Variety (February 1920)

LEGITIMATE THE BLUE FLAME. Washington, D. C, Feb. 18. The first showing of the A. H. Woods production, starring Theda Bara, proved Miss Bara has some histrionic ability, but tYils la also true of the sixteen-year-old amateur who takes part in the school play. The play, the Joint work of George V. Hobart and John Wlllard and called "The Blue Flame," surely does play upon the credulity of the auditor, and'then to top'lt all off the Impossibilities are made a dream which converts an unbeliever into a believer. . Mr. Woods has supplied a beautiful production, one that will be hard to equal, going as far as carrying a special orchestra with a director to play the 'Incidental music, which. Incidentally, brings back the old melodrama Idea of soft music for quiet scenes. ■ Miss Bara's popularity brought forth a capacity house, Including the top gallery, which is unusual these days, and no matter^ what the reviewer says. It surely does £pk as 1f the pieces with Its star will at"#ct excellent business as a freak at tr&c■ ^n * * • Vor nr3 n ' a young scientist,who through hie incentive genius has been able by electricity to bring the dead back to life denies that there is a God, and if there is one he Is' on a par with him, because he can produce life; He 16 in love with - a young; girl whose belief is hard to shake. . While sitting-alone he is visited by a stranger, and wh|le they talk Ruth (Miss Bara) enters and Is struck by light- ning, being instantly killed. s Varnum places her In the chair and through his blue flame restores her to life, but with- out a soul, and the sweet, lovable Ruth becomes the vampire the bleeder, and my, what a character they make of her for the rest of the performance. Every man that comes In contact with , her suffers, going lower and lower in the human scale until he dies. Ruth is shown in Chinatown selling emeralds of Buddhas and all sorts of things that - surely do* tax your Imagination. But the last act relieves you of any further worry as to what vengeance will be handed out to Ruth for her soulless ad- venturers, because Varnum awakes and his dream has converted him to religion. All the characters who have either been killed or become dope fiends return as their natural selves," and Varnum is happy, ending up' with the, usual final embrace with Ruth. A splendid cast presents the play. There is Dewltt C. Jennings playing his customary police officer; Donald Gal- lagher, who is excellent as a boy dragged down by Ruth; Allen Dlnehart, who Is splendid in his light comedy moments in the last act; but terribly bad in the dramatic portions, and Harry Mlnturn who was most convincing as a burglar upon whom Ruth fastens a crime In or- der to get more money. ' ■• ' •••■ . fTheda Bara may hurt her repuation as a film star by this appearance in per- Bbn. However, Indications If Monday night's audience is a fair means of judg- ing she will make a "clean-up" with this high and far. In long line, and' skipping pairs and romping bevies, and swaying, whirling ensembles. . The whole thing is as perfect as any- one might wish, funny, witty, pathetic riotous and musical. One only was missed by the "old-timers"—the ridicu- lous funny old "cricket story" Checkers tells a venerable citizen in the last act of Mr. Blossom's play. There were many who were waiting to hear it, but its aging frame had to make way for the more vigorous body of the musical com- edy ending.' .... Scheuer. SACRED AND PROFANE LOVE.' .Washington, Feb. 18. A large audience turned oat to'Bee "Sacred and Profane Love," by Arnold Bennett, but the local press wus divided In Its opinion as to the vehicle Elsie Ferguson chose to mabrk her return to the dramatic stage. Her picture follow- ers were present In great numbers, but the play was over their heads, as It re- quires thought and Is dependent more upon dialog than situations for its