Variety (March 1926)

VARIETY LEGITIMATE Wednesday, March 17, 192& PLAYS OUT OF TOWN ASHES OF LOVE Washington, March 16. Bu-1 Carroll (Kin* Pn4wln« corpora- ii..n. owners) present! the Countess of I'atkcart In her own play. Staged under liri -tion or Geori?c Vlvlon. B»>la--cen. March IS. Butter Harry Joyner Lad| 1'arnmouth Iecth QordOfl Munrn Mis. Heueir>.rt Wvihe Alison Sklpworth Areata Larot«da|t ... ,••■•1 • Wilfred j<*sf('i> i.n.iy Croydon < Barbara Allen lohn Krent G«>nre Thoriee KMeli. The Count-Mi of rathe-art Lord Victor Anion Austin Kalrman Lord PoubIbb Itayhaven LttffladM Hnrv Mr. Thomiiwn .Robert Pnlon Olbba May , Marmot eLeater Maid Rutiy Uonlon Official Washington was asked to sit in last night at the Belasco (and many did at J3.30 each) to get the low down on this moral turpitude thing. The net result undoubtedly will be a petition to Congress asking that the immigration act be so amended as t<> forgive any and all sins, al- leged, confessed or otherwise, as long as the party in question de- posits the usual bond agreeing not to write about it and then act in it herself. Karl Carroll started the proceed- ings last ni-'ht by having the an- nouncoment made that the play was unusual. To prove that tiie speaker stated that it was not drama, rather that it was narrative, as it recount- ed the life of the Countess, even to "bits of conversation," to quote the announcer, "jotted down immedi- ately following the episode." The speaker went further and fol- lowing up the Carroll telegrams to ihe critics asked that those review- ers for the press not to criticise— this at the express request of the Countess. To carry this out, for those in the know, Carroll deposited a defunct waste basket in the lobby of the theatre after the second act with .1 penciled note attached requesting that suggestions be dropped therein. A clever juggler of words could have a grand time out of this one. It would be an easy matter to con- sume several colmuns of space, but. juggler or no juggler, the same con- clusion would have to be reached; namely, that the piece is, without doubt, the most terrible affair that ever happened; that if it Is the life of the Countess she surely is cash- ing in on it (at least for a little while) and then finish up !>y add- ing that the Countess hasn't the slightest conception of what this elusive thing called actino is all about. As presented by the titled lady it consists of Una loating about the stage praying to the powers that her feet will land In the right place and that her hands will not pull each other out of their respective sock- ets. Her rendition of the lines Mtig- cests one of those charts where a line floats up and down the page showing the variance in the wind pressure throughout the country. As a playwri-ht the Countess is even worse yet. There is no inter- est created at any time and but few feeble attempts at comedy are realized. However, Carroll knows his little hook. A freak attraction to be cashed in on at I'll must he handled Quickly and cheaply and after the Clean up forget it. Hence, the pro- duction, consisting of three sets, looks to have cost little less than nothing, while the cast, with the possible exception of Alison Skip- worth and Margot lister, ranks With the set. They had nothing to work with -or at: hence, out of kindness the best thing is to for- get it. As tor the box office—that's some- thing else again. The interest in the Countess is keen. Correspond- ents here were jolted into action by iheir bosses on tlie metropolitan dailies, and many of them were out front getting an earful lor a pow- erful piece. That should bring money across the Window lodge— but for how long? Answer: just as long as Carroll can keep the pub- licity going to counteract the wails of those who have been bunked out of their dough at the boxoftlce win- dow. IfmU'ts. are unmasked as being in love Tvlth each other through tho machina- tions of a Flench waif working in the garden the duke angrily orders them out of the house. Hut caught on the rebound, he instates Lola, the garden girl, in place of Mis. Kllersls, and begins a simple and studious life. In desperate n. e*l of money, he promises himself to the daughter of an American millionaire whom be has hardly seen, and subsequently Mrs. Kllersls informs Kola of this. When the duke realizes his real af- fection for Kola, she. suppressing her own feelings for what she fancies !s the duke's interest, re- pulses his advances and maneuvers until she Is found in a compromis- ing position with Victor by the duke. Meanwhile Mrs. Ellersis has grabbed the millionaire, Victor has won his daughter, and