Life — September 26, 1918 — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

Great Plenitude of What There Is IE second week in September gave New York the world’s record for new productions in legitimate theatres. There were ten of them, and with the present arrangement of matinees it was a physical impossibility for one re witness them In competition some things are bound under through Jack of money backi he public finds out what they are. The most thoro American of the lot is “ Mr. Barnun in which Mr. Wise gives a remarkable reproduction of the great American showman in the days of his struggles und triumphs. Ag of us recognize the physical resemblance to P. n hig later years, and those famil with the n jiography can credit the fidelity of the n and episodes in his care authors | t whole hich cast—even to the pict nia Warren—give these pic ND how the of life! They go from uh thers shift us through scenes in every bucolic sweetness of the nierette’s experiments to the titled society of England, to psy chological mystery, boyish ambition, down thr he circles fantastic crime to the depths of social degradation repre sented by a jazz-band dive in Chicago “Crops and unreal exposition of a develoy The farmerette gets her theatrical showing in Croppers.” Ht may be a rather ment in real life very creditable to the American young woman, tut it is an agreeably staged and, lightly pleasing little comedy with a sentimental interest The boy with Jonathan Makes a Wish,” by Mr. Stuart Walker. Mr. Walker's fondness shown before in his "y theatrical ay ade the hero of produced presumably written or youth and his underst of it have bee manteau” plays and in his staging “Seventeen.” In this 1 play he is fancifal in reproducing the workings of the boy's Drain while in mild delirium, but in d it he reverts t usual methods of the theatre. The play is car done, it is a question whether the appeal is to the youthful intellig Both will find mom: but neither will be completely satisfied. Another resort to the disordered mind is had in “ Another Man's Shoes.” in which Mr. Lionel Atwill, as the hero, is made 1o x0 through a course of remarkable experiences as the victim of doub! audienc third. inesia, The first two acts thorouxhly confuse t us they are not let into the explanation umtil the s is the same taking advantage of credulity th Twain enjoyed in his riddle, the answer to which was, * The boy lied.” they seem to find enough diversion in the well played comedy the This isn't exactly fair to the audiences, but HE jazz band is one of the products of degeneracy which is found in its proper setting in the introductory act of “One of Us,” where a Chicago cellar dive and the sort of life led therein are depicted with unquestionable accuracy. From this “ One of Us” develops into a melodramatic comedy highly xaggerated, but undeniably amusing. The drawing of charac- ers in the underworld is photographic, and the cast has been carefully selected for the purpose Of more mysterious and serious import is “The Unknown Purple,” in which Mr. Richard Bennett doubles successfully e-minded inventor developed by an unjust imprison aver f the Monte Cristo type. By a curious arrangement of scenes and acts. combined with a liberal use ¢ mechanics in lighting and other ts, the audience excited into th appreciation of the melodramatic lines and situations. If you like your crime luric¢ terious, you will find it very much Purple.” “TH MAID OF THE MOUNTAIN es to us heralded usa long n Lond roves to be a romanti usical comedy with a non-singing hero. the al coll n n gangsters, funny official to catch the ve young women in with the male is adorned wi usually. seductive whole bat and costumed, and somely set in its general character take k to the earlier period of Casino successes RE RRECPVAAAAIDGD ght nervousness—from w not I! may have been first even the most experienced actors are exempt—but Mr. Otis Skinner failed to give a very defin lea of just what kind of a character he was trying to ert Mott. the barber hero of “Humpty Dumpty.” His old grace and con mand of technique were in evidence, but his speech shifte from a touch of the brogue to the pronounced cockney, with an occasional lapse in French or Nalian manner he was at times the courtier, and at others the I Arry. The chanzes were regardless of the fact that he Iways the same ma: his own shop, and part the nossessor fortune. Mr. Skinner may later dev out of the part, but although par: of the time a barber pn English title op something def ts first presentation it was a very hazy creation Even with such excellent artists as Beryl Mercer, Elizabeth Kisdon and Morton Selton in the cast, it was difficult to lif “Humpty Dumpty" out of the commonplace. The lasic material included such novel resources as the wrongful as rt birth sumption of a title and the two babies changed The themes are valuable doubtful that they will appeal even to the new gener: which wants it ion from th He, and warmed over. their triteness, but it i s too bad that such an excellent co