Variety (February 1921)

18 VARIETY Friday, February 4, 1921 ■ i • -^\ FOREIGN REVIEWS vi 4 FEMME DE BARBE BLEUE. Paris, Jan. 19. Comedy in four acts by Alfred Savolr, produced at the Potinlere with success. Urown is an Ameri- can, who successively marries the girls ha falls in love with, repu- diating them when he grows cold. But he is rich and generous, assur- ing hio divorced wiv^o of hand- some alimony, lie has just been di- vorced from his seventh matrimon- ial trial when ho meets the daugh- ter of a ruined marquis. The smart creature has heard of Brown's ec- centricity and spreads her nets, into which the prospective suitor quick- ly falls. She however, stipulates that In the event of a separation, the ali- mony shall be doubled, to which Brown finally consents. Ho is madly in love this time, but Monna, after the marriage, which remains a blank, invents excuses to persuade Brown to sue for the divorce. She arranges a rendezvous with a flirt of which the husband is anony- mously informed. Later, when Brown is divorced and Monna as- sured of her alimony, the ex-wife takes pity on the fellow she has duped, proves she is pure and re- ciprocates the affection of her * former husband, so that they re- marry. This brief outline of the comedy will convey only a faint idea of "The 8th Wife of Blue Beard," ad- mirably acted by Charlotte L.yses (first wife of Sacha Guitry), a new actor Jules Berry and Arquilliere as the American millionaire. A trifle broad, the comedy Is full of wit, with diverting scenes. Keyidrew. CIGALE AYANT AIME. A four-act sentimental comedy by iAicien Nepoty, was produced at the Theatre Antoine to follow "Koenigs- mark." Jean, posing as a dry goods store assistant, meets Quette daily In the park. She is a merry little seamstress, daughter of a deceased Bohemian artist. Jean is madly in love and wants to marry the girl, to the disgust of his father, who tempts the girl with a pearl neck- lace, to test her morality, but alio throws it to the birds. On his son's refusal to desist the father reluctantly consents to the marriage. Quette is surprised at the rich presents Jean is able to offer, and timid when she finds her- self in her new rich home, in the midst of her husband's critical fam- ily. The time hangs wearily in the unaccustomed luxury. When a poor inventor calls to submit plans (Jean being the son of a large man- ufacturer and now manager of the mill), she recognizes a former friend of her parents. When the father and son scheme to foist the Inventor she intercedes. After the death of the father Jean as head of the factory, discovers his brothers are running it to ruin by their extravagance. The youthful passion of Quette and Jean has been growing cool for some time and after witnessing a violent fam- ily squabble, the disillusioned wife quits the uncomfortable home with the old inventor, to return to her mother in the old artist's studio, where she was raised. Then she again feels happy, Jean follows to fetch his young wife, but finding her in a Joyful mood, pre- paring the humble meal, he bids farewell for ever. This last is a reproduction of what a Bohemian painter's den is supposed to be. with comic designs on the walls, and an electric signal to reveal the ap- proach of visitors. I must confess the Jovial atmosphere of the studio is more congenial to the stately palace of the wealthy manufacturer, as depicted in this yarn of a grass- hopper that loved, which is the basis of the title, "La Cigale ayant aime." It will entertain the average play- goer, though a long run is not an- ticipated, Kcndrcw. "IN THE NIGHT WATCH" (Continued from page 16.) a vital spot, following the wounding of the captain and many of the offi- cers and crew from -gun fire, and finally sending it to the bottom. The actual sinking is not shown, but the events leading up to it are with a vividness and fidelity that would make a picture producer extend himself to equal It in realism. The applause after this scene was strong enough to have warranted numerous curtain calls Saturday night, but for some reason none was taken. The third act has the captain (Mr. Warwick) on trial before a court of admirals, charged with the loss of his ship. Conviction will mean death. Just as the trial is about to end, with the weight of evidence against the accused, the wife rushes into th ) room in which the court- martial is being held and testifies a port hole was open. In doing this, of course, she is forced to admit she was in the cabin with her admirer at the time. The captain, exonerated by his wife's sacrificial testimony, attempts to commit suicide, but fails through his counsel brushing aside his revolver. A tearful plea by the wife. In which she convinces the court and her husband she has been guilty of nothing worse than a flir- tation, results in forgiveness and reconciliation. The court scene keeps the action alive following the big ship scene and holds interest until