de- velopment. The support was excellent, Jose Ruben 'as the dope crazed pianist giving a portrayal that was a work of art. v. *j . ;The story Is of a woman who surren-! ders herself to her lover, only to be; separated from him. When about to go awav with a wealthy man she learns of this lover's condition and returns to him. Miss Ferguson herself, suffering from a severe cold, nevertheless gave a per- formance that/ snowed pictures had broadened rather than narrowed her abilities. Frank Morse of the PoBt de- ' cures as much and also that the play has sufficient action to interest picture fans and should be successful. Meakin. ing _. venture, as will the producers. .« Meakitu • v -'. HONEY GIRL . Atlantic City, Feb. 18. 'TOoney Girl" is the best thing that Sam Harris has produced and it exceeds in charm many of the former offerings of Cohan & Harris. The familiar story is full of opportunities for pleasant humors and delightful situations with a goodly - 'sprinkling of comedy. •- \ The music by Albert Von Tizsr holds. that ever, popular hemntlng sway of the emotions with quiet fervor and several really beautiful tunes. Edward Clark has made the book from the Henry Blos- soms play, Neville Fleesom has written whole clothed lyrics, while Sam ForreBt and Beet French did the splendid stag- Lynn Overman as a loving, pursued man, George McKay the race track man, petite Louise Meyers with fascinating ways, Edna Bates as a charming "Honey Girl" were leaders in the cast, j Rene Riano, who danced with astonishing rapidity. Cissle Sewell and Dill Temple-; ton all did their part, while Sidonia Es- pero sang-with wonderful voice. _■ The music offers especially a. bright melody and a coincidence with the move- ments of the storV. "Catallna," "Close to Your Heart," "Castle of Dreams" and "Racing Blues" are among the most pop- ular numbers. »_. . • ' ■ ' For music Mr. Von Tllzer has contri- buted a score that offers liveliness, charm, melody, sympathy and not a little of dramatio narrative. Occasionally remi- niscence crept into the diapasons, but reminiscence which set the ear to alert- ness and pleased attention. There are several songs which may be classified as hits; flrtfc comes "Close to Your Heart "thenV'Catallna," an air with a flavor*of old Madrid; then "Castle of Dreams" and then "The Racing Blues and stin others.% , ,_ Almost every .one of the principals scored a hit But George McKay and Rene Riano. in a strikingly amusing set of travesty dances in the last act, set the house in an uproar. ..,• „» And all of this has been daintily set, charmingly costumed and glven^a chorus that nae dance like an old-fashioned chorus used to dance, swinging fast and -■'.'■ > . : » Boston', Feb. 18. Delia Archibald... ..Katherlne Alexander Hannah..;...... ; ............ Helen Gurney Mrs. Archibald .Grace Henderson William I ••'.".. .James Kearney Carter Brooks... t ...........Tom Powers / Bab ...... ...A..Helen Hayes James Archibald. George Alison ' Jane Raleigh. ...Clarabel Campbell Clinton Beresford........Arthur Bldred Eddie, Perkins.«...'....Junius Matthews Guy Grosvenor. Raymond Griffiths Another ••flapper" comedy play has Joined the vanguard, and "Bab/' drama- tized . from Mary Roberts' *Rlneharfs -Sub-Deb" ' stories in ...the "Saturday Evening Post." will soon be making its way toward Broadway- with, little Helen Hayes In the title role. - v • T Miss Hayes, fresh from her first con- spicuous roles, that of the dream child i with Gillette In "Dear Brutus" and as the adolescent Cora in "Clarence," has been given an* unlimited field for.. the portrayal of a temperamental 17-year old flapper who has not yet "come, out'.' • and has more than made good. Playing .opposite to Tom Powers, who has the juvenile lead. They make an irresistible combination :and Monday night's metro- politan premiere- at the Hollis Street would indicate that George C. Tyler has . put