The New York Clipper (January 1920)

12 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER January 7, 1920 M&Jii "ANGEL FACE'* HAS GOOD MUSIC, BUT THE ROOK FALLS SHORT "ANGEL FACE' '—A musical comedy by, Victor Herbert, lyrics by Rob- ert "B. Smith, book by Harry B. Smith. Presented by George W. Lederar. at the Knickerbocker Theatre, Monday evening, Decem- cember SO. 1919. CAST Tom '■"*<"■ John E. Young Arthur Griffin Tyler Brooke Sandy Sharp Richard Pyle Hush Falrchild John Belnhard Rockwell Glbba Howard Johnson Professor Barlow George Schiller Ira Mapes Bernard Thornton Slooch J ack Donahue Irving William Cameron Mrs. Zonobla Wise Miss Eda von Buelow Betty .Miss Marguerite Zender Vera Mlaa Minerva Grey Paula Mlaa Mary Ml'.burn Lily Mlaa Marguerite St. Clair Pearl.........Mlaa Gertrude Waxelle Mrs. Lartdns.. .Miss Sarah MeVlcker Tesele Blythe Mlaa Bmllle Lea Moya.... Mlaa May Thompson Other characters by Misses Georgle SeweH, Miriam Medie, June White, Audrey Burton, Flora Croable. Vir- ginia Eastman. Lucille Kent. Edna StUlweU. Irene Wylle, Lillian Toung, Anita Walton and Muriel Manners. Unbalanced is the word best used to de- scribe "Angel Face," which took its stand along Broadway last week at the Knicker- bocker. The new musical comedy, with its tuneful and spirited airs by Victor Herbert and its clever and neat lyrics, from the pen of Robert Smith, are offset by a lib- retto that is tedious, archaic and confusing, to say the least. However, there is a large and competent cast, which presents a rather creditable performance, for all the short- comings of the book. The story has to do with a decrepit old man of eighty or more years, who is turned into a frolicsome youth of thirty by the grafting of the gland of a vigorous young monkey into his anatomy by a noted French savant. The theme, in all, is an ideal sub- ject for such an operation. It is true that the piece is musical, for Victor (Herbert has interspersed it with some of the best.tunes heard this season. There are eighteen in all and among those that -will be remembered for a long time by New York theatregoers are, "I Might Be Your Once-in-a-While," a men's chorus entitled, "Sow Your Wad Oats Early," and a "Dance Eceentrique." There is much effective and clever danc- ing by Jack Donahue, Bmflie Lea, the Sewall Sisters and May Thompson. For singing, Mary Milbum did well and dis- played a strong, high voice and Marguerite Zender sang the "Once-in-a-Wbile" song prettily. The proceedings which Mr. Smith has invented for the piece, with the exception of the experiment with the monkey gland, took place in the bachelor apartments shared by a young sculptor and a comic opera composer and the lounge of a hotel. The love affairs of the two toilers in the field of art were impersonated by John E. Young and Tyler Brooke. ACTORS' FUND WINS Morris W. Brown, a salesman, met with two re v e rsa ls hurt week in tile Appellate Division in the two actions he has brought against the Actors' Fund of America. The first, an appeal from a judgment dis- missing his complaint for $160,000 dam- age action, was denied. In the latter ease, the decision of Jus- tice Pendleton of tile Supreme Court, in setting aside a verdict of $3,500 waa sus- tained. Brown sued under a contract alleging that he had been engaged in December, 1915, with the naderatanding that he would be paid a percentage on certain moneys collected by the organization during the ensuing year. WOODS GETS THREE NEW PLAYS A. H. Woods will produce a new play entitled "No Liquor—No Love," by John .Montague, who. has been attached to the Woods staff for a number of years in the capacity of advance agent and company manager. He is the author of "The Nar- row Path," also produced by Woods. Woods also has secured the dramatic rights to "Tutt and Mr. Tutt," by Arthur Train, and for "Five Fingers," by Samuel Shipman. ELSIE FERGUSON GETS PLAY Elsie Ferguson, who has been acting entirely for motion pictures for the past several years, will return to the stage in Arnold Bennett's play, "Sacred and Pro- fane Love," now playing in London. The American rights to the piece are con- trolled by David Belaaco and the Charles Frobman Corporation la enabled to present Miss Ferguson in it by arrange- ment between Belasco and Alf. Hayman. The pieec has caused considerable discus- sion abroad,. WILLIAMS GETS 1BANEZ PLAY John D. Williams has signed contracts with Vincento Blasco Ibanez for a drama- tization of that author's novel, "Blood'and Sand." This will be one of the first of his novels to reach the stage. "THE PURPLE MASK" PROMISES TO BE BEST DTTRICHSTEIN PLAY GRACE GEORGE SEEN AT HER BEST IN LATEST PIECE "THE RTJINED LADY"—A comedy in three acts by Fra nce s Nord- strom. Presented by William A Brady, at the Majestic Theatre, Brooklyn, Tuesday evening, De- cember 30. 