Judge — June 29, 1929 — page 18: what you’re looking at

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

JUDGE the three New York actors’ clubs that go in O for annual shows, the Players’ does far the best by itself. The Lambs’ otes itself largely to dressing up like girls and interruptir series of vaudeville sketches with musical mélanges of the old-time musical comedy composers and num bers in which the pseudo-chorus-girls jump coyly through paper hoops. ‘The Friars’ exhibitions gener ally consist in William Collier's derisory wisecracks at the Lambs’ expense and in stereotyped acts drafted for the evening from the two-a-day. But the Play ers’, believing that men dre ssed as women should be left to the college shows and that vaudeville should be left to vaudeville, takes upon itself the production of one or another established play of the past and secks to prove to the public that there may be other virtues to actors’ club than a bar, This year's Players’ offering was Langdon Mitch ell’s dramatization of Thacke Vanity Fair,’ passing under the title, “Becky Sharp” and, while no xreat shakes in the direction of acting, was at least another club manocuvre in the right direction. Even an indifferent presentation of some such play is more to be encouraged than indifferent club vaudeville and a night of Broadway smart cracks. It seems to me, however, that the Players’ Club was guilty of very dubious practise in advertising its play in the daily papers as acted “by 58 stars of the speaking sta Aside from the fact that, un less Iam a bad ccunter, there are only 56 réles in Mitchell's entire play, two of them those of door openers and closers, and aside from the further fact that two of the other réles were played by a single actor, the naked eye could discern very few mimes on the platform who by any stretch of the i gina- By GEORGE JEAN NATHAN f tion could be identitied stars, whether of the speaking or any other stage. Mary Ellis, Cecilia Loftus, James T. Powers, Basil Sydney, Donald Brian, Etienne Girardot and Wright) Kramer may conceivably come under the classification—Powers, Brian, Girardot and Kramer having to back very long time to weigh in—but it would ta couple of dozen Lick telescopes to find anythi proachi stars in such other members of the is Pam Sweeny, Alice Papo, Erna Rowan, Brady. Elsie Keene, Gerald Hamer, Jay Doan Borup, William Sams, J. Walter Smith, Ray mond Thayer, Thompson Sweeny and thirty or mor similar histrionic nonentities. ll TT production of post-season gimeracks was kept up with something by a Dr. Hall at the Waldorf Theatre d “The Tired Business Man.” Drop- ping in to sce if the great tradition of “Decision,” “Chippies.” “Marry the Man,” “The Come-on Man,” “Chinese O'Neill,” fhe Jade God,” “The First Law.” ete., was being duly adhered to, I may report that it was. “The Tired Business Man” was unanimously elected a member of the club. I cast my own vote at the end of the first act, whereupon, duty done, I withdrew politely to the open spaces. The fun, in a careless manner of speaking, began with the rise of the curtain, Though the program announced that the time of the action was 3 P. M., it developed peculiarly that it was late night on the stage and that the hero was just getting in from a party with his lady love. T! e was Topeka, as, and it presently apped at the dawn has (Continued on page 32) Theatre “Strect Scene” (Playhouse) —The joys “A Might in Venice” (Sbubert)—Toen a New York tenement in- Healy, LLD., will make you “Little Accident” (Miller)}—The war Some good fooling ate A play worthy of vital statistic “Shidding” —(Hayes)—A persistent aero “Brothers” (48th Street) —Another Philip Barry a illegitimat Morunen)—Fr gleb inn, Digest “Blackbirds” = (Eltinge)—A second “Grand Street Follies” (Booth) company ® cow engaged in playing the strained effort to be ver thow “The Game! Through the Needie’s Eye” (Guild)—A Theatre Guild error “The Jade Ged” (Cort) —Ki “Felew Thre \ f6th Street) —Very Nothing in this wie Bor)— 1 a pleasant comicbooks.com