be wondering what fate holds
in store for a comedy that is
based on Jewish life in this
country 60 years ago; a produc-
tion that revives interest in
the old feuds between Ger-
man and East European Jews
(Ostjuden) and reminds the
audience of the days when
Jews who migrated to this
country towards the end of
the last, and the beginning
of this century, turned to ped-
dling.
* * *
"Sweet and Sour," which be-
gan its week's run here on
Monday evening, is about a
domineering old man who im-
posed his will on his four
daughters, who sought to dic-
tate policy in his temple, who
wanted to get rid of the syna-
gogue's rabbi.
On the day of his retire-
ment, after 50 years as a ped-
dler of eyeglasses, Pa—he
wanted to be' called "Doctor
Isaac Lau"—there is a rebel-
lion against this old man,
whose role is splendidly por-
trayed by Melvyn Douglas. One
of the daughters. Carrie (Ina
Balin), falls in love with a
young Russian Jewish peddler
and the oldest sister, Fanny
(Connie Sawyer), assists her in
the secret meeting with her
future husband. Another
daughter, Tracy (Lesley
Woods), burns her father's old
clothes and compels him to put
on the new suit she purchased
for him.
Entering into the rebellion
also are the supporters of the
rabbi, a role played by Albert
Leberfeld, and the old man's
brother, Uncle Simon (Theo-
dore Goetz), who asks that the
dour old man should stop
heckling the rabbi while he
delivers his sermons.
* * *
Pa is portrayed as having a
direct line to the Almighty.
He converses with God and
seeks to direct Him to go his
way. When his daughter mar-
ries the young peddler, in spite
of her father's prejudices
against an Ostjude, he becomes
an atheist. But towards the
end, when all ends well, there
is a storm, lightning strikes
the synagogue, and the inter-
pretation is that it was a signal
from the Lord. Grudgingly, Pa
admits that a man can be
wrong. But he is compensated:
his younger daughter will have
a child. Here, too, he tries his
hand at domineering: he an-
nounces in advance that it
will be a boy and that his
name will-be Ishmael Golub!
There is excellent acting in
the play. The entire cast gives
Douglas fine support. There is
lots of humor—true comedy
based on life, and life in the
last century is so well deline-
ated here. Yet, the play needs
many revisions if it is to reach
Broadway and if it is to be the
success it deserves. The re-
sponsibility for revisions lies
not with the actors but with
the authors of the play, Flor-
ence Lowe and Car oline
Francke. And the able direc-
tor, Don Richardson, also will
have to do something about it.
* * *
The third act especially
needs correcting. The authors
would do well to change the
rabbi's appeal to Pa. A rabbi
must not be turned into a stage
comedian or a mediocrity or a
flatterer. The purpose intended
in the play could be accom-
plished much better by an ap-

peal to reason—and reason-
ing here is completely lacking.
Another weakness in the
play is the utter silliness of
going too far with a direct
message to God. It works to a
degree, but it is overplayed in
the last act.
Meanwhile, however, the play
is splendid entertainment.
There are enough laughs to
attest to the acceptability of
the play.
Gerald Hiken is especially
effective as Moishe (Morris)
Golub, the young. Jewish ped-
dler who marries Carrie. Goetz
portrays Uncle Simon most
realistically. The supporting
cast measures up to the chal-
lenge that comes from acting
together with so eminent a
performer as Melvyn Douglas.
For a good evening's enter-
tainment, be sure to see "Sweet
and Sour."
—P. S.

N.Y. Rabbis Protest
City Ban on Birth
Control Information

NEW YORK (JTA) — The
New York Board of Rabbis,
representing 700 Reform Con-
servative and Orthodox rabbis,
called on New York City's De-
partment of Hospitals to re-
verse its policy on birth control
information and to permit
patient; in city hospitals to
decide for themselves whether
receipt of birth control infor-
mation violates their religious
principles.
The rabbis' statement came
in the midst of a controversy
over a ban on birth control
information in municipal hos-
pitals which was imposed by
Commissioner of Hospitals Mor-
ris A. Jacobs. His action has
the support of the Roman
Catholic Archdiocese of New
York but is opposed by many
Protestant church groups.
In a letter to Mayor Robert
F. Wagner signed by president
Rabbi A. Alan Steinbach, the
rabbinical board declared: "We
as rabbis respect and defend
the fundamental right of all
religious groups, large or small,
to formulate their particular
views for their respective ad-
herents. However, we strongly
deplore and protest against the
notion that patients in tax-
supported hospitals who do not
wish to adhere to the views of
religious groups, to whom the
Department of Hospitals seems
to be deferring, should never-
theless be compelled by the
department to do so even if,
as a result, their very lives
may be endangered. This most
certainly . is a violation of the
cherished American concept of
freedom of religion."

Ex-SS Officer Manifests
Regret During Trial

ULM, Germany (JTA) —
Werner Schmidthammer, a
former member of the special
SS group whose leaders are on
trial here for the murder of
several thousand Jews and
others in Lithuania, indicated
his regret at participating in
the infamous Tilsit massacres.
Schmidthammer is the only
one of the ten SS officer-
defendants who admitted any
regret.
Other defendants here have
indicated their boredom with
the trial and have manifested
a lack of respect for the entire
procedure. For most of the
defendants the prosecution has
asked life imprisonment, but
for Schmidthammer only a
three-year sentence has been
requested.