1919. CAST. Dorothy Mortimer Leila Frost Dallis Mortimer Richard Fan-ell Jack Torrence ..Freeman 'Wood Julia Helen Relmer Bbcby. .James McDuff "BUI" Bruce John Mlltern Mrs. Potts-Thompson Caroline Locke Olive Gresham... .Frances Nordstrom Ann Mortimer Grace George Mazene Breslln Katharine Cosgriff "Cutle" Bird .' Marie Bayar Although more or less clumsily handled by the author, "The Ruined Lady,'* Grace George's latest starring vehicle, has a de- cided humorous trend and,, for all its tech- nical shortcomings, is a play of originality and several times better than Miss George's last piece, "She Would and She Did." For those venturous persons who hied themselves to the premiere, was the reward of seeing Miss George at what is very near her best. They were also rewarded by see- ing a play which, if it did not send them borne daaled by its sparkle, at least gave them assurance of an evening well spent. The plot of the story revolves about a yonng woman who is devotedly loved by a typical man who, finding that his sweet- heart is determined to rear her brother's motherless children, settles''down to take life as it comes. In his comforts, he grad- ually loses sight of the fact that the chil- dren have grown np and that bis sweetheart is anxious to be more than a friend. A returned friend, keen to the situation, plots with the sweetheart to reawaken hk love by bringing about a compromising sit- uation, which occurs with a vengeance. But the dull lover of years does not realise his opportunity until it has almost passed Just before it is too late, he awakens and the curtain falls to smiles and happiness. Miss George is as piquant as ever and is given ample opportunity to display her gifts as a comedienne. She Is ably sup- ported by a well-chosen and efficient cast. Frances Nordstrom, the author, as well as Richard Farrell and Freeman Wood, handle their roles in a finished manner. PURPLE MASK"—A ro- mantic melodrama in fonr acts, adapt- ed by Matheson Lang from the French of Paul Armont and Jean ManoussL Produced by Lee Bbubert at the Booth Theatre, January 5th, 1920. CAST. Duke de Chateaubriand James C. Malaldy Armand de Trevieres Leo Ditrichstein Marquis de .Clamorgan Stephen Wright Monsieur de Morleve Robert R. Ranter Vlcomte de Morsanne George H. Frenger Baron de Vlvonne L'Estrange MntTwpTi Abbe Brochard Burr Caruth Fouche Walter Howe Briuquet. Brandon Tynan Captain Lavernals Orlando Daly Lieutenant Roche Earle Mitchell Brigadier Halliard Clyde Veauz Brigadier Caron Gustav Bowhan A Sergeant .....M. A. Kelly A Sergeant Lloyd R. Flags A keeper of the ToU Gate Eldie P. Wood Laurette de Chateaubriand Lily Cahlll Valentine de Grisolles Ann MacDonald Madame Anais..Margaret Sutherland Sabine, her niece.."Boots" Wooster In these days when melodrama lurks al- most invariably around police headquarters with the mystery of who-did-it running through three or four acts until the play- wright decides that the hour is late and lets the audience in on the secret so that the final curtain can fall, it is a pleasurable relief to find one far and away from this beaten track. Such an exception is "The Purple Mask," -which goes into a world of make-believe but still is mystifying and ex- citing enough to keep the audience at wit's end throughout the performance and novel enough to give the lie to the assertion that there is nothing new under the sun. To go into the plot would be cheating the play. It unfolds a battle of wits between Armand de Trevieres, known as the "Purple Mask," and his relentless pursuer, Brisquet, agent of the prefect of police of Paris. The play takes place in the days when Napoleon was First Consul and revolves around the famous Royalist plot. Leo Ditrichstein, in the role of the Roy- alist hero, adds one more' distinctive role to his long string of successes. In the por- trayal of this character, there is many an opportunity to rant, but the star gives a finer understanding to the part and handles the character with much grace and humor. Opposed to the hero is Brisquet, a cJar-, acter that has a