the tag line "In the Night Watch" is a war play. Whether it has arrived too late regardless of its scenic values and multiple starred cast remains to be seen. Bell. THE NEW MORALITY Colonel Ivor Jones Warburton Gamble J Betty Jonea Grace George I Geoffrey Helasia. K. C Krneet Lawforfl Alice Meynell Lilian Kemble Cooper E. Wallace Wiiter. ...Lawrence Groramith Wooton John Oray ! »«ej«l!ne Kathleen Andrua William A. Brady brought Grace Ocorge back to Broadway Sunday night at the Playhouse. It was one of the plays invited to show that evening in benefit of the China Famine Fund, the first time for New York to permit legitimate at- tractions, of which there were a dozen, to open on the Sabbath. "The New Morality" is the off-af- ternoon matinee attraction at the Playhouse, which is regularly offer- ing Mary Nash in "Thy Name Is Woman." But the manager saw a good opportunity to give Miss George's piece an evening premiere on the occasion of the benefit. Mr. Brady probably knew that the play hardly possessed the heft for regular presentation. It will per- haps do a profitable afternoon trade, for its appeal is quite feminine. "The New Morality" sounded in the playing more as if written by a woman than a man. Its author, however, was Harold Chapin, a promising young playwright who was killed in action during the war. The piece ia very English. Two rather nice sets depict the Colonel Ivor Jom s's houseboat, the first showing the bedroom of Betty Jones and the second the top deck. The houseboat is moored in a rather se- lect reach of the Thames, where other boats of an upper middle class colony are assembled. Betty is in bed for the first act. She had just come from a visit to the boat of Mrs. Muriel Wister and told that lady what she thought of her. Since Betty's tones had been her loudest it was quite patent per- sons on the shore had heard and the whole river was in on it. The whys of Betty's remarks furnish the meat i II BOURGMESTRE DE STILMONDE. Paris, Jan. 19. This work of Maurice Maeter- linck, already known in Knglish through Martin Harvey, has been given for the first time in Paris at the Theatre Moncey, having been forbidden hitherto by the French eensor. The story may be repeated briefly: The Mayor of Stilmonde, a erosll town In F?aq0gga,~!s timltf man. devoted to his garden and his municipal duties. He has a sun. and a daughter married to Otto, a (Jcr- man officer, who during the war, is billeted with ethers at the mayor's home. One night a Prussian officer is killed, presumably by a civilian and a poor peasant is arrested, lie is to bo executed, notwithstanding his Innocence is clear. But some culprit must be found. nthe.rwis£ the bourgemaster wUl be shot as> an example. The mayor de- clines to permit an innocent man to be accused, 'hough his son• In-law and companions try to persuade him "it d<>«'s not matter much; it is only an unimportant old peasant." Even the peasant himself is willing, lo pay tin- sacrifice lo SttVC the I'il'ugc further troulle. But the mayor It Obstinate >n his s» use of honor Mid is led to the execution groun , Otto bin ton-in-lfl ft, a rat In ; ■ •! t « f ehsp, [g In . hargi ot the drill fa t?\ and he Is liahh t.. ih« «e. .h j-.i- alty if he does not carry out the orders of his superiors. "L.et us all three die together," asks Bella, the daughter. Otto has consented to be shot rather than give the command for his father-in-law's death. Bella is imprisoned during the pro- ceedings but she hears the noise of rifles. The major enters with Otto and explains the bourgmestre of Stilmonde had preferred death to save the others, and in order to spare Otto, her husband, he himself had commanded -the firing as an honor for the mayor's "bravery." Otto is then astonished that his wife and the mayor's son should spurn him with horror. This 3-aet melodrama, described as a modern tragedy, was well received and the name of Maeterlinck, when an- nounced from the stage as is usual at Parisian premieres, loudly cheered, if was followed by a i?-acf farce of the great Belgian pla> - wright: "Le Miracle d« St. Antoine." A paid servant is mourning the death of an old maid, her mistress, and prays for the assistance of Bt. Anthony, her preferred saint. To her amazement he appears and promises to resuscitate Mis* Agathe. At lirst he is opposed by the curate and relatives, but at the suggestion of the doctor he is allowed to visit the body, whereupon the dear old lady revives, scolding the servant for allowing vagabonds in the room The snlnl i* arrested as an es- caped lunatic, and only the faithful rervant-girl continues to have faith In him. to the limit of even loaning him an umbrella. Her hopes are -battered by Miss Agathe finally succumbing. The comedy elicited curtain lauahtec without adding «nv brilliancy to the fane cf Maurice j Mat tcrlinck, JTcneVeie. for a two-hour show and the plot therefore Is weak. The first act gave promise of something, Betty