King Lear, with Louis Calhern in the lead role, opens Chritmas day. One day earlier the ANTA playhouse will follow Judith Anderson with Jose Ferrer and Gloria Swanson in Hecht and MacArthur's Twentieth Century. For those who like Ibsen, and that includes most of the theatre-going public, An Enemy of the People co-stars Frederic March and his wife, Florence Eldridge, in a special adaptation by Arthur Miller.
Ring Around the Moon, written by Jean Anouilh and translated by the esteemed Mr. Fry, is still carrying on as is Black Chiffon with Flora Robson and Affairs of State with Celeste Holm. These plays are more noteworthy for their acting than their writing however.
The old standbys, The Cocktail Party (now with Henry Daniell). The Happy Time, The Member of the Wedding, and the perennial Mr. Roberts (with John Forsythe on deck) are still packing them in. As their long runs indicate, these are well worth seeing.
One more note: If you want to give the kids a thrill there are now two opportunities. Peter Pan with Jean Arthur and Boris Karloff is a guaranteed charmer, and Let's Make an Opera, while not in the same class in entertainment value, is still available.
Cinema
Two first-class openings mark the New York scene. Mary Chase's Harvey starts Thursday at the Astor, Broadway and 45th, James Stewart plays the lead role, as he did on Broadway for quite a spell. Another superb comedy returns to the Great White Way in movie form: Judy Holiday won a screen test derby to retain the part which made her famous on the stage in Born Yesterday. Broderick Crawford and William Holden have the supporting roles. The premiere is scheduled at the Victoria, Broadway and 46th, a week from today.
The lush Park Avenue Theatre at 59th reopens Thursday with Joel McCrea in Stars in My Crown. Radio City Music Hall provides Errol Flynn in Rudyard Kipling's Kim as accompaniment to its annual Christmas stage extravaganza, including this year "The Nativity" and "Star Bright." Jose Ferrer's Cyrano de Bergerao adds extra holiday performances at the Bijou December 25 through January 1.
On the foreign front, the English share the limelight with the French, while the Italian offerings hang in gamely.
From the British Isles come Seven Days to Noon at the 52nd Street-Lexington Avenue Trans-Lux and Somerset Maugham's Trio at the Sutton (57th and Third. The Red Shoes is still around; it plays at the Victoria through Christmas day. Perhaps the best of this group is Night Train, now ten years old, a superb thriller involving Rex Harrison, Margaret Lockwood, the Gestapo, a cable car, and as many furtive aples as Carol Reed could round up. It is scheduled to close tomorrow at the Beverly (50th and Third).
Leading the Gallic pack are Orpheus and Ways of Love. The latter is a trilogy involving three directors, Marcel Pagnol, Renoir, and the Italian Roberto Ressellinl; Anna Magnani contributes. At the Paris (58th off Fifth).
Orpheus is Jean Cocetau's latest revolutionary addition to the cinema. This highly original and highly praised film is at the 55th Street Playhouse off Seventh Avenue. Cocetau's first grand coup, Beauty and the Beast runs through Thursday at the Irving Place (near 14th Street) along with "Ivan the Terrible" and and through tonight at the Thalia (95th and Broadway) along with the superb Italian film, Shoe Shine.
If you missed them before and are willing to go a long way to see them, The Raven and A Lover's Return opened yesterday at the Ascot at 183 Street and the Grand Concourse in the Bronx, Paris 1900 is at the Embassy (42nd and Park).
The World, on 49th Street east of Times Square, is in its nth consecutive year of showing first-rate Italian movies. Right now its Bitter Rice, concerning feminine violence in the Po valley.
Marlene Districh made The Blue Angel 20years ago in Germany; it is playing at the Little Carnegie, next door to the big one on 57th Street.
Jazx
Jimmy Archey plays the best trombone in the east at Jimmy Ryan's, on the once famous segment of 52nd Street between Fifth and Sixth. Pops Foster was already the best bass player when your father was half your age. Wild Bill Davison leads the band at Eddie Condon's 3rd Street emporium, along with Edmond Hall and Gene Schroeder. Ralph Sutton plays between sets. Nick's features Pee Wee Erwin's enthusiastic group at 10th and Seventh.
On Friday nights, lower Second Avenue resounds to simultaneous jam sessions at the Stuyvesant Casino (9th Street) and Central Plaza (6th). Ella Fitzgerald is at Birdland, Broadway near 52nd. Josh White and a cover charge go hand in hand at Cafe Society, Sheridan Square.