Variety (April 1921)

IS legitimate: Friday, April 8. 1021 fr FOREIGN REVIEWS -. 'J SAVAGE AND THE WOMAN. London. March 23. !n<U«i: Jim ,.,»., Phillip Yale Drew V)L aur.K MiNfffr io ' r i ete •••.•••.••.»«........•.• ,v^ec ii de l^e l'hll 'Nmt.; . ...H*»rtH»rt r^annerd Walleye Johnson. ...... .Wlngold Lawrence Jamei Mordaunt..... CJ*orge James' 1 N'unky Dawson: Arnold Bell Felicity Dorothy Moody "Chlnky." a Chinaman Ourge Belmore Jeremy J. T. llsrMlllan M'llssa Florrle Kelsey Henry Mordaunt Frank Tennante ".Spanish Kate" Jane Wood, Drama In prolog and four acts by Arthur Shirley and Ben Landeck. Lyceum theatre. Before an audience which filled the big house to capacity the broth- ers Melville successfully produced their spring drama, "The Savage and the Woman," March 4. Aa a play it Is very ordinary dramatic fare. The plot and the method of its unravelling are somewhat old- fashioned, and there is no sign of any daring surprise such as those for which the Melville shows are famous. "The Savage and the Woman" Is simply frank, conven- tional melodrama of the type which has done duty in the suburbs. All the old ingredients are presenta at the Lyceum—the handsome hero, the dark, sinister villain and his equally dark and sinister mistress; a younger but equally scoundrelly villain, the beautiful heroine, her father and the comic relief—in this case represented by a Chinaman. Local color we have in Indians, cowboys and the bevy of frail and semi-clad dance hall girls—these latter are somewhat of an innova- tion and we must thank the west- ern films for them probably. The comedy is weak and of a rough and ready order. Standing out clear are the American accents of the British players and the al- most total absence of it in the lead- ing man—an American. The great thing about tr.-. production is the introduction to the West End of "Young Buffalo." billed for the oc- casion as Phillip Yale Drew, who long has been a drawing card in the big drama towns of the provinces. He will probably prove as big an attraction at the Lyceum. Most of the show rested on his shoulders; it would not be great exaggeration to say that he was the show, and he received a vociferous and genuine ovation at the curtain fall. Shooting was treated with econ- omy, though there were.two knife fights, much "pulling of guns," an attempted abduction, an attempted lynching and all the fun of the horse. Felicity rides for help to the Indian reservation, returning With the old ehlef and his braves just as Jim ha* surrendered to the sheriff! Then we quickly discover that Jim Is no Indian, but the missing heir, of the Atherstone peerage, Spanish Kate confesses to killing the Indian girl, and then, "hat in hand"—a touch of David Garrlck creeping In —old Dawson makes It up with Jim and the curtain falls on the cer- tainty of a speedy wedding between the Woman and the once despised Savage. Gore. •THE CIRCLE/' London, March 23. Comedy in three acts by Somer- set Maughan, at the Haymarket. Tjord Porteous Allan Aynesworth Cllve Champion-Cheney llolman Clark Arnold Champion-Cheney. M. P Krnest Theslger rfdward Luton Leon Quartermalne Lady Catharine Champion-Cheney.... I^ottle Venne Mrs. Shenfltone Tonle Kdgsr Bruce Klizabcth Fay Compton Butler W. W. Palmer Footman Cecil Trounccr "The Circle" is described as a comedy, but this description is amiss. The piece is a study in cynicism and nastlness; in fact, we do not remember a play with a more unwholesome main idea or working out. If we are to believe in this play, then we have to look upon Mr. Maughans as an open apologist for free love. During its three acts the characters manage to outrage most of the accepted social tenets. On the night of the production the audience soon began to show signs of uneasiness, which recoiled upon the heads of the play- ers, who, after the fashion of some West End actors, were holding what might have been a confidential chat. Demands to "Speak up" and "Don't mumble" were frequent. The fall of the curtain was followed by what is politely called a "mixed reception," in which booing had a good position. Mr. Maughan, who previously showed how heartless his cynicism could be in his wartime "Home and Beauty," cannot be con- gratulated upon his latest offering, clever though the "Circle" may be from a literary point of view. Thirty years previous to the open- ing of the piece Lady Catharine Champion-Cheney had eloped with Lord Porteous, and as her husband had refused to divorce her, had re- mained her betrayer's mistress. On growing up, her son, Arnold, marries western* fair, but * Villainy "ended | Elizabeth. The young wife con- mlldly, bring merely led off at the ceives the Idea of