having some crisp things to say In extenuation of what she told Muriel. She admits to her friend Alice that one cannot go on calling a woman "dog show names right on the deck of her own house- boat without something happening." Sh« also says she has been "giving her husband hell for a week." But the explanation of why Ivor caught hell Is a long time coming. * The second act, when Miss George is off the stage for some time, be- came very uraggy, with two men discussing not what Betty said to Muriel but alWhe little angles that brought It about—the hottest sum- mer on record for one. Betty in dis- cussing the matter with Muriel's husband speaks of going to a cell for libel if Muriel wishes to bring an action, but Betty Jones looks like the station house as the dis- tance from earth to moon. It all comes out a long time af- ter the first curtain that Ivor has been paying attention to Muriel, and since every one seemed to know it, Ivor made himself ridiculous in the eyes of his wife. Such an indict- ment as running errands for Muriel was a specific case. The husband explains his affection for Muriel is purely platonic, and Betty wittily replies she had seen those platonic affairs, with the man looking like a fool and the woman going about "looking as though she got some- thing for nothing." So Betty tells Ivor that though a husband may not be faithful he must not be ridiculous to his wife. That is the new morality. But at the curtain Betty admits she wants more of her mate, and he appears very willing to agree. Miss George is a charming Betty. She looked corking in a lace nightie in the first act, chic in a London frock she probably ^picked up while over there a few months ago. and extremWy well in an evening gown. Taking the position of rather going to jail than apologize to Muriel, at lease not until she made her rather stolid husband see things his way. she created a role excellently fitting to her personality. Lawrence Grossmith took along the honors of the supporting cast, most of the principals being English players. As the husband of the in- sulted Muriel he talked of phoning his solicitors and all that. But he punted up and down the river a bit instead of returning to Muriel to say that Betty wouldn't apologize, and he came back loaded with other people's Scotch. His speech at the dinner table—and It was served and partaken of like a real dinner—he surveyed the new morality and sat down to the biggest hand of the eve- ning. Many theatrical people in current plays were present, It being the one night premiere they could see. N Warburton Gamble played Ivor with faithfulness. But not until the last act. in evening clothes, did he look right. He sported a pair of flannels that threatened to gap away from his vest. The men wore vests, though there was plain mention of the terrific heat. Ernest Lawford was pleasing, but his role was not a meaty one. Lillian Kemble Cooper was a refreshing. Alice. John Gray as the butler was good, and Kath- leen Andrus a very pretty maid. If the final two acts were as bright as the first "The New Mor- ality" might have a real chance. But it looks built for matinees only. Ibee. velopment of characters. In the second act there are a few threats, the third is very good—or seems so because something actually happens —the killing and the wrongfully ac- cused hero—while the fourth offers the surprise "Tavern* denouement. It is all so inconsequential. The mo- tive isn't strong enough for so great a hullabaloo. Barring the casting of Clara Joel for the role of a "dead game" east- ern wife, always ready to "go through" for her husband, there Is a very competent cast. A fine com- edy character hit is registered by Charles Abbe as the Klondike pal of the- hero; a strong emotional bit by Zola Takma as a young Mexican girl; an excellent temperamental characterization of a love-sick Mex- ican by Luis Alberni, and so on. The author-star is his usual swag- gering self, alternately good and bad as an actor according to the exigencies of the role. But Miss Joel doesn't fit. She seemed on Monday evening wholly devoid of the ability to portray light and shade, reading her lines with a sort of sing-song intoning that was most irritating. "Near Santa Barbara" is not likely to be chalked up in the "hit" column. Jolo. She paints and powders and wears "flapper" frocks with short skirts. Meanwhile, the next generation has grown up, and all unconsciously she falls in love with a blackguard who preys upon her for the money he can bleed her of. He Is unconscious also of the tragic absurdity of the situation, and being a blackguard, cast off by his own mother, agrees to marry her In order to get her money. Behind these surface de* velopments the author has man- aged to indicate by inferences and Indirection the awful workings of the woman's primal instincts and the rending of a starved, blind con- science. The thing Is too Indecent to bear further description. O'Neill must have thought so himself, for he has Caleb, when he learns of the situa- tion, commit suicide by hanging himself in his barn. The suicide awakens Emma to her real state. She has herself been unfaithful; she herself is of the common clay, and the heaven sent curtain descends upon her final line, "Now I'm going to my own barn." The inference was that she also meant to hang herself. Considering all things, per- haps it was a "happy ending" at that. Hush. DIFF'RENT Captain <".uVb Williams Jamen T.'ght Raima Crosby Mary Hinir Jack <'iv>Mhy, }!