LAUGHTER FROM A CLOUD PLAY CAST - SHOW BILL SIGNED CO-SIGNED BY: ILKA CHASE, CYNTHIA LATHAM, DONALD MACDONALD, SUSAN DOUGLAS, POLLY ROWLES, LARRY CANARD, GENE BYRON, PETER HARRIS, BARRY MITCHELL, RALPH LONGLEY - HFSID 317570

LAUGHTER FROM A CLOUD PLAY CAST:
Ten members of the cast, including top-billed star Ilka Chase, sign the program for a performance in Falmouth, on Cape Cod.
Show Bill signed: "Ilka Chase", "Susan Douglas", "Polly Rowles", "Larry Canard", "Gene Byron", "Cynthia Latham", "Peter Harris", "Barry Mitchell", "Ralph Longley", "Donald MacDonald", 12 pages, 6x9 Program for a production of Laughter From A Cloud, by Lynn Riggs, at the Tanglewood Theatre, Falmouth, Cape Cod, Week of August 4, no year. 10 signers. Signed by Chase, Douglas and Rowles on the title page, and by the others on the cast page. Stage, screen and television actress ILKA CHASE (1903-1978), the daughter of the editor of "Vogue", made her Broadway debut in 1924 in The Red Falcon. She appeared in her first "talkie" feature film, Paris Bound, in 1929, the year she also made Why Leave Home?, The Careless Age, Red Hot Rhythm, Rich People and South Sea Rose, and would go on to appear in such features as The Florodora Girl (1930), The Animal Kingdom (1932), Now, Voyager (1942), Johnny Dark (1954), The Big Knife (1955) and Ocean's Eleven (1960). A fixture on early TV, Chase hosted the early talk show, Glamour-Go-Round (1950) and appeared as a panelist on Celebrity Time (1948), Masquerade Party (1952), It Should Happen to You (1954) and Keep Talking (1958-1959). Her TV guest appearances include The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre (1949), Kraft Television Theatre (1952, 1953, 1958), Playhouse 90 (1958), The Defenders (1961), Checkmate (1962) and The Patty Duke Show (1963). In addition to being known as an actress, Chase was also a widely read newspaper columnist, essayist and novelist. SUSAN DOUGLAS (1925-2013) appeared on Broadway in two original plays of the late 1940s (He Who Gets Slapped and The Druid Circle), and then played Bianca in Shakespeare's comedy The Taming of the Shrew (1951). POLLY ROWLES (1914-2001) was an American actress of film and television. Her first role was in the Universal Studios Love Letters of a Star (1936), and she would appear in several more Universal productions after her debut. She became more well-known as she aged, often appearing as snappy older women, particularly in plays The Best Laid Plans (1966), Forty Carats (1968), and Steaming (1982). Her best known role still remains as Hanes Underwear Inspector No. 12, appearing in ten advertisements for the company, and often going to trade conventions to represent the company. GENE BYRON had appeared in two Broadway comedies: Chee-Chee (1928) and Gasoline Gypsies (1931). English born actress CYNTHIA LATHAM (1897-1989) could boast almost half a century of credits on Broadway (1914-1970, including hits like The Heiress (1947-1948), Hotel Paradiso (1957) and Redhead (1959-1960). DONALD MacDONALD (1898-1959) appeared in no fewer than 28 Broadway productions, mostly comedies and musicals, beginning with The Red Petticoat (1912). His last appearance was in a drama, Deep Are the Roots (1945-1946). Broadway appearances by PETER HARRIS were six in number (1943-1971), and included the classics The Corn is Green, Cyrano de Bergerac and Richard III. BARRY MITCHELL (1917-2002) made his only Broadway appearance in Magnolia Alley (1949), but played supporting roles in a host of film and TV roles, including a few comedies but many action roles like Run Silent, Run Deep, Von Ryan's Express and The Magnificent Seven. RALPH LONGLEY appeared on the Philco Television Playhouse in 1950, and on Broadway in The Small Hours the following year. This program is undated, but Laughter From a Cloud, never shown on Broadway, began appearing in regional theatres in 1947. The playwright, Lynn Riggs, is best known for Green Grow the Lilacs, which was transformed into the mega-hit musical Oklahoma! Creased and toned. Corners and edges worn. Otherwise, fine condition.