Around the Town

Theatre

Dear Ruth--at the Plymouth--The old Broadway hit, still good for more than one laugh and maybe even a smirk; but dated, of course.

Song of Norway--at the Opera House--Another relic, this one not quite so worthwhile unless your'e particularly fond of Grieg's music.

Come On Up--at the Colonial--Mac West must be really hard up--for money--to stoop to this. Still, if you've never seen her in action. . . .

Obsession--at the Colonial--Rathbone and Leontovich are the whole show here, working with a script that starts out risque and then sort of peters out into a suspenseful mystery.

Class By Itself

Henry V--at the Esquire--All you've heard and more; a sensational script, superb acting and direction by Olivier and company, the best settings and music in screen history, and technicolor at no extra charge. You'll like it, so throw away your prejudices and go.

Cinema

A Stolen Life--at the University--Bette weeps and wails and makes with drahma, playing twins this time. If you like her, you get double value--otherwise. . . .ugh.

Brief Encounter--at the Exeter -- This Noel Coward film, which opens at the Exeter Sunday, is an expanded version of one of the sketches in his 1925 "Tonight At Eight-thirty." Its New York reviews were outstanding.

Holiday in Mexico--at Loew's State and Orpheum--All the ingredients of a mediocre musical in this Iturbi-Pidgeon-McDowell opus and it turns out to be just that. Jane Powell lifts the level just a little.

Of Human Bondage--at the Paramount and Fenway--An inferior version of the Maugham novel, which was portrayed on the screen once before in a manner able enough to make superfluous this Paul Henried-Alexis Smith attempt.

Centennial Summer--at the Metropolitan--Yet another musical, this one with Jeanne Crain, Cornel Wilde, and Linda Darnell, and all of it very dull despite Jerome Kern's music.