Judge — November 24, 1928 — page 22: what you’re looking at

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

SUWYG- y estimable colleague, Prof. Dr, St. M Ervine, commenting on Paul Raynal’s Unknown Warrior,” observes, “I have tried to make plain that while this play is inmensely im- portant and must be seen by all intelligent and sen- sitive people, its performance is not ought to be, chiefly because of an insuffi native direction. I must now also make plain t any person who cannot believe that a play is a p unless it is interrupted eve and dance had bi ance of this on While there can be no doubt that our friend has succeeded in making plain what he set out to m: plain—indeed, twice in the same p I have the honor to announce that [ for one nevertheless find myself unmoved by his cloquence. In the first. in- stance, just what makes Raynal’s play so immensely important eludes me. And, the second instance, I don’t quite get that song and dance erack. Tam not one so flippant as to remark that a little singing and dancing might well relieve the meritorious tedium of the exhibit, but if I were I should certainly re- mark it. After all, may T reeall to our friend that even Shakespeare wasn’t above relieving “The Mer- chant of Veni with a little music and dancing, nor has the injection of a little so nd d been distasteful to such other eminently serious dramatists as Goethe, Ibsen, Hauptmann and Rostand. [ do not say that the inclusion of a bit of song and dance would make “The Unknown Warrior” a better play than it is, but it surely wouldn't make it a worse one. A little music and terpsichorean enterprise might rationally and to excellent theatrical effect y ten minutes by a song etter stay away from the perform- JU DGS GEORGE JEAN NATHAN OING ae SHOWS By have been utilized in the semi-hysterical, ‘ wedding cer first act. at least. 1 agree at only a mushhead would ask for son dance every ten minutes, but a touch of it would nor the less lighten the present hopeless monotony of Raynal’s pli mony episode in the In this play, acted by three symbolic characters, there are traces of imagination and beauty, but the work is of platitudes so compact and it is so insuf- ficiently dramatized, save by implication, that it proves wearisome in the theatre. It reads in a fairly lively manner, but’ it plays as upon a ‘cello with two strings missing. The local presentation, as Dr. Ervine says, leaves much to be desired. Yet the fault, I believe, lies more in the incompetence of two of the actors than in the direction. ouna Love,” “Y theoretically * ten by a cocky sel cor is a ned and writ- matter might asis of a knock-"em-down mateurishly wobbled be- ht comedy, to say nothing of tragi-comedy, and what comes out of his efforts. is hence simply rather offensive blah, The open-and-shut intent to dirt the box-office out of some easy money is clear. The suggestiveness is pounded in with w times amounts almost to a Mae West virtuosity. What is more, character is periodically sacrifi rd—doubtle: ss unwittin Raphaelson displays no espe irection—merely to ac ivably serve as the farce, but the author has tween farce gly, since ial perception in this auditorium startle. It iy possible that a very (Continued on page 26) Theatre Digest “Yeung Love’ (Masyue)—Humorless “Exceeding Small (Co set stuf inferior playwright tries “Crashing Through” (Republic)—A — “Satunlay’s Chibdre: play with » purpose and even worse than " JM you can get such plays usually are worked up looking at two actors for Sonbeelt’ (Vanderblt)—You'l find an cutie evening elements here that prick up interest, “Blackbirds” (Eltinge)—A Harlem “Americana” (Field’s)—It lacks the —pienie with more life than half the other bounce and originality of the first efition. “Helle Yourself” (Casino)—Aa un- succemful attempt to ape “Good Ne “These Few Ashes (Booth) Dull about a Lothar. “This Year of Grace” (Selwyn) —Noel ight Hostess” (Bock)—Idictic night- Coward's imported revue. Ditto. club melodrama. “Tin Pan Alley” (Biltmore) —Pairly “Girt Trouble” (Belmont) —Pretty ter- entertaining meller rile. The author emp tony “Olympia” (Empire)—Molnar pot up locations aa “I crave for a to snufl. Only periodically amusing “This Thing Called Love’ (i:jou)— “Billie” (Extanger)—Flip fast Cohan vandeville-sketeh writer goes in for polite song and dance exhibit. comedy, with the expected result “Animal Crackers” (44h Street) “Meld Everything” (Broadhurst) —\ ‘The town's big laugh show, with two of couple of good tunes and some excellent the Marx Brothers earning the rest of the booting, family’s living. (Alvin) Gertrude TU deserite it in “Straight Through the Door” (42h Street)—Claptrap a la. Heder. The High Read” (Fulton)—An ad- able company in a fair comedy “Three Cheers” (Globe)—Wall Rogers and, consequently, a very jolly evening Faust” (Guild)—The Guild is about "* (Longacre)—The sewage emptied into a tin-pot 1a Call” (Waldorf)—To be reviewed. Three Musketeers” (Lyrc)—I commend it to your attention how Best™ (Ziegfeld) —This one “Little Accident” (Morceco)—Ite sec- e Fou some ebuckles Bor)—Some goot 1a Bordoni. 'ar Seng” (National) —Lachry- rex" (Playbouse)—A dead mi Golden) —But it still deservedly making enough money o us “A Man With Red Hoke (Garrick) tyre deftly une by To be reviewed next week “The Wi Yellow Jacket” (Coburn) —A —mowe bush revivilol the ngresable Oriental fantany “The “Possession” (Miller)—A dod one. “Good Boy" (Hammerstein) —Divert- — “Machinal” (Plymouth)—If this be ing to the eye but check your ear. Art, give me the Minskys. “The New Moon” (I:nperisl)—Musical amend LH" (Hovale)—Ooe gord the average. fore and aft by Mr. Moneypenny", (Liberty)— awful = y tnd abrtous tu Froat Page” (Times Square) — Gods of the Lightning (Little)— A gala farce. Dont mus it. vpaganda melodrams for persons who “Relations” —(Wallack’s)—But tton to that sort of thing you may as well stay bore on this evening. comicbooks.com