Variety (September 1923)

Thursday, September 20, 192S LEGITIMATE 17 NEW PLAYS PRODUCED OUTSDE NEW YORK CITY NERVOUS WRECK Baltimore, Sept. 19. t. burlMQue f«rc» In three «rl. by Owen ™,U. (ounrtfi on > .tory by E. J. Rath. iaZlrZi by Addison Pitt and preiented by !*?f7r .n,! Oordon. Caat headed by June who are oo f'TSu aiid Gordon, ^Iker and Otto Krucer, gSlrMorgan June Walker ««.>> Wllllami Otto Kruger Mwry niM..." ^^^ Wllion riMte'r Underwood Albert Hackett riSSi^I rnderwood William Holden Sirtet Vlnderw^....Winifred Wellington ABdy "»■"•■;••_ Hobart Cavanaugh *f« J. Elmer Thompaon Sk Wain Edward Arnold 5S Morgan ..... ^^^^^. • JwPh Dronnan •The Nervous Wreck" la burlesque •fvce, and In it is all the hokum th.it <»ver graced the stage. In ad- :» has a few hot shots of slap- lltnnM|^i one or two good •'hells" itick, a"^^^" to spice it up. knd "damTUB^^,,,np^rties are in- |<urthermore, '^^i^,^- erom two lumerable, everytmUji ^ which automobiles to china are brought on the stage si IM swept up after the end of the a tn pieces. That Isn't saying, however, that "The Nervous Wreck" isn't good entertainment. It is, and because it went over well with Its first night audience. It proved once more that the old hoke, the older the better, gets the real big laughs. But being burlesque, it is readily apparent that this show will serve a two- told purpose. For those who believe they are clever enough to detect burlesque will enjoy it because it will puff their vanity, while those who have no false vanity will laugh hard over it because it has laugh provoking lines and situations. The piece ha.<i been given an excellent production and the cast is uniformly yood throughout. As a low farce, Jt Is good stuff without being pre- tentiou.s. "The Nervous Wreck' has but one aim. apparently, and that is to furnish hearty belly laughs. And after a rather slow nrat scene has been di.'tposed of, it fulfils its aim. (And even the flrst scene 'is excus- •ble, for that brief bit is the means of expo.sition for the entire plot. The piece opens with Sally Morgan and Henry Williams stalled In a mountain pass In their flivver. It develops that Williams is "the nervous wreck" of the x>iece and that Sally has used him to drive her away from her father, so that she won't have to marry the sheriff. Boh Wells. In reality, she is in love with him and is trying to make him for- get his many ills. Comes the flrst hokum, for Williams is a stage per- son who takes pills every half hour. They find they are out of gasoline. An auto horn is heard behlr 1 them and because the pass 1* narrow, the rear car, containing Jerome Under- wood and family, is forced to stop. Henry asks them for a small quantity of gasoline. He la refused. Upon this the "nervous wreck" •naps a gun, makes them throw up their hands, get out of the car, and give him a reserve can of "gas." Then he makes them empty their gasoline tank and let the air from their tires. Then he and the lady drive on. The scene ends. ^tene two, first act, is laid In the Ilvinft room of the Bar M. ranch Into this they come, seeking food and more gLi'oline. Here Andy Nabb, the ranch ''iroman, presses them.lnto service as c-i>k and dish- washer, respectively, al»o forcing Henry to wait upon the table. Tils explanation Is that the boss Is a, riving shortly and their other co k has just left—and that if no cook is on hand to supply the boss and owner with good meals, he will lose his Job. And Sally, who Is some- what of a game little sport, agrees *nd the game is on. Her companion la set back by the agreement, but •he announces that they are mar- ried, and that he is Henry Ford. And thit is good for a laugh. With this groundwork laid, tie owner of the ranch walks In, but because the "nervous wreck" has t.iken his horn rimmed glasses olT, he nasscs un- recognized. The play runs on a while until Mort, one of the cowboys on the ranch allows as how ho'd like to n>arry Sally—and when Sally tells him no and he stills insists on tell- ing her U.fif ^c is a pretty romantic lellnw. the "nervous wreck" Jumps on him and hammers him to a pulp, and from that time on they have a little more respect tor him. 