''Youth at the Helm'' ( hu, Helyet az ifjúságnak) is a Hungarian-language play by Paul Vulpius, the joint pen name of

Ladislas Fodor Ladislas Fodor (1898–1978) was a Hungarian novelist, playwright and screenwriter. Plays *''A Church Mouse'' (''A templom egére''); a comedy in three acts, adapted by James L. A. Burrell (1928) *''Jewel Robbery'' (''Ékszerrablás a Váci utcá ...

and , which premiered in

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...

in 1933. The play was also staged in Vienna, Austria in 1933 under the title ''Hau-ruck'' using a German language translation of Fodor and Lakatos's play by

Hans Adler Hans Adler may refer to: * Hans Adler (poet) (1880–1957), German poet * Hans Adler (business), food industry business * Hans G. Adler (1904–1979), musician, musicologist and collector in South Africa * H. G. Adler (1910–1988), German writer * ...

who also adopted the pen name Paul Vulpius. Adler's German language translation was the source material for two different English language translations of the play: ''Youth At the Helm'' by Hubert Griffith (1896–1953), used frequently in the United Kingdom during the 1930s, and ''Help Yourself'' by John J. Coman for the work's

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

production in 1936. The play has also been staged using the titles ''Jugend voran'' (Germany) and ''L'affare Kubinsky'' (Italy). The play served as the basis for the 1936 film ''

Jack of All Trades Jack of all trades may refer to: *Jack of all trades, master of none, an aphorism *"Jack of All Trades", a term to reference one with the ability to be proficient in many areas of life Film and television *Jack of All Trades (TV series), ''Jack of ...

'' starring

Jack Hulbert John Norman Hulbert (24 April 189225 March 1978) was a British actor, director, screenwriter and singer, specializing primarily in comedy productions, and often working alongside his wife (Dame) Cicely Courtneidge. Biography Born in Ely, Ca ...

Griffith's English-language adaptation

The play was first performed in the English language under the title ''Youth at the Helm'' in an adaptation of Adler's play made by Herbert Griffith at the

Westminster Theatre The Westminster Theatre was a theatre in London, on Palace Street in Westminster. History The structure on the site was originally built as the Charlotte Chapel in 1766, by William Dodd with money from his wife Mary Perkins. Through Peter Ri ...

in London from November 5, 1934 to November 19, 1934. Produced by Harold French and Community Theaters, Ltd., the cast included Jack Melford as Randolph Warrender, David Bird as Fitch, Townsend Whitling as William, Vera Lennox as Dorothy Wilson, Marcus Barron as the Old Gentleman,

O. B. Clarence Oliver Burchett Clarence (25 March 1870, Hampstead, London – 2 October 1955, Hove, Sussex) was an English actor. Following his education at Dover College and University College Hospital, he made his stage debut in 1890. His experience includ ...

as the Chairman, Alastair Sim as Ponsonby, Margery Morris as Yvonne, Walter Horsbrugh as Nicholson, Hamlyn Benson as Hollman, C. M. Hallard as Lord Farley, George Weir as Roberts, and Fred Royal as the Office Boy. A critical success, Griffith's adaptation was staged several more time in the United Kingdom in the 1930s. It was performed for two weeks of tryout performances at the

New Theatre Oxford New Theatre Oxford (formerly the Apollo Theatre Oxford and The Apollo, from 1977–2003) is the main commercial Theater (structure), theatre in Oxford, England. It has a capacity of 1,785 people; is on George Street, Oxford, George Street, in t ...

before transferring to the Globe Theatre in London on February 28, 1935. This production was produced by

Howard & Wyndham Ltd Howard & Wyndham Ltd was a theatre owning, production and management company named after John B. Howard and Frederick W. P. Wyndham, founded in Glasgow in 1895, and which became the largest of its type in Britain. The company continued well into the ...

with

Owen Nares Owen Ramsay Nares (11 August 1888 – 30 July 1943) was an English stage and film actor. Besides his acting career, he was the author of ''Myself, and Some Others'' (1925). Early life Educated at Reading School, Nares was encouraged by his mo ...

as Randolph Warrender,

Walter Hudd Walter Hudd (20 February 1897 – 20 January 1963) was a British actor and director. Stage career Hudd made his stage debut in ''The Manxman'' in 1919, and later toured as part of the Fred Terry Company; first attracting serious attention play ...

