The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-10-17
THE THEATER in NEW YORK
FRANKLIN FYLES ENTERTAINMENT CHATS OF THE
LATEST PLAYS ON AND ABOUT BROADWAY

cessation of hostllitles is worth $4,000.
The money is 10 be passed in the editor
room, which he sets as a trap 70 catch
his visitor. while the audience gets keenly
interested. He fastens the receiver Of IA
telephone open and places It on the cor
ner Of his desk, between his seat and the
chair the guest will take. and sends two
stenographers to a distant room. where
they maye take down the impending con-
versation from the other end Of the wire
The Judge walks into the ambush, but
not carelessly. He sees 10 ii that all the
doors lead TO rooms containing no listen
ers. The phone, though. with its receiver
fixed open. escapes his suspicion. He
takes a seat close 10 II at one side, and
the editor at the other. The dialogue
covers the purchase and sale succinctly.
For $1,000 in hand paid the editor is 10
cease his exposures. In none OF the other
muck-rake dramas has the offer OF a
bribe been shown so graphically or en-
crossed the audience so absolutely. The
actors - Charles Stevenson and Charles
Waldron-give intensity 70 the scene, but
no noise. nor any cOmmotion The money
is counted out. The men stand up. The
judge extends the handful Of bills. At
that instant the flashlight for a snap
shot photograph explodes and glares. A
very sensational picture has been made
by a concealed camera for publication
In the Advance.
CreScendO of Interest.
Exceptional In having a crescendo Of
interest clear through. instead Of dimin-
uendo for the final act, is this drama Of
The Fourth Estate" The applause is
slow to cease; a minute Of silence fol-
lows; then buzz Of comment arises. The
outcome is not clear and cannot be sur
missed. The conclusion Of the play is not
IN sight. The nights time in the Advance
ONCE Is hot enough but will Il cool of
or will IFS red heat rise to white? A clat-
ter precedes the lift OF the curtain A
newspaper composing room is opened I'D
battery Of typesetting machines fills
most OF the stage. but leaves space for
makeup tables. copy desks. and the night
EDITORS den. The hour OF going 20 press
Is close by. A front page with the dia-
rogue between the editor and the Judge
and the snapshot picture, II ready for
the presses. Brand is exultant But his
zeal as socialist has brought heart
break, TOO. He and Judge Bartelmys
daughter used TO be sweethearts. Now
'-~a ~ N'AA lAAANNs AAlAA Is Alt DlHN
love story. She comes 10 plead that for
her sake he will not drive her father
from the judicial bench To deny her
frantic prayer IS a supreme test OF his
determination. but he stands II. and hears
her denounce him as cruelty heartless.
Well. that's over. What other obstacle
can come In the few minutes before what
he deems his duty to the people will have
trlumphed over his love Of Judith Bar
telmy?
Why. a command by owner Nolan.
: es' the judge has promised social ad-
Vancement 70 Mrs. and Miss Nolan n the
advance does not publish the dialogue
and photograph Of the mock bargain.
m sorry for you, my boy" Nolan
says; but this means q lot 70 my wife
and daughter Don't run this page KIN
IL That's a positive order" AS Brand
slumps into a chair. limp and aChast- his
adds kindly, Don't take II so
hard. Things viii look brighter to Won
tomorrow. Come and talk with me
Your salary shall be doubled" and he
goes out.
Author N Socialist.
The author of THE Fourth Estate Is
Joseph Medill Patterson. son OF the Chi
,ago Tribune's editor and chief owner
and an earnest Socialist. Naturally. hts
depletion OF life and work I'm a daily
newspaper office IS copied from the real
things as he has studied them; but al
though he has had the expert helm OF
Harriet Ford in shaping the play. I am
surprised by its bold and strong orie,- !
lality In dramatic effects. I'd 10 the min |
ute or the final curtain there Is no hint
)t what the end will be. Brand suddenly
lecioes to destroy the Judge profession I
ally and himself physically; so he sends /
ne forbidden page to the pressroon. and
men says calmly: I guess that Is thirty I
Ter me, only here and there a person /
n the audience knows that thirty" In a 1
newspaper Office means that the last copy 4
or the night Is IN and that the final form 1
II type may be hurried 10 the presses /
Brands thirty tells but a few that he
S through with his work and is going 70 /
luit life So when he turns off the light 4
md pistol shot is heard. the climax Of /
suicide is nearly complete surprise.
Not all grim is this showing of an eni-
ode In Journalism Fun comes out In l
pots. TWO humorous characters are
'ylvy Nolan. the owners silly young
on' Who undertakes 10 get a portrait OF |
lis pet show girl into papa's paper. and
us chum. Powey. who writes verses TO
'e printed with the SIRENS picture. Brand
ays no 10 them, but gives the poet a
nance as a reporter and tells him to go
o the city editor. Where Is hep the
lew one asks. You're a reporter now >.
he editor replies See il you can ana
I'm" Powey's first assignment is a
ound Of police stations He returns with
qulre Of paper written closely with
'oetic thoughts concerning a woman who
las committed suicide in an evil resort
3rand gives him an offhand lesson by
hrowing his column OF copy into a waste
'asket and writing in It's stead: Mary
Srown, an inmate of n house in Cherry
treet- killed herself last night. She was
weary Of a life Of prostitution" The
rushed poet picks his disdained manu-
cript out Of the waste basket and de-
arts.
That comic incident leads 10 the last
lords OF the drama, and they are not