Variety (September 1921)

^■H 10 ts:^ T. K G1T I M A T E Pridty, Scptenibtr 23, 1921 ' Mcore. It deservca to prosper. <M.«^ ^ V v^vvv s n v^ vvTvvvnvvwM Ooming to the Grcenwicb ViU«f€ the- BROADWAY REVIEWS S^lfSS::^. a certain baMHcap to oTorcomt, but ^mmmm^^m^mmmmmKmmmmm^^Km^am^mmmi^^m^m^^m^a^mm^iJ the fiii«ii«M and ilignltj of tbt pro. daction is ctrtain to win the aupport \I/1!TTT1? UP A nirn nnV l impotalble of depiction apon a atage. of tbe acboola and ita wboloaone WHii£i tULAUt^U UUI There are hiH conqueatfl Ic the bnll- appeal will earn the good will of JACK LAIT'S REVIEWS k*«MM» Vttoez* Kk'.c Jan« I)»by .. Z>«nla »*no«C^ ))ro«iniin. Jo:in Dull>' l>*ila ITanaaU Aunl l:;ilc:: . . . Hyilncv Moriran . Harry Hutchlsoa . . . . Nui'.i l>«*siiii«ii*l 9uk«nn« McK»Tnan Marl* Blade .... Arthur Shields John O'Roarke ... .Arthur Bliiviaii- . Qertrude Murphy . Christine Hayden Matre O'Neill The Abbey Theatre's Irish Players fioui Dublin in -The White Heude«l hoy" by Lennox HobiuRon, author of •*Q he liost Lender," were brouciit to the Henry Miller Hept. 15 by (Ihnrles Dtlllnj(l);uit nnd scored uniuiHtaliably. Ceuuiiio lii^li couicdy. for the most part conipotently acte*!, it tickles your svuitc of fun with the auiuHomeut aris- iii? from the interjilay of character whioli iinturally crentew Hituations, the dialog co.iDtiiiK leiist. The story deals wilh a Ind bom lute in life to the <jCOgh^iin family, lie is catted Denis nnd becomes their pride. Everywhere th'jy toot him as a mental proiligy, but seat K) Dnblin to become a doctor he tails aud interfering Aunt Ellen, whofiu schemes always go wrong. f;tarts dcvi.siug a solution for what is to be (Arte wiih J)enis. The older brother would ship him to Canada, but Aunt Ellen starts the atory that he is going to a great no. »ition. Denis was to marry Delia, bnt can't now, so Delia's father threatens a breach of promise suit and collects from everyone only in the end to have Denis and Delia marry and spoil all these collectiomt. This done. Denis threatens to disgrace everyone by going to work aa a day Uborer nnd they bribe him out of this by giving him everythina prom- ised the younger brothers anJ sisters who have sacnfiowl so long that Deni9 Might go to college. The play ends quite naturally on this situation with on!y the old mother delighted because her favorite, white beaded boy has n|l he wants. The acting was half the show, simple, quiet, effertive, excepting for the perforoMincc of Mairo O'Neill as ^unt Ellen. iShe burlesqued too much to the great injury of the ensemble and the naturaiis-u of Arthur Sin. elair playing opposite. Sydney Mor- fan as the oldest brother stood out from^ the rest also, but there wa^ in abaenee of thentricnlism. ua eflFecr of sincerity in the whole that counted for heavy returns: /^^^d. •^Tftmmi'mti^ only thing partially viavaliaed Is pbyaieal love affair ^e baa witb alAdy of rank, as a consequence of wbicb he loses hia nerve and «veBtuall| re> suits in loaing bis life. In bia death Bccnc ravinsa he mistakes tbe loving arms of bia wife for those of bla In- nmorata. making of himself a pitiable spectacle, exactly as Tristan Bernard did in finishing his classic ^'Jeanne Dore" play for Bernhardt some half dozen years ugo.