bringing husband final curtain instead of wallowing and w,f e together again and invites bills, and its initial program is a powerful comedy by Marcel Berger; dealing with the intimate life of an author. It is the custom of thin person- ality to take the lives of his friends and embody them in the action of his dramatic works. He is not above probing into his own household. Happily married but without chil- dren, he has prevailed on his wife to accept his son, the fruit of a free union when young with a girl now dead. The natural child is, there- fore, received by Rose, and raised by her with every motherly care. She is horrified later when she as- certains her husbdnd is portraying this subject in his latest play, threatening to quit if he produces it The playwright declines, though the son also rebels at the idea, and the play is a big success. But the family ultimately realize the author is a slave to his realizations, and Rose is reconciled with her hus- band. Berger seeks to paint the selfish- ness of humanity, particularly au- thors. He has succeeded in depict- ing the convulsions, hopes, despair and emotions of the modern psycho- logical essayist. Like Francois de Curel, he tries to interest his au- dience in the mysteries of the stage from the author's point of view. It is creditably acted without pre- tense of elaborate mounting. Kcndrcxo. in Its blood. The story tells how a party of white settlers were murdered by Navajo Indians. One alone escapes, a little boy. He is adopted by the chief, Big Wolf, who brings him up as his own. Grown to manhood, Indian Jim, as he is called, becomes a dead shot, a fearless horseman, a teetotaler (almost) and a respecter of women. He Is also in love with Felicity, the daughter of a wealthy bar proprietor, but his color stands between them and happiness, and . he Is perpetually about to run away from temptation, although he never gets very far. This color ban is well rubbed in whenever the two young people meet. In fact, s» of- ten referred to In the course of the drama that it loses something of its power. A man from Plnkerton's arrives searching for the heir to the Earldom of Atherstone, but at the same time Mordaunt, the next to kin, turns up in an endeavor to prove the death of the rightful heir. This gives Phil Fargoe, a very "bad" man, who ill-treats his little Indian wife, and has suffered for it at the hands of our hero, an idea. Abetted by Spanish Kate, whose advances have been turned down by the virtuous cowboy, he sees a chance to obtain his revenge and "TCmove Jim from-his path for ever. They plot in various ways to kill our hero and pass his body off as that of the missing Earl's. At last they decoy him to a shack in the mountains, where he is soon ac- CQfied' of mm-dcring Fargoe's Indian wife, although she has been done to death in a quarrel with Spanish Kate. Jim makes a daring escape and is supposed to have fallen into the ravine, although all the time he Is being concealed by the comedy people, Jeremy and M'lissa, and his sweetheart, Felicity. Jeremy is supposed to be "all broke up" and is removed to the sanitarium, but It Isn't he, but Jim, who wears the bandages of casu- alty. At the last minute, however, Fargoe introduces Hector, Jim's horse, who recognizes his disguised master and upsets the plan. Jim again escapes and confronts Fargoe. In the fight which follows Jim is victoiious, and, seeing red, is about to scalp his enemy in true Indian style when at the last moment he is prevented from staining his hands with blood by Felicity. This is by far the best and most gripping scene in the play. Fargoe is al- lowed to go and uses his liberty to plot fresh villainy. Presently the "boys" trap Jim and are about to lynch him, but they leave Jim un- guarded and he is rescued by his the lady and her elderly lover to stay with them. On arrival the principals in this 30-year-old ro- mantic scandal turn out to be a rouged and utterly insincere old harriden and a gouty old black- guard with very imperfect false teeth—teeth which get entangled in his mouth whenever their owner gets excited or out of temper. Chance brings Champ ion-Cheney along, and he gets much pleasure out of hitting back at the elderly lovers. All this time the eternal triangle Is at work, and we are by no means surprised to find Eliza- beth carrying on an Intrigue of her own with a young Malay planter who Is also a guest. This man, Ed- ward Luton, is a very ordinary stage wrecker of homes. He fan- cies Elizabeth for her plumpness) she develops a passion for him be- cause, as she says, "He's a dirty dog." These two characters who re-enact the old tragedy or "com- edy" of thirty years