The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-08-23


who could expect MephistopheIean f;c-
lion from him that would more than
cast dim shadow in the brilliance of
Goethes Faust?" His play has been
acted IN most of the European coun-
tries with eminent actors for its Sa-
TAN AS there is no reciprocity of
copyright between Austria and the
United States. Molnar could not pro-
.ect MS work In this country. He sold
ms practlcaiiy valueless sanction to
colonel Henry w. Savage to use the
material. which Savage tested down
east IN July, and dated a New York in
troouotion for mid September. Harri-
son Grey t1ske sent cast of eight
persons TO Tarrytown. the Sleepy Hol-
low OF Washington Irving, a month
ago, to rehearse the principal roles.
told them that their jobs would come
TO naught if they blabbed a word of
what they were at, and so got ready
to advertise last Monday morning that
he would produce the play at one of
David Belasco's theatres on Tuesday
evening That was the first news of
the forestalling exploit. Colonel Saw
age summoned his scattered company
IN haste by kilograms, and announced
in the Monday afternoon journals that
his first New York performance, too,
would be given on Tuesday evening
Those were the preliminaries to a duel
and oual presentation of 1.-THE Devil'
by Fiske in alliance with Belasco and
by Savage in association with the
Klaw & Erlanger syndicate. 1 don't
dabble often in the business of the
drama. but in this case the row is so
peculiar as to be interesting.
X y
The merit of THE DeviP' is matter
of literature and dramatic art, though,
and at this Wednesday morning writ
ing 1 can't assure you that it will be
appreciated by other American audi
ences than its initial two as it ought
to be and probably will. The small
doubt arises from the coldly unsympa-
thetic nature of its characters. The
Devil is not much more prone to devil
try than those he tempts along in
evil courses. An artist and his friends
wife are lovers, but they have done no
wrong, and she, for the sake of moral
safety, has promoted wedlock for him
with good girl Those facts are dis
closed in his xtudio by his dismissal
of his fond girl model The wife is
there 10 sit for her portrait. A big,
carved chair Is placed with its back
towards us, for her to pose in, and be-
hind it is a screen not unlike a reredos
in Roman Catholic or Protestant
Episcopal church. Up from this sane
tum-kind of a construction the Devil
rises. He is vaguely Mephistophelean
in aspect. though without horns, hOofs
or tail protruding from under his
clothes of modern cut. However, he
instantly gets to work Economically.
More than the briefest summary of
what he does wouldn't hold your at
tention i'm print, although in stage ac-
ton his gleeful deviltry might engross
you.
The Intellectually of 1.-THE Devil" its
subtle aIlegory, its moral purpose, lies
in the fact that this tangible, potent,
sardonic master from hades might be
regarded as invisible to the persons he
tempts. and the sophistries with which
he leads them astray might be taken
for the voices of their own unholy ten
denotes. He argues and disputes with
the others. illustrates their virtuOus
motives, furthers their vicious DESIRES
and as a finally of satanic influence,
the artist takes the wife away from
her husband, dishonors his affianced
bride and devotes to infamy his loving
model. And all of it is but the Devils
single days amusement. When his
ruination of four persons is complete,
he comes forward to the footlights,
leers at the audience, jerks his thumb
back at his victims. and says, jovially:
well, why not?"
X 4
Edwin Stevens is Savage's Devil and
George Arliss is Fiskes. If Henry Ir-
wing were alive, he could place this
among the best in his gallery of por-
trayals. Stevens had racketed sleep
lessly by rail to get here from Nova
Scotia just in time for the perform
ance and was said to be exhausted;
his comrades were unready, and no
doubt many helpful details were left
out that will be put in. Comparison,
therefore. would be unfair. The oppo-
sition was all ready. | noted but one
weakness, and that was in a scene at a
ball, where the movement and chatter
of minor guests didn't show the care
full control seen in Fiske productions;
and l wondered why, until heard that
these supernumeraries had rehearsed
only once with the principals, as, for
fear they might reveal the secresy of
the preparations. they hadn't been
taken to Tarrytown. but had been pre-
pared in town, as they thought, for
some play in which Mrs. Fiske would
appear AS to Arliss, he was loaded
right to hit a mark high up. He was
weird in his wickednesS, a thing of
diabolism separate and apart from his
victims, never quite with them, always
back of them, evil for the mere sake of
hellishness, a creation to be admired
by people of critical taste. but what
will the multitude think of it?
X X x
A woman in THE Man From Home"
says TO the hero whenever he vexes
her with low-voiced repartee: Don't
humble your words" 1t is such a
catch Erase as dramatists used to think
essential. but of late have discarded.
and on the opening night in New York
it didn't count for laughter until it
was spoken by some one in the audi
ence. That was when William Hodge,
the number, was called out to say
something for himself. Real or mock
modesty made him inaudible. Don't
humble your words" came loud and
clear from away back in the parquet.
Hodge tried TO laugh with the people;
yet, when they listened again, he
raised his voice to say Thank you,"
and so l can't tell you whether he
mentioned Booth Harrington. This
actor and this author ought to feel
very much obliged to each other. The
play has another author, Harry Leon
Wilson. but / take it that he formulat-
ed II, and wrote most of It's straight
away matter while the Indiana novel
ist provided the colloquial wit and hu-
NOR for the man" mentioned in tht
title as "from home. A whole long
season in Chicago had left no doubt of