New Play in Manhattan

What a Life (by Clifford Goldsmith; produced by George Abbott). Producer George Abbott, last season's home-run slugger (Room Service, Brother Rat), this season struck out in his first three times at bat. But last week he came up for the fourth time, clouted the ball safely into .the outfield. Not hit so hard as Brother Rat, What a Life travels pretty much in the same direction. Substituting high school for military academy, What a Life is as adolescent as a changing voice, as clean as a West Pointer's white ducks. Chief amusement centres in Henry Aldrich (Ezra Stone), a cross between Penrod and Willie Baxter, who attends classes mainly in the principal's office. With a talent for head-on collisions, always ingenious, never crafty, always there with an answer, never with the right one, brash, bouncing, rumpled, rattled, rueful by turns, Henry grows into that rare thing on the stage--a person.

But What a Life is so long on character portrayal that it is terribly short on plot, never quite masses its laughs through mounting situations, merely sprinkles them brightly at regular intervals. As slight of build as the kids it treats of, What a Life is, like them, young, lively, fast on its feet, full of agonies a first kiss or even an ice-cream soda could drive away.

Calm, blue-eyed Playwright Clifford Henshaw Goldsmith is 38, was born in East Aurora, N. Y. where his shirts hung on the same clothesline as Roycrofter Elbert Hubbard's, now lives in a secluded farmhouse near Paoli, Pa. After a tiny role in Lightnin' and a start in cinema cut short when he tumbled down some false stairs and upset three cameras. Goldsmith joined a chautauqua. found himself while pinch-hitting for a humorous health lecturer, became a health lecturer on his own, talked on nutrition before hundreds of high schools. He pieced What a Life together out of youngsters and incidents encountered all over the U. S. Says he of Henry Aldrich: "There's a lot of myself in him." Says he of Henry's mentors, whom he refused to pillory: "Most teachers aren't picklepusses."

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