back are mere- ly coarse disciples of animal pas- sion. Elizabeth explains matters to Arnold with great frankness, and announces that she is going off with Luton. Instead of finding Luton and smashing him to pulp, Arnold runs to his father, and as a result of their consultation returns to Elizabeth. He tells her that, much as he loves her. he will W her divorce him, moreover he will settle a large income upon her so that the course of true love may run smoothly. Ellzabe'Jl isafc-fijest greatly affected by his generosity, she is more un- settled when Lady Catharine ex- plains the effects of social ostra- cism. However, passion conquers and she and Luton elope. Not knowing of the elopement, old Champion-Cheney arrives highly delighted with the plan he con- cocted with Arnold to bring Eliza- beth to her senses. This he ex- plains with great gusto to Lady Catharine and Porteous, who, knowing what has actually hap- pened, bring the curtain down with derisive laughter. Gore. IE COEUR DES AUTRES. Paris. March 22. At the NoflYeau Theatre (for- merly Theatre (Jrevln. in the wax works museum by that name), now directed by Irene Maugct, a group of playwrights designated as the Canard Sauvage, or Wild Duck (a homage to Ibsen), has been formed under the same conditions as the co-operative at the arts. This com- pany is now presenting the regular LA COMEDIE DU GENIE. Paris, March 22. The comedy of errors by Francois de Curel, presented by the co-opera- tive of playwrights at the Theatre des Arts, under the direction of R. Darzans, is another inside view of the dramatic author's existence. This play was published two years ago in a magazine and possibly M. Curel did not anticipate its stage appearance. It is a powerful work, which will not appeal to the general public. The Academician did not intend to write for the man in the street. The play is somewhat complicated, with heavy passages and individual phil- osophy. Any person met in the most humble station of life i..ay be a genius who has missed his opportu* nity. As a rule, the genius does not realize he is abnormal or far above bis fellow creatures, and is recog- nized only after his demise*- « This U the treatise e ..ounded: Dagrenat is gifted aa a playwright; he meets an actress who encourages him and assists in his work being mounted. It is a literary success, but does not please the crowd. The author wonders what can be lack- ing. He is anxious to have a son, but. Instead of marrying, has an in- trigue with a peasant girl, who dies in giving birth to a fine boy. When a youth this illegitimate son also writes a play, which Is a big success. Dargenat becomes Jealous and seeks for the difference between his own work and that of his natural son. He visits the Folies Bcrgere and ex- changes csude philosophy with the frequenters. (The scene shows the famous music hall 30 years ago, when It was perhaps the most fa- mous house of its kind in Europe.) He then passes the night on the stage of the Comedie Francaise, where the characters of the great plays pass before him in his dream. His own creations are not in the group, but those of his son are re- suscitated. Don Juan advises him to defy God, and thus when he so- journs later in Switzerland, Dagenat enters a church to question the sex- ton. This scenario is unfolded in terms of irony. The only feature of exceptional interest is the appearance of a new actor, Beuve. And Beuve is not a new actor, but has hitherto played only in outlying theatres, being mainly attached to the Montpar- nasse and Gobelins. (Variety had occasion to speak of this actor, now In his prime, a few weeks ago, call- ing attention to his talent, but never imagining his progress would be so rapid as to hold the lead in Curel's latest essay.) The other roles are well defended. But "La Comedie du Genie" is not the suc- cess anticipated. Kendrew. r Spartans, contains many similari- ties to modern history. The mount- ing is unpretentious/but there is a big crowd of supers splendidly han- dled. (There are»• roles.) As usual the play* of high literary merit, is interpreted by the homo- geneous troupe,- comprising Jouvet (a real artiste), .as. Antigone. Deity as Cleomene, Bacque. as Sphaeros, Savry as Xenares, Mm.es.'S. Bing as Agiatls, O. Barbierl as Cratslecle. Indeed, Plutarch was'-never' better served;. Tfci;r> *** supposed te be 25 tableaux, but little* change M scenery. JTendreu*. LA BATAILLE. Paris, March 22. "The Battle"-is one of the best novels by the naval author, Claude Farrere, describing the combat of Esou-Shima. and it has been re- markably well adapted for the stage by Pierre Erondaie, and mounted at the Theatre Antoine by Firmin