The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-12-08
IRvING's HAMLET.
A Critics Unflatterins Picture of the neIish
Actor

A Critics UnflatterinG Picture of the English
Actor.
Joe Howard, in Boston Herald.
His odd pronunciation paralyzed the aud
fence, and doubt if ever there were sold on
any one evening of Italian opera, as many
librettos as there were books of the play sold
tonight. The fact is that the affectation of
his pronunciation is so extreme that it is
with great difficulty one can understand at
distance of half a dozen seats An ordinarily
intelligent audience is fairly familiar with
Hamlet" which abounds in telling speeches
and pearls of English, but it was remarked a
hundred times during the evening, Il can
understand about half he says" There was
no innovation of consequence in the first
act, but in the second Mr. Irving altered
nearly all the ghost business and introduced
instrumental and vocal music, apparently
coming from an adjacent convent or
church. He avoids the Booth "catch"
business of making a point as the curtain
falls on the exit, but the worst mannerisms
of Americas pet mannerist are exaggerated
to the verge of buffoonery His ghost wore
mustaches quite six inches long and is not
James W. Wallack. Mr.. Irving's sohloquies
are continu Gus defiance to the intelligent
nearer, but in dialogue he is tolerahy con-
ventlonal. One is constantly compelled to
say: This man is not the id fool he APP
pears. He is in poetic frenzy, and must be
an elevated plane, where he desports. To be
sure, he wears cap and jingies BELLS but he
does it in the upper air where the birds are,
and particles of light and other unattainable
creations. Had the Count Joannes been as
bad as Irving unquestionably is, he would
have been laughed from the stage,
and nothing but the respect due to a
man who, i'll some way and by virtue of
something, has worked his way from nobody
to somebody prevents similar treatment to
him. His drawl is monotonous and bore
some to a degree, and the way he 'one-twos''
1T up and down the stage is ludicrous. His
scenes with the players, with Ophelia and
with Polonious, as well as his monologues,
were awaited with interest. Miss Terry is
long and bOny. Her physical pecuiiarties
are exaggerated by her short hair and gaunt
style OF unDustled costume. Ophelia should
be, perhaps, eighteen to Hamlets twenty
two. Mr., Irving and Miss Terry dress and
make up to look fifty and forty. This is an
error which the arts of the dressing-room
should overcome. With Ophelia Irying's
Hamletis explosive and Internationally ten
der Once in while he pulls her to him,
suspends his sermon, sqUeezes her vigorous
ly, relaxes his grip and proceeds with his
lesson. With Polonious he is preachy, and
with the players prosy. His monoosues are
delivered on an upper plane. Poesy and
rapture are akin to rot and loOniness.
Precisely where to class Irving l am not
yet convinced. He is either lacking in abil-
ity or else trades on human gullibilty. That
the average man is an ass may have i'm
pressed this odd creature. He certainly acts
as if he believed so, at all events. Much of
his success is due to his good fellowship He
He is certainly a very pleasant companion
andan intelligent man. and he can be swal-
lowed on the theory that he is playing with
the public, willing, as a superior kind of
Oscar Wilde, to be laughed at, while he
laughs in return and pockets the shekeis.
Otherwise he is to me uncomfortable and,
however others may write OF him. this is pre-
csely the way they all talk of him. IL is
due to Irving to say that he puts the entire
play of Hamlet in an unsual realm. He
thrusts it into the atmosphere of the super
natural, where elves and COLLINS very likely
gibber broken English and divide single syl-
tables in two, as he does.