capable portrayal in the hands of Brandon Tynan. His work is really on a par with Ditrich stein's, for the portrayal is a notable characterisation. One cannot help but feel that this play has been remoulded from its original book by Ditrichstein. There is evidence in its production, of a master-hand, for every character, incident and gesture has been carefully and intelligently thought out, and every detail works to one single effect. The play is full of color, being a costume play. As the daughter of the Duke de Chateaubriand, Lily CahQl presents an exquisite picture, and, what is more, ex- actly fits the gracious role that is hers. AH of the other members of the cast are far above ordinary, and, in fact, "The Purple Mask" promises to be the biggest success that Ditrichstein has yet appeared in, which is saying considerable. . GUILD PICKS NEW PLAY "The Power of Darkness,'' by Tolstoi, will be the third production of the New York Theatre Guild, and win open at the Garrick Theatre on January. 15. The play is a tragedy of Russian' life and the Guild's production will be the first time in English on any stage. TO APPRAISE N. Y. THEATRE BLDC Application for the appointment of ap- praisers to judge the value of the New York Theatre was granted L. Erlanger. Joseph P. Bickerton, Jr, and the estate of William Harris, by the Supreme Court last week, with a view of allotting to the petitioners their share in the corporation controlling the property. Following an investigation of the affi- davits of the plaintiffs, which alleged that the majority of the stockholders, led by Marc Klaw", Alf Hayman and Henry Dazian, voted to sell the property for a price $400,000 below Us real value, the Court appointed Carlisle Norwood, Phoenix Ingraham and Bryan L. Kennelly as appraisers. Despite the fact that the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation was to take possession on January 1, the tenants have been notified that they will not be com- pelled to move, as yet. No plans have been decided upon for the alteration or reconstruction of the theatre and build- ing- If the negotiations which the Famous Players are carrying on with several tenants of the Putnam building, also their property by recent purchase, go through, it may be possible that the plan to reconstruct the New York Theatre building will be entirely abandoned. For if these negotiations are carried through successfully, a big motion picture theatre and office building will be built on the site of the Putnam building. This deal for the Putnam building de- pends mainly upon the willingness or un- willingness of the Shanley Restaurant Company to give up its lease on the ground floor. "SMIUN' THROUGH" WITH JANE COWL ANOTHER SPIRIT PLAY "SMILIN' THROUGH"—A fantasy in a prologue and three acts, ■ by Allan Lang-don Martin. Presented by the Selwyns, at the Broadhnrst Theatre. Tuesday evening. Decem- ber 30. 1919. CAST. The Mother of the Boy Miss Lalive Brownell The Mother of the Girl ' Miss Blaine Inescort John Carteret Henry Stephenson Dr. Owen Harding Ethelbert D. Hales Ellen Miss Charlotte Granville Kat hleen Dungannon Miss Cowl Willie Alnley FbUlp Tonga Kenneth Wayne Orme Caldara Mary Clare Miss Elaine Inescort Jeremiah Wayne Orme Caldara Moonyeen Clare Miss Cowl For the second time this season, a play involving the idea of the survival of the spirit after death and its influence on the thoughts and actions of mortals, has made its appearance in a Broadway playhouse, this time under the title of "Smilin' Through." It is rather crude in construc- tion, a blend of obvious theatricalism and a rather elusive theme of fantastic tender- ness. The story deals with one Jerry Wayne who, in a fit of jealous despendoncy, fires on his friend, John Carteret, at the hour of the latter'8 wedding to the beautiful and bewitching Moonyeen Clare, and how she, in a swift rush to shield her lover, inter- cepts the shot The ghosts of this tragic hour haunts the old garden for fifty years and rise to bar the way when the son of Jerry Wayne comes, years later, to court the lovely niece of Moonyeen Clare. Jane Cowl .plays the dual role of the spirit and the niece. Her portrayal of these two characters was one strong in dramatic contrasts and beautiful in spirit. Most of the acting honors fall to the star, but there are also good performances by Henry Stephenson and Philip -Tonge, while Orme Caldara-and Ethelbert D. Hales are good in Important 'roles.