Variety (December 1919)

te ■ ■■: ■■': '•■ ■ . • . ■ .. " I •'".■■. *i■ ■ ■•• ■■ ■■ .: ^■■-■•--■iV'*' :«?&:■ §g§|J LEGITIMATE ,? AP1LR0I)ITJV w -* ■/■y?.a Tlmon, a OlMk Gallant. Frederick Macklyit Phrasllsa, • Courtier............-Richards Halo Horatlua, a Roman Post Mayue Linton Naukratos. Phyalolaa to the Queen... ••.. • • '. ••• ■••■ Ktienne Girardot Trmo zones. JHlnUtor of SUM. 8ples »...■••.•»»».. . .Robert Ayr to a William Gedney Edward Nacht William Holly ' -• Wallace Jackson Bubastla, a Court Chamberlain Win. McNeill Berenlke. Queen of Egypt Haxel Alden Sracer of the Guard .....Nikolai Qlovatskl emetrlos, a Greek Sculptor McKay Morris Ampells. a City Courtesan Rita Gould A Renar... Berwick Koget A Donkey Boy......................Basil Smith Votaries ot the Temple: Korlno , Suxetta Gordon Ioessa ...-, ..Mabel Allan Fruit Peddler.... Arnold Van Leer Fiih Peddler. Lester 8weyd A Young Sailor .....Richard Schwendler A Snake Peddler... William McNeal A Youth '. Edward Howell Harhlngtr Kbayam, an Asiatic Prince...... », Mark Loebell Sisters: jfyrtla ;«...- Rhodoclela ........ City Courtezans: . Xano Dorkss Psrthenls .......... Clonarlon Krobyle ...Annette Bade .Carolyn Nunder ..Hazel Miller ,Loul::e Elan Id ......Mai Poth ... .Agnes Tata Oladys Morrison Pyralls .Augusta Magruder Bacchys. Mistress to Naukrates. ...Maude Odell Chrysis, of Galilee .Dorothy Dalton Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love..Mildred Walker Th; Queen's Ladles: ■ Phoenike...... Estelle Paul ........... ...... * ............ Rirene 'Daphne . Faustina ,. Elena ... .Sena .. tft Myslennes Ghadames '•■' Dory c las . Hermia .. Dials .... Courtiers: ... . Batbylloa Damon . Myxaros . Lyaander • Qadales Hector Jester to the Queen.. Votaries of the Temple of Aphrodlter Mfiols ......-.".-......Vera Leonard Mausaarlan ..'. ..Shirley Warde Theano .Patterson Dial Mclltta ..,..,Hope-Sutherland Chlmeria.-a Greek Sybil..... .Lucille La Verne Tount, the High Priestess.....Judith M. Voselll Atelltta'a Mother, a Princess Haxel Wood hull Bunikc, another Priestess. Genevieve Dohuro SiriKcr ••ass -Martin Breval ...Clarence Reed Winifred Hampton ....Dottle Edwards Ann Lyall Litis, Toselll ............Kay MacCa us land .......Louise Adams. ..Hattlo Simms Kathcrlne Turner ....Anita Corradi ...Julia Carroll ...Kitty Gilbert •William Grieg-. .....Carl Llnke * ...John Trlefalt .....J. Stafford ....Al. OJeman Clinton Russell ..Henry CUne • •»• »*. *... .'"IK'n ...... ... .............. Chief Butler tat Bacchys Female Slaves to Bacchys: DJala , ,-.. Bamshl Apllrodasia, a Dancing Slave. Old Sailor High Priest.. .. .Paorl Arendine Lorna Mayer .......Mile. Dazie ..William McNeal .Guy Collins Ladies of the Chorus-Valerie Sergeant, Hattte Arnold, Adele Lacy, BHIle Wedgewood, 11a Jewell, Isabel Stone, Gladys Fisher, Alois Yates, Ema Steinway. Gladys Leigh, Gelna Genova. H. De Witt. • Gentlemen ot the Chorus—Edward Howell, Rene De I,a Cbapele, Hugh Reed, Wallace King, Lionel Vetky. Leo Collins. W. Perloff, H. . Arden. Daniel ' Qalmby. John Surra. A. . Frank, Francis Murphy. Ladies of the Ballet—Betty Wayne. Ann Smith, Kathleen Lowry, Oriole Maude. Dorothy Scovllle. Helen Lyons. Margaret Mahgan, Dorlnda Bradley, Edith Maude, Ermlna Mathews, Mildred Marsh. Dorothy Chesmond, Louise Romafne. Georgia'. Poutch. Nancy ■ Cobhan, Myrna Reeves, Margaret Mackenzie, Elvira Be'rtl, Dorothy Lee. Irene Van Cleef. Peggy-Raymond, Nelly Savage, Alice Wayne, Marlon O'Neill, EstoU .Gray, Betty Linn, Blllie Wilcox, Gae Foster. Vlolante Fran- celll, Anita Gay, Virginia McDonald. Vlolette De Chevljr. Rboda Sylvano, Estelle Penning. Others In the Play—Temple Votaries, the Queen a 'Guard.