New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-07-23
CRITICS AND ACTORS.
WITH SOME COMMENTS ON THEIR SOCIAL
RELATIONS.

dared dine with Mr. Irving, or If had dared dine
should not have dared own it. In this alarming
book or rather in the Preface to it, discover that
honest Judgment about actors is impossible II
critic has any personal acquaintance with them
Mr.. Morris has been a critic and ought to know
still less, it appears the honest critic dine with
an actor. If he does. he must Judge his host not
an actor but a charming liberal dispenser OF
champagne and chicken, and other things perhaps
even more convenient" With the dark insnuaton
of this last phrase it were wiser not to deal. Let
the london critics deal with it, among whom Mr.
Morris has found but one man of intelligence and
sanity"
The author of this amazing nonsense was once
dramatic critic of The Times post for which he
was deemed lit as the son of his father, formerly the
manager of that paper in the lays when 1t was
known as the leading journal. Other qualifications
he had of which so many Of the public as care to
open this book may now judge. for Mr.. Morris has
taken the trouble 10 reprint the criticisms he con-
trlbuted to the abOve-named paper. lie ceased, as
the story goes, to be is dramatic writer some three
months ago-if rccOllect rghty-about the Time
of the pr oductOn Of Romeo and Juliet at the Ly-
ceum. He made at event the occasion OF an al
tack upon Mr.. Irving bitter that Mr. Irving
appealed to the management of the paper. The
matter was looked into and the managers came 70
the conclusion that Mr.. Morrss services would be
of more value in some other department OF journal
ism. Hence perhaps. the present publication. Mr'
Morris, don't doubt was an " honest cri'lc. DIS
Greet he was no but never did he commit an lnds-
erection 80 grave as when he undertook to denounce
to the public the whole body Of his former col
leagues. aud to impute to them base motives and
dishonest dealing with their readers Such an
accusation is too preposterous to be met seriously.
If 1t has boen noticed it has been noticed, rs for
example. by Mr. May Thomas IN the daily press,
with grave irony to which Mr. Morris may or may
not be Insensible
Mr. Morris goes Ofar rs to attack almost by name
two of the best journalists of the day Mr. Sala and
Mr. Clement Scott. And why Because Mr. Sala and
Mr. Scott took the liberty of commenting a play
which Mr. Morris thought a tawdry panorama. In
his estimate of the play-the Youth" of Mr.. Au-
gustus Harris-I entirely agree with Mr.. Norris.
but not more heartily than dissent from his estl-
mate of those who disagree with him and with me-
an estimate which ems to me monstrous lmper-
thence in Mr.. Norris to use no stronger term.
The first performance of new play" saws Mr.
Mowbray Morris, lit is notorious, Is no more than
dress rehearsal 10 which friends are invited as to
q private performance of amateurs" 1t is not
notorious 1t is not the fact at all, az Mr. Morris
implies in the case of the theatre which he most
particularly and persisfcnty attacks, the Lyceum
Certainly Mr. Morris has been in a position to
know if he would but have taken the trouble TO
know But will venture to offer my testimony
against his. and to say that know from my own
observation that great proportion of the first
night audiences TO whom Mr.. Irving submits new
performance is made up of the general public 1t is
not so easy a matter to pack pit or gallery.
don't believe It Is often done. And as to stalls and
boxes. / know that many of the best places in the
house are to be had By the first applicant. If they
were not it does not prove that dramatic criticism
in the English press is matter of champagne ana
chicken. The criticism one reads in the English
papers is often, | think, too favorable. But 10
argue as Mr.. Norris does. from lenity of Judgment
to corrupt and low and mean motives on the part OF
the critic Is not step toward reform, nor the act of
an intelligent aud sane writer.
Mr. Morris's notion about actors is after all, very
much the vulgar one which regards them stlll as
beings apart. The more familiar intercourse which
of late years has sprung up between actors and the
world IN general has not removed all the queer pre-
possessions about their individuality which were
once so common 1t was thought worthy OF note
last year by the most sober of the daily papers that
Mr. Toole had breakfasted with Mr. Gladstone
The fact that Mr.. Irving breakfasted with Mr..
Gladstone last week is also gravely set down; Out
with no superlluous mOrazlng though dare say
some supremely pous journal OF NOncOnformity
will hold up its hands. Matters have gone much
further here than in France, socially speaking, odd
as that statement may seem to people who regard
France "a prominently the land of dramatic IL
ccnse The most eminent of comedians or tragedI-
ans has hardly social position in Paris-certainly
not IN the FaubOurg 81. German. One OF them
who was here not long ago was asked to luncheon
at a very smart London house. Two French Wis
ltors of much distinction were asked TO the same
luncheon. and both declined on hearing that an
actor was to be of the party. eve do not meet
that sort of people at home" was the response.
The relations between NJ. Gambctta and NJ.
Coqueliu have long been matter OF notorety III
Paris. Whatever NJ. Gambetta does is wrong IN
the eyes of many of his countrymen because ne
does it, But his habit of receiving VI. Coquelln ut
breakfast has done him positive harm in the opin-
ion even of sensitive Liberals of al arlstOcratlc
sort.
An exclusion from society is a positive PROBES
sional disadvantage to an actor 1t was with Il
view to remedy this that the Garrck Club OF Lon
don was originally established. IAN actor" SAID
one of It's founders who never in good com
many might or might not be a gentleman, but he
could not play gentleman. lie did not know how
to hold his hat to sit in a chair or TO get ont of
a room0 Such remark Is now very much out of
date-in England. In France all that can be taught
in respect of department is taught very carefully ut
the Theatre Francois. Such details as are mem
toned above can certainly be taught MS man can
be taught to wear a sword. And yet when one of
the most gifted comedians of Molere's house es-
saved, not many years since, the part OF duke III
a wel-knOwn play, he was thought 10 miss some
how the manner, the bearing, the fine flower of
flavor OF whatever it may be that IS considered to
belong to a duke in common with other we-bred
men supposing the duke happens TO be well-bred.
In his private life similar deficiencies have been OBJ
served by critical people He was too easy"