Gemier. The Marquis Torisaka is a great diplomat and sacrifices even his honor for his country. He assumes Occidental manners, but is fervant- ry attached to Japanese customs. He obliges his young wife to live in European style, and she obeys so faithfully that she accepts a young English naval attache as her lover, being sublimely happy. During the flirtation Yorlsaka is able to appro- priate confidential documents which will enable him to improve^the ma- rine of his motherland. It is the period of the war with Russia and Japan has need of every asset Having learned the secret doctrines of the British Navy, he Joins his ship, patiently awaiting a time for revenge after hostilities are terminated. He is accompanied by the handsome young English at- tache, who is to follow the warfare as a neutral observer. The Marquis is killed in action, and the English- man reluctantly takes charge of the vessel, being also killed. The little Japanese widow, mourning the two sailors, enters a convent. Frondale has analyzed the com- plex characters of the Japs with much insight. Gemier holds the role of the marquis, a/great imper- sonation, probably one of his best. He is ably supported by Henriette Roggers as the amorous little Ja- panese aristocraL The production is a success- The third act is the interior of a turret on the battle- ship, realistic and entertaining. Kcndrew. LA MORT DE SPARTE. Paris, March 22. Renewing his program frequently, Jacques Copeau has Just produced at the Vleux Colombier (no\ the real House .of Moliere in Paris, from a classical pointer view; and' "f fcr outdistancing the Odeon) a three- act tragedy by Jean Schlumberger, based on the Greek story of Plu- tarch. Sparta Is the prey of money- lenders and profiteers, so the king, well disposed, endeavors to tend to the national craving for luxury and guide the people toward the pre- cepts of Lycurgus, the partition of the land among all the citizens, with military training and the watch- word of "Be ready." But he is assassinated at the In- stigation of the capitalists. His suc- cessor, Cleomenus, pursues the same noble policy and succeeds, over- throwing the power of the money lenders. The people burn the usurious bondf and set tip a demo- cratic government. Nevertheless, after years of victory on various battlefields. Cleomenus is betrayed, his army vanishes and he is over- thrown. He goes into exile. It iy the death of Sparta, the end of that nation's glory. The work, written about 12 years ago, describing the Wars of the LES AMANTS PUERILS. Paris. March 23. Commelynck is a sort of csjbist playwright who caused artistic dis- cussion in a piece recently present- ed at the Oeuvre, because no one seemed to know how to take it. Personally I felt ignorant in the presence of the "Cocu Magnifique," and the same obscurity prevailed In "Les Amants Puertls," which Fir- min Memier has Just produced at the Comedie Mondaine. So far as could be understood from this three-act piece the author wishes to convey the impression that love in all its forms is a vain illusion. There are two dramatic stories in the clouded plot. It deals with the suicide of two young people whose parents place obstacles in the way of their legal union, and the ultimate disillusion of a man who has courted a veiled lady. The youth pays court to a princess who has never allowed him to see her face, and he considers her charming. He is fascinated with her charm and graoe, but she slips away whenever his flirting is too pressing. However, one day he catches her unprepared and at the sight of her gray hair, with wrinkles in her face revealing she is no longer the sweet creature he imagined, he makes off with scorn. On the other hand, there is a decrepit baron, the for- mer lover of the princess, who is true to his illusion. For him the woman he loves cannot age, a de- licious paradox relieving the foggy atmosphere of the obscure work. Bert he Bady, a favorite actress In Paris, long absent from the foot- lights, makes her reappearance In this tiring effusion.' Krndrcw. ANTAR. Paris, March 23. The Opera has at last mounted the -musical y c r s i e a *>g Gherkl Qanem's drama, for which the late Gabriel Dupont wrote the score. He com- pleted the music in 1914, and died in August that same year at the age of 35 years. "Antar" Is probably his best work, though his talent was re- vealed In 1905 with "Cabrera." The drama itself was created at the Odeon. In the first act we tee the return Of the Arab chief Antar, after a combat, followed bv his departure for fresh glory after having bid adieu to his mother and Abla; his nuptial f«'iist, and his sudoVn death. Dupont has felt his subject and later, When he deplores the death of his hero, shot by a poisoned arrow, it can almost be Imagined he fore- shadowed his own funeral anthem. Although the plot of Arab lif«« in the eighteenth century is somewhat dif- ficult to follow in the operatic ver- sion, the genius of the young com- poser made a deep impression on music lovers. And this is the notable feature of the latest production by M. Houche, which he has mounted in rich style In spite of the crisis raging around him. Camilla Che vi I lard conducts, with ability. Xendrew. BROADWAY REVIEW NEMESIS. Mrs. Pursy Bthel Wlnthrop C7>?»«i*ttt>j> WenOell • * M . Marl* Ooft Marc* Kartell ....'.....:..... .OHv« TV'.; Grace Lonarby ...Eleanor Woodruff Dr. Simpson .....Roland Bottom ley Mr. Jovaine Pedro do Cordoba Mr. Purdy '...Frank If. Read 1 etc Mr. Davis , John Craig Mr. Kalian Emmett Corrigan Jamti John M. Troughton Jeanne Jennie Dlckerson Officer Conlon Robert Camming! Counsel for the Defense..Charles P. Bates Witness Howard Nugent The Judge O. Clayton Prye A Warden , Jerry Hart This is a fascinating thing, but over the general head. Admirably directed and acted, it is a society murder mystery written in the ele- vated tone and with the urbane dis- tinction characteristic of its author, Augustus Thomas. Brought in to the Hudson April 4 by George M. Cohan, it moved at a leisurely pace, developing its i theme, establishing the fact old as the Hebrew prophets that truth will Out, that there is nothing, one way and another,.we can conceal, but not till tho third act did its pace quicken to the point demanded by the mob, and even after that it did not fall into the accepted grooves of melodrama. What of the sensational it had lay I in its competent dramatic assertion that fingerprints can be Imitated and are dangerous as positive evi- dence of crime—not only imitated, but imitated for so smali a sum as 15 cents. It is by such an imitation that the outraged husband. Kalian, fast- ens murder on Jovaine, betrayer of his wife. The whole first act is given over to laying the ground- work, to establishing the circum- stances of the sculptor's Intrigue with the pretty wife and throwing the sympathy from him to the hus- band because Jovaine has had a wife whom he abused and who di- vorced him for infidelity. The hus- band's suspicions are now aroused by a purposely catty remark made by a pretty divorcee, Mrs. Dorarby. Mrs. Lonarby's passion for men is all too delicately indicated through- out, bearing in mind its ultimate effect on the plot. American audi- ences must have their minds di- rected by headlines. Again the character of Dr. Simpson, with his somewhat inaccurate references to psycho -analysis, is introduced as though he. too, were to have an im- portant bearing on the plot—and then he doesn't, serving mostly for comedy relief. Despite this old-time tendency of the dean of American playwrights to leave at loose ends some of the threads of his story, the story itself is a fascinating progression in mys- tery. Working at his studio, Jo- v.ine shows Kalian how impres- sionable a thing clay is. Kalian gets away with the clay on which Jovaine's thumb and finger marks are left and later murders his wife, in an ingenious and dramatically effective manner fastening the guilt on • the sculptor. This done, ths fourth act curtain—and all the cur- tains were skillfully devised—rises on a courtroom scene, fresher and nearer life itself than anything that had gone before. Here the act ends with the suggestion left by a ques- tion that the sculptor will be found guilty. The last scene is outside Sing Sing. We see the lights dim as the current takes the sculptor's life. Outside Kalian, without actually saying so, informs the district at- torney whd it was who really com- mitted the murder, emphasizing that the sculptor deserved to die, but that he. Kalian, must live on. tortured by memory. For the most part the acting was delightful. Olive Tell is beautiful to look at, and played with finesse and moderation, neither losing nor gaining the sympathy which was as it should be. Eleanor Woodruff, as the divorcee, drew what vaudeville writers describe as the "applause hit" of the evening. A slendar bru- net, tall and with an evenly cutting way of getting over her lines, she wore as beautiful clothes as Miss Tell and wore them well. Marie Gotf has gone back to a pretty'girl role here and its fits her charm- ingly. Of the men Roland Bottom- ley had the humor to dispense and (Continued on page LM) Leading Makers of Stage Attire For Men and Women <>We costume completely mu- oSical and dramatic produc- tions, moving pictures, acts,'! 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