-Litter Bearers, Priests and Chanters, Incense Bearers, Phoenician Sailors, Chinese and Jewish Merchants, CameL Drivers, Arab Horsemen, Peddlers, Fruit and Flower Sell- era, Astatic Attendants, Guests of Bacchys, t People of the City, etc. A brilli audience gathered at the Century Monday to see the first performance In this country of "Aphrodite." Nearly everyone ot Im- portance, theatrically, was there. The literary world was well represented. Jiven Fifth Avenue sent Its coterie,' lured from the Metropolitan's Monday evening display of necklaces .and tiaras. To this audience E. Lyall Swete, who directed the production for Comstock & Gost, made a speech. "Not out of lore (or his dear, dear son-in-law and my dear manager, Morris Gest," he ex- plained, "but out of pure friendship for me, the wizard of the American stage stepped In at the last moment to help out." What's more, the -vizard was there to take his bow, and the audience might well have re* marked to. him, to David Belasco, as he went through his famous hand-stroking ot the hair, "Shake not thy grey, grey locks at ua—ws know." . And they found out after a month of fran- tic bidding for first night seats scaled at fit top on the theory, perhaps,- that you can fool the American public at least once. Rumor had been busy with the exciting Information that Chrysis, the courtesan, Impersonated by Dorothy- Dalton, would climb a tower and pose In the nude as Aphrodite. Afterwards the police would step In. Henco the demand for seats. • Well, she didn't. A drop was lowered over thu top of that tower and everyone on the stage talked about her and explained how tho pink veil falling to the stage was the last to shield her be auty fr om mortal eyes, but'they Just talked about 1U So far as the- audlenco was concerned, everything was as moral aafr unsatisfyingTor-a-'noaUoBs Monday,' Meanwhile, before.proceeding to give) an un- biased opinion ot the events Monday evening at "the- Century, the writer wishes to clap no underlain band la honor ef Morris Gest. It takes not only a showman but a man' ot parts to awing such a load of money behind suob a venture an ''Aphrodite." If certain parts ef the production are open to ctltloiam, these criticisms cannot rightly be charged to Cost's account. He took the big chance. HO spent all that was necessary and the news that-the publlo Is buying heavily Is good news to all who like brlHiant showmanship taking its dar- ing chance in these risky days. But this does not dispone of "Aphrodite," a spectacular, poetic and slow moving melo- drama, founded en the celebrated French erotic written years ago by Pierre Louys, with the scenes laid In Alexandria, Egypt, In the .decadent times' when they succeeded th. cor- rupting everyone and everything, even the pages of Aristotle. Egypt's queen, then was Berenlke, whose dark ralr. according to Louys, was her glory. Shock No. 1 Monday evening went on record among the cogno- scenti when; Hazel Alden appeared as the queen and wore the blondest of'blonds wigs. . A dissatisfied, self-willed little creature, she loves Demetrlos, the sculptor. He lores no woman, but loves Instead his statue of Aphro- dite, better known to moderns as the Venus of the Romans. "- Naturally, this preference of the young sculptor irks the queen, but worse is In store for her. After'a series' of pageants. In which brilliant colorings, music, camels and stares) bearing high lit:er» -played their part, the crowds leave the stage to Demetrlos and Ms 'friend, Horatlus, and there wanders In the fairest courtesan ot them all, 4 woman from i Galilee named Chrysis. For seven nights she says she has slept alone, but before, that She has been every, wealthy Alexandrian's mis- tress. Money, in consequence, has no lure for her. • : ■ ,. ... -.<:■,■,' . . .«■ To Demetrlos, who falls for her charm with a crash he laments in a musical ap- proximation of blank verse, she -puts a dare. "Commit three crimes for me," she tells him, "and I am yours." Bicbt here, the play .began to' liven up. Dorothy Dalton, before she went Into pic- tures, bad stage experience In stock Com- panies.' This was responsible for an elocu- tion at times hurried, but'' always fairly sat- isfactory. Not stock, but'the warm shores of Southern California accounted' for the lure and the Indolent seductive magnetism she wore Into her temptation scene with the sculptor. Von began to feel then that you might get your money's worth. fc> Tou began to fee. more sure In the scene where Demetrlos steals the pearls for Chrysis from tho neck of the statue. It stood white against a dark background, tosed apparently by a living woman who for ten minutes kept her arms curved above