to eliminate the duke he is let Into the secret of Lolas strategem and the lovers are reunited. It is obvious that the theme, though old, could hnve been de- veloped into either a "Peg o' My Heart" sort of story or a sparkling comedy, but worked out by the com- petent hands of Cosmo Hamilton, It has gotten nowhere. It hardly seems as If a skilled playwright had had anything to do with it. The character of Lola is kept in too narrow a range to permit it to realize its possibilities, and the whole play shows a lamentable lack of invention, action and wit. As it is said that ' Lizon," the original French version, depends upon truly Gallic lines and situa- tions for its success, Mr. Hamilton by expunging all this must take full responsibility for what the play is in Knglish. Tho cast is another story. If any- thing could rescue the play, these actors would. There Is a slight pos- sibility that if they build upon what they revealed at the opening they might even keep their vehicle going for a time regardless of its de- ficiencies. Miss Osborne, working up from overalls to real clothes, was pleasing and sincere, but seemed a little handicapped by the unnatural limitations of her role. If she is permitted to tear these aside the play will take on a different com- plexion. On tho other hand, Eric P.Iore seemed fairly inspired with the spirit of creation and he de- picted a gorgeous portrait of the snobbish, self-seeking Victor that gave promise of developing into a still greater masterpiece. Charming as the lovable old tutor was Ralph Bunker, while David York in some- what unusual fashion made life and breath the veritable image of the duke. The rest in smaller roles fell no whit behind. The single set Is attractive and did duty before in ' The Man with a Koad of Mischief." It is understood here that a quite different version of the same play was tried out last senson by Ruth Chattertoh under the name of "Women and Ladies." AwsNa. think back for many ideas he had used in other productions. It is a matter of conjecture whether or not Bennett did the fair thing in staging a "Tiger Kyes" number in which the 36 ladies of the ensemble wore tiger skins and went through a number which is practically a replica of the "Totem Pole" number from "Uose-Marie." This number was a wow as were three or four others, speedy . and properly cos- tumed, With the damsels of the en- semble utilizing every muscle and germ of vitality to sell them. If the show were to be sold on its main asset the st aging of the dances it would be an unqualified winner. The authors with their book have gone most everywhere and any- where. They seem to have chosen idea, premise, plot, gags, situation and dialog from no place in par- ticular and blended them together none too well. A faux pas was made here and a good doctor would find it a rathe* hard job to knit together the loose ends. The story is of the "Irene" type, dealing with a young girl who has talent and who goes out in the world. Given her oppor- tunity she makes good und Is will- ing to give up all success just to have back her boyhood lover. The title role is played by Gloria Foy, who dances well but does not seem to properly interpret her char- acter. Her voice for song and dia- log misses lire and her carriage is cold and indifferent. Kou Holtz, minus the cork, played a hick actor who promoted himself into ready money through the ability of "Patsy." Holt/, has a hard task as he carries the comely burden. When at times the show begins to drag Holtz is compelled to make use of tho "shovel" and recite as well as take out the trusty guitar and chant "SoloiUi." As a comedy feeder and foil. Holtz has Billle De Kex. formerly of vaudeville. Miss De Rex is a knockout comedienne with one of those dead pans, who acts dumb and unconscious and provides many a hlg laugh early in the proceed- ings. Someone tlgured there should onlv be one laugh-getter in the show so they turned off the com- edy Juice on Miss De Hex after the first few momenta and let her limp through, unfair to one who pos- sesses the clowning ability this girl does. Tho actual outstander the open- ing night was a youngster called Betty Gallagher. She is a pint- sized bobbed hair brunet, who has personality, cuteness and the ability to sell a song as well as dance. Here is a kiddle who has just emerged from the minor ranks and who looks like good fodder for the $3 shows anywhere. Alan Kdwards. as the juvenile lead, does not seem to fit. He flounders around and fails to achieve anything with his unconvincing mannerisms and en- deavors. As tho character lead, an Knglish ty|>e, George Oliver