'n the meantime, howevor, ITn- qerH-nnil is telling them .1!! about t^ie holdup, how nine masked men "topp,.,! ihem, and to this lie his son a male ingenue of the P'ifth Avenue ype, who uo.ira liiuu siioit fiVvoati.Tn and Knglish cut trousurs. takes. matterH m liia h.inds and dolerniiiies I" solvi' the my.stery bv lis,- of ap- P"f;l, pyschnlogy. Sliortiv afU'r f''Tya ttther and Hob Wells, her roll ,^''"''•■• ''■■'ve in and see hrr. my■^tory „f the holdup, he fnrsets nis fluiy and attempts to work an •x|i.a„:iiion from her. But the wri' , !^'^ Pioud of her "nervous r.,r,, , '"■"■luse of the wav he hin,iio,i the nirty cowIh^v. won't "■■•len to |,im. And as thev all clo.se n on the "nervous wreck" and are about to corral him as one of the bandits, he falls on the floor and accidentally explodes a pfstol, which sends a stagefii] of cowboys scurry- ing, as the second act curtain falls. The third act is merely a working together of the love story, but in it is a screaming scene of ihe sweet young son applying his test to three men whom he suspects of the rob- bery. Otto Kruger, as Henry Wlllloms, has a good comedy part which he plays well, although In certain pirts It seems that he used a few childish motions of distress. Aside from that, however, he gives a highly creditable performance of a pratty fat role. June Walker is nice to look at as Sally and also handles her work well, while the supporting cast, which includes Joseph Brenimn, Riley Hatch, Albert Hackett, is ex- cellent. They all play the piece for exai-tly what it Is, a roaring good farce j" packed full of laughs and making no I inmands whatever on tl.e .n- iKCTice. And the burlesq-je ■^g^^e put In nicely too. whl^h touct^wi^^, moke it have a great would scciJT ^ ^t^..^ „„,,_ At the many I I I ^^'l %,, n quUe present time there lsnWnL|^;^,, ^j, like it on Broadway. andTCWpi^r this is the fourth production of t piece. It is really the flrst one with a flrst rate cast, so that when it comes to Broadway In a cojple of weeks. Its chances look good. Incidentally this is the script tha author and Hal Roach, v/ho made Harold Lloyd's "Why Worry" pic- ture, are squabbling aboat. 8iak. THE CRASH Chicago. Sept IT. •The rraah." a comedy .^rama by Ralph Jamea Kettering, with nu;nerou» ata'^e et- fecta by Lincoln J. Cart'ir: produced by the National Production Company, inc.; staged by Eugene McGillan. At Audlfrium. Waukesha, Wia.. Sept. 13. The Dead Man W. J. Morton Patrolman Cairnea Brnent P. Hawklna Mm. MlJgeky. the housekeeper.Laun Chase Patricia Thornton, daughter..Florence Ilel! Carlos, the valet Waller Lindblade Captain Connelly, detective chief, Johm Bclgrave Agnes Hayden, from next door. Isabel McMlnn Jerry Hayden. her brother Allen York Mr. Gordon, the crlmlnoloBl.tt. Charlea Rlchanla Johannle narlau. a barber Will D. Bacon The Old Reiton Philip Qraier Station Agent at Parren Junction. Augustus Neville Several Other Minor Charactcra. "The Crash" Is a modern melo- drama with an up-to-date story that might do Justice to many a better known playwright than Ralph Thomas Kettering. It is Intelligent drama, mellowed with legitimate comedy, threading a story through some rather exciting situations and capping eacji climax with one of Lincoln J. Carter's stage eltects. It is a far better play than a lot of so-called mystery melodramas. Its premiere was greeted by an en- thusiastic capacity audience, and the outlook seems very bright for its producers. The cast is above the average that is sent on tour from Chicago. Special mention should be made of the definite Illuminating character- ization offered by Charles Richards as the arch deductor known as "the criminologist." He Is a suave fel- low who appreciates an Intense