Bruce Cabot "OFF THE RECORD" Mary Brian / Betty Furness 1940 FLOP Tryout Program

Description

This is a rare December 9th, 1940 "Playgoer" playbill from the two-week, out-of-town tryout of the PARKE LEVY and ALAN LIPSCOTT play "OFF THE RECORD" at the Locust Street Theatre in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (The production premiered on December 1st, 1940 at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, New Jersey, played one week at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C. beginning December 2nd, 1940 and closed in Philadelphia, cancelling the scheduled Broadway opening.) ..... The play starred BRUCE CABOT, BETTY FURNESS, HUGH O'CONNELL, MARY BRIAN and DENNIE MOORE (all shown in the cover photo) and featured TOM MORRISON, BRUCE FERNALD, BURTON MALLORY, EDWARD HYANS, Jr., JOSEPH SWEENEY, RICHARD S. BISHOP, BEN ROBERTS, WILLIAM FORAN, JOSEPH MANN, CHET O'BRIEN, FRANK TWEDDELL, CHARLES KEAN, JOHN GRAY, ARTHUR TELL, HELENE H. HEIGH, ELMER JEROME and EUGENE SIGALOFF ..... CREDITS: Book by
PARKE LEVY and ALAN LIPSCOTT
based on an original story by GEORGE A HENDON, Jr. and DAVID PELTZ; Sets
designed by LAWRENCE L. GOLDWASSER;
Costumes designed by BIANCA STROOCK; Production Staged by ANTON BUNDSMANN; Produced by JOHN SHUBERT ..... DETAILS: The sixteen page playbill measures 5 1/4" X 7 3/4" inches and includes full production credits, cast list, synopsis of scenes and wonderful vintage advertising but with the exception of the front cover, no cast photos or bios ..... BONUS: The playbill includes an advertisement and promotional text for the Pre-Broadway tryout of the new
RICHARD RODGERS and LORENZ HART musical comedy "PAL JOEY" opening December 12th, 1940 at Philadelphia's Forrest Theatre. The musical, which would open December 25th, 1940 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre in New York City and run for 374 performances, starred GENE KELLY as "Joey Evans" and VIVIENNE SEGAL as "Vera Simpson" and featured JUNE HAVOC and VAN JOHNSON (last two scanned images)
..... CONDITION: (Please Note!) The front cover has a small surface abrasion on the left side that has worn through the paper and there is slight soiling and edge wear to the cover. The inside pages are immaculate. Despite the flaws to the cover, this rare playbill will make a wonderful addition to the collection of any theatre aficionado or historian. This item will be carefully packaged in a protective, carded sleeve and backed by stiff cardboard.