Judge — November 17, 1928 — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

JUDGE HE theoretical rules and regulations of drama, — themselves up for two and a half long hours in what, long and assiduously preached by the profes- after all and above the characters, are. simply a sors, have generally interested me just about couple of actors. [ would not mind looking at as much as the rules and regulations found on the — listening to, say, H. G. Wells and Gerhart I | backs of the doors in hotel rooms. Tha mann for the ne period or, for that matter, Edna | certain injunctions vital and necessary Best and Ann Harding, off-stage, but to be asked | obvious to everyone, but most of those punditically to immerse myself in even Salvini and Bernhardt | j insisted upon by the Brander Matthews-Clayton for a whole theatrical evening is, critic or no crit | } Hamilton critical troupe are profitable and interest- not my idea of cither a valuable or a hot time. | ing only in the degree that they are broken, Yet. rules or no rules, there are certain thing unheeded, contrive to make drama, w tues otherwise, dull As a critic, I am prepared to prove to myself, | that, if most eloquently and convineingly, that [am an ass atever its vir- to ma nd of these we have had a Pany such statement. ‘There is no sound sense | But as a critic whose job it is to sit through | | | soove and provides a lackadaisical enlivened by Irene Bordosi and some very tasty lyrics “Little Comman ” (Soroaco)— Laugh lard Mack is still turing able antics in a maternity hoep © "The High Read” (Fulton) — Latest edition Jed by an expert trou “Helle Ye fairly diverting two and a balf pawed “The Froat Page” (Times S juare) — Excellent diversion in this one “Treasure Git" (Alvin)—The new Gertrute Lawrences vehicle. To be re- Jarrick) novel. couple of illumir amples recently. The first. plays and not oracularize from some distant campus. | is encountered in lousy,” dexterousls pted I make it with full faith in my powers of acute per | from the French of Louis Verneuil by Eugene Wal- ception, “Jealousy,” admits Critic No. 1, is an in ter; the second in “Gods of the Lightning,” by the — teresting picce of playwriting and a play that has | M M. Anderson and Hickers: some merit. But this same “Jealousy,” insists Critic | alousy” is a drama containing only two char- 2, is pretty tough theatrical going. 1 do not | acters. Now, there is no reason in the wide world wish to sell you platitudes, but Verneuil and Walter | } | why a sound play should not be written around two t just as validly and twice as interestingly have | characters. Verneuil, as a matter of fact, has him- written their 1 with four or five cha | self written one. But there is every reason in the with two. Indeed, they show clearly the str: an | world why a sound play containing only two char- underwent in keeping the additional characters out | } | | acters should turn out to be a very monotonous and of their play when those cl inly be | ] } | inert one. A two-character play t make excel- heard clamoring to get into it. “ell write a Uplay | | | lent reading, but in the theatre it makes consider- with two characters and only two characters,” one | ably less than an excellent show. The theatre, after hears them » “if we have to die in the attempt | all, calls for some dramatic bounce and jump, a fact — to hocus-pocus the two or three other necessary char- duly appreciated by all first-rate dramatists. And — acters out of i It may be said for them that the | that bounce and jump are almost certain to be lack- did not die in the attempt, but that is more than c | | ing in any play, however good, that imposes upon — be said for their audience. i] | one’s patient eye and ear the necessity of wrapp (Continued on page 31) | \ Theatre Digest | / rk here. The personabl 3 orted Cochran revue. Dit i “The War Seng” all he Unknown Warrier” (1!) | | A Ck oi schinat” (PI; The tien’ “7s, ceet renee bees } “Crashing Through” (Republic)— Snyder type sentimentalizad in a drooling fey NAME Mestess™ (Heck) —Cheap : exhitat | | ” “ ‘This Thing Called Love” (Bijou) — | Literal transerigh of the, Boco0-Vansed (Liberty) An (Royale)—Melotra- 9 iF i) ent ~ excemively todd tal exekeaves heavy matte dneel by the Mie, Woe Very bad | ‘Animal Crackers (44th Street) — ab “Su intertude”* (olden) —Head “The New Moon” (Icmperial)—An en- | The Marx quartette’s highly successful am Tully's and shoulders above all its neighbors to yusical comedy. amault apon the m night and left. ‘Held Everything” (Broadhurst) — “Pos y” (Miller)—This comely rama. These Fe Ashes (Booth)—Will Lively tap ne show. tight have attracted ld attention in jevival of the report oa it next week “lack 19 = oo “sere Boat” (Ziegfeld)—A first-rate taining mes: (Erlanger)—Armusing Cohan musical sho re " song. and dance show “The Musketeers” (Lyric)— —_¢,Vaniten Olympia” (Empire) —Moloar tases “Paris” (Music Bot)—A feeble show Another. ‘St aight Throogh the Deer (40th s od as they come. (New Amate Cantor ex) Vanderbilt)—Harey latest. To be commented comicbooks.com