situ- ation and rises to it with fine re- sults. John Belgrave contributes an Interesting portrayal of a hard- headed, flat-footed detective. : -bel McMlnn Is the maiden In distre.,- a rather pretty blonde per- sonality, v»;-ile Florence Bell Is pic- turesque as iii^ emotional daughter of the murdered m^r The flnest performan;" .imong the women 1« the sinister oiu iiouse- keeper, played by Laura Ci.:;>e Allen York is the juvenile. The re- mainder of the cast Is competent and the stage direction exceptional. It is the better class of melodrama with a plausible story, a great deal of intensity, a dozen hearty laughs, an educated locomotive, a ghost that floats out over the audience, mysterious tappings at the window panes, an aeroplane effect, an au- tomobile dl.sa.ster and enough thrills to satisfy any one. LOVE AND MONEY Baltimore. Sept. 19. A farce-comedy in tiiree nets by Kmil Nitray and HcrtMTt Mall Winslow, pro- liucel by Artiiur KU'in an-1 sLiged urul'T tile rtifction ut William H. (Jllmirc. At the Audit.irlum, Ilrtltimore. Sept. 17. runs, where, on the other hand, plays which contained far more tingle have had but moderate Uvea on the big street. Glenn Anders la featured, but Louis Simon and Dorothy Mackaye take the whole show away from him and get nine-tenths of the applause. It Is only by dint of their work It la entertaining. When they are about it Is exceptionally entertaining ma- terial, but with the other. It doesn't ride so smoothly. It is primarily a comeay of situa- tions, for there is but one clever line. The situations are all time honored ones, which Is not to be held against them, and the theme of the triangle isn't particularly novel; however. It is nice enough for use In a farce and does furnish the framework (or the three acta. The plot cdncems Gerald Warner, a spendthrift, trying to marry the daughter of Judge Somers. but the Judge objects to him because ° 3 ha.;n't any money, whereupon Gerald telis the Judge his rich uncle, Bel- lamy, has aent him flO.OOO with which to atart In bualness, and he makes a bargain with the Judge that if at the end of 30 days he still has the money, he can marry the daugh- ter. Edith. Within ten minutes after he leaves the Judge he has bought $6,000 worth of Golden Gusher oil stock and loaned the other tS,000 to a friend in business distress. Whereupon ai)pear the real characters of the play. Chris Somers and his wife. It appears that a grandfather of Chris dislikes Chris' wife and that to In- herit $1,000,000 from the old boy he [ must divorce his wife, and the only way to get a divorce in New York, Vng to the gentlemen who . '•l^_r''>y, !■ to catch the ■ Ife ^"^ ^■■'^Lfc.-i-iraBromislnK aitua- iii a genulniy™^ tlon. "^•kl^^ * com They must searclrwt^^^^. ^k% promlser. Before their gone far they pounce upon Geri and for $10,000 he agrees to make a good Job of compromising the at- tractive wife of Chris. He does. This leads to the Inevitable apart- ment scene with a cozy dinner for two and the usual hoke that la brought into such a scene. After things are very much messed up the clouds break and the silver lining shows Itself to the extent of proving that the Golden Gusher oil stocks are worth a great deal and that the uncle, Bellamy, Is the presi- dent of the corporation, while the business friend in distress shows up and pays back the money he bor- rowed. And as the curtain de- scends there is billing and cooing between the hero and the heroine and the Russian influence is forgot- ten. Mr. Anders overplays consistently, spealiing at times rapidly and In- distinctly, while Norman Hackett, as Judge Somers, looks grave and is generally out of tone with the farc- ical proceedings. Shep Camp has the small part of Uncle Bellamy and plays nicely. There are times when It attempts Irrelevant smut, and other tlip s when a bit of Judiciously Injected spice would do wonders to the aec- ond act, which haa many funny situ- ations but lags