her head. Three-quarters of the woman, however, was rear* statue hollowed out, with the' woman herself Inside It. Murder follows the stealing and the curtain falls only to-rise on a great banqueting. scene, for wheh Michel Poklne arranged a dance.. On the program he Is referred to as "the choreograph." Why? Sounds more mysterious than "an arranger of dances," perhaps. At any rate, the dance.Itself was a marvel ef brilliantly mingled colors, of cceL slim pink and white limbs of young men and women, wearing only breast plates and loin cloths, a thing of passion, movement and rhythm that fled away into the outer circles of the stage■ like disappearing ripples to make room for Mile. Dasle, who danced as we have never seen her. dance before'only to be crucified for her pains. This last was the result ot the false accusation that it w» j she. who had stolen the mirror. ef Bacchys, rival courtesan o Chrysl- This was a sadlstlo touch cleverly worked up, a bit perfectly e.cttd by Paste, a scheme to which a tall darkey as captain of the' house* hold with his whlte-teethed smile lent a final Insolence.. We came next to the. great excitement. At the studio of Demetrlos the queen tares madly, crazed for lor* of him. lie sends her away, throwing back" the great doors on his statue, veiling it because ot his pro- fanation of the shrine, then falling asleep on his couch a a If by maglo now, the doors draw onoe again apart From her pedestal the statue leaps down, crosses the room, speaks to him as In a dream, revealing under the plastered white as she crosses the floor every line of a perfectly shaped woman's figure, a figure no artist has ever thought approached tho male's for beauty. She re- turns, In real life, the program informs us, this figure belong to Mildred Walker. With the goddess now back on her pedes- tal, Chrysis comes. Sick at the thought of ber, having looked on a living.goddess, drunk visually deep of that more potent aphro- disiac, Demotrlos renuloer her. To prove her love for him, Chrysis dona tho gifts he has stolen for her, climbs a high tower amid the Etorm .and lightning,"and, discovered ..by the people, is flung to . her. death. Site dies," but In the arms of Demetrlos. who at last ac- claims her-than Aphrodite more beautiful. In the book itself he ermes to her after her death and from tho cold, stiff Image of what was ones the passionate, loving woman he scorned, he moulds an Immortal Aphrodite. , Such 11 the play. It la not a success be- cause that tense dramatic concern With re- alities, that conflict so evident In "The Jest." is absent It might hare been all pageant and so successful, or all play. la the latter case, Pierre Frondale would * 1 » v » had to have more to do "with It than Its American adaptor. George C. Hazleton, if success were reasonably to bo expected. The truth is that Americans like Hazleton and Englishmen like Lyall Swete are constitutionally inca- pacitated to deal with anything Gallic The French can tell a story and make It naughty and .still charming. English and Americans cannot. Two things about the play were Indubitably successful, the costumes of Schneider and Anderson and Foktn.' arrangement of the danoes. The latter got f 1.000 a day for his services, Morris Gest whispered In a confiding moment, and' Percy Anderson was. six weeks in London consulting with Joseph and Phil Harker, who designed the scenery, and Leon Baskt also contributed costume bits, here and there. Incidental .-ustc by Henri Pevrier and Antelm Goetxl was pleasing, as 'were the properties designed by Anderson and Carl Link.- The lighting effects left much to be desired, but unfortunately we ' are those used at the Plymouth for a basis ot com- parison. ' The costumes for Foklne's splendid bacchanal were by Alice. O'Ncil. ' ; "Among the actors. Mia stood out. Mayne Linton was distinguished as Horatlus, : bat Etlenne Olrardot and Bobert Ayrton found the acoustic properties -' the.forme? New Theatre too trying for their elocutionary powers. .Lucille La Verne was excellent as another Cassandra, bat McKay Morris did not realise the high lights and deep shades of his .