The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1905-10-23


Ann lamont" IN it's present
form. viii never survive the pro-
vinces. but should Il. BY some eE-
otto fortuity reach broadway. it VIII
die an early and deserved death,
from wounds infllcted by It's author
without the shafts Of public critic
ism. Even the superb east present
ms Il Will not save Il. though Il may
prolonE It's life. for the company.
like the tabled mountain. has la
bored and brought forth only a
mouse
And, the very pity Of 81
Here this brilliant yeunE news
paper man. Paul Armstrong. starts
out with problem play which. II
constructed with the same dramatic
genius which eharhetcriHss hin for
mer work. The Heir Of Hnefahs--
romantic drama now taxing Chi
caEo hy storm. would have brought
him lasting fame. but he ends hls
newest effort. Ann lamont" in
weary melodramaties. Of the weafi.
est sort. an apologctic afterthousht
worthy only Of the tsn-twenty thlf-
ty-cent stage.
ny ienEtheniuE aud Strengthening
the third act and ending the piece
there. Il would have been a master
piece. A. Il IL nos Il IL = mon
stFosity.
The fourth act is without quea-
tion one % the most tueousr uaus
impossible and ridiculous abHufai-
ties that has ever been perpetralsd
Oh legitimate stage. introducing
probably more faults IN dramatic
construction than could be found ln
half dozen plays now en- tour In
the country.
In the first place fhr fiestesf craft
that ever plouKhsd the seas could
never so from London to Hawaii IN
three weeks. IN the second place a
person could live an Indefinite NUM-
Der % years ~ Ao.okRi without he
coming infected with lenreNy. In-
stead Of two years. as the play
wright insists. against ali the pfiu-
eipal~ troop into Meiokai "a a fsW
hours. whereas as a matter 81 fact
no one can approach the island
without a permit from the Hawaiian
health board. again. no native has
ever been known to- rov q tourist
frum Honolulu 10 Melokai IN boat.
because Il IL a most dangerous vay.
age ~ day for the stauncheat and
fastest q steamers
And furthermore. no sails are ever
seen at the tspsr island because aail.
boats could never weather the seas
that forever raEe. Then. again. the
author shows his bsniEhted lTunr-
anee Of having the hero leave his
but on the island 10 SO over 10 the
lcper colony. whereas ~ a matter 81
fact. the only place boat can land
on the island u within the iepef
sieeknds. Again. Armstrong has his
people landing on the island within
three Hainutss after the mythical
snil IL sighted whereas u takes fully
half an hour 70 reach shore from
the steamer by any means whatever.
one might 30 on unfortunately II
Il vere q any await but the whole
act IL too hopeiessly faulty In con-
struetion 20 reconcile IL b. any
standard 10 what has gone before.
And more dspiorabte eth. there L.
painful lack Of clever lines.
Armstrong evidently wrote the
play under a heavy strain. and while
trying 20 mako II M Florence Rob.
erts. he has given her no chance TO
shine.
Without tearing out the vitais Of
the play on the operating table Il
might be said that three fourths Of
~ II GREAT. but the other one
fourth KILLS a.
II Ia almost Uncomfortable that the
brain that conceived The Heir 20
the Hooroh." the sweetest pureat
romantic drama that America has
produced ~ a decade, could have
perrsctrated such dramatic mon
strOsiiy as Ann Lamont" now r..
A consultation OF surgeons and the
operating table may save II, but
nothing else will.