Judge — March 19, 1927 — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

JUDGE JUDGING "be SHOWS y the edict of Mr. Adolph B Zukor, of the Famous Players Moving Picture Company, Bourdet’s fine drama, “The Captive,” was summaril withdrawn from the Empirc Theater, which he controls, fol- lowing the complaint against it by certain moral meddlers. It w Mr. Zukor’s implication that he did not wish any drama, however fine, to injure the prosperity of his moving picture interests. Fol- lowing the withdrawal of “The Captive,” Mr. Zukor and his aides booked into the Empire a com monplace mystery dingus called “Set a Thief,” by an otherwise laudable young man who had served in the Famous Players scenario department. It is Mr. Zukor’s unspoken, but entirely audible, implication that such a thing as “Set a Thief” to be welcomed into the American the- ater as it cannot possibly hurt his movie interests. Thus have we an insight into what happens to the theater and the drama when the movie people get their money- grabbing hooks into them. II Believing that the public is fed up with naughty stuff, a philoso- phy somewhat akin to believing that a hair from a horse’s tail put into a bottle of water will turn into a snake, Mr. Charles Wagner has produced at the Mansfield religious play called “Window Panes,” the work of Miss Olga Printzlau, Hollywood genius. The gem proves to be our old friend, the opus in which an actor who thinks he looks like Forbes Robertson oberammergaus around the stage for a couple of hours to by George Jesu Nathan. ¢ “Window Panes (Mansfield)—Reviewed in this issue. ta Thief” (E “Crime” (Eltinge)—The underworld as glimpsed by the MM. Shipman and H. “Right You Are If You Think You Are” (Guild) Highly interesting Pirandello play, very well presented What Ann Brought Home” (Wallack's)—See this issue. “The Constant Wife more in a sex version of ‘A Doll's House.” Broadway" (Broadhurst)—Interesting 1 drama of what goes on behind the scenes of cs AU Do" (Bijou)—To be passed on anon. The Barker” (Biltmore)—Fairly entertaining jodrama of carnival life. ‘aturday's Children" (Booth)—Sympathetic and understanding comedy of matrimony. Worth seeing. “The Desert Song" (Casinio)—Some good tunes. “The Constant Nymph" (Cort)—An. agreeable dramatization of an agreeable novel. “Sez” (Daly's) —T pe odor you notice in West 63rd Street. The Squalf” (48th St.)—"It" in Sps ndings. Drivel New York Exchange” (49th Si unsuccessful attempt to be dirty. “Tommy (Gaiety)—Percy Hammond has now seen this one eight times, accompanied by the neighbors’ children. Criss Cross” (Globe)—Highly skilful foot-work by Fred and Dorothy Sto “Queen High" (Ambassador)—Crude music show with one or two good melodies. “The Silver Cord” (Galden)—Mother-ove viously written. (Greenwich)—A dull evening. “Caponsacchi” (Hampden)—Prof. William Lyon Phelps thinks that this is a great play. “The Devil in the Cheese” (Hopkins)—Prof. William Lyon Phelps thinks that this is a great play. “The Noose” (Hudson)—Prof. William Lyon Phelps probably thinks that this is also a great ish sur- —A cheap and “Honor Be Damned" (Morosco)—And doubtless this also. “Oh, Kay” (Imperial) —Gertrude Lawrence in a hilarious music show “Rio Rita” (Ziegfeld)—A very beautifully staged show, but principals are not particu- larly interesting “Sinner” (Klaw)—Bad. “The Nightingale” (Jo! and some engaging melodic “Tuo Girls Wanted” (L “An American Tragedy Dreiser keeps tnum! “A Lady in Love” (Lyceum)—Reviewed herein, “The Ramblers" (Lyric)—Bobby Clark's clown- ing excellent. “Wooden Kimono” (Beck)—Cock Robin in terms of a cross-word puzzle “Fog” (National) —Ditto. “The Play's the Thing" (Miller)—Amusing risqué faree-comedy by Molnar. icago” (Music Box)—The best s esque from an American playwrigh “Pinwheel” (Neighborhood) —Juvenile cuckoo ing of George Kaiser. “Trelawney of the Wells” (New Amsterdam) Entertaining Pinero revival. “The Road to Rome’ (Playhou Vanna keeps a date at Cooper Union. “Bye-Bye Bonnie” (Ritz)—Very weak music show Eleanor Painter tle) —Drool, (Longacre)—And still jirieal bur- e)—Monna judy" (Royale) Yours Truly" (Shubert)—Good music show. lemen Prefer Blondes” (Times Square)— Anita Loos’ comical study of indoor piracy. The Ladder” (Waldorf)—At the bottom of the ‘Same here. list. the awed and symbolic whisper ing of the rest of the troupe. As in all such affairs, the big scene comes when the Forbes Robertson of the occasion lays his hands on a child who hasn’t been able to speak for years and, by the exer- cise of some Dr. Frank Crane hocus-pocus, causes the youngster to say ‘Mama, mama! I can t: ain! See, I can talk again!’’— a miracle which adds just that much more bad dialogue to the rest of the evening. It is Miss Printzlau’s aim to draw cnough Christian Scientists to the box-office to make the going good. But the philosophy where by the author seeks to bring this about must cause a considerable bewilderment even on the part of the more devoted followers of that faith. “Light,” says the Forbes Robertson to the mute child, “always banishes the shad- ows, but a shadow can never and never has concealed light!” At which I assume that all those Christian Scientists who are familiar with the phenomena of lunar and other eclipses will, however much they hate to do it, demand their money back. The leading réles are played by Eileen Huban, Charles Dalton and Henry Herbert. Miss Huban is as violently tragic, even in her lighter moments, as a Lady Mac beth who finds her Saturday pay envelope ten dollars short. Dal- ton’s idea of suggesting Russian brutality lies chiefly in yelling and doing a sort of Alabama Stomp all over the stage. All that his performance needs to make it entertaining is an hour's direction by George White. Herbert is the holy Robertson. If you took Continued from page 2+) comicbooks.com