Judge — December 7, 1929 — page 18: what you’re looking at

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

JUDGE e MW By NG we SANOWS GEORGE JEAN NATHAN , believing that my standards of tic criticism were too high to submit his production of Walter Hackett’s “Other Men's to them and preferring to play safe by trusting its isal to presumptively tenderer diagnosticians, po- ly invited me to refrain from reviewing the exhibit. I could understand his nervousness and could assuredly sympathize with his attitude. No review of “Other Me Wives” will accordingly appear in these pages. antin) Frav “Cross Roads,” revealed at the Morosco, begins well and plausibly with a study of undergraduate impulses at a co-educational college and then rapidly tapers off into something on a level with that other undergraduate essay produced earlier in the season under the title "The college which Mr. Flavin introduces us to is not designated by name but, judging it from the elaborate horticultural disy i which Robert Edmond Jones has bedecked it, one is per- haps justified in believing it to be either the University of Hawaii or one devoted principally to the study of botany. Following the latter-day dr: views life at the modern colle; roadhouses and sex. In other days, these college plays centered upon the outcome of a football game, the hero of which was either an Indian in love with a rich New York débutante or a George Ade comedian in love with a col- lege widow, or upon a boat race, the stroke of the winning crew greatly disconcerting the onlookers by resembling very closel Football, with its crowd of dollar-a-night supers sitting ten feet above the stage level, their backs to the audience and yelling themselves hoarse over the tremendously ex- iting spectacle of a couple of stage-hands shooting craps Theatre on the imaginary gri crew they were presumably rowed in the six- left of a tr dered to carnal “Cross Road: The first 1 pitch, though t space to the upper stage right, have similarly surren- xcursions, another in the collegiate crim. con. “t presents some flashes of character and some acute dialogue but, as I have said, what follows is routine stuff. A very able company headed by the uncommonly talented ¢ Dressler and Sylvia Sidney merchant the script. Ts trouble with Thomas H. Dickinson's “Winter Bound,” put on by the Provincetowners, is that, while its author has undoubtedly scen its theme clearly enough, he has lacked the courage to write down what he has thus seen and knows. That theme is one which deals with the same problem handled so directly and so proficiently by Bourdet in the policed “Captive.” But, under the timid and fearful treatment of Dickinson, it hops hither and thither like a Mexican jumping bean and the result, as might naturally be ted, is simply beans. This Dickinson is an intelligent man and one whose critical writings prove a sound acquaintance with the better drama, but—he was once a college professor—the eld restraint of the classroom apparently still hamstrings him. He started out, plainly enough, in this play to do a brave thing, but his nerve deserted him before he was half-way through with it and converted what might have been something first rate into a muddled and often tedious sideshow that doesn’t live up to its promising posters. Even so, however, there are indications that he has a nice eye to character and a certain gift for sharp, cutting (Continued on page 29) series. Digest “Cross Reads” (Morcseo)—Sex in college gurroundings. A routine job. There is little fn it. “Thunder im the Ale” (49th Street)—A valid fanciful idea botched in the writing and performace. “Heads Up” (Alvin)—A marie show of familiar pattern with some good low comedy ‘and one or two catchy tunes. “Christepher Rand” (Forrest)—To be reviewed. “Winter Bound” (Garrick)—An indirect, timorous and clumay approach to the theme of “The Captive”. - “Berkeley Square” (Lyceum)—It has touches of tert bat it ever quite realises “Sweet Adeline” (Hammerstein)—Some uncommonly good tunes, some very funny comedy and an all around commendable “Swicty Dishonorsble” = (Avon) — A comedy that may safely be recommended to everybody. “Biter-Sweet” (Ziegfeld)—Evelyn Laye fills the eye but the ear might just as well take the night off “Bird in Hand” (Barrymore)—It still remains one of the things in town that you should see. “denny” (Booth)—Jane Cowl goon cutie with a vengeance in a piece of gooey claptrap. Broadburst)—\ farce itera that will give you the laugh of your life “Your Uncle Dudley” reviewed “Candle Light” (Exmpire)—Gertrude Law. Fence even more arch than what stands in the Champs Elysies. And a dall comedy. “A Primer ter Lovers” (Longscre)—Wil- liam Hurlbut's latest. See next week's inmue, “Undertow” (Biltmore)—Also in next week's. “George White Scandals” (\pollo)—Some snatches of entertaining low comedy enliven thia revue. “A's a Wise Child” (Belssco)—Drotleries on a sweet one who pretends that she is oing to have a bairn. (Cort)—To be “Ladies of the Jury” (Erlanger)—Mra. Fiske in a dramatization of “Who was that lady I seen you on the street with?” Spor rte Pan fe e M. Coban's fine acting performace is the feature here. “Cart Carroll's Sketch Book™ (44th Sereet) —Taatefuily staged and diverting girl and 92's End” (Mavzue)—Superice to the other munter plays, and well acta. “The Sitver Tassie” (Irish) —O'Casey's often praiseworthy drama wretchedly acted. ‘tt Mever Raina” (Republic)—By Aurania |, author great art work, “Journey's End” (Miller)—Some excellent Pinero actors go to war against the Hua, “Let Us Be Gay” (Little)—A diverting gomedy about an ermarried couple who drop t “Subway (Liberty)—More mur- der, given a fillip by some interesting tricky scenery. “A Wondertul Wight” (Majestic)—Johana Strauss comes to the rescue of the sorely tri New York ear. 16 “Little Show” (Music Bor)—Good light pastime. “The Criminal Code” (National) —A nex: yaca pe” “Sherlock Holmes" (New Amsterlam! Revival of the celebrated melodrama the engaging Gillette in his old role. “Street Scene” (Playhouse)—Worth your attention. Elmer Rice's best effort. “Sens 0? Guns” (Imperial) —The M. Do rahue and Mile. Damita in musical warfare. To be reviewed. “The Sliver Swan” (Bock)—Same here. “The Channel Read” (Plymouth)—\ dramatisation of “Boule de Suit” that takes all the juice out of Maupassant. “How's Your Health 1” (Vanderbilt)—Seo 8 coming imue. “Top o the Hill” (Eltinge)—Same here. pcYHY Millon Fremehemee™ (Loric)—And ere. comicbooks.com