Variety (January 1922)

Friday. January 0, 1982 LEGITIMATE 17 I BROADWAY! REVIEWS LAWFUL LARCENY Felix Kremns Martha Mayo judge Perry tin Davis -■ French Id* Waterm_. ©ft Hepburn....... ^ i/o ... e .. •«*., Ka-J Celeate r Tarlow Lowell Sherman ti.rlon Sylvester Margaret Lawrence ....Allen Itinehurt • •••••• ..John 8tokes> Andrew Dorsey French • ••« . 5r Davis Fraawr Coulter Sara Haden petective' Farrel John Sharkey After a season or two In virtual retirement, so far as Broadway is concerned. Samuel Shipman has come forth with two plays within he pas i two months. The first was "Nature's Nobleman." written in collaboration with Clara Lipman. But his real bid for fresh popularity Is with "Lawful Larceny," presented by A H. Woods at the Republic Jan. 2 . The Republic is long over- due for a success. It has housed so many near-hits and flops that it is likened to an also-ran horse which gome day lias its winning race, and the new Shipman opus gives it the best chance in a flock of seasons. "Lawful Larceny" adds to the list of Shinjman plays of paradoxical title. The play's name, however, is not a paradox alone. The author has brightly scrolled a drama from: the basis of legal fact that the law dramatically countenances the theft of the spiritual, and since there is) no punishment by criminal proced- ure, there is actual lawful larceny. The always interesting application Of this truism Mr. Shipman has! worked out alone, whereas with his. other offerings he has always been coupled with another playwright. It's a story of a broken triangle, ■mashed in part by the husband of his own accord and then completely effaced by the wife—for the theme stands upon the chassis that hus- band and wife arc deeply in love with each other. She has been to California on a visit. During her absence he has met and fallen for the wiles of nn adventuress, who has milked him dry. That is the story of Andrew to Marion Dorsey, the story he has the courage to tell her after a beautiful love scene— the fifth anniversary of their mar- riage. The scene is the prolog. Action for the first two acts is within the duplex apartment of Vivian Hepburn on Park avenue. There the adventuress has staged her little affairs with the kind of men Dorsey typifies—men who might slip now and then—men whom that kind of women and her associates allude to as "suckers." Marlon Dorsey under her maiden name applies for and gets the posi- tion of secretary to the relentless Vivian. She manages to stand off her husband when he comes to break completely with the woman, making him understand that she must have a chance. She brilliantly wins her way into Vivian's circle, pretends to return the love of Vivian's own beloved, Guy Tarlow, who has been bitten but who is bent on trimming trimmers like Vivian. Then she gets Tarlow to rifle Viv- ian's safe of nil her money and jew- els, takes the bag and goes to her own home, thereby moro than matching the adventuress by steal- ing both her lover and her posses- sions. Comes Vivian. Tarlow and an ex- judge to the Dorsey home. There Marion confesses to the robbery and stands by her act, though the men all try to shield her and take the blame. The judge tells here it is a crime punishable with imprisonment for 10 years. Emotionally does the wife defend her deed and plead the right and damn the apparently legal status of Vivian, who can and did steal her husband. The judge ad- mits that the thing Vivian's kind of women do is lawful larceny. Marion, typifying the wife fighting for hus- band and happiness, cries out against the system that provides no punishment (other than civil action, viz: suit for alienation as explained> for the woman who steals husbands, merely a t;ort of petty Wuvmy. while the taking of cash is* grand larceny. That is the sentimental kick of the final act, the explanation of the title. Hy showing Vivian to be a eneat at cards as well as a harlot. Marion's act condones itself, and latoi' jii,,. promises to send back the residue over the sum taken from her husband, money that was rightfully hers and their boy's, the curtain bringing promise of complete hap- piness for the Dorspys again. Mr. Shipman has coined any num- ber of aphorisms to light the dialog ■ind mold hi s characters until they sparkle. In a splendid scene be- tween Margaret Lawrence as Marion and Lowell Sherman as Tarlow. h<> tells h«r that two-thirds of the m- rr £>" put forth by man has heon de- stroyed by woman. He, too, tells her that there is otilv one kind of wrong woman—(he on • who doesn't •*"ork a man right. Sherman at his , : v t portrays the role of a kidding, '■niliaiit dihttant. but confesses to •Jiirion his mission in lire is l<» •livone 'winnings'' from womw like yvian who trim "sue l:ers." He is '•'•n a thief by destinv. but claims VtT a KO,t of Nv ™esis. Miss Lawrence is a perfect selce- t>an as Marion. She is appealing ■ma sweet by turn. Mr. Woods has | nosen his entire cast with much ' -T-'e. and there x^ power if names. Alan Dlnehart as the husband is the good sort who slipped once and has the courage to say so, ready to do as his wife says because of the posi- tion he has been responsible for, but determined "to do murder" for her happiness. Gall Kane as Vivian the adventuress had the thankless role that has been her lot in other plays. That in Itself was not a deterrent, but her fumbling of lines made her first night a bit ragged. Felix Krembs was the fifth character of importance, he playing the ex-judge, a mrtn of polish, as were all the male roles. Ida Waterman. Martha Mayo, John Stokes and Frazier Coulter played lesser roles with distinction. The settings were very well done, having a solidity that was convinc- ing. With tlie play in such good hands. Ti?rtram Harrison, the direc- tor, will have little trouble in snap- ping up the tempo in one or two spots. The Messrs. Woods and Shipman have been a winning combination before, and with "Lawful Larceny" they should repeat. Jbce. DRIFTING Mrs Coo!; Jane Corcoran D.»ac-,n Cook H. Mortimer Whltr- l>r. Hepburn Burr Canulh Wililt* Hat™ Harry Kit* Patrick Erni. Crocket H. D. Bofurt Castle Cool; Alice Drady Mr». Telly Voo Fiances Florence Short Koo Chow Lizzie Blanche Wallace Rangoon Rose Winntfred Lawshe Number One Mafu..' William Blaladell Number Two Mafu Cornelius Bull Number Three Mafu Olaf Laven Molyneaux Leward Meeker Flock Maxwell Qriacoll Monsieur Repin Frank I yn Fox lia.l l^and* Me Kinney Robert Warwick l>r. l.l Shen Kueng Lumsden Hare Ijidy Beamish Selene Johnson Cyril Trenwyth Leonard Cary A China Boy Edwin Thompson Woman of Tung Kow Marguerite De Marhanno A Pi lest of Buddha Edwin Thompson A Sorceress Geraldlne McCreery A Monger of Lost Dolls Jane Corcoran A Holy Beggar Edwin Thompson A Ri«d Woman from Nowhere..Eve Ware First Body Servant Barry Fitz Patrick Second nody Servant Olaf Laven First Hunhand I.eward Meeker Second Husband Edwin Thompson Thij-a Husband Humphrey Bogui-t Coolw Barry Fitz Patrick Cliu Che La I.u, the Tongue Flit - Millie Bcland Tommy Hepburn Jack Grattan Wang Allen Atwell Komieky Frank Backus The Jhanzi Kahti H. Mortimer White Capt. Jack John Michel John. .Harrv Duvles Ramirez William Blaisdell A China Doy Barry Fitz Patrick William A. Brady presented a melodramatic thriller at the Play- house Jan. 2, co-starring Alice Brady and Robert Warwick. The meller is a spotty one, having both good and bad spots, and the chances are that as far sas popular appeal goes, the good spots will over- shadow the bad ones until such time as the piece is smoothed out. Fror.i the production standpoint it does not appear as a play that Mr. Brady expects much of, for he seem- ingly has "dragged it in from the alley." ••Drifting** is a story of China and the usual fate that overtakes those of the white race drifting there from the four corners of the world. In a word, it is a movie thriller that has all of the punches, hair-breadth escapes and wallops that one would expect in a picture serial. The program states that the authors are John Colton and D. H. Andrews. They are give:i credit for the six incidents in which the tale is told, for it is just a tale relating the story of "Cassie Cook of the Yellow Sea." The opening incident shows Cassie (Miss Brady) as a wild little New England miss, who plays hooky from school and runs away late at night when her dad is about to punish her for it. That was real New England "meller" of the "Quincy Adams Sawyer" type and tho ono incident that almost wrecked whatever else of the play that was to follow. However, the second incident (which seemed like the first act l'ollowincr a prolog) had Cassia the spendthrift queen of a house of en- tertainment in Shanghai. There were other "ladies" there, but Cassie carried the title of "The Queen of Shoha. or The Best Dressed Woman in Shanghai." Where "ladles" are usually men are to be found, and the Hot sum of the men arc on deck. Hero the real plot is laid. Bad Lands McKinney (Mr. War- wick) cashier-d from the army for cheating at cards (although not guilty), has ma'e his way up and down thr China coa.t living as best lie might and making a bad job of it at tho best. He is down and out to such an extent that he is even an undesirable at tin- "house of en- tertainment." Among ntlv-rs. then- is a real card shirk, a scheming Chinaman (one who lias (ihtained his education at Harvard t. who has returned to his own land and prospered. The two arc co-conspirators in a plan where- by the rrvohitionar." hordes of Russia are to he enabled to sweep down through China, join with the revobit ionist s there and hold the world at their unrcy with the waking of the Yellow Dragon of China and sweeping through India Lady Beamish (Selene .Johnson i. wife of the head of the English secret service, enlists the aid of Bad Lands MeKlnn°y to circum- vent the uprising, and he starts on a chase into the interior of China to ervptur* the bad Chink when the latter has closed his deal for the aid of the hill tribes. They cross paths at a distant Inn In the hills and the uprising comes immediately after. Cassie Cook, who is also in the hills on an annual pilgrimage to the post of a mission- ary who, with his wife and child, are from her home town, and Bad Lands are thrown together when in the uprising the missionary and his wife are slain, and the two have the child to bring back to civilization. Neither knows the true history of the other and each mistakes the other for what they are not. This occurs in the next two incidents. The fourth is laid in a tavern eight days later after they have managed to elude the hill killers and come to the coast in safety. It Is the rendezvous of the revolution- ary schemers, and hither has cornel Lady Beamish, the card sharp! schemer, the Chink and the two! drifters. A boat has been chartered for the schemer and the Chink to return to Shanghai. The others also manage to get aboard, and here the last act of the play J3 laid. In the scene prior the best bit of the piece Is played between Miss Brady and Warwick?* It comes to a point of confession of love on the part of both, but each fearful that a disclosure of real identity which would thus be a necessity would cause a break. Both Miss Brady and Mr. Warwick delivered this scene most cleverly, and the final curtain to it proves Miss Brady has tremendous dramatic ability. Both of the two closing incidents are full of corking melodramatic tricks and the big wallop of this nature comes just before the tlnal curtain of the show. It is a corking piece of business and too good o give away in print. The foregoing will show that the story is all meller, with a real kick here and there, but with other touches that do not hold up. The answer is that Mr. Brady did not give the play sufficient time to dress it up. He would have been able to do that had he had faith enough in the piece, and with the fixing it would have stood a better chance, for to live it must be a smashing box office success, and the chances are that it won't be that, although it won't be a flat failure either. But without a turn-away at the box office "Drifting' can't live, for with 40 characters in the play, even with the doubling that is engaged in it. it is necessary to have 29 people in the cast, and that means money, for there are 14 real parts in those 40 that will not stand for doubles. In addition to Miss Brady and Bobert Warwick, those who deserve credit for the performance they gave are Florence Short, Leward Meeker (in a bit), Franklyn Fox as tho heavy. Leonard Carey in a com- edy bit, Millie Beland as the tongue- split China girl, Allen Atwell, H. Mortimer White, Harry Davies and William Blalsdell. Lumsden Hare as the educated Chinaman carried himself well and delivered a cork- ing performance, as did also Selene Johnson as the English lady. The authors in the writing dis- played something of a knowledge of Chinese, as she is spoken with flowery phrases for their English written speeches, carry that sug- gestion very well at times, but as playwrights their work is rather episodic. Fred. business," and says men possess "the common gift they share with all animals." All of which is a glaring bid for sensationalism and, if memory isn't tricky, was not In the original manuscript. The straight story of the piece, in brief, is that an ambitious woman marries a brilliant barrister (locale is England) and when the play opens on their honeymoon night she tells him she has no time for sex indulgence but has brought along his secretary so h« can work dur- ing the so-called honeymoon. She goes on prating on, her "modernist" ideas, that she is his partner and does not propose to sacrifice her youth to bearing him children, and kindred twaddle* The barrister knows he could have the marriage annulled because it was never con- summated, but, being an English gentleman, he balks at the pub- licity of such a court proceeding, and we find him in the second act, a year later, living a life of celibacy under the same roof with the am- bitious woman bearing his name. At this juncture one cannot help remarking that an American gentle- man would have walked out on her. possibly stopping on the way out to aim one full-strength wallop on the point of the jaw. Just before the fall of the second act curtain he takes up a revolver to shoot himself, but it is snatched from his hand by his meek little secretary, who tells him ehe loves him, and as such offers herself as a substitute cutlet for his pent-up emotions. That he accepts the offer is re- vealed in the third act when the barrister and secretary are found living together in the country four months later and she is already making baby clothes, and when the wife calls to break it up and offer" herself as wife in fact he replies it is too late—that he loves said sec- retary and he proposes to go through with the annullment. H. B. Warner sustained the dlffl- Cw.. role of the husband with dis- tinction; Marie Goff recited the bombastic lines of the wife; Kath- lene MacDonell is pleasing as the secretary, but is handicapped through the role being improperly drawn; Leslie Howard gives a de- lightful performance of a blissfully happy English husband; Ruth Hammond scored as a comedy housemaid and the others were quite competent. "Danger" Is not likely to succeed. Jolo. DANGER Mrs. Sturfess Olid* Leary Percy Sturfess Leslie Howard Mrs. Scorrier Marl* doff Elisabeth Ruth Hammond Mary Hubbard Kathlena MacDonell John Fltsroy Scorrler H. B. Warner Albert Stapleton Kent The Hon. Algernon Meakln. M. P Knox Orde The Authors' League has held several informal meetings of late and Is seeking the co-operation of other theatrical organizations, with a view to establishing some sort of supervision, or censorship, on pro- pose* dramatic productions. They are of the opinion that where a piece Is produced, palpably designed to pander to the lowest public taste, and ..ot to bring home a moral or preach a sermon, or pre- sent a life problem, or something of that sort, that such stage pre- sentations tend to destroy the busi- ness and should be banned. Just how they will arrive at such a point the members of the Authors' League have not yet determined. In fact they would like all the help they can get in the way of discussion. One of the members of the Au- thors' League was present at the premiere of Cosmo Hamilton's play, "Danger." at tho Thirty-ninth Street, Dee. 22, and stated it was Just such plays as "Danger" that would come up for discussion, when its members would pass on the ethics of such stage presentations and its effect upon the theatre- going public. Carle Carlton is sponsoring 'Danger." with If. It Warner .star. "d. The author has offered the piece to a number of managers in New York for the past few years. The manuscript of several years ago has been altered to make tho har- aeter of the wife "a sexless, soul- less tlung" (as her husband tells her) and she describes herself ns "a modernist—lhat fast increasing band of women who look with dis- taste to that old-fashioned sex THE DOVER ROAD Dominic George Riddel 1 (Phyllis Carring ton Ann Wlnslow ...Edwin H. Morse .... .George Nolan Latimer Charles Cherry Leonard Reginald Mason Anno Winifred Lenlhan tiustasia Molly Pearson Nicholas Lyonel Watts for whatever period he deems nec- essary to make them thoroughly ac- quainted with each other. This ac- complished, they may go their way separately or together, but the in- terval is a safety sone in their head- long flight from convention and old environment Hither come a fleeing pair—Ann, young. Inexperienced and seeking escape from a selfish invalid father, and Leonard, driven to distraction by a too attentive wife. Latimer has bribed their chauffeur to break down near by and send them for shelter to him. Then begins the campaign of enlightening the girl. Leonard comes to breakfast next morning unshaven and robed in an old dressing gown because his lug- gage has purposely been mislaid) and with a severe cold from his draughty bedroom. Breakfast with him dims the glamor of Ann's ro- mance. Another eloping couple—Nicholas and Eustasia—diverted from the Dover Road under like circum- stances, also are in the house. Eu- stasia is none other than Leonard's too attentive wife, seeking escape from the unsympathetio Leonards with a young man in whom she has aroused pity but who already has tired of her too persistent ministra- tions during a brief stay under the Latimer scheme of mutual reveal- ment. The inevitable meeting of the two couples is brought about as the cli- max of the craftily wrought second act, and things happen of the most riotous kind. Eustasia finds in Leonard-with-a-cold a subject for her tender care, and files into his arms, while Leonard In his illness welcomes the wifely ministrations. Thus two pairs of runaways are turned back. What becomes of Ann makes a highly interesting final act. but it wouldn't do to reveal it here. The characters are keenly and amusingly drawn, the talk scintil- lates and the faintly sentimental background glows warmly in this very charming offering of the holi- days. It's a cheerful, companionable play that leaves no bad taste In the mouth, and It should not be missed by any follower of the theatre for refreshment's sake. RusK CAPTAIN APPLEJACK Ambrose A pplejohn...... Wallace Edd Infer Anna Valeska ......C. .Mary Nash Mrs. Pengard » He tan Laekaye Horace Pengard Ferdinand Oottachaik Ivan Borolaky....... Hamilton Rerelle Palmer »••••••• Maud Andrew Dennett ...Walter F. Scott Johnny Jason..............Harold Verml'.y* A cheerful* sparkling comedy Is this piece by A. A. Milne as present- ed Dec. 23 at the Bijou under the auspices of Guthrie McCllntic and with Charles Cherry heading a con- splcuously even and capable group of players. It has a wealth of shrewd observations of life, much profound philosophy, and all done in an engaging spirit of slightly cyn- ical but always gentle and sympa- thetic humor. When the discontented British husband or wife decides to "bolt," as the native term has It, he or she always heads for the south of France—motor to Dover, boat to Calais and chemln de fer to the Ri- viera. What could be a better title! for a play about matrimonial run- aways than "The Dover Road"? One suspects that the piece was first I conceived in a more serious vein than that in which it sees the light, j No social comedy could have been written with so quaintly humorous an attitude toward life if its maker had not been keenly alive to the more sombre side of his subject. Here Is a story told in the rhythm of Jazz on the surface, but with an undercurrent of plaintive minor theme. The situations as they come upon the stage are comic, but behind them are discernible motives and Impulses tinged with very real feel- ing. Tnat the sentimental quality Is repressed makes It only the more vivid. That Charles Cherry would acquit himself well In a polite comedy was to be expected, but that six players would be assembled into one cast to interpret a play flawlessly fur- nished a pleasurable novelty. Mr. Cherry did the expected; his sup- porting players did the surprising. There is not a false note in this daintily played trifle. Most of all, credit should go to Winifred Lenl- han, who comes nearer to realizing the high-bred modern young woman than any of the newly arrived ac- tresses that come to mind. Her per- form.! nee was a delight. There is only one scene for the three acts, described as "the recep- tion room of Mr. Latimer's house, just off the Dover Road." Mr. Lati- mer Is a middle-aged young man of wealth who, because he was brought up In a home divided against itself by warring mates, be- comes a philosophical experimenter in matrimonial ventures. IIy means known only to himself he keeps abreast of impending family smash- ups and by methods of his own de- vising shunts the eloping mates from the Dover Road to his recep- tion room, keeping them in his home on terms of enlightening Intimacy We are all children at heart, some of us more than others, but chil- dren, nevertheless* and as such rv/el in stories of pirates bold. That is why "Peter Pan" was a huge suc- cess on both sides of the Atlantic. For the same reason we shall prob- ably cotton to "Captain Applejack/' a fantastic farce by Walter Hackett, produced by Sam H. Harris at the Cort, New York, Dec. 80. Under the title, "Ambrose Applejack's Ad- ventures," the piece was produced in London last July at the Criterion, where it is still running to excellent receipts. To tell the story In advance would be to spoil an evening's entertain- ment for those who read thee* lines. Suffice to record that Walts* Hack- ett's manuscript Is rep t eia with in- genious surprise twist* Iwtn melo- dramatic and farcical ana that throughout three acta yoa at* con- tinuously regaled with amusement of a superior quality. No small portion 6f the probable success of Mr. Hackett's piece is due to the exceptionally brilliant cast of players. With Wallace Ed- dlnger and Mary Nash featured it is superfluous to go into rhapsodies ov'er a supporting cast that includes such artists as Marie Wainwrlgbt, Hamilton Revelle, Ferdinand Ootts- chaik, etc. There has never been anything quite like "Captain Applejack'' as theatrical fare, and the concoction Is worth while, Jolo. BULLDOG DRUMMOND Captain Ilufh Drummond..A. S. Matthews Algy I/ongworth Oeoffrey Millar Peter Darrell H. Franklyn Bellamy Carl Peterson Sam Llresey Dr. Henry Lakinfton.. .C. H. Croker-KInf James Handley fit. Clair Bayield W. Hockinf William W. McNeill William G. Travers Ceor<ta Barraud Denny Bdwatd M. Favor Derbyshire Thomas Olllen Mairovitcn Wallace Hickman Hrownlow James A. Bosheil A Chinese Mute O. Tracy Barrow Attendants (John W.•Altwugh, Jr. I J. H. Hunt Irma Peterson Miss Mary llobson Maid Mlsa Aufusta Davis Phyllis Benton Mlsa Dorothy Tetty In his comprehensive production program for this season C. B. Dil- lingham has incorporated two Eng- lish successes. One, "A BUI of Divorcement," which landed in sen- sational style after a slow start, ap- pears set for the season. "Bulldog Drummond" was placed upon the metropolitan boards at the Knicker- bocker Dec. 26 as Its running mate. "Rulldog Drummond" is and out- and-out melodrama, made all the more so in the American presenta- tion. In London it is played in more subdued fashion. Here the "thrills" of the curtains are empha- sized, and in that the producer and l«'red Latham, the director, no doubt aimed to get a giggle from Ameri- can audiences. They certainly did on the opening night, when there was whistling from the gallery, hisses for the villains—but yet a —