as Fitch,

Kay Hammond Dorothy Katherine Standing, Lady Clements (18 February 1909 – 4 May 1980), known professionally as Kay Hammond, was an English stage and film actress. Family Kay Hammond was born in London, England as Dorothy Katherine Standing, the daught ...

as Dorothy Wilson,

Adele Dixon Adele Dixon (born Adela Helena Dixon; 3 June 1908 – 11 April 1992) was an English actress and singer. She sang at the start of regular broadcasts of the BBC Television Service on 2 November 1936. After an early start as a child actress, an ...

as Yvonne, and with O. B. Clarence, Alastair Sim, and Fred Royal reprising their roles. The production ran at the Globe for three months, ending its run on May 25, 1935. The production then went on tour the following June for performances at the

Golders Green Hippodrome The Golders Green Hippodrome was built in 1913 by Bertie Crewe as a 3,000-seat music hall, to serve North London and the new London Underground Northern line expansion into Golders Green in the London Borough of Barnet, London, England. Taken ...

and thee Streatham Hill Theatre. The

Liverpool Playhouse The Liverpool Playhouse is a theatre in Williamson Square in the city of Liverpool, England. It originated in 1866 as a music hall, and in 1911 developed into a repertory theatre. As such it nurtured the early careers of many actors and actress ...

staged the work in August–September 1935 with

Michael Redgrave Sir Michael Scudamore Redgrave CBE (20 March 1908 – 21 March 1985) was an English stage and film actor, director, manager and author. He received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in ''Mourning Becomes Elec ...

as Randolph Warrender and

Jane Baxter Jane Baxter (9 September 1909 – 13 September 1996) was a British actress. Her stage career spanned half a century, and she appeared in a number of films and in television. Early life Baxter was born as Feodora Kathleen Alice Forde in Bremen, ...

as Dorothy Wilson. Other UK theatres to stage Griffith's version included the

Devonshire Park Theatre The Devonshire Park Theatre is a Victorian theatre located in the town of Eastbourne, in the coastal region of East Sussex. The theatre was designed by Henry Currey and was built in 1884. In 1903, it was further improved by the theatre archite ...

(1935), the

Brighton Palace Pier The Brighton Palace Pier, commonly known as Brighton Pier or the Palace Pier, is a Listed buildings in the United Kingdom, Grade II* listed Pier#Pleasure piers, pleasure pier in Brighton, England, located in the city centre opposite the Old St ...

(1935), the

Edinburgh Festival Theatre The Edinburgh Festival Theatre (originally Empire Palace Theatre and later shortened to Empire Theatre) is a performing arts venue located on Nicolson Street in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is used primarily for performances of opera and ballet, larg ...

(1935), the

Tyne Theatre and Opera House The Tyne Theatre and Opera House is a theatre in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is a Grade I listed building .html" ;"title="/sup>">/sup>, rated "in the top 4% of listed buildings" by English Heritage and is afforded a three star (the highest ...

(1935), the

Grand Theatre, Leeds The Grand Theatre, also known as Leeds Grand Theatre and Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House, is a theatre and opera house in Briggate, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It seats approximately 1,500 people. Building It was designed by James Ro ...

(1935), the Prince of Wales Theatre, Birmingham (1935), the Royal Theatre, Northampton (1936), the Royal Theatre, Huddersfield (1936), the

Morecambe Winter Gardens The Winter Gardens is a Grade II* listed building in Morecambe, Lancashire, England. Designed by architects Mangnall and Littlewood, with Frank Matcham as a consulting architect, it was originally built as the Victoria Pavilion Theatre in 1897 and ...

(1936), the Little Theatre, Bristol (1936, 1939), The Prince's Theatre, Bradford (1939), and the

Oxford Playhouse Oxford Playhouse is a theatre designed by Edward Maufe and F.G.M. Chancellor. It is situated in Beaumont Street, Oxford, opposite the Ashmolean Museum. History The Playhouse was founded as ''The Red Barn'' at 12 Woodstock Road, North Oxfor ...

