The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-11-05
RIGHT OF way" STAGED
GILBERT PARkER'S NOVEL
TURNED INFO A MELODRIMA.

Guy staining and Theodore Roberts Pray
II at WaHack's with a Halfway sort Of
success-A Books . Book. After All.
and a Plays q Play; why Mix 'Em?
At least us best sellers ago. which was a
long. long time, indeed. Gilbert Parker
wrote a book all about Charlie Steele, a
very devil Of a fellow. who wore a monocle
and was "a cynical that he even doubted
sometimes his own greatness.
Charlie got n blow on the head one night
down in the Cote Darian. a dive by the
river, and that made him f0rgct his part.
Three years without brandy and with
Rosalie (who was not the daughter OF the
Cure. AZ somebody supposed last night
madea new man ofhim. But then a surgeon
got hold of him and did a little modelling
with his skull. 80 that his past part all came
back to him. So he renowned Rosalie.
recalling that he already had one wife.
whom, by the way. ne did not love. 1t
was all very sad and very, very romantic
The book was a best seller. was IL notr Any
way. it was a we'll told story and could
easily keep one up till l A. NJ.
IL has now been resurrected. dramatized,
and last night il was exhibited AZ Wallack's
Theatre. with Guy Standing as Charlie
Steele and Theodore Roberts at Joe POr-
faq1is Cthe most authentic character alike
in the book and the play.
II was surprising how few in the au-
dience remembered the story well enough
to say how and where the play differed.
But that only emphasized the futility here.
as so often, Of the dramatized novel. For
as set forth on the stage, without the aid
Of detailed exposition. Of lights and shadows,
Of background and explanation, the char
aoter Of Charlie Steele was reduced TO an
absurdity.
Doubtless this absurdity existed in the
story, If one had plumbed for II, putting
away all Influences of Sir Gilbert's style
and lively narrative. We do not now re-
call. But certainly on the stage last night
Charles "wickedness," his doubts his
aouestions' were the acme OF the conven-
tional, as unreal as the ~pasteboard walls OF
his office.
His eternal question, what is life?"
was asked with a sophomore sadness and
something less than a sOphomore's keen
ness of vision. His ~wickedness, if it existed
a, alI-which you doubted-was mere
weakness. One can be patient with
pessimism when it is sincere and intelligent,
one can be interested in vice when 1t repre-
sents a real point Of view. But vice and
pessimism as a mere stage pose, decked
out with all the dear, bromide accessories
ia tiresome, hollow and cheaply melo-
! dramatic. And that is what results in Mr.
Eugene Presbrey's stage version OF The
Right OF Way"
Becoming melodrama, then, at the very
start. the play moved az tC
its not oversatisfactory conclusion Cyou
are left 10 guess whether Charlie ever got
| Rosdlie or not; there was no good reason
yvbv he shouldn't.) It's chief dramatic
| ~device-that Of memory lost by a blow
and restored by a surgeons not new
we have had it as lately as Mrs. Letting
wells Boots" The story on the stag
has lost a good deal Of its romantic charm
and gained nothing in the emotional ehec
! ~tiveness of its leading situations. 1t car
hardly he called more than a halfway sue
GuV Standing il well equipped by nature
for the role of Charlie Steele. he IL large
physical and he can be enectlyely oynlca
IN a rather obvious way, as well as effect
iveIv sincere and romantic. He can. too
sUin1 A scene in the broad style OF melo
drama. The part probably lost nothing
In his hands. Theodore Roberts. wnos'
hahitant dialect a il anything, too
realistic, had. as Joe POrtugGis. the on
ifeiike and significant part in the drama
He played It with excellent effect, will
10Th 10 character and no little emOtiona
sircaritv. The others in the cast do no
ali Tor ommen one way or the other
Mr. Presbrey made a neat little speech
aRtar the third act. He seemed to lOol
Sorward TO to-day's issues OF Che news
-ararN with a somewhat overfiatLerInl
-PaHSabanaion as il their verdict carried M
| ccbance OF appeal. Is the right Of weigh
40 imnortant then? We are terribly chas