“Although it was not absolutely necessary for the leading lady at Elitch’s to possess great physical beauty, it was certainly highly advantageous for the leading man to be attractive and appealing to the feminine patrons, who comprised more than two-thirds of the audiences at the summer theatre between 1930 and 1941. If the man was also as competent actor, his value was tremendously increased. Other actors during this period fulfilled these requirements: such men as Donald Cook, Kent Smith, Harvey Stephens, Kenneth MacKenna, and Roger Pryor; but perhaps the most outstanding was Donald Woods, who possessed all of the positive qualities necessary for his position with few, if any, liabilities.”
Levy, Edwin Lewis, “Elitch’s Gardens, Denver, Colorado: A History of the Oldest Summer Theatre in the United States (1890-941)” [Doctoral dissertation, Columbia University, 1960]
The [1941] season ran for eleven weeks, one week longer than the usual Elitch season. Donald Woods was the leading man and Ruth Matteson the leading woman.
The Golden Jubilee Theatre Program stated of Donald Woods:
It’s natural that Mr. Woods should have a sincere affection for the old stage of the famous Theatre, as it was here, in 1933, while playing in The Pursuit of Happiness that he was discovered by a motion picture scout and given a Hollywood contract. He skyrocketed to fame immediately and is known everywhere today as one of the screen’s most popular
leading men.
[Borrillo, Theodore A., (2012). Denver’s historic Elitch Theatre : a nostalgic journey (a history of its times). pp. 198.]
Seasons at the Theatre
Productions/Roles:
Notable Roles, Awards, and Other Work:
- Woods graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, and made his film debut in 1928. His screen career was spent mostly in B movies, for example as lawyer Perry Mason in the 1937 film The Case of the Stuttering Bishop. He also played romantic leads in B comedies, notably the popular Mexican Spitfire series opposite Lupe Velez.
- In A Tale of Two Cities (1935 film), Charles Darnay (Donald Woods), appeared as a French aristocrat who, unlike his uncle, the Marquis St. Evremonde (Basil Rathbone), is sympathetic to the plight of the oppressed and impoverished French masses.
Elitch Theatre Connections:
- In 1937, Woods appeared as Perry Mason in the film, The Case of the Stuttering Bishop. Later, Elitch Theatre Alum, Raymond Burr, would be THE actor most-recognized as Perry Mason.
Wikipedia Link:
