Variety (November 1918)

"^ - ' '" 1L.EG1 T:rM ate" ^ -"W^'*^^'^"^*^-^ «*■ NEWS M THE DAILIES K now peace rcene h&q been added to the tliird act ot "Preedom." Hugh Howard, ttae comedian, has been made a captain ot tho Police Reserve. Cyril Maud will lecture qn "Women and tbe War" before tbe membere o( tbe Mllltia of Mercy, of wblch Mrs. William M. Trueedale IB president, la tbe RlU-Carlton Hotel, Not. 0. Lillian Russell was presented wltb a silver loving cup at tbe Palace last week by tbe de- tail of tbe Marines wbo appeared wUh her. Miss Russell holds on honorary commission In the Corps. Walter HacVett'a three-act play "The Invis- ible Foe" will shortly be produced in New Tork by Thomas DIxoo. The play has recently • bad a long run tn London with H. B. Irving in the leading role. Robert Gdmond Jones has given bis- ser- vices to designing the scenery and costumes for the show to be given by the soldiers at Camp Merrltt, at the Lexington for the two weeks beginning Nov. 25. Marguerite Sylva has withdrawn from the cast of singers at the Park in order to fulfil her operatic engagements with the Chicago g. o. CO., with which she makes her debut Nov. 25. Frederic VlUIers, war artist-correspondent of the llluatrsted London News, will lecture on "What I Saw at the Front," at the Lotus Club, Nov. 14. Mr. Vllllers will Illustrate the lecture with his own sketches. William A. Brady, speaking at a dinner of the Pleiades Club, Nov. 3, at the Hotel Bre- voort, new York, gave It as bis opinion that 90 per cent, of theatrical and picture men will have to face ruin If tbe proposed war tax of 20 per cent. Is not reduced by tbe Senate. May Irwin (Mrs. Kurt Elsteldt) was sued In the Supreme Court, Nov. 1, for $180,000 damages In eight suits tor the personal In- juries arising out of a Are In the theatrical rooming bouHo sbe owned at 156 West 44th street. New York, in December, 1016. The ground of the suit is negligence In falling to equip the building with fire escapes. An unidentified woman, obout 60 years ot age, was knocked down by an automobile driven by James Dregun and owned by Peggy Hopkins, at 67th street and Amsterdam avenue. New York, Nov. 4. After the accident Dregan drove the woman to tbe Roosevelt Hospital, but she died on the way, from a fractured acull. Miss Hopkins was not In the car at the time. The Shakespeare Playhouse will give Its annual Shakespearian season at tbe Ply- mouth, beginning Nov. 15. Performances will be given Friday afternoons and Saturday momtngs. Edith Wynne Matthlson, Tyrone Power, Walter H?.mpden, Cyril Kelghtley, Pedro de Cordoba, Howard Kyle, Albert Brunlng, George Oaul, Helen Ware, Alma Kruger, Beatrice Terry are among those in tbe company. Tbe Port Ontario Players, made up of. en- listed men in General Hospital, ..^^ S, at Oswego, N. Y., Is the latest military organi- sation announced for a run In New York. They are booked for the 44th St. Roof, Nov. 18. Instead of giving a musical comedy show they will present a bill ot (our one-act plays. Sei^. Edward Qoodman, who was dli^ctor of tbe Washington Square Players, has the same office with tbe soldier company. An orchestra seat at the Metropolitan for the 23 Saturday tnatlneee ot tbe opera this season baa been placed by Oolab Duke at tbe disposition of the New York Committee ot the Italian War Relief Fund for the person who by noon of Nov. 11 shall make or procure the largest contribution to the fund In excess of 1500. Tbe money will be divided between Italian soldiers blinded In battle and In buy- ing clothing and books for the school children of Italy. Tbe seat wilt be free of tbe war tax. CRITICISMS. THRBB WISE FOOLS. A comedy In three acts, by Austin Strong. At tbe Criterion Oct. 81. Mr. Strong's story Is one of genuine appeal, and. In combination with the sentiment, to In- sure Its success.—Tt?7ie8. "Three Wise Fools" Is a play ot strong con- trasts well drawn.— nerald. BB CALM, CAMILLA. A comedy In two acta and four scones, by Clare Kummer. At tho Booth Oct. 31. Nothing could calm the laughter In the linos of "Be Calm, Camilla."— Berald. "Be Calm, Camilla," Is a comedy of gossa- mer texture, on tbe surface ot which deli- cate humor Rllnta like sunshine on a butter- fly's wing.—WorW. ■■"■''''"■■■''■"■"■'' ■fci'iHi'LE siiipiiiciwr'''' ''"'■■'■■ A musical comedy In throe acts. Book and lyrics by RIda Johnson Young, music by Augustus Farratt. At tho Astor, Nov. 4. Another French victory took place In tho Astor Theatre, where "Little Simplicity" was produced.— Herald. The music la tuneful, although there Is probably little of it that will'haunt the mem- ory, and the book, aside from a constant pro- pensity to pun, Is mildly amusing.