<•;• brother.. Kugene Lincoln C&pluiu John Crosby, her father 4 Alan Mac Ate»*r Mrs. t'ronby. her mother. . .Alice Rnsti*ttcr Harriet Williams. Caleb's sister (lut«T Mrs. Kogers) Elizabeth Prown A If ivd Rogers Idcn Thompson Rrnnj R"g«rs. their son Charles Kills NEAR SANTA BARBARA Sheriff "Tod" Wilson Howard Trufsd^l Phil Yoagor Joseph P. Sweeney Mike McKenzle Charles Abbe Nock a T. Tomamato Ylarlo Luis Alberni Yaobel Miss Zola Talma Hud Jenks Royal Stout Mr. and Mrs. Bill Tralnor Wiliard Mack and Clara Joel Rather a picturesque figure in theatricals, this Wiliard Mack per- son. He must be a wonderful play- reader, if not altogether a genius play writer. Take for example his latest production, "Near Santa Bar- bara," presented Monday evening at the Greenwich Village Theatre. This piece was produced before under the title of "Poker Ranch" and even before that, on other occasions, un- der various names. The fact that it failed on previous occasions doesn't seem to daunt Mack, who goes right on reading his manu- script to managers as rapidly as they manifest themselves and read- ily securing a rehearing. That "takes a bit of doing." The present version of his play, under the title of "Near Santa Bar- bara." is rather a crude attempt to create a mystery melodrama. It re- volves about the person of dress- suited villain who is so black that every other personage in the piece has a grievance against him and would be .more or less justified in bumping him off. In the fourth act this devoutly wished-for and long- anticipated consummation comes to pass and by a clvain of circum- stances it looks pretty dark for him. although the audience knows In didn't do it as. with their own eyes. Ihey saw him on the stage and the shooting took place outside. Tin Mexicun girl he ruined, the Mexi- can from whom he took her, and all the others, come under the suspi- cion of lira audience. And. like ih" denout ment in "The Tavern," it turns out that it is the sheriff him- self who did the billing, but in (his Instance it was se]f-d< fense. '/'here ate four acts, the first of Which io given ovrr to not bin;; but conversational Introduction and tl< "Diff'rent." a new two-act play, written by Eugene O. O'Neill, and presented at the Selwyn Monday afternoon for one performance with the Provincetown Players, is a bril- liantly written and acted bit of un- speakable, stark realism that should never have been written at a»l in the first place, but. having been written, should immediately have been burned. It is nothing short of the shud- dering revcalment of the inner workings of an old maid's mind in an unutterably tragic yearning after normal womanhood. O'Neill wrote that other brilliant bit of wretchedness, "On the Horizon." As a playwright he is in over his head in unwholesome understand- ing of the sickly side of humanity. The man knows too much, and un- til he has learned some restraint in tho expression of his unwholesome knowledge he should be forcibly restrained from access to pen, paper or typewriter. As we understand it, the theatre is a place for mental and spiritual relaxation and refreshment. Normal people take it and use It so. Under what impulse does Mr. O'Neill, aided and abetted by Adolph Klauber, labor to use it as a cham- ber of horrors? A comforting thought comes. A kindly Providence made it impos- sible for the greater part of the Monday afternoon audience to un- derstand the subtle obscenities of the play. At Its moments of pro- foundest agonies there'were giggles and titters from all over the house, probably from members of those "little groups of serious thinkers" who infest these uplift (God save the mark) afternoon occasions. "Diff'rent" is profound and un- utterably true, no doubt. So are a lot of other things, but a society that cares to protect Itself from intellectual delirium tremens strug- gles night and day to keep them out of sight. This man O'Neill is self-consciously eager to talk about dark things of life. The Provincetown Players, who gave the Monday performance, played brilliantly. Mary Blair, the heroine, gave a performance that was flawless. Her handling of the long scene at the end of- the first act was a bit of sustained acting that Mrs. Fiske herself could not surpass in her highest moment of inspiration. In the second act her art made the thing so poignantly, exquisitely painful that it held