Judge — June 16, 1928 — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

JUDGE owarp the close of every season, various persons who believe that the regular producers are a bunch of mugs sct about putting on plays them- selves by y of showing the theatre managers just how things should be donc. It is these persons’ firm conviction that the regular produccrs do not know a good play when they sce it and that, if they did, they would ruin it anyway by casting it with the same old familiar and stale actors. So the persons in question annually hop into the breach with their undiscovered anuscript treasures, cast them with actors that not en John Emerson has ever heard of, cause a whole- sate chuckling on the part of the older producers, a sudden European exodus on the part of the reviewers, a severe stomach-ache on the part of the few people who have paid to get in, and a decision on the part of the season to close several weeks earlier than it had intended. This year’s crop of crusaders includes Miss Laura D. Wilek, Mr. Hyman Adler, Miss Marion Gerling and something known as the Oscaria Theatre Cor- poration, let us hope incorporated. Their challenges to the Messrs. Erlanger, Shubert, Hopkins, Harris, Ames, et al, bear the names, “Get Me in the Movies, “Skidding” and “Dorian Gray.” As a glance at the table at the bottom of this page will succinctly assure you, all are junk. Did I believe for a moment th any regular producer to whom the plays were sub- mitted would produce one of them, I'd at once bar him from reading anything I wrote about the theatre and have detectives stationed at the news- stands to eject him if he tried. After all, if it is fair to bar reviewers from reviewing plays, it should be just as fair to bar producers from reading reviews. But the managers, I feel, need not be unduly alarmed. In the first place, they never read anything I write anyway and, in the second, they also have sufficient “Get Me in the Mevies™ ( Carroll) — Mack foils a villainous Chi Junk one. Taalading” (Bijou) —Junk “The Silent House” (Morcsco)—As ‘Oerian Gray” (Biltmore)—Junk. Alan Dinehart does in this ene. ” (Lyceum)—Temperamental rand Street Follies” (Booth)—I'll tist whangdoodie, Very tushy and pass on it next week very. sour. “Diplomacy” (Erlanger)—On this ove “The Happy Husband™ (Empire)—An agreeable ite comedy somewhat inval- "Blackbirds ef 1928" (Libsrty)—A idated by Billie Burke's exsggeratedly very good tan with Fraalein Aida cute performance. Ward and Herr Bill Robinec “The Skull (Forrest) —The poorest of the mystery melodramas. jere’s Howe!” (Broadburst)—A very “The Reyal Family” (Selwyn)—The dull white one, with only the M! best of the American comedies, and acted to look in a way to tickle the professors. “The Trial ot Mary Dugan” (Ni. “Velpene” (Guild)—The Guild does —A fetehing melotrama of another exeellent job. “Strange Interlude” (Golden)—O’ Neill making other American dramatists look Like purmies Sevtet Fox (Mavjue)—Willard man in this the beg. ayard Veiller’s idea of courtroom procedure. “Paris Bound” (Music Bot)—A trifle, with several diverting trifing momenta. “The Bachelor Father” (Belaeoo)— You'll find some salubrious chuckles bere. By GEORGE JEAN NATHAN Theatre Guide ss sense not to ste their time as the trinity of plays mentioned. “Get Me in the Movies,” by Chariton Andrews and Philip Dunning, is an attempt to burlesque the movies and their engineers. As a burlesque, it is as heavy as lead and, to make matters worse, it is acted by troupe of mummers so completely incompetent that, were it twice as good as it is, it would seem twice as bad. The authors disclose a total lack of humor, a point of view as stereotyped as the cheapest movie scenario writer's, and literary skill of a piece with that of a talented Chinese laundryman. Rarely has so dismal a play found its way into a Broadway theatre. The presenting company, as I have said, is something to write Corse Payton about. As a stellar comedian, Miss Wilck has picked out Sterling Hollo- way, a youth who played in one of the amateur “Garrick Gaictics” exhibitions and who apparently knows no mere about farce-comedy acting than I do about the Artsmilsh Indians, perhaps less, as I at st know that they weren't blondes. Mr. Hollo- y's idea of being very comical is to read his every line in exactly the same tone and, the middle of ach, to stop a moment and shake his bangs. In the poor fellow’s support are various girls and boys who share most of his deficiencies. “Dorian G nd moncy on such tripe y," by David Thorne and based on Oscar's familiar story, is as sorry a job as “Get Me in the Movies,” and it is performed by an even sori troupe, if that be possible. Prof. Thorne ind: clearly that playwriting is not one of his espe talents. He has made a melancholy mess of the Dorian fable, beginning with a prologue in which « fat ham dressed as Satan harangues a chemise representing an angel and ending in Dorian’s synthetic Little Eva—"Broadway” death scene. It is (Continued on page 31) Coquette” (Ellictt)—Anatomical boo “The Three Musketeers” (Lyric)—A or in the South. Very well acted tragi- bow bighly recommended to comedy. “Ten Mights in a Barroom” (WW allack’s) “Our Betters™ (Miller)—And some —Propaganda claptrap of a heavenly good derisory digs here. “Dia Litt (Royale)—Melo- jer"* (Cort)—Comment epoch. “The bi . icatersen by Frau Mae unnecemary. West. “Show Boat” (Ziexfeld)—A wholly “The Shaanens of Breadway” (Beck) admirable musical abo. —Gagriog on its plethora o “Goed News” (Chanin)—The quickest “Excess Baguage” (7 one hereabouta, dealing with Alboeana, with some en- — “Resalie” (New Amsterdam)—Very tertainment value handsomely staged. with La Miller beam- “Burlesque” (Piymouth)—Ove dealing ing at stage centre. with Samscriboerites, relying upoa its “Raia er Shine™ (Cohao)—Joe Cook, wisecracks Tom Howard and Dave Chasin providing “Pargy” (Republic)—Commendable some appetizing low comedy. érama of South Caroling blacks. “Funny Face” (Alvin)—A once lively “whisperiog Friends” (Hudsos)—A show now in the doldrums Cohan comedy and periodically amusing. “Greenwich Village Fellies™ (Winter “Present Arms” (Mansfirld)—Just fair Garden)—The vaadeville comique, Rock- song and dance staff. well, amuring the loftier trade OUD GING ve SHOWS | | comicbooks.com