^ In tbe Bernard play the situation was much more touching in thnt It was the son who mistook the lips of his mother for the object of his illicit lore. ^ Skinner's characterlEatlon ia a careful and painstaking one, ancb aa one .vould naturally expect from so fine an artist. He avoided all temp- tation to rant or overact. Tbe role, however, is not a lovable one. On the stage we want our hero to be strong, nnd \n the end to rise above the lure of the adventuress—in the end, anyway. For this reason it is not a,sympathetic part. Mr. Skinner gets all there is to be gotten out of a tbanklcss role, which isn't enough for popuhr appeal. Catherine Calvert Sa very alluring as the adventuress who hirea the toreador to bia doom, and even she basnet tbe distinction of a' great eon- quest for tbe reaaon that it ia nar- rated be fell for women ia tbe lower walks of life, plenty of tbem. There is a long Hat of 'charactcra, most well played by competent actors and nctreaaea. but they stnifgled through the performance to little avail. The names of Skinner and Tbarez, nt tbe Empire, aboald be sufBelent at- traction for a few weeks' business in New York nt $2 50 top, but "UlooJ j»rd Ssnd" doesn't look like one of this Feacnn'a succeHfles, Jolo, «Hi aire t. a With balf a BtOOD AND SANI) . Alvartt. .. . . ....!... F'^. DAlfo" Juan Callurtlo Mr. Skfnner Don Jose Wllliani Loren;. J;"'""'«- • ^uy NicholH Bncarnaeton O I ct:ivl;i Keninort^ . . .EI«*Hnor Mr-ybolt . . Madeline Delm ir Kred. Vcrdl • . . . Martin nrudci .<:atbtfrlne Culvert noni.lino ('al|..nd«r . . .Cha». N. (jieonf Shirl<'y <.IhIo Ct)rnrlj:» otjM SKinn^i Don Briipstn J^imwh Church Senura Joseflna Boaarlo Juaniilo '•t-'P* Pona Sol El Naclonal Mar«iut>a de .Mluni . . L'orulcsa dr Torrcriliji Dona Barasat llonn«nor. . . . Don a. Lulsa Dona BniJIIu A Uervant Pedro Be Ora An^UHtian MsrtartM ... A Picador A Prlcpl Bl Fuenton An Attendant. . . . . . Juariitii Vl.-^caya .'Jeripvlfve Dolaro r:ob<rt Drinte:i • . . Victor Hiitiiinur>(1 Clara T. nr»r> «... I. II ... VN ilUain C.ayltiril Carlon .\. (.iraj F»'li\ I'ran lirii Kt'nnelh Kiplirr; The tritCKt ol)iicrv;iticu to make in reviewing a lc;;;t:rii;u,« j)l .y ilie.Ne dav> JS to Hny. "What liji.s bccoiur of uji the prent play\vri«:lit.sV' mid fhcn <oii- tinue to <le<'ry the i)rodii(.ti()iis m.tdn in our theatres ihu.s far this season. Ihcre ifl very jittlr in the pie.seritn. tion of -lilood nnd S:nd," at tJie Kiiu pire Tiie.sday evening to w:irrant one atteiiipfm;; to romiterart the cur- rent opinion which prevailH amont: theatrc-ffoers. "Hlood and Sai.d." while n(.t ex- nrfly an n<Iaptiti>n of a novel hv BIjiHoo Ib:)M«*r.. is fntindod on Ih'.' Spnniard'H stoiy «nd rna(?i> intn a j)lnv by Tom (.'iivhinjr. Tlie Charles F.oh'- inan company is st^iriu- Otis Skin- ner, and the jrciicrnl opinion nmon/ the first ni;;Iiti';s w;,-< ili;it ih won't do It is i(«:!lly too had. f^onf had hrni (:ik«'i) to ni.iko tistir LAUNCELOT AND SLAINE KInc Arthur Gerald Roirers Que«n Oulnovere Selena Bo]rl« 81r Launcelot IVdro do Cordoba Sir Torrp Joftn Hendricks Sir Tiavtilne. I.*o Leonard Blaine Jnflephine RoyU Th«> Servitor Ilcrtram Marburfh Sir Modre*! I. Arthur Touna Sir Oawain Walt^ Lawrence The Voice of I.yoncsne. Marcaf-t F.ir^lf'ljfh T,o>d of Ajitolat. .^. . . . .Cliarlcf* llarbury, Th(r H*>rn()t Karl Sta^ I^ly VIvtaM. . :V'V>. . . .a>.. .-'.'BlWfe SMMAHH Marrthti.tMrSrtl tbe box olleo^^ck rboa llrat rata ftrHiff atart cbanea tbe work will rnako ita ows way, witb apecial audiencea, aUboofb it probably will sever be a draw among tbe regulars of tbe White Way- It takes almoVt a miper-nctor to deliver Jong, unbroken apeechea in heroic verac, for the whole play ia done in blank verae, and to wear the florid trappinga of chivalry without inviting dtriaion, but Mr. de Cordoba accompliabea tbe miracle by force of earneatneaa. Joaephine Uoyle waa an capecially sincere Klaine. ISbe baa a diannlng air of yontb and a fragile aort of beauty and baa been aplendidly coached in tbe amootb na- tural reading of verse. She made aa entirely adequate oppoaite to da Cordoba's Lauucclot, which ia saying a great deal. The atory ia deftly written in aa- cending value up to ita climax In the last of the four acts, aplendidly mounted and skilfully etagetl. A ape- cial score of Incidental muaic has been written by Franke Harling and an elaborate choral effect ia one of tbe impressive details of the climax. The final scene has to do with tbe arrival of the funeral barge of Elaine on the sboj^ - of the Thames where King Arthur^ court ladies and conr* tiara are taaaembled in coasip and^ aport. From tbe begUming of tbe scene to ita culmination the off-stage chorus aingSf first aoftly and acarcely audible and working up to a aweep- ing creaceiulo at tbe curtain, a fiaa muaical effect that goes far to en- bance the pictorial aiM theatrical beauty of tbe episode. Rush. MAN IN THE MAKING Robert Flak .Denald Oallaker HaolMii *t. ..'.TRv't/n^TLi.'J^yf Frmaela Byra* Paal Bverto* ..Joseph Onthii* WUllam B. Hack i*«*a*»*«sJ OIIC WMtiBB J. B. Carawell Travellkw Al ^ ■llm Delaa •••■•••••••.Bdwin Walter Te4tfjr Barco .••••••'..•• Javtte I^eea Tw e fjiavn •....•*,•,«#«•... > bnim B#wa Theodore Barco ».. .F rfa—r Coaltef Mrsk Caraw^l Leah Wtnslow • •o«o«. o*< T.aiiy* i^enrtrrei*. ..'..-...'.. ,r.Mbl^ CaritoA iw . luuxi ■KrilKhts. . . . .ir.<. .Bo»4«9 'llisav'tl. S. <0«a tt-Kvh ife^^^tF***^^ l>Vyr,^vUeccn!», .Hiaciiiw by ^ Ai^ofiW", jitj^ndATfliv .tl*fi»VP J<l «bout< iViOJl^i qictiip^i.ta.uvMFc. M^it ri r^pi^^, iH»MXM>«. v^ag,V,MW l4MJ»^t4K < ..,. liatoilie^ 'like^ Uonaayii-belo*)^' to Edwin l^Iilton Royle has made on exceeflingly beautiful trnnHlction to the stage of T'.in:yHon's poem of the peerless knight nnd the lily maid of AKtoInt, which cyme to the Greenwich Village theatre. It is i saniptuqMs revel in sentimental romance ami fur- iiinheH a refresliing contract to the orgy of modern realism \vlii<*h ban been the tendency of the Htage for sdino 8en.Mnns pant. The production takes partienlnr in- terexf. from the pres^nee of I'edro de Cor.loba who i- ilimloKPi] oh the he,-II idi ill of a romantic iiero and frniM the ilohnt of lh«' Kovles' dnu:rh- terH. .Josephine (as Kluiue) an<l .Selena (as C^ueen (jUiHevere). Mr. I{i»y!e iii.'iclc A ;:r;ir<'fnl little .'^peer*li ;it the erd of tbe firsl porforuiun e Sfivm.i; nil er«»<Iir ft*.- ••\\l':i{ skill Ihr the group of lighter French play wrightH who are'more "deliinte" than the inorallstK. They do not admire the homely virtnew—in contract to Iliieux, who belongs to the group of strict moralistH like Hervieux nnd I>o(Jurel. The Kntaille-Donnay school, or movement, was .Huppo.'>'ed to have been started by i'orte au Kiche. Their philo.Mophy hart somewhat the flavor of StrimlberK's attitii«le towani women. Ilntnille m proliably the most poetieal of them ah. He in called a puthologiHt —esi)ccially of women. Statistics show thnt the averago uninterrupted .«<;)eec!j in a Frenoli play is eixht limes n.s ]^):^^ nn that of iiH AiiM'rir.'ijj couiTlerpart. An- toine. who founded t!ie "free the- atre" in Paris, hi:s ilone Sv^ine drac- tic rni.ssionriry work in I he .«<!i<>rtca- inc: of di.ilof; for stuRc purpose.^, but this still r<>n:nin.s the bane of tlie John Mcebaa'a flnt production waa Jnaaa W. Uttan's first play. Mr. Mrshia waa the geaaral stage direc- tor for George M. Coban. IBIiott la a yooac faMaw wl|a baa taken New York by atom dne% he returned from tbe war, in a aaries of lectures m*» maa-makiof and buafaieaa-building; be alao rmia a se^l in furtherance of bia pfciloaopkiea. Tbey arc sound. American, practieal pbiloaophies. and. like ererftkiiif that is sound and real, tbey are poetic and romantic. This ploy ia a dramatliatton of bia ideas* ideals and eadeavora. That sounds dry and dreary. It is nothing of tbe 8ort*-it la red-blooded, excit- ioff* grippliig and noTel. T%e history of "T%e Man in- the MaklnT* ia origteally iilentified with tbe produeing firm of Qleason A. Block. Hmt tod faith in tbe phy aad tbey called 1b the nnderaii^ed with m vlaw of cdllabormtioa. Tb4» uaderalgBed^ - being a profeaaional crttifr an4 aceuatomed ano committe<1 to snap jadfmenta, turned down the proporaon without even reading tbe piece—paased It up on the title. He wtm dead wrong. To bim that ia no neeelty. He remembered, however, he had a fireiQdica againat 'Tlie. Man in the Faking,** and when be was assigned to reTlew it, did no with the prcrealg- natioB Of a grey evening. .He waa nerer knocked a twistier twister. Not that thia drama is perfect It has many blemlahea. It is far too long. Gospel ca:^be expounded only bv talk; but thia haa far too much of it Elliott abouldUke to heart one of his own- masterly platitudes: •*It*a your reconl* tliat "counts, not your ability to mike records." If he ia fighting for retention of superflous or er^n valuable dialog, he shouki withdraw bis objections at oni?c andr^^tay DON JUAN There are many polnta of attrac- tiveneoa about Kjrank Relcber'a pro- duction of Henri Uataille's romantic comedy "Don Juan." with IjOU ^eile- gen starred. The English version la by Liawrence I^angner. But the piece. It is old-fashioned in construction,'popderous in its dia- log, replete with soliloquies and toe long droAx-n out in its progreasion. Written in the French style, which is ratioiml aud argumentative, the ailapter has neglected to infuse the Knglish idea, which in purely emo- .tioual. »o tina^ (roujt. the • ITrfiuqbI duced, at t|»e ;Oarticfc< theatre Sept 7. ^-.., .,,..,.. - -. --^,. - -u.^ ■ , ?"!?!?,( It mtw Ur»n»/W^>X< h«^«wd .toifli ii^ia^^'^ « ohfinee for ^ufocna bo-, .juisjjlt, fliigh^,..U«^v^ %<??1./^ P»^'^«>^K: pitch in with enthusiasm to the task of chopping and chiaeliag. An cipert on efficiency abould reaUse that Dan- iel Webster coaldn't he eloquent and Hecrates couldn't he wise after 11:ir», propoalUoB that there la notkiiig which eannet he better aaid in Ickh worda. The play teaches that college warpj a boy and thvowa him off; it reconi- mends a coUaga in which a boy cuii ^eam his way si^ work through, hold- . ins bis self-reiipect and building his prlnciplea. It la Tery plausible, ana in the in s tn uM in point is brilliantly carried forth. Tho atory is clutching and at times heart-tagging. Bursts tff wiae comedy break in with delight tul fregency and surprise. There IS a central lore story, and a boy is at atake all the way, which is alwaya good drainn with backbone. ?rbia man Elliott ia a natural writer. He sv^inga with both flats and from the hip. He has enough salable so- phistry to make verbal climaxes and enongli punch to slam thrilla over. He is fluent and breesy and wise wit4i the wheeses of tbe street while soft end sentimental over wholesome fac- tors in life SMch as father-love and mother-lov*» and mon-love. lie re- mind.*^ at tiroes of Cohan in his methods. Meehan*s direction is somewhat . slow, which Is unfortnnAte in view of the elements of Terboslty and the - overtim** scbednh*. But beyond this fault, the staging ia brilliant and tlie story carries on with sweep and power through as intelllfent presen- tation of 9 script as any author could ask, and through a sdntilating cast of amaairglv selected artists. Jlopald GalTaber plays the boy in many moods and many ahadea, and his work is excellent. "William I'.. Mack as a deep purple counterfeiter is. ns be*ne*er fails to be, a star. Paul Evert on plays tbe hard-boiled father Witn sledae-hammer ferocity rnd plenty of apine. Kathleen Po- mecTs pictures the girl with whiax and interest, though Ker role scarcely permhs the softer shadings thnt an inpenue finds so helpful as a rule. An extremely intereating pity «J the healthiest sort ia this. It should Rtav nt the Hudson, even in this de- pressing scsson for a considernb'e < period. A fat blue pencil will help It ^ Lait. Otae It haa no popular, oj^itoal. i. ,:--••• I, ;'••• ^.^■ . •- Joldh .*• • ■ ■ ' LlL!bl<! iU ! J." ' (I.' 't-N-'l. 4. H. (IB Yiddish) Lfllotn Martin Ratkay Julia Frances Adler M^ry Lucy GermJIn Mnio. Muskat Rebecca Welntrjtub Pandy '• Dublnsky Mrs. Hollamler Ida Uolilmetn Her Boy I- Pliaplro Huao Mr. Portnoy Police Captain.... A. WflBmnan Linxman Isailorc Cashier "♦ ''■ I Albert (i^ iQarc^u Banry Baxter Mllp. OeorKe .....Leonoro Ilarrin M. Kay Jules Epailly A Secrot.'iry. Philip TonRo The M.nrciuiH de Driac. .. Ernest Staltard Lucl(>nn<- Anne Meredith John Itrandon . . . . r^ Edmund Preeso Monna Ina Clalrv Captain (In heaven). Poileeman Doctor Rtefan Cadar ... Dr. Rich «••••• , A. Welssnian .P. Katxman . . P. Sherman . . . 1.. Hhaplrii . .P. Shf^riuan rlilldrcii l:;ul sJiown'' to the tcainin^ of ,,,.,, Mrs. Itovlf\ -who until re«entlv was I ','""''^'« ad.ipter and it wmh lirre that hersfll on actress." 'I nay nntl re.-i I'SUvitimm' I^insner was apparently ic'jtly."' he added jesliii;ily, -be aose • "V"*''<* ^^ <""l>c with tho problem of I hrjivve in safety first." Mrs. Hoyle was Se'en:i Fetter and for many year.s jilayed with her luisKniid in several' sketches fror.i his l>"ii tl.at were accepted as elassi.'.<. .Mr. Uoyle's best knawn previous idaptatioM. very jjjuoIi as (Granville ISjirker failed witli his trannlatioii ;ind adaptation »)f "I>el)nrau." The iiiythirri story of Don .Tiian has been utilized as the basic plot of playj? and stories in every country of !(' I'lecc rarr a most ;;r- work was "The Squa^' Man." piayedithe world for several Imndred years, in every iustance, so far ns known, to teach the moral that to love only with the body with -f^piritujil iuvoiu- panlmeMt, is wrong. Wliaf r.ataille .•^Mio'.vs ;»riiicip:illy in his phiy is that ■» m;ii> who lives only for yox ind'il- ';<'n('e. and who has been able to win aliaost any woman who eomes with- in tln" r:;n;;e of his amorous Klinices, will suffer a terrific meiital s'loi-k at (he ajjc of 15 when he trscovors he lle« iM : o '\''''^ M-" '7"^'" ''«•" '^ the youuK worshippers of its anthnr '•'";"•"'" ••'=''"'"> "f ""• knifihtly hero and will provide a pleas- Iaf>;fr ciVii '''♦''• ;''■•."'''•' ''"' "J ••»"'• Hentimental evening to those rather Mm.l.ir m .ruil fh.-.t was uli:- .natiirer persons to whom "The Idvlls I' of thi' Kinjj" are a f-iint and fragrant locollcctioii. Th«« perforMi.Ttice i-^ (lipniiled and for this Mr. d- (^)^(!(^il;l i*; to be fliniikcd. It t;'.I;es a tremendously s;i; ' ••<• ;:ri'I iii(rMin''iil ;u'Jor to pl:»v ••1 lolc of such siipiM-setitiinental Mwiiiify. This Kind <»f ihin;: went out with (he cMii of tlic Victorian rrn and modcrjis ;:i«' pi'onc to scolT .'it kuishlly Jionilmst a:i 1 the t laiip'njjs of ro lum \. I'lic np-to-(l:;lc theatre jcoci- is dis- pos(Ml to set up ii defence a,u;iiiis| ).jiive rom.'W'.re with his cynical f;mih» iirnl woe betide the )(laywiif;ht or player who strikes a' false note of ay are j f entiment. Iloth dramatist and players those that would furnish excellent in this ciiso have <lisarmed soidiistien. material for a descriptive writer and | liuu by liie earncstucsa of lh<'ir work. i/.ed to nnke a delicious comedy iir produced in .Xmerjcn under the title of "The Concert." In ofl,Pr words. It is difficult for a ttnl)lic idol to avoid the pitfalls in the form of fiduhitiou on the fiarf of women. In ••TIk^ (on cert" it wa.s a jrrcat t»''n;st. \viiil<> in 'T.Iood .'ind Sand" (locilI<^ Sjiin) the ▼ictitn is tJic foremost bullfitjliter of hi" dny. Mr. Skinner i** one of AmeiicnV irrcatest jictors- .'ilwnvs a pieture<?qur fifnro on the sta;re hut he recjuire^ a play replete \\;th romsnce ?ind dramatic acliofi. His role of the i)op- nlar ma(a<'or is pictuie-^nue enouyh. hut the Wiin^rs he (!oes in the play are over l.j years ajjjo, but in his new effort he is revealed as an :irtist worki'i;; in finci- n aterials and wifn ;i hi^h '^M'lise ii'' the spiritual. If w.).dd lie a tl.-niii^ .-ulventurei' into tht^ the.it le that would atli'inpt the tiiin-v lati(»n r)f tie 'rej.i!\:w»u jioeiM lixed in 'iterary Ir.iu lifui as it is by sevr:!'. Heiiciali«MiM of n-.uier.>>, bill .Mr. K<>>1« has touched it with so reverend a l.iMid iind viiiwheii it with ? in h art'ul bits of paR-^antry that it will bC a de- i« no longer physically attra<'tive to the opposite sex. As |)ortrayed by Lou TeMegen the character ia fuirely phyMical, with little or no re<leeminK mentality or spiritual offsot. lie "loved" only with bis body. Three hours of tire- some diiiloK on such a tnatise. de- signed to prove such :\ life is n Wiiste<l one is har<lly s iflieient enter- r.iinment for tho averajje American tlieiitre-goer. This was greatly enlj.inced by the .rfenerMlly Hinateurish and in .(Mnpetcnt. acfin;;. Occasionally tlnMc was a (lash of Kenuine histrionic ait. but on the whole the a<'tin;; was o;i a plane of mediocrity siddom seen in a lirst class mctropolltiin playhouse. The presentation is under the auspices of Krank Ueicher and the Selwyns. the former direchnx the |)iec(\ with most artistic settiiij:s de- signed by Ia'c Simonsou. It was i)ro- Frinz M<>iar*8 "Liliom" was pro- duced in Yiddish at the Irvinn Tlaee. Sept. 10, with Martin Ratkay. of the Royal. Hndnpest. in the title role, and Frances Adler (daughter of Jacob P. Adler) in the part being enacted by Kva LaGalliene in the Theatre Gui'd presentation now running nt the Fulton. Max R, Wilner prcscntK the Yiddish Tcrsion, directed by Ossip I>ymow. The stage settings are by Willy Pogany. Tompiirison with the Kngliidi adaptation arc necessarily inevitable. The Yiddish presentation, in some re- spects, compares fa?orably with its American coupterpart, while in others it is wofully lacking. According to cossip around the Irring Place, Mr. Itatkay created the role of Lilioin in Hungary. If this be so, Joseph Schildkraut is giving a close imita- tion of him nt the Fnlton, and if it ^ isn't the case, Mr. Ratkay cleverly mimics the chari< terization beiiij; of- fered by Schildkraut. Uatkay lacks the volatile, caiwielons ti'mpernt'Hv.t of young Sehifdkraut, but in the more serious scenes plays with more fuel- ing. Miss Adler is less stolid and lugubrious than Miss LeOallieue ns .Julia. Uoth of the prineipal roles have been improved by the drastic excision of lengthy and unnecessary dialog. The entire company affect the vaudeviHe manner of addressing their conversation to the audienre, faring the front of the house on all i.ossiole occasions. Judged by American standards the acting compares favor- ably with one of our first-rate stock companies, their work being broad and lacking the delicnte light and shade of a high-grade company of players in a Broadway production. It is probably a daring and puerile assertion to make, in the face of its New York success, that "Liliom" Is not a good play. Tlic further asser- tion is here made thaf had the play been written by a D.itivo of this clime j and .played by Aipjrican artists ^he J^o^ Brought to the Ritz Sept. 19 by Williani Harris with Ina Claire starred, this rendering into English by ('barlton Andrews, of a Fren''h farce -and a very sueci'ssful one—by .Mfred Savoir provided fair enou.;!! fod^Jer for the average theatre go:'r, but proved disii. i)ointing to the dis- criminating. Mr.^ t'harlton'.s task is always n difficult one, but his English i.s atraigbtaway. c can aud clear. II»» does not try 'to weave indelicate inuneiuhx s into his text in an effort to give the inoffensive French effect, but the fau'ts do not end with him. Les- ter Ix>rnergan nnd Robert Milton have much to answer for in the way in which tbe offering was cast and played. It is (lie story of the eighth wife of sn American billionaire who pen- sioned off his ^others. This wife, Monna, loves him and detcnninett to hold him, denying herself to him for this reason nnd pretending to love an- other, winning her point in the end. Foi; many reasons, this among them, the play is apt to appeal to women. In any case it is a clean treatment of an a.i;e-old tifob em. the New Haven chief of police to the contrary not- withstanding. Its famous third set in which the two undress is itself robbed of all offense by the audience knowing the purity of the couple's in- tentions. Tht cast remains. Barry Baxter clowned to good effect, but a clown was out of place. What was needed was a delicate, weak, .sensuous youth, of the world and polished. As for Edmund Breese, he th'unifrred melo- dramaticaly but did not convince. Lc- nore Harris was a foil for the star, but did not ^iianage to suggest that she could tempt the husband away. Ah a detective Jules Epailly tucked away a neat personal hit by a cpieer giggling manner he had. The rest were well enough, but did not count- Miss Claire herself remains. Every year she grows better. She has gained ])oise. She thinks all the way and her elocution is perfect. As she prows older doubtless it will gain depth and power. There are few with her fundimental training and great things arc to be hoped from hef. Lccd.