Wood, gets over in good style. Others who acquitted themselves fairly were Krnest W'ood, Melba Melsing and Adele Lawson. To pep tip the proceedings two dancing teams w ere used. One was composed of Joe Nicmeyer and Kna Fleming and Deenova and Berrm- off. Both came on often and each time gave them all they had and knew, which was liked and stopped the show on several occasions. "Patsy" shows that plenty of money was expended in its mount- ing. If changes are made fast be- fore "Uose-Marie" comes in here, it may catch on and stay for a spell. The owners of the show are guaranteeing the house for four weeks. That length of time, whether to capacity or otherwise, would never take off the production cost. What Bennett has done for the offering in his department is new here, but in the east they have had it, and with a musical show having only one hit number, "If I Were King," it is hardly iMisslble that this one could ever take a chance of going east where the pace is fast and furious. Una. PLAYS ON BROADWAY Juno and the Paycock Presented by II. W. Romberg, J. J. BclWtl and William I'erlman at the Muyfalr the- atre: a play of Irish modem life by Sean O'Casey, featuring Angus' In Imuran, who ftlao directed it : opened March 15. "Cnpt." Jack lioyle AuBn"tin Duncan Juno ljoulse K.in-iolph Johnny Ua r ry Malcolm Mary Isabel Stuart 1 till .Jnxer l»aly Claude Cooper Mrs Maeltgan lile.inor D.inlfU ^^:::::::::::::: K $& ffl Neijrhlior Mildred McCoy J«rry De-vino.... l>ewis Martin Kent hum v'harden Webster Moblllxer J. Aunustu* K.-oKh Mobil.zer Wallace Kouso Furniture Man Emmett O'Reilly an odd trio, Judging by the names to sponsor a play as Irish as the name of Sean O'Casey aounda But they must have faith in It, for they have given it lavishly everything that it demands. I'erhaps their sincerity win prove its saving element and will sell' it to flippant Broadway. This reviewer predicts that it w m not be a dismal failure, that it will meet witii a considerable measure of success, and that it may rise to one of the reverberating triumphs of the times. Left, THE MOON IS A GONG Drama !n two parts by John !>..« l'i, s «i, g presented by Juliet Uarrett Kublee at the Cherry l.ane, Murch V2, directed l.j bj. ward Mas.tey. PATSY Kos Angeles, March 10. Musical comedy in two aH« and five ■cenes, produced by the Patty Productions, Inc.. March 8 at Mason. Book and lyrics by K. Magnus Ingle.on and t'lifforej Ctrey: musir by I. Tt. Kornblum. Book Halted by Bertram Harrison and dances by Dave Bennett. Patsy Ban McAllister... Hick Maitln Koflc Quy i *e Vers Mary Potter Lady Darlington Molly McQulre.. Mr. Holme? Miss Kalro nlOfia Foy Lou Holts Alan IMwards Billle Do He x .Gerald Oliver Smith Hetty Gallagher Krnent Woods Melba Ueli i Adele r.aws.m loe NlameycT t'na Fleming The Girl in the Garden Newark, N. J., March 11. Comedy In three nets by Comic > Hamilton, adapted from the French of Lout- Vernettll Staged by Alexander Ix-ftwlch. Presented bv l,ee Khtihert at thn IJroad. Marc h H. Edmund Mil lay, M. A Walph Hunker Waters Carlton Rivers Victor llollunden Krio More Lola Vlvlanns l>-iWne Hon. Mrs. Valentine Rllarata • • Verree Teasdale The Dolce of Itrompton David Yor:; Gen Allan Mot etey-e Yathie. .A. O. Andrews A mild, hopele.vs affair which even the excellent cast cannot save. A handsome young English duke In straitened circumstances is living on a small estate, companioned by an elderly tutor, whom lie pays for lessons tlial he rarely takes. A pretty young woman named .Mis Ellersis, ostensibly looking out for his housekeeping. Is taking very good caro of herself and an amus- ing sponge and snob called Victor Bellenden. When this precious pair "Patsy" is a dream Which 1. B. Kornblum, a local attorney-song- writer litis bail for a number of years. lie has been looking for an opportunity to get It produced lor more than a year and finally achieved this purpose after i) tcr- eating folks In picture circles in the enterprise. Some say there are some SO, while others say the .stock holders arc- less in number. On the opening night the first five rows with the exception of a few seats were allotted to Stock* holcfers. They sort of cheered in- wardly as well as applauded out- wardly, and if their hard work bore any fruit the show should be sn unqualified success. But It is a toss-up. if folks like- good dancing or rather a very well staged offering with terpslchore and staging of the ensembles as the out- standing feature and the other em- bellishments such as scenic and costumes the affair is a huge- suc- cess. On the other hand it is hardly likely that these folks will take seriously the book and