Motion Picture Classic (Jan-Aug 1919)

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War Savings Stamps Cuticura Stops Itching and Saves the Hair All druggists: Soap 25, Ointment 25 &50, Ta1ctiiii25. Sample each free of **Ciiticnra, Dept. B, Boston.'* Across the Footlights The New York stage now has a number of admirable and interesting things upon its boards. In at least one instance, the metropolitan theater offers an example of acting at its greatest — acting which ranks with any that may or may not have existed in the palmy days. This is John Barrymore’s really tremendous characterization of Fedya in Tolstoi’s “Redemption.” The Tolstoi drama, sometimes called “The Living Corpse,” is a vital thing. “It is sorrowful and piteous and terrible,” some one has said. Tolstoi wrote it as an arraignment of the law’s futility in handling the problems of life. It is marriage viewed with a cruelly ironic eye. One critic said that Fedya is “the figure of all poets, all artists, all sensitive human beings who dream passionately of what is better than the reality they know.” Barrymore’s performance is marked by genuine histrionic genius. The supporting cast is splendidly chosen and the ten scenes are staged with fine artistry by Robert Edmond Jones. We should like to take every screen actor to see Barrymore’s magnificent Fedya and every director to see Jones’ wonderful handling of lights and colors. Clare Kummer, who wrote that delicious gem, “Good Gracious, Annabelle,” has given another example of her charming and graceful gossamer humor in “Be Calm, Camilla.” It is the little story of a young girl who comes to New York to study music, fails and is on the verge of starvation when a millionaire’s car runs her down. Out of that slender theme, Miss Kummer has woven a delightful comedy. Lola Fisher, who was Annabelle, is the new Camilla and she plays with freshness, wistfulness and humor. The unusual thing about Miss Kummer’s comedies is the dialog. “Almost invariably each laugh earned by the play begins scatteringly and then rises to full volume,” says Heywood Broun in discussing the comedy. “This would seem to indicate that a definite intellectual process is stimulated by the new play.” In a word. Miss Kummer’s dialog has mental sparkle. Oscar Wilde’s “An Ideal Husband” is played with distinction and taste at the Comedy Theater. Down at the Greenwich Village Theater, “The Better ’Ole,” a comedy based on Captain Bruce Bainsfather’s famous English war cartoons, is holding forth successfully. “The Better ’Ole” was re-J jected by a lot of New York’s leading commercial managers, but finally found a home in the metropolis’ near-Bohemia. Charles D. Coburn invests Bainsfather’s ’Ole Bill, the British soldier with the mud-guard mustache, the impregnable ignorance and racy Englishisms, with just the right spirit. “Freedom,” a lavish spectacle in ’steen dozen scenes showing the development of political and racial freedom thru the ages, was briefly at the big Century Theater. It was, at least, imposing. Meanwhile the season’s first three big hits, “Three Faces East,” “Friendly Enemies,” and “L.ightnin’,” go merrily! on. The producers of “Lightnin’,” Win-a chell Smith and John Golden, have ap-| parently just put over another hit inj “Three Wise Fools,” by Austin Strong! This is built around three elderly and embittered men who come to have hu-manness awakened in their hearts by their ward, the grown daughter of ar old friend. I “Tea for Three” holds its place as onq of the best comedies of a long time,! Alice Brady gives a moving perform-J ance in that touching play of youths “Forever After” ; “The Unknown Pur-J pie” is a weird and startling melodrama S “Under Orders,” with its two-playei^j cast, maintains its place among the fav-j orites ; “Sleeping Partners” is a sprightl^ French Boulevard farce hit; Cyril Maude is doing nicely in “The Savina Grace” and — so it goes. Bl “The Girl Behind the Gun” and “Head, Over Heels” are batting among the musj’ ical leaders. | In other words, the season is doing very well. K Stage Plays That Are Worth While | (Readers in distant towns will do well to preserve this list for reference when these speaking plays appear in their vicinity.) 1 Central. — “Forever After.” Alice Brady in a play of youthful love which endures despite many obstacles. Excellently acted thruout. It charms its audience into living once again the violent joys and heart-aches of youth. Cohan & Harris. — “Three Faces East.” Another Secret Service-German spy drama, this by Anthony Paul Kelly, one of oiir most successful photoplaywrights. The principal charm of this play is in trying to guess who are the German spies and who are the Allies’, just as we were puzzled in “Cheating Cheaters” to know who were the burglars and who were not. George M. Cohan’s T/icatcr.— “Head Over Heels,” with the saucy Mitzi as a delectable little vaudeville acrobat. Entertaining with tuneful Jerome Kern music and the highly amusing Robert Emmett Keane. Harris. — “The Riddle Woman,” with Bertha Kalich. Problem drama from the Danishj Ladies with “pasts,” a he-vampire and much emotionalism. Kalich gives a picturesque if artificial performance, while Chrystal Herne and A. E. Anson makes the most of their roles. Hippodrome. — The newest production, “Everything,” lives up to its title. It is a rnaze of varied attractions, ranging from dainty Belle Storey to scores of remarkable roller skaters, from De Wolf Hopper to a stage full of tumbling Arabs. Lyceum. — “Daddies.” Appealing little drama of three bachelors who adopt Belgian wai babies. Amusing complications occur when the children develop along unexpected lines Jeanne Eagels is quaintly pleasing in the leading role. (Six)