across an Inexpensive money-maker.. Edward Chllds Carpenter, who drama- tized the serial novel, the play being by arrangement with Arthur Hopkins, has built a* far better comedy than -was expected, and the Rinehart brand of humor, while .not lending Itself to ^hi- larity, pans out to be clean and infec- tious comedy, with) continual situations entirely out of the field of farce but of the sort that brings reminiscent chuckles all the way home afterward. The plot Is reasonable and well sus- tained, although the .last act Is handi- capped by the customary antl-cllmax and has to get going all over again. The remarkable part of this comes in the fact that it actually does get going again and holds until a 'rather unexpected curtain. ■ . ■' "Bab" is sent home from boarding school because of an epidemic of measles, and proceeds to demoralize a placid household which Is in the throes of preparing to marry off her older sis- ter to an English member of nobility who 1b not approved by the head of the family, played by George Alison in a difficult role which'he handles admirably. . On .the way home ,on the train, the vivacious "Bab" makes the acquaintance of the Englishman in question and he later appears at her home as a guest for the eventful week-end party. In the complications that follow, the young sub- debutante creates an Imaginary lover out of spite', buying a photo of a matinee idol and writing imaginary love letters which she allows to fall Into her mother's hands. The young .man who has been con- ducting a boyish courtship recognizes the photo as a former schoolmate now on the stage, sees through the girl's scheme and promptly brings the sup- posedly imaginary Individual on the scene after "priming" him and also the father who enters into' the scheme to teach his daughter a lesson. • In the meantime the young lady comes down with the measles but finally accomplishes the elopement of her older sister with the Englishman, thereby clearing the road for her own "coming out"'which was predicted upon the marriage of the eider. •-.-■'. .-. Despite there were a couple of elev- enth hour changes In the cast, "Bab" proved to be one of the best rehearsed productions given a Boston premiere In several seasons. It ran without a single hitch or slip, and much credit goes to Ignaclo Martlnettl for his development of detail action and those deft comedy touches and subtle Inflections which can either make or break the Rhinehart brand of humor. Apparently Miss Hayes has come into her own, and Billy Sill's apt. remark about the newest "toast of New' York" apparently bids fair to become truto, J ■ '■ ' .MMwy. BETTY, BE GOOD. Fhrst Bridesmaid. First Guest...... Second Guest.... Page ........ .^'.; Somers Short. Chicago, Feb. 18. ... .j_. v Grace Hallam ...Helen Belt Rush Peggy Martin .Frances Grant ■ Raymond Oswald Philip Fuller..,... Worthington Romaine Maggie ...., . Jeannette Wilson Bernlce ............... .Evelyn < Rosewood Col. Ichabod Stark weather..Eddie Oar vie M>s.- Starkweather, Tom Price..-..-....., Amy 'Starkweather. Sam Klrby.... Betty Lee.......... Marion Love....... Madame 0'Toole.... Isadora ....;....... Guy .:.;. ...... Percy ..Josle Intropldi .....Irving Beebe . .Georgia Hewitt ... .Frank Crumlt ..Vera Michelena .....Hazel Kirke .. .Lucille Manlon ... .Sammy Evane- . Raymond Oswald Peter Mott This musical farce by Harry B. Smith, music by Hugo Rl esftnfeld, loped In from Boston, where It worked eight weeks, to the Princess, which was originally built as a musical comedy stand, but of late years has not found Its topmost returns with that type of merchandise. The opening was postponed alight, and that' caused the first night to be a trifle off in patronage, .as Tuesday Is an uncommon ^premiere-.night here, and there was some doubt created by conflicting notices as to jusc when It would show. . ' v However, the. first slot of the three rang down on what looked like a spank- ' ing success. .The tunes were delightful and.ingratiating; the girls were youth- ful and pretty and smartly rehearsed; the scenery was charming; a tantalising , complication had .'