—Sun. THB CANARY. A musical comedy in three acts from the French by Qeorgea Barr and Louis Verneull. Music by Ivan Caryl; additional number by Irving Berlin and Harry Tlerney. At tho Globe, Nov. 4. There was no question of the success ot "Tb» Canary."—Times. The success of "The Canary," resting on a firm foundation, will certainly make It one of the enduring successes In musical plays. Sun. PETER'S MOTHER, A romantic comedy by Mrs. Henry de la Pasture.. At the Playhouse Oct 30. The performance Is all btu perfecUon.— Times. Theer Is nothing In "Peter's Mother" to stir the emotions.— Sutk. GEORGETTE LEMAUNIER. A drama by Maurice Donnay, In three acts, at tho Theatre du VIeux Colombler, Nov. 4. M. Copeau. aa Lemaunter, made one feel that It Is rather to see him oct than to listen to Donnay's lecturing that one enjoys the performance.— Time». JUDGMENTS. Judgments filed In the County Clerk's oOce The first name Is that of the Judgment debtee the second the Judgment creditor, and the amount of Judgment. Co^'lnc' J^^*|?^e'<*—O'aplay Stage Lighting ^, ^J'^'or^ Davenport—T. J. 0. Rblnelander et Lionel Barrynwre—R. W. Sayer, $62.87. PRODUCTION ENGAGEMENTS. William H. Phllbrlck, "The Passing Show or i*iio. Tim Murphy, "Home Folks." Phoebe Foster, "By Pigeon Post" Josephine Foster and Del McDonald (Qood- hue stock) Central Square, Lowell, Mass Marlon Sltgreaves, "Glorlanna." Hilda Spong, "Dear Brutus." Maclyn Arbuckle, "Home Folks." RICHELIEU. Cardinal Richelieu Robert Maatell 0*^'°" Henry Buck.er Baradas. Albert Barrett De Berlnghen Quy Llndsley Adrian De Mauprat Frlu Lelber «"8uet .,, John Burke Joseph. Prank Peters Franco^... John Wray Louis XIII Edward Lowers A Captain ot G^iards Franklin Salisbury Page to Richelieu Llla-Dell Frost Clermont George Westlake Secretary Abraham Ivory- Another Edmund Foos Marlon de Lorme Marlon Evensen Julie De Mortemar Genevieve Hamper With the opening of the 44tb Street, Nov. 4, Robert Mantell celebrated his 100th perform- ance ot Bulwer Lytton's classic play. The op- portunity was taken by bis admirers to pres- ent bim with a nttmber ot floral oCterlngs. At tho same time other members of the company were not forgotten. The large audience, the house being com- fortably filled, seemed Impressed by a per- formance with which a majority must have been familiar and Mr. Mantell played with his accustomed vigor. A more proplilous time could hardly havo been chosen to present "Richelieu." With Its strong appeal for French patriotism. It now touches a responsive chord In an American audience. 0( course, It was a different France Mr. Mantell represented, to the France with which we are allied. Mr. Mantell appeared to advantage In the climactic moments of the play, sending real thrills through the audience. He Impersonated the "poor old man" well, delineating eSect- Iveljr with subtle touches the persisting power and^ advancing weakness of age which alter- nated In controlllns the cardinal in his final hours. Mr. Mantell's Richelieu Is not the arrogant, all-powerful ecclesiastic ot Sir Henry Irving or Richard Mansfield, ambitious, cruel and crafty, but warm-blooded, poetic, whimsical old prelate, weak in body but strong In mind. Yet there were times when ho displayed great dramatic power. His finest effort was In the garden scene, when with bis protecting arm around Julie de Mortemar, be thrilled the au- dience as the mighty Prln<:e of the Church, hurling defiance at king and courtiers with whom he threatened with the cur^e .of Holy Rome if they dare touch her. , The star has sutrounded hlmselt with a group of well-trained and naturally suitable players. His leading supporting actress Is his wife. Genevieve Homper. and she played Julie do Mortcmer.. Another member who has acted, with Mr. Mnintcll before whs Fritz.'Lelber as Adrian de Mauprnt. Frank Peters as Joseph supplied tbe humor. Tho remainder ot tbe company as well as the details of the produc- tion were the same as Mr. Mantell hns maln- taliiPd In tbe past. "Richelieu" is tbe program for all this week and may continue next Wbek. THE LONG DASH. AImir.~......:..;;...,...,... .^illlcent Btvans ' ArUne'..!.'.'.!'..'.'.'!......violet tCemble Cooper Borrows Harry T. Leeland Paul Hazleton Robert Edeson Maranelll Burton Churchill John Hazleton Robert Edeson William TImberly Byron Beasley Holmes Winter Malcolm Duncan Balnbrldge Weston John Terry - Sartonl Henry B. Dlxey Marie Georgia Lee Dr. Bruce Frank De Camp Miss Warrington Helen Hilton Senator Weston ...Burton Churchill Singly Harry Eagllsh Whitehouse Walter Colllgan Derkin J. C. Tremayne Hypocrites and plotters make things lively and keep the Interest of the audience at close tension during the-three acts of "The ILong Dash," the play by Robert Mears Mackay and Victor Mapes which the Sbuberts presented at tbe 39tb Street Nov. 5. It Is a play chiefly remarkable because of an Ingeniously played dual role and because the plotters are treated from an angle Just a little different from the usual run of semi-war plays. The play tells the story of John Hoileton, a disagreeable and morose family man, who Is saved from tbe consequences ot an Intrigue with a married woman by his brother who looks so much like him as to be mistaken for him by the outraged husband of the faithless woman. In order to save bis brother's wife and their little girl from scandal, Paul, the brother, admits to the accusations of TImberly, the husband, and at his peremptory request goes away to parts unknown. The two brothers are played by Robert Ede- son with consummate skill. The first intima- tion tbe audience bas of the trick Is when Mr. Edeson as Paul sits down to supper before the fire In a large armcbdlr with the back toward the footlights, and, although apparently heard talking there, and his elbows seen mov- ing In the process of eating, be suddenly enters tbe room as the brother. In another encounter between tbe two in the same act, the two men talk in a darkened room in the dead of night, the supposed John holding a flashlight which plays dimly upon Mr. Edeson's face and he talks for both, using a mild sort of ventrilo- quism for tbe feati In the two following scenes, John is engaged in financing and floating a new wireless gun which turns on Its base and fires automatically In response to tbe flashings of a certain tele- graphic or wireless code. It is a most for- midable and plausible looking affair. Inasmuch as It does turn, apparently in response to the flashes, and at tbe long dash—ttae reason for the obscure and Lnlnterestlng title ot the play-~ does explode. An enemy spy Is Introduced, ^ masking as an electrician In order to get pos- session ot the code, who Is apparently aided by Hazleton's faithless secretary. At this Junc- ture TImberly discovers that John Hazelton is tbe destroyer of bis home, and hla wife acci- dentally discovers It, too, But Hazleton dies of apoplexy In a fit ot passion, and Paul, re- turning unAxpectedly, la persuaded to imper- sonate bis brother until the deal Is put through. There is an exciting scene In which spies enter tbe apartment, only to have the gun ettectually trained on them, to their undoing; the secre- tary proves to be In the employ ot tbe govern- ment—a denouement too popular this season to be original—and everything ends happily. Mr. Edeson does splendid work as tbe two brothers. His differentiation between the taci- turnity of the one and the goad-nature of the other is drawn with tbe fineness of the most delicate artistry. He plays the part with the utmost finish and force and gives a perform- ance which could scarcely be improved upon. As the spy, suave and Insinuating, Henry B. Dtxey only proves once more what a superb artist he really Is, although bis is not a big part. Mllllcent Evans as tbe daughter and Violet Kemble Cooper as her mother are both rather priggish and tiresome. Miss Evans, although supposed to be old enough to be in love with a grown man and to fall Into bis arms quite easily la tbe last act, Is an ingenue with a vengeance, calling her mother "momsey" and her uncle "unkey," and sending him babyish letters via a secret post office In the back of a chair. She Is pretty and attractive, how- ever. Miss Cooper makes her characterization to be that ot a "good woman," to the exclusion of all other traits. Tbe play Is admirably acted, however. Is artistically presented and interesting enough to merit a goodly amount of favor. « THE LITTLE BROTHER. Chicago, Nov. 6. Rabbi Elkan Walker Whiteside Father Petrovltch Tyrone Power George Lubin (his ward) Cyrus Wood Shinovltch (a marriage broken)..Sam Sldman Rube Samuels William St. James Mr. Vanderllude John Gomar Marie Brescbofska. i .Edyth Latimer Bridget Mary Malleson Mrs. Gamage Bdna Holland Judith Elkan Mabel Bunyea Act I—Living Room at Rabbi Elkan's. (After- noon of Eve of Passover.) Act II—Living Room at tbe Lublns. (Eighteen months later.) Act III—Same a^-Act I .^. : . Time—1018. Plac&—New York City. Staged by John Harwood. Now and again a producer has faith in a piny wblch neither Is frivolously amusing nor presumes to present a specious sex twist as a "serious problem." In the instance of "The Little Brother" at tbe Princess, Walter Hast stakes his invest- ment, plus a great deal of earnest effort and ;«nthuala«tlc slnoerlty. on.a theme wbfoh real-;; ly counts—a powerful, dlinlfied, scholarly and human plea for greater tolerance between the creeds. This is exempUfled in a blood brotherhood which, unknown to both, exists be- tween a Jewish rabbi (Walker Whiteside) and a Greek Catkollc priest (Tyrone Power), who think they are divided by an Insurmount- able barrier, but read the fallacy of their prejudices in tbe discovery that they were both bom of the same mother—brothers after all, as all men are, by birth, instead ot enem- ies, as many men are, by tbe man-invented, hate-nursed artificial divisions ot different worship ot tbe same CTod. Whether America will accept this style of discussion and dramatic exposition as enter- tainment is not yet answered.^ But there Is no doubt that the matter Is worthy of public palaver, and that here It comes through a company of leglmate and sterling players who maintain tbe appropriate pitch of drama to lift It above commonplace argument and cheap claptrap which so frequently comes in the spurious disguise ot weighty psychologizing. To a Jew the ploy Is thrilling and heart- reaohihg. The Christians, who get Just a' flicker the worse of tbe debate, should not re-.- sent it, but may. There should be no taking of sides; the conclusion Is well for both—tor all. The whole world, nowadays when the war has shown that many dividing llnee can and must be crossed wblch never were crossed before, ought to welcome this frank, un- ashamed yet always ethical exchange of dram- atic ratiocination without personal resentment; Just as an enllgbtenloK conclasion on a seldom discussed, but always looming storm above tbe horizon ot men's larger harmonies. Mr. Whiteside as the rabbi is restrained, fervid and convincing. Ur. Power gives to the priest a magnificent and stellar courage ot Ingrained conviction which la compelling. Mabel Bunyea .plays the rabbi's daughter with charm and personality, and Edyth Latimer, In the role of an old woman, transcends anything that she has ever before accomplished on our stage. The future of "The Little Brother" will de- pend entirely upon the public's yet untold ap- petite for such presentations. Mr. Hast pres- ents It In conjunction with the Sbuberts. Lait. LITTLE SIMPLICITY. ZUla?' J^ Cameron Sisters Sheik of Kudab Hen Hendricks Joseph Phil Ryley Clavelln Eugene Redding Lula Clavelln Marjorle Gateson ' Prof. Erasmus Duckworth Charley Brown Pierre Lefebre Paul Percasl Jack Sylvester Stewart Balrd Philip Dorrlngton Henry Vincent Alan Van Cleeve Carl Gontvoort Irene Polly Pryer Veronlque Carolyn Tbomson Morgan Van Cleeve Robert Lee Allen Messenger v, Allan McDonald Officer , Samuel Critcberson Maude McCall Florence Berestord From Tunis to Paris and then to the trenches are the jumps made by tbe characters in "Little Simpllcty,' a musical comedy the Shu- berts brought to the Astor Noy. 4. The book and lyrics ore by RIda Johnson Toung, the music by Augustus Bsrratt "Little Simplicity" tells as much ci a storr as the average musical piece, and perhaps as interesting as ttae majority. Veronlque, who sells flowers In a cafe in Tunis, Is spirited away to Paris by Lulu, the niece of tbe proprietor, that sbe may escape the life her unscrupulous uncle wishes to force on the girl. Here, In the Latin Quarter, they find protection with three friendly artists— American, Frenchman and Englishman. The American, Alan Van Cleeve, falls In love with Veronlque, but doubting his sincerity i^Iu and sbe again disappear. Years after, In the trenches, they meet again. Van Cleeve an ot- flcer and Veronlque a great prima donna who comes to sing to the soldiers. And thus things are settled satisfactorily to all concerned. Tbe music is very-pretty, several numbers being of real merit and originality. The lines are poor, devoid of humor or cleverness. Sev- eral stale Jokes are sprung, but they fall. Most ot tbe principals are real song birds. Carl Oantvoort and Carolyn Thomson, who ■ head the company, sing and look well, but neither can act. Stewart Balrd may always be relied upon to make a good appearance and sing delightfully, as does Paul Porcasl as a French student. But about the only one with any personality or wbo can make any preten- sions to being able to act Is Marjorle Gateson, standing out most emphatically. She is, sprightly and pretty and makes a most seduc- tive French woman. The Cameron Sisters do three dances, each distinctive in Its way, and if applause Is any gauge they ecored one of the most substantial hits of the evening. Not only are these young women clever dancers and pretty girds, bat they have a style and dUtinctlon all their own and are an addition to any production. . The cborua Is uncemmoali pretty, and. all., the costumes veiT alfractlvo.' The scenes; one" in Tunis, one In a court yard In tbe Latin Quarter and onq behind the trenches are most artistically done. "Little Simplicity" should meet with a cer- tain favor, especially If It were set at a quicker tempo. Its lack of humor Is its great- est drawbaci.