the cast of characters interpreting it with the exception of three or four. if such is the ease why the show just won't net over and if the for- mer cause is the reason, the crown for I he achievement should be put on the head of one Da ve Bennett Brought from the cast to stage the dancing numbers he did a tine job, even though he had cause to This shabbily-titled play, calling a puzzling and insignificant cry to the world in its frivolous verbiage, is one of the most important dramatic items of the year. It Is runnitiK in London, and there it has registered. Whether or not its thoroughly Irish propaganda and theme will carry as straight and hit as cleanly here is problematical. But that "Juno and the Paycock" is a clarion In modern playwork. Written by a serious Irishman, Sean O'Casey, who suffers with the Ills of his own country and has some Sympathy and sorrow left for the griefs of all humanity, it stands by no known technical form or forms. It is a freehand script, brazenly sin- cere, wandering at the will of the author wherever he has something to say. heedless entirely of all dramaturgical formulae and the ac- cepted mechanical elements of (ou- st ruction. for the first act and a half it La delicious comedy, travesty, often broad farce; suddenly it flashes into tragedy, and such poignant tragedy as has rarely been achieved short of Ibsen. It ends in that vein, bitter, wailing and praying: sardonic, bru- tal and blunt. in parts it resembles this same Ibsen's "the Wild Duck." for the cause of the tragedy Is the blatant, bragging "paycock" (Irish lingo for peacock) who is the head of tho lm- poverlshed Irish family. With his strutting and his passion| to keep from work, he bluffs and prates and wrecks and kills, it is a character worthy of any playwright. H i-j a terrific human caricature, so often handled Ixl'ore for comedy, so rarely revealed and followed throui'lt before for sermonic exposi- tion. Duncan plays tho ' paycock." And how he plays him! And how ho has east and staged and directed the entire thing: There probably isn'l on this con- tinent today a play as thriilingly acted and as flawlessly and intelli- gently east as this one In the tiny Mayfalr. Spoken throughout and by all characters In Irish brogue, done by almost entirely Ame ric an players, h is a masterpiece of superior mum- mery. Its performance is as sin- cere anfl reckless of affectation as Its writing. There is only "shooting for points" where the manuscript Obviously cues such over-art. In dress, In settings, in playing, It h low-down and incredibly bona fide. There is much in it that is not easily understandable to one out of toucli with Irish politics and em- broilments. But one need not know precisely what conditions govern the poverty and the Indolence and the unrest and manslaughter; it la easily felt that they are conditions of human making, tho wars between capital and labor, between patriots and traitors. Durttbed by the hopeless misery of want, staggering under the added perplexities and adversities of such synthetic thorns as strikes and con- flicts, the family of the prating, preening drone, Boyle, Is found wrangling, cheating, snarling in its own circle. The mother, a lovely character as lovely in its rendition by Louise Randolph, is a domestic vixen in all small things and a mar- tyr, a heroine and a deliverer in the great crisis of life. The son is a cripple, wounded In one of the skirmishes of contending plotters and plunderers. The daugh- ter sighs for wealth, throws over a boy of her own station and takes uu with a schoolmaster (great aristo- crat in that dump-heap), .who se- duces and deserts her. The boy Is t<»ken out and shot by his enemies. During all this a mythical legacy, which has blown the drunken old Boyle into a swashbuckling swine, has sustained the lot. When that explodes into a dud, all the tragic consequences descend at once. Tho mother, with a heart-wrenching prayer and a stoic resignation goes out to bury her nJead and prepare for the coining of her unwanted liv- ing. The father staggers in with his boozy crony, a merry scavenger not equaled sine-e the cab-driver in "Tho 1'lgeon," and falls drunkenly to the floor of the stripped hovel— s'iii bragging, protesting, orating. It isn't a pleasant play, except in the first ad and a half, which are devoted to character building and native Irish comedy, as delightfully droll as what follows is heart- break ingly drab. What "sympathy" Will be engen- dered OP this side must come through the strength of the play What a broad Jump this young man Dos Passos made when he turned playwright. Shortly after the war "Three Soldiers" aroused lots of attention—a man's stylo novel. John Dos Bassos, formerly of Harvard, who was an ambulance driver in France, wrote it, and he started plenty of discussion. Some- body told him to write a play and he bowed in with ' The Moon Is a Gong." Within a week the Village has offered two plays, the essence of highbrow. One was "Nirvana," which passed out after four days. "The Moon" and so forth is the other. Dos Bassos seems to have gone on an impressionistic spree— New York, Jazz, futuristic stuff, and the inevitable—death. He is par- ticularly sura about that. Maybe the boy has been playing around Campbell's, with some dance halls on the side. He has been going to theatre because there are two Charlestoning picks out in "one." The program lists 67 characters, not including a four-piece jazz band in front. The musicians were in clown dress, which may be the tip- off on what Dos Bassos was shoot- ing at. Most of the players double and some triple, but there are more than 30 persons on the stage at one time or another. One or two are remembered in other attractions, but that is all. Two things stand out in "The Moon Is a Gong"—love, which en " dures, and death. Tho author seemed to be as much dazed over machinery and grind of every-day work as some of the first nighters were over his play, and that lakes . in some of the critics. The hokus- pokus that Is mixed throughout the performance clouds whatever mean- ing and purpose the author may have intended. Frequently tho players break into dance. There was hoofing all over the place. Characters ran down the aisles on their way to the- stage or away from the stage. Once two track walkers who aided In clear- ing away a railroad wreck went to the back of the house and warbled a snatch of a popular jazz ballad. That was almost comic. An extended funerul scene in the first part started the stepping non- sense. The mourners, 1 clergymen, undertakers and what not danced about in the most curious way. Maybe a jazz funeral was the idea but stage funerals are no more hu- morous than the real. When this extended scene was over, a char- acter exclaimed: "Thank Cod that's over." No dissent out front. The comment may be real enough ut times, however. There is a dish of fantasy In "The Moon Is A Gong." In fact it is as mixed a. play as "Nirvana." John Howard Lawson, who tvrot« that one was among the first nighters. He declared it was his best play and Intends doing it again. There Is a suspicion that lie and Dos Bassos are pals. After the funeral episode, one re- viewer asked who staged the dances. Then it came out that Edw ard Mas- sey directed everything, and the hoofing was his idea. The snipe person is credited with putting the show on at Harvard lus( next Son. Of the several leads, one Is a pale faced young man who scores the others, lie is Death Itself, letting out secrets and getting everybody into trouble. He is present in var- ious guises, once as a workman, then as a gentleman, also as the garbage man. Which recalls the fact "The Gar- bage Man" WSJ the play's original title. In fact the character of itself and the extraordinary stage I Death is so listed in the program, qualities of the playing. For the although his first entrance was not theme, the Irish woes, individual to as such. He savs tbeiM is a lot of that little empire, will not get act the lights in busy and preoccupied New i'ork, with all its quota of Irish residents. Yet it seems Impossible that such u striking, masterly thing, freakish}the answer, though it IS, can miss dr.iKglng In n go(K i ( . Hr . decent portion of the multitude, if only to see something honest, if only to see the Mnest acting on Man- hattan Island, if only to see char- acter studies such hs in modern times are almost obsolete. The Mayfalr seats a corporal's guard How long it can bold a run Is a financial question as much as a problem in public taste in this in- stanco. Messrs. Scholl and Perl roan, who manage the theatre, entered into the management of the play before the pre mier.-. Which was a "eadd" open- ing. With Mr. Romberg they form debris to be cleaned up in this world. "Why deny that, hut what is entertaining about it? Juliet Barrett Kublec. who pro- duced this nutty play, may know But the Moon is a Thee. GUILD'S TRAILEBS Theatre Guild will present The "At Mrs. Beam's" by C. K. Muni.) after "The Chief Thing." Which opens next Monday night In the event that "The Chief Thing" gets over for better than a subscription, it will be moved to admit "At Mrs. Beams' to the Guild Theatre. The latter play Will be the last production of trie cur- rent subscription season.