.been founded. -And Vera Michelena, the-, featured player, dazzling and compelling in a.high com- edy prima donna role, had entered with a • blare and trilled "Keep the Love Lamp Burning," one of the best.ballads of years and the. finest piece of. work - this notable has attained since'she bo 1 startlingly made good 1n "Alma." ' Then came the second act. A bitter reversal it, was. The sweetness was. gone, shabby hoakum comedy ran-Into endless lengths' and In ■ manifestations . that no grown-up mortal could digest Or even swallow, and the fair diva's songs seemed puerile after that masterpiece. True, she-repeated choruses of it'here and there in pat spots, always with reK suits.; But her part was topheavy With" too good a first act, thereafter. .The stor'v staggered and zig-zagged- and creak'-,> and groaned, stretching Itself wearllv over the required second act length, Smut and veteran -Jests and threadnkre door-slammlng and otheiv r obsolete me-' . dlums failed to vivify It. The main cur. tain dropped on a few scattered )<nn^s< and the fans went out to smoke In pecvt: and disappointment. • . •' .'•■ ' •'■- -. The third act was deliriously set and staged, and went far to undo the mis- chief. It ran until 11 15. What a shame that twenty minutes of banal and hob- nailed comedy couldn't have been chlseloi from that second act to glvo 'he th'iv: speed—or, rather, absence of slowness—. ,lf no other Improvement could, be dn- vlsed. As It In the verdict In in the al". If the verdict Is "guilty" the crln'o 1b stupidity, and the criminals the author, and some of the comedians, who ci> be detected by the naked experienced eve, as having paddled their parts obviously with what they thought was rich humor. •-. Getfrgle Hewitt, a . confectionery In-, genue. proved'100 per cent, capable an 1 much more. than that, pretty.. EdfTe Garvie, In an unspeakable fnt man c (j ••■ edy caricature, tried valiantly to put rv on personality what couldn't -be put wr at all. Josle Intropodl. ditto. TheHe tw«i 'expert farceurs were tlfd.nx n.dt'fv.S* and foot by their lines as Harry B. Smith at his worst could manage. . HVirl; Crumlt as a Juvenile was splend'fl In Htralght songs, getting bl-- hands on them, and terrible as a drunk, about de- stroying what he had so ably built u > Irving Beebe let .his fine vole.e go »o waste In a role which keeps him silly and unsympathetic throughout, HizH Kirke failed at dancing and had lltt'e else to do. Two big applause hits we-f given to and earned by Frances G'nnf and Ted Wing, who twice stopoeil a!) proceedings with spectacular and sterl- ing dance specialties. Wing directed all the'dances, and he did marvelous work there. . • ..« Lait. THE ED. WYNN CARNIVAL Boston, Feb. 18. The Lion.........: Ted Roberts The Gladiator.....;. ......Frank Ridge The King.., .......J, Harry Jenkins The King's Daughter Edna Whistler The Slave.. Herbert Russell The Walking Delegate.... .Henry Regal The WTestler... .Sim Moore The Playwright (himself) ..... Ed Wynn The Real Japanese The MevakOs The First Tea Boy Lillian Wood The Second Tea Boy.........Gladys Lee The Atmosphere Lillian Fitzgerald The Dancer (Fatlma).. ,\ .