(1939). The United States premiere of Griffith's version was presented at the Surry Theatre in Maine from August 10–14, 1937. Griffith's version was adapted into a film entitled ''

'' by screenwriter J. O. C. Orton. The film premiered in London on February 18, 1936. The film renamed the main character Randolph to Jack Warrender who was portrayed by

1936 Broadway production: ''Help Yourself''

In 1936 the Federal Theatre Project (FTP) of the

Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...

of the United States government produced the play on

using a new English-language adaptation by John J. Coman based on Adler's German-language adaptation from the Vienna production. Staged by Lucius Moore Cook and designed by Tom Adrian Cracraft, the production premiered at the Manhattan Theater on July 14, 1936 with a cast that included

Curt Bois Curt Bois (born Kurt Boas; April 5, 1901 – December 25, 1991) was a German actor with a career spanning over 80 years. He is best remembered for his performances as the pickpocket in ''Casablanca'' (1942) and the poet Homer in ''Wings of Desi ...

as Christopher Stringer,

Walter Burke Walter Lawrence Burke (August 25, 1908 – August 4, 1984) was an American character actor of stage, film, and television whose career in entertainment spanned over a half century. Although he was a native of New York, Burke's Irish ances ...

as Frederick Bittlesby, Doan Borup as Nicholas B. Bradley, and Camelia Campbell as Peggy Danforth. The play moved to

Maxine Elliott's Theatre Maxine Elliott's Theatre was originally a Broadway theatre at 109 West 39th Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Built in 1908, it was designed by architect Benjamin Marshall of the Chicago-based firm Marshall and Fox, ...

and then the

Adelphi Theatre The Adelphi Theatre is a West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster, central London. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receiv ...

. In 1937 the FTP took the play on a national tour, with performances given at the Hollywood Playhouse, the Musart Theatre in Los Angeles, the Plaza Theatre in Palm Springs, the Copley Theatre in Boston, Mountain Park in Holyoke, Massachusetts, the Empire Theatre in Salem, Massachusetts, the

San Jose Civic Auditorium The San Jose Civic (formerly known as the San Jose Civic Auditorium and City National Civic) is a former arena, currently operating as a theatre, located in downtown San Jose, California. The venue is owned by the City of San Jose, is managed by ...

, the Santa Maria High School Auditorium, the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...

’s Campus Theatre, Minski's Columbia Theatre in San Francisco, the President Theatre in Des Moines, Iowa, and the Warburton Theatre in Yonkers, New York.

Film versions

*1935: ''Lärm um Weidemann'', directed by

Johann Alexander Hübler-Kahla Johann Alexander Hübler-Kahla (23 June 1902 – 6 April 1965) was an Austrian screenwriter, film producer, and director. He directed seventeen films including the musical comedy ''Dance Music'' (1935)Waldman p.103 and the Karl May adaptation ' ...

*1936: ''

'', directed by

Robert Stevenson Robert Stevenson may refer to: * Robert Stevenson (actor and politician) (1915–1975), American actor and politician * Robert Stevenson (civil engineer) (1772–1850), Scottish lighthouse engineer * Robert Stevenson (director) (1905–1986), Engl ...

and

*1940: ', directed by

Camillo Mastrocinque Camillo Mastrocinque (11 May 1901 – 23 April 1969) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He directed more than 60 films between 1937 and 1968, and is known to horror film fans for directing '' Terror in the Crypt'' (1964) starring ...

*1953: ', directed by

Axel von Ambesser Axel Eugen Alexander von Oesterreich (22 June 1910 – 6 September 1988), better known as Axel von Ambesser, was a German playwright, actor and film director. Ambesser's father was Alexander Constantin von Oesterreich. Ambesser was born in Hambur ...

''Inside Trading''

In 1996

Malcolm Bradbury Sir Malcolm Stanley Bradbury, (7 September 1932 – 27 November 2000) was an English author and academic. Life Bradbury was born in Sheffield, the son of a railwayman. His family moved to London in 1935, but returned to Sheffield in 1941 with ...

wrote the play ''Inside Trading'', a modern version of ''Youth at the Helm''.

References

Bibliography

* {{cite book , last=Goble , first=Alan , date=1999 , title=The complete index to literary sources in film , publisher=Walter de Gruyter , publication-place=London , isbn=978-3-11-095194-3 , oclc=868959494 1933 plays British plays adapted into films Plays set in England Broadway plays West End plays Hungarian plays