VE. 8-9364 is your .
Jewish News Classified Number

Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Frankel

Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Frankel
celebrated their 50th wedding
anniversary on July 26, at the
Elmwood Casino, followed the
next day by a brunch in their
honor at the home of Mrs. Irv-
ing Bronson.
Mr. Frankel has been a De-
troit merchant for 49 years and
presently owns the Cadillac
Luggage Shop. He is a mem-
ber of the Knights of Pythias.
• a life member of the Elks and
is active in United Jewish Ap-
peal, Bnai Brith and other
charitable and communal orga-
nizations.
In honor of the occasion, a
donation to the Young Women's
Bicur Cholim was made in
their name by their daughters,
Mrs. Mervin I. Gardner and
Mrs. Ben Yates.

UAR Anti-Israel
Propaganda War
Expanded in India

NEW DELHI, India (JTA)-
The United Arab Republic Em-
bassy in New Delhi has ex-
panded its anti-Israel propa-
ganda in this country, issuing
new publications and organiz-
ing an all-expense paid tour
of Egypt and Syria.
While UAR propaganda is
falling on fertile soil in this
country, the absence of diplo-
matic relations between Israel
and India has prevented Israel
telling its story to the Indian
people and their political lead-
ers. An Israel trade mission,
the only representation here,
is not in a position to educate
Indians about Israeli life and
Middle East politics.
After the subsidized tour,
newspapers a n d magazines
around the country spouted
anti-Israel articles. For exam-
ple, the Communist Bombay
weekly "Blitz" has begun pub-
lishing unsupported "reports"
of secret negotiations for a
Turkish-Israel alli a n c e and
"closer cooperation" between
the two states in the produc-
tion of arms. Even Prime Min-
ister Nehru recently spoke in
Parliament of "ominous
sounds" from Israel.
The most recent UAR publi-
cation, a press release from
the UAR Embassy here, con-
tains such "reports" as: nego-
tiations between the Israelis
and the West for inclusion of
Israel in the Baghdad Pact and
the issuance 'of "orders" by
the New Iraqi Government
that Radio Baghdad, an implac-
able foe of Israel, should "cease
cooperation" with the Israeli
radio network.

Lodge Gives Up Charter
In Raffle Abuse Case
MAPLEWOOD, N.J. (JTA)—
Officers of a local Bnai Brith,
lodge who pleaded guilty to
trying to make the winner of a
lodge raffle return part of his
prize, have notified District 3
headquarters that the William
M. Untermann lodge will sur-
render its charter "so that our
action shall not further affect
the standing of the order."

Benjamin Cohen Named Editor-
In-Chief of Worldmark Press
UNITED NATIONS, (AJP)
WASHINGTON — Philip M.
Klutznick, president of Bnai —Benjamin Cohen of Chile,
who served the UN cause since
Brith, has
its inception and who estab-
been chosen
lished
the • Department of Pub-
to receive the
lic• Information here, has ac-
P h i Epsilon
cepted the post as Editor-in-
Pi National
Chief of the Worldmark Press,
Service
a new company publishing
Award for
books on international affairs.
1958.
One of Dr. Cohen's first tasks
The award
will be the preparation of a
is given an-
political encyclopedia of the
nually by the
nations of the world.
national f r a -
ternity to the
Jewish indi-
vidual who
during the
past year "has Klutznick
made the richest contribution
to the essential life of Amer-
ica."
Klutznick will be presented ST. AGATHE des MONTS, QUEBEC
Dream Island of the Laurentians
the award at the organiza- Reserve
Now for Your Vacation
tion's 54th convention in Mon-
Paradise for Honeymooners
MC.
Entertainment • All
treal, Sept. 5.
Social & Athletic Facilities
Phi Epsilon Pi was founded
Cocktail Lounge • Orchestra
Golf • Water Skiing Instr.
at City College, New York, in
Dietary Laws
1904. It now has 36 undergrad-
-Write for Complete
Information and Free
uate chapters, 40 alumni asso- iiiiiii
Color Brochure
ciations and a membership of
V ACATION . R A COSS E
more than 13,000.

Klutznick Gets 1958
Phi Epsilon Pi Award

.

Police Investigating
Anti-Semitic Attack
on Cincinnati Youths

CINCINNATI (JTA) — At
the behest of the Cincinnati
Jewish Community Relations
Committee the local police
have begun an investigation
of the beating of three 14 and
15-year-old Jewish boys in a
park by a gang of five older
youths who identified them-
selves as members of a Roman
Catholic high school football
team. Police said two of the •
attackers admitted their part
in the episode.
The three Jewish boys 're-
ported that they were accosted
in the park by the quintet who
attempted to force bottles of
beer on them. When they
refused to drink, they were
asked if they were Jews. Upon
hearing an affirmative answer,
one of the five said: "We hate
Jews" and the beating began.
One of the Jewish boys was
subsequently admitted to a
hospital for treatment."

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