■.. .Ida Gerber The Band, ,« I Ray Miller's Black and White Mel- ody /Boys. . The Dancer............... .Trlxte Jenery ■■' Egyptian, Dancing Girls—The Misses Woods, ^Bristow, Dale, Bowen, Hoban, Forest, Carroll, Young, Butlln. Wlnlack Rook, Dean, West. Renard and Howe. Naturally there would be considerable lElfJtf 1 S^SE* those who follow the theatre in the first edition of the Ed Wynn .Carnival now playing at the Tte- U 10 * 1 ^ h 5, atre ' for on the success of the £2*^ftS&E WOUI "? depend whether or not * Ed K Wyn , n ^ cont,nued K» nave a show or to be with a show. His quallflca- SSS&S! a con > et Jlan are well known, but whether or not he would be heavy enough and have sufficient personality &£2Z a 8how °/;' thlB character must h f£ e i been . a a «e 8t 'on- H it was. it Is settled, at least as far as this city a SSSSffttA J or . th e-opinion here is unan - J»E2 l hat he, i a S reat hit in the present attraction, and, In fact, there-are many who claim he Is even better In this rota than, Raymond Hitchcock. The snow Is canacUr"W a £ ^M«SS» to* capacity. B. C. Wh tney Is producing '*v .'There Is a prolog, two acts and f^r. 806 "!* A™ the show as it stands today is a finished product. In foot it Svf-H" cut and trimmed until" barring time* itaffAVt' C ° m l B *•«■ within the iU™. i j . ■ that a show on the road ■ hou ? stay within and allow people to V&Jf. f n and "till get their trains This is important on the road, although not so Important on Broadway! , ou » n _tn carnivals, revues and attraction* «* ■■ft& 0 to' th ft U . a » Ual tormu'alsoTosily aS- £»SSi£: U ,B a combination of a star comedian, some good dancers nerhana X female star, with the usuan a «edfsnts of scenic displays of extraordinary di menslona an<fa flock of bSful girla rwhni ,lc ^f rateB u? n 'he nerves a«er / w W nl Je u. Th,B trouble Wynn has avoided ^ h JL e , h . la P e "onallty la not submerged at any time during the show and hi , Is on the stage all the time, with the ex* , SSJfe* • v tr fe , w mlnuTes, he han : dies the sltuatlpn Fn such an-'efficient'' manner that the show can even carry £n¥?J"Jii# wh 'oh with emblements S"™. de vlatlons is worked Out to a nat- Ur Thn2 din . K ' b " rleB S u e though it is/ " • nr T rti?" e »i. tn ii n S 8h °w to whom great S23^inrtSSJi b M gi &* are numerous. For Instance, the Meyakos, who are prominent In both acts of the show, elve ThS?» f Sf n, A nce . that la ^ kB no oharm: /M<« them., two girls and a youth they ,'have mastered the art of Amerft ??S entertainment, especially the "Jazs" • -w&oV.. 11 ' and ^ et acr08s bl «- Just to prove they are .there, the girls let them- selcoa i out a bit In a contorhonlBt act™ ;.l4.lllan Fitzgerald also has a good Quince In the show. ^In the first act she Opes part of her act which went so big ; *rt\yaiidevllle--the French part—and then • s'l'.does the balance In tne second act . I? u 8 on the stage, with her, during pc.th her bits and aids her act greatly b- b-'s endeavors, although always re- •"."mberlr.g that she has the stuff and 1<n->WH how to got it across. ' * Vi f-.T-.rt oerformance given by Regal and ,,.M>nro la excellent. The pair take the ■H'fiWrne-ir the finish of the first act and «gMjtt!W» regular acrobatic stunt, \\ r lh the. evident carelessness which murkij fhlB team's work, they appear a one on the stage and for a few min- »•»;■••• Venn the house, in suspense while they pull off a couple of stunts that are r*< 1 o.orkors. f . j J Tn that' part of the performance, where ~ the Black and White Melddy Boys are .'lowed to let themselves out they show ^o: ,1'nnB v.hat a.real "Jazz" band oari do when It feels like it. . Edna Whistler and Frank Ridge carry the singing honors of the show. .' / Near the'close of the second act there ' 'H the usual beautiful spectacular scene, • lh the .Sphinx in the foreground of a ■ 1-nrt scene, and this coupled with a -"sillv classy fashion scene go a great way tn make the show a finished product, '•"here are eleven musical numbers In *no show and of these "My Log Fire .Girl" is the one that goes over best. THE UNSEEN HAND. .Atlantic City. Feb. 18. The- most gripping, tense, fear-Inspir- ing, melodrama that has probably ever seen the local stage put unwillingly ter- , ror Into the hearts of an audience at the Globe theatre last night. It is "The Un- '!>% ■ ■;--' I : ■-■■ 1 I m ".'■:- ■m ■;*;■ ■ -■if i ■', :..-oU .re: I ■-•.fi ^3! i w u ,.Vv. ^ W ■ I '"11 M