the attention of many who would have given much to be elsewhere. James Light, the seafaring lover, gave an intelligent, well-balanced performance. All the other charac- ters were adequately played, but they fell into the shadowy back- ground of the play while the pitiless spotlight played With ghoulish per- sistence upon the writhing old maid. One attempts lo sl< ten the story with hesitation. ft deals wiiti ESmma Crosby (.Miss Blair) and her childhood playmate and later her lover and betroth'd. She sees him in her virgin maid as "diff'rent," something abstractly spiritual, and looks forward to being married to her old playmate, with whom she shall continue the old companion- ship unchanged after the wedding.. He shall not be the gross male beast sh" se«'- about her in the sea- port. She Is blind to the fact thai Caleb Is .lust an ordinary man. (>bb returns, d a circumstantial] story comes to In r ears of a certain] escapade with brown native women. !<» which he was an Unwilling paiiv g P w I « u the ship put in for water a; a tropical Isl ml. Mer maiden idol shattered, she breaks off the * ngageraent, and for thirty years at intervals of his rc- [ turn from voyages refuses Caleb's tidings. By (Hat fmio her hair begins to gray, so she hennas it. EYV1ND OF THE HILLS Italia Margaret Wyoh^rlv Karl Arthur llohl HJorn Hyron Beeatojr Artiea Kdw. U. Bobbin* (judflnna Beatrice Mnrelaml MiiKtiUH Roy I.al'.vif Odduy Gwendolen Piers slprid Murcruoritn T>b»»au sh^ph*rd Boy Raymond Guion AngTlm, a leper , .I.loyd N.al District Judge churl. 5 p. Han « Jon KtTward BegeP* Jon's Wife Hclene RummH Tota. Hallu's child Klfln Fain "Eyvind of the Hills, in which Conroy & Meltzer presented Mar- garet Wyeherly at . special matinee Tuesday at the (Greenwich Village, is Ihsenesque in its depressing and henvy-toned drama, it is in f< t r acts, the work of Johann Sigu.-jons- son, an Icelam ie patriot and man of Utters, and points the stern and un- equivocal moral that the wages of sin is death. Halla is the eomly Widow of a wealthy farmer, and is sought in marriage by the latter's brother Bjorn as a means of acquiring her property. She loven Kari. her over- seer, who is revealed as an escaped thief and outlaw named Kyvind. She flees with him to the hills as he is about to be arrested, abandon- ing her property and her good name. They are In the mountains seven years later with their little daughter Tota. Arncs, a vagabond who has shared their exile, reveals his love for Halla and urges her to flee with him. He also unbares th~ fact Ha'hi has a latent homicidal .streak in her. she having killed the first born of her illicit union with Kari. • A posse, led by Bjern as bailiff, comes to their retreat and Kari stabs him to death after Halla. to avoid her child's capture, has thrown it to death in a stream far below. In the last act, nine years later, the unhappy pair are stormbound in their hut and starving. They snarl at each other like mad i.nimals, and finally, while Kari is out seeking firewood, Halla goes out into the storm, supposedly t/> death, and Kari follows as the final curtain drops. It is impossible to conceive of the play as becoming popular, despite the splendid portrayal of Halla b*' Miss Wyeherly and some very good work by her support. The suspense is built up well and each act adds to the interest, revealing some new angle of the story. But the under- lying theme, much stronger than the story itself, is only a skillfullv masked version of the more familiar problem play. Conroy & Metzler have given the piece artistically attractive settings, which probably would show to bet- ter advantage on a larger sta*re. At. the initial performance the star and other members of the cast lapsed In their lines at times. Mr. Hohl as Kari was generally good, but there were moments when ho weakened, and .also, he Is a long- legged fellow and seemed cramped on the little Village theatre stage. Byron Beasley, Edward Robinson and Lloyd Neal gave sterling per- formances, and the lad in the shep- herd's role was effective in a crude sort of way. The child, Elfin Finn, enacted her brief but potent role convincingly and the women morn • hers of the east were- ..il acoepKabh . Edward Begley and Neal contrib- uted welcome comedy relief. The performance gave numerous e\ idences of haste and could !><• made more effective if a wrestling scene between Kari ami I'.jotn, both big men. were staged in front . the audience, instead of being Ind.caied by shouts off stage. There is so much of gomherness, the wre ll might Serve as r novelty. Lillian Hcltr.er, widow of OU.o Ruin '• trfcer, eollapsed on a train «: St. LoiliS and bad to be removed IO a Intel, where she is under .1 physician's care. Her husband tiled suddenly in Washington, 1>. C, awl she Qccompaj.'ed his body t.> <»uin- honiH <'i"y. Mrs. Ralnsbf-rger suf- fered from shock and grief and broke do>wn on her way fcs Is :, » N*rw York. *$W****w*)*m0mw*