•part He pat in. every word aj'eren- ness of tone and accent that half killed It. In the Grove of Aphrodite, In the second act Patteson Dial, a, red-haired, ' slim girl danced with a girlish simplicity and abandon that was decidedly charming. heed. OHE NIGHT IN HOME. Richard Oak ............Philip Merlvate Mr. Justice Mlllburne..........H. Cooper Clltte SIgnor Diranda t~. i .Oeorge Maleroni Denby Wragge • Barry Baxter Gresnam.... Thomas Coffin Cooke Blkra.. John Davenport Seymour Mrs..Oak..- Mrs. Felix Morris Mrs. Redlynch.... I Louise Beaudet Zephyr. Helen Blair Klara ..Olln Field Iola ..Greta Kemble Cooper La Bainbina .'.. Marie Blanch! "L'Enigme" , Laurel to Taylor J. Hartley Manners' latest play of the series he has written for his wife, Laurette Taylor, Is an obvious one. But then sgaln one might argue that iso was . "Peg o' My Heart," which is reputed to have earned millions of TJoiTura .in profits and royalties, with the picture rights stilt.to yield up another, fortune. In the hands of a less skilled technician In .playwriting "One Night in Rome" would prove the trltest kind of entertainment Mr. Manners Juggles with the conventional melo- dramatic ingredients, with a deftness of crafts- manship . that .conceals to the. layman, the in- evitable .denouement. However, a few minutes after the two leading characters meet there re- mains but one-minor point to be elucidated— Just which of the regulation secrets of her past life the leading woman was so carefully con- cealing. To sustain tho'interost and "carry on" tor a - full evening's entertainment, the entire first of the three acts is taken up with "L'Enigme" (Miss Taylor) engaged In "telling fortunes" in a professional capacity, though not as a char- latan hut as a scientific reader, with the aid of a thorough knowledge of palmistry, phrenol- 'ogy and. physiognomy. There comes to the studio of the mysterious seer, whom no one knows anything about, a man to have his future fore- told, brought there by his mother, who feara to let htm Journey to East Africa. Outwardly a strong man, he has been bom- pelted to fight all his life against fear, and she tells him "the boose of fear la the body—the temple ot fear la the mind," etc. Nevertheless, Miss Taylor, with the same tonal quality she brings to all her characterizations, is very convincing, very natural gad Very human. The three acts are designated as "divisions," the first being "the future," then "the present," and, finally, "the past" In the Utter she Is placed In the position whore her identity and pedigree will be disclosed by a nemesis In the person of her late- husband's .best friend. Up to that time the relationship between the two is not revealed—In fact, deliberately designed to intrigue. He Is an Italian and she affects a' foreign accent and employs phrases In French, Portuguese and Italian, more especially tho lat- ter; It devclopu tho woman had been married to an Italian baron who shot himself at a party to which lie Iiad taken his wife, leaving a letter in which he accused , her of unfalllifulnesH, utterly, destroying her honor, and leaving ht>r t : : ' ifr*%£ penniless. Thus exposed and driven to bay she declares that but two people knew the real reason for the suicide—the doctor whom he had. visited that day and herself. And so "ho" (the hero) and "she" (tho heroine) went off to "si new country," to "begin life anew." The atmosphere,' situations and dialog were, however, so cleverly Intermingled as to bo worthy of a bigger Issue. With respect to the interpretation of the play, by the artists, George Tyler has supplied a splendid company, and every detail ot pro- duction and staging by the author Is in excellent taste.. ...;.■ Miss Taytor was called upon to utter s number of times la the play In Italian, and so,translate into English the phrase, "What Is to be will be." The piece will probably enjoy some vogue, due to the star's personal popularity. _- Called before the curtain after the second "division," or act, she- made the shortest speech on record- one word In Italian which sounded like/ "esperto." Upon inquiry It was stated the mean.' lag in English Is "I hope." Let as all hope. ■"' * Jotex;- ELSIE JANIS AND HER GANG. ..;................Elsie Jaels The Gang . . ... 1% ;- "Cirtek" Dereau Richard Ryan ..-..\.'- . BUI Reardoa ' Henry Jsnswlctt ' ' 'V Sam Burbank Frank Miller . Herbert Qott The Parlslennc Eva Le Galllrane The Y. M. C. A. Girl............. ..Ruth tY« The K of C. Girl.. f Henrietta Orsi The Ambulance Service Girl....Margaret Sou_^ The Motor Transport Girl... LUItan Cullen The Red Cross Nurse. Mary Balfour Elsie Janls...;... BUI Kernel I. Eddie Bay' Bradley Knoche Jerry Hoekstra ' Jack Brant Charles Lawrence Along cams Elsie Janie with "Her Qant'.' and her "bombproof revne" at the Oeorge M. Cohan theatre Monday night, and.from the Im- pression the show made .then .and on Tuesday evening, wbeo a big bouse was in, another hit has arrived on Broadway. According to dope, the Elsie Janls show-was. framed for a short stay on Broadway and then a tour. Bat'the Show Is such good entertainment the stay oa Broadway by dU rights should be more of a run than an engagement ...•',.■ '.,' ''V. Miss Janls, almost since the time the A. H. F. arrived la France, was with the "boys," sing- ing for them, entertaining then on every area. In the "X" -huts and on the platform of a squared circle. She didn't need an organiza- tion to send her across. ' She Just went and helped make things brighter for the American doughboy. True, only a star like Elsie Janls could have driven through the fog of red tape, But after, all, she did do things as an enter- tainer and she won the love of a million doughboys. ■ ". '< -V> Miss Janls says that'those experiences over- sons will always be counted the- happiest and brightest hours ot her ■ life. And that's • trie- reason why she conceived the idea of a revue. In which she Is mainly assisted by boys" who were over there for Uncle Sam. None ot these doughboy players were professionals before the war, and most show that But several are due' to stay on.the stage. .The love of her experi- ence and. the happy. hours with her "boys," Miss Janls expressed In a poem called "Lest We Forget," which she.said "she wrote. It was a brilliant recitation, brilliantly written, with V beautiful sentiment. In addition h>"the "gang," there were six girls headed by the clever Bra Le Galllenne, but it was the boys who were) the real aids In putting over the Elsie Janls show. For the opening a top sergeant appeared be- fore a blue cyolora'ma, gazed out over the audi- ence, inspected It, moved to the other side of tho stage, still- looking bat but saying nothing. It was Jack Brant, who did well later as an "M. P." Finally be called out to the wings: "Hey, Miss Janls, they're all In." "Well," replied Miss Janls, "If thoy are not they will be," and she came on In a simple frock of dark blue to explain about her little show, > : ; "it you don't know what the show Is about,"V aha began after a hearty reception, "if you .don't know what the show is about, you have nothing on as. Tou know, I have played for and with the soldiers, and somehow, whan I came back, I felt I would be lost without them. So I might, as well bs lost with them." She then explained''the lack of a big production. All tho seta were la miniature set In front of the cyciorama. "This Is really a eonceafrated attack on the high cost of producing. WO had to choose between- going without clothes or scenery. These sketches (attached to the for* mentors) are what we thought we wanted. Any- how, our little show Is a reminder to those who have been over there, and to others it might bs an Idea of what Sherman said about war" (but It wasn't anything like that). Regarding her "gaog," sht said that they readily signed with her, for "war was a rest cars compared with the present Idea ot peace." It Is that bright vein which permeates the EUle Janls show. There Is little of talking and more of numbers, so that in real analysis It classes as a revue. Each of the little scenes was explained prior to Its stowing, and tho spotlight lit up the particular sketch that: wag to have been tho scene. First was the interior of a "T" hut. Miss Jsnls saying every one would know that because the boys In it were . kicking. And with the pnrllhg of' (lie curtula 'J >*'\i ^ m m ■•>; ■ ■ 3 . ,■■■: ■ .->■-■ --? 4,