New Play in Manhattan

Snafu (by Louis Solomon and Harold Buchman; produced by George Abbott) is kid stuff that will flourish at the box office though it often falters on the stage. Telling of a 15-year-old war hero who is shipped home from the Pacific when his age is discovered, Snafu finds its fun in Ronald's thorny return to civilian life.

Too knowing for his age but too young for his knowledge, Ronald (nicely played by Billy Redfield) quickly collides with his parents and the school system, sex and the police force -- and then with anything that the authors can put in his way.

A bright idea for semirealistic comedy that could be human and likable as well as ludicrous, Snafu bounces instead into slapdash farce. Character is crushed and credibility outraged in a hurly-burly of ringing phones, trussed-up detectives, sud den disappearances and mistaken identity. Nor is there enough merriment in such madness. Some of Snafu's gags are funny and one or two of its scenes are fun; but too much of it is rambling, rickety and pretty desperately contrived.

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