Judge — May 12, 1917 — page 17: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

XUM BET WEEN By CYRIL Te 2 Critic and the Tired Business Man were sitting in the indow of the club when I approached them. The Critic s steeped in gloom, which has become almost a habit with him. The Tired Business Man was expostulating with him on his attitude. “1 don’t see why you are so hard on the plays we are having,” he was saying. “You haven’t a good word for any of them, it seems. Can't you be a little more charitable in your attitude? harity has nothing to do with the case,” replied the Critic wearily. “If one is charitable there is no use in criticism. I am ready to admit that the demand has something to do with the quality of the supply—that is, that the public’s calls make the public partly responsible for what they receive—but I refuse to make comments any the less caustic on that account. I am sorry for the public—that is all.” “Well, but take this new thing—‘Our Betters’; what would you have to say about that? It tells a story; it seemed to me to be well-acted; it points out a lesson—" “Stop!” howled the Critic. “It doesn’t point a iesson. What lesson does it point?” “Overlooking the inconsistency of your remark,” replied the Tired Business Man with dignity, shows that—it points out —it exposes snobbery “Didn't you know all that before?” snapped the Critic. ‘Do you have to have a four-act play written to show you that the sun rises in the East? I will admit that it tells a story, but I re- fuse to admit that it points a moral. It has some good moments —many more good ones than bad ones—and the character- drawing is good; but that was to be expected from Somerset Maugham. A playwright who does only what one expects him to do accomplished nothing; and the dull spots in the play, and the somew! unnecessary nastiness of parts of it rob it of all chance to be rated as anything above mediocre. And absolute badness may be forgiven at times, but mediocrity neve Man. “There's some- n't done a thing all Ih, com said the Tired Busine: thing the matter with your liver. You hav season but knock.’ The Critic withered the Tired Business Man with a glare. “LT never knock,” he stated with an icy calm. “LT try, in my poor way, to give credit: where credit is due, and discredit where discredit is due. Ivis surely not my fault that the latter quantity should be more in evidence than the former.” I interrupted the conversation. “T saw ‘Peter [bbetson’ last night,” I began tentatively, N §$ “Good Heavens!” cried the Tired Business Man. “I never saw anything so silly in my life!” The Critic looked at him with the suspicion of a smile. “A—er—little more—ah—charity in your—ahem—atti- tude—” he drawled. C U RTAT ANDREW The Tired Business Man turned red. “Well, it bored me—" he began defensively actly,” replied the Critic, with great good humor. “I suppos it bored you because it was a drama- tization of a great novel, with charming acting, and good lines and dialogue, as well constructed as the average play, and, de: front rank of pieces produced this season.” “Oh, you go to grass!” replied the Tired Business Man pite some faults, in the vigorously, abruptly departing for pastures new. “You seem pretty enthusiastic about ‘Peter Ibbetson,’” I hazarded after our friend’s back had huftily disappeared from the room. “I thought it was badly put together—it dragged terribly at the last.” The Critic grinned. “‘ Everything I said about it ‘goes as it lay * he replied. “You have made the mistake of taking my remarks at a higher valuation than they really are. I had to take some of the starch out of our friend, too, so possibly you exaggerated the importance of some details. The play did drag terribly toward the last, though the first act was really delight- ful. It was well-constructed—from the standpoint of people who have read the novel. Otherwise it lacked continuity to a great degree. The acting of the Barrymores was good, and fur- nished a chance for some pleasing contrasts. It is too bad that the stage-managing was as bad as it was the night I saw it, for it detracted in great measure from my enjoyment of the play to hear scenery rumbling about and see lights flash at inoppor- tune s. However, that is a minor fault. The great trouble with the play was that it lacked continuity. There were sad gaps in the action, and while the plot was clear enough there was too much jumping about.” “Then you think—" I began. “T don’t think that ‘ Peter Ibbetson’ is as remarkable a play as we might be led to ‘believe, replied the Critic. “But it is superior to most of the productions now with us; so we should be grateful for that and not look at it too sharply—although there is plenty to criticize in the play. “But I thought you in criti I “That isn’t charity.” replied the Critic. “A play that is above the average doesn’t need charity. We should save that for the others.” that charity had no comicbooks.com