in the middle. For one thing, there are too many exits and entrances, all entirely improb- able. The critics here were kind to the piece. Bitk. NEW PUYS PRESENTED WITHIN WEEK ON BlAY PETER WESTON Peler Weston Frank Keen.in Iaab*<>e Weston Miilicent llanlvy Jamea Weston Jay Hannn Jessie Weston Judith Anderson The Maid Hope l>rown John Weston Clyde North Henry Vannard Kre<l Mosley Paul Vannard Wilfred I.yteii The Butler Qeorge W Karnum William Harris Paul Kverton omcer A. O. Huhn Chicago patronized this play for months, and It drew $11,700 last week in Atlantic City after the La- bor Day exodus. This presages con- siderable, and It is a chump critic who reads the handwriting on the boardwalk yet puts up an argument. However, if "I'eter Weston" is a smash succe.ss in New York, with even so many elements In Its favor. It win have to go to the much- abused "middle classes" for it. The opening night gang applauded, stamped and whistled, but didn't care much for it. Frank Keenan's superb acting, alone, is the reaction that a steady playgoer takes out of the Harris the- atre te sell for the management. The piece is harrowing, platitudi- nous, one-noted, single-scened and creaklly old-fashioned. It Is a melodrama on one of the most obso- lete of subjects—the iron-handed father dominating, tyrannizing and ruining his family because he can- not bend them and the world to his will. It Is not one of those pleasant 'ery things with curdles running ^i»^^^"». It la brutally unmys- ',' i^^^rhl^^ [J, njygr a moment's lerlous. I ll"<i^_ ■■ ■j-ill progress, doubt about fio?^*^- "^ how it mu.st end. It hu3 four acta. The closes a murder, the second illegitimate baby, the third an elec- trocution sentence, and the fourth the old man raving, gibbering, bar- gaining with God Almighty like an Independent producer with the Shu- berts, completely mad at the final curtain. That fln.al curtain, by the by, drew one of the moat majestic and im- pressive .salvos of solid and con- tinued applause in recent theatrical annals. This was a tribute to the "rnad scene" by Keenan. alone on the stage during probably the last ten minutes, working from a rage to a prayer to .i rave and doing It as few living players of the old school and none of the modern typo could. "Love and Money" Is a 50-50 show, it is neither very, very Rood, ni:r very, very bad. One thing is cr- lalii, there have bei-n llicm.s.ind.s of bitter f.trrea written in this ■ 'd world since the time that the Crrcian gentleman .started the pro- fession of |)laywritlng several thfu- .sand years ago. "Ijove and .Money" i.i the avenge farce, prodincd with .ivorige care and played by a c ist whieh i.t very gooil in two spots and not so vi ry good in the otiior iiD.siliDns. This venture of Arthur Klein's may turn tmt to be a siirecss. for worse pl.iyji have rolled up nicj ONE HELUVA NIGHT Boston, Sept. 19. "One Heluva Night," the mystery play that was suppoaed to knock theatredom for a row - of i>otted geraniums, waa given its premiere at the Fine Arta Theatre last night, and proved to be more or lesa of a false alarm. George Holland, who haa taken over this Intimate theatre aeatlng less than 800 and who hail outlined a policy of doing nothing but new and artistic things, splurged strong In his publicity on the ahow. The cast is all nameless, and the author is nameless, except for the pro- gramed announcement that the au- thor Is the greatest playwright since : l.akespeare. which indicate* that pot-:''Iy Holland wrote it. It is ".:.' in verse, opening with an alley scene j.; winter with a masked hold-up man wn.: encounters a poor girl, a beautiful g..~< and an old woman, giving the pooi -Irl a roll of bills, giving the old woma,. "■■ line of chatter -.nd falling for the rat. ''r blase beauty who finally induces him to break Into an apartment at 40 Washington square. Just before the curtain, a detective type and n be.arded gentlom.an emerge from the alley and decide they will also go to 40 Washington square. They break in and the be.arded gent and the dotectivo discovi-r them doing a fox-trot. The Inv.aders are tru.ssed up in ch,airs and then a rat type of crook also breaks In. The crirl the next morning (third act— .same Interior) brings another man iin t.) th.? .s-fne who takes n P.ar.h- luiht of her as she ki.<>scs the un- ni.asked burglar. TIk! exjilan.ilion reveiN that she IS a nevv.'-i) iper wf>man .'i.ssigned to interview New York's famous un- kissed baehelor, who Is the masked liiirclar out tryit:g to w:n a bet. The li'inleil gent proves to lie I he club- m.m he had wagere.l l.- roiild stage :i hold up. and 'lie ilete, tlve iir.ives to lie m ;iet,jr Mred by the eluhman to hep S'.ire daylights nut of the baelielor. They .are rele.i.t.- 1 iml the ;eal eri.ik then i-Ie.ins out ih' iiinrl- meiii of lia valuables, while thebe.it. b.acheIor ard'the newspaper woman clinch for final curtain. Billed as "out^batting the 'Bat'" and "out Cohaning the 'Tavern.'" the production proved to be mild mystery drama in verse creditably done, but rot Justifying a $<!.iiO top on a new venture that w.as widely advertised as being "Boston's Dollar Playhouse." Holland's ch.ance In Boston is go- ing to be with McDoug.al Alley— I'rovincetown Players' sort of stuff, the stronger the better, and the sooner the safer as regards his fu- ture In a really creditable and prac- tical propo.sltlon In Intimate pl.ay- houses In a town that loves that sort of thing. Libbey. lEENE CASTIE'S REVUE Rutland. Vt.. Sept. 19. Irene Caetle and Her Revue, which opened Saturday In Hartford, was at the Playhouse here Monday. The show Is a f.ashlon and dance revue. It la under the William Morris man- agement and direction. Gowns of bewildering richness and beauty, music that throbs and thrills, a lithe, lovely figure of poetic strength and beauty, the apotheosl.s of Jazz, the romance of the modern dance, with a suggestion of my.stery and Imagery of the Orient—It hardly needs the superlative clevernes.i of a talented company and a finf* or- chestra to make the Irene Castle show a .sin'i'e.H.i. Mrs. (;,i.sl|e's repartolre ranged from the dainty be.auty of "The Dresden .Shepherdes.s" to a modern version of the Argentine tango and ..."':!ded an "illusion waltz" vvith Willi,.•'I Uearilon, lier darielng part- ner; "Ki^- in the Dark." u lilt of romantic terp..!' ".Mrean drama, i fox trot de Iiix.>. the "'•■Jlrtatinn Walk" and th"^ ceiei, rated ' 'astle Onc- Sle|i" for a fin.ill'. The fi'-lii'in iliow displays ••..■"p.« of entraneing lit and hue, notab.. .among •.vliieh ,-xre the "monnbearn" gown Willi ii gorgeous p;iik velvet and vvlilte fox iloali, a 'Ml.ir dusl" eosliime wi'h ermine elo.ik. a fiame velvet and i;old rloik and a tiir- ijooise ■■.\fv.-'"ry of Mtr.vpt" ro<tiime Iii'T.illy i;to|ipe(| th- Hliow. The or- eliestra U no other than a bras< hind led by a mir.ieulous inmo pl iver. Then there l.i I,eo Beepa some- thing of .1 p..iiii.>*t himnelf"W.ih 1 line of sing.rg patter and i lot , riever -thin thar run nlot^g m' , i Jiretty (IniJe an.I a ne.it exi' No money ».i'i'm« •» have i,—. .spired or 'lie prod'ii-t.on iti.l wi- I lole>. *lld ,■•' < 'hralJuholl' 11" o l|l- /£ -tie'J It is honest, overwhelming melo- drama, and it, the climax of Keenan's terrific work, will save the unpal- atable presentation from failure. Judith Anderson, seemingly un- familiar to Broadway audiences, as the ruined daughter, did several scenes of bitter, heavy and not un- inspired trouplng. It is a role of the sort rarely seen in 1923, and It may have been Illuminated by Its un- usual character; however. It seemed that Miss Anderson offered a bril- liantly effective performance despite physical type not often cast for In- genue leads. Beyond these the act' Ing was of the accustomed support sort. "Peter Weston" haa a number of practical points In Its favor, quite able to give Its psychological handi- caps a tussle. Sam H. Harris, the producer, owns the house; Keenan is a ^popular star and haa not been heard here for a long while whereas he has been seen on the screen and has built up an increas- ingly numerous following; the cast except for him Is comparatively in- expensive, there is only one setting, and melodrama is like corned-beef- antl to the prolot-arl.at. Besides i* luckily bears a resemblance to the Ward murder case. With some sticking solution, a sneer at the critics, and the talk percolating through the mu.titudes that the Keenan show aenda one home with a wet handkerchief and a sick headache, "Peter Weston" should have a reasonably prosperous existence—say an average of arountt $10,000 a week for say Ave or six months—which will mean a dividend for the show am* the house. Frank Dazey (son or Charles T. of sainted "In Old Kentucky" mem- oHaa) And Leighton Osmun, who ;■ >. wrote "Peter Weston." II I nil bi^ idea they give something to tlre^lMai^a standing part as welfasle ally been written In the hundreds of times It has been written, and here and there a sudden punch as unex- pected as a left hook from Firpo. The narrative, briefly, follows the course of a man who Is the Nero of his family and hla town, who has seized everything In sight and made his sons and daughter distort ail their natural inclinations to do as he commands. As a rcs'ilt his son becomes a grafter, robbing his brother of his mother's estate; the son kills the sister's sweetheart, whom the father wouldn't let her marry, when the boy cornea to wain the son of exposure. When the tyrant ilemanda that the daughter swear her brotiier killed her lover to save h— from unwelcome attention, she discloses she is about to become a mother and the dead boy shares her shame. The old man still Insists, she testi- fies, but the jury refuses to believe her, she runs away, the gt'.lty son Is sentenced lo hang, the other son drinks himsolt to nn early death, the father fails to corrupt the gov- ernor, and finishes by turnlnr Ood, who also falls him, whereupon he cracks and drools and rants in maudlin mania. Not a sweet story, surely. Power- ful and clutching In spots, yet never Important except for Keenan's maw- terly acting. Yet It has enou.-rh slu.T to draw enough people, probably, to hold out for a resiiect-ablo New Vork run and to clean up on tour. Tjail. THE CHANGELINGS Kiir(*n AMcroft IJIanrhe futea Wallace Aldcroft Henry Miller K.iy Knher Iluth C;mtlerton D'lra Faber ..t,aura Hope fVews I'lVdr- Halstead Kelli Kremba Fenwiek Faber Heirln.',ld Mnnon Wickr Kaber Oeoffrey Kerr Degan Walter Bolilwin One of (he most ponderous casts ever assembled for commercial presentation, the stellar lineup of "The Changeling" haa Uttl* com- petition from within The manu- script not only doesn't show it up, it doesn't come anywhere near showing it oft. There has been much criticism from time to time aimed at plays berause they are "talky." Against this can always bo the counter- c lalm that talk Is one of the very few and the only unlimited form of expressing thought or conveying communication. It Isn't talk th.it makes talking talky. It's tw.ddle. unimportant argtjnient and r-'- -r.Tument about non-essential or spo. '■••js topid. And "The Change, ling" n.' »hreo arts of Just pinh ■Irlvel. every .<'rt(ele of It sold hiU a dozen (imes i... fe.ir some low- lirov.' 'd r.'jmmor.: r itii;:!!: l.iv., Illl.'l.ii'd its Mlllltll'tlOll • '■h\i '.( Is in ai (or^' pl.iy only n It f ii (l:e pl.ivra' tii ;{e In :>;.: jiirtii ol ir - tliey have fat typewrit- ten pirt<. .■illlioiigh leir. meat bf- Iwei'ii 'he , overa. The r.inveriatirm l<t llirtilt ei|lMlIy di..<tlibuti-d eX'em that Mi"< ('l!i"er'i.n w i.'i som'-vihi' elieiteii, .^}u• liivim: f'wer w.>rd.< li ihe lir.il tAo ,1. tn j;iit an el-. en! h • ho'ir efi'.irf iH ni ■ 1e t." e'luali^e I,, fi' ing her 1 villi I Ta gust of w^^'la W :lh v>li'"h sh- enl -ri inio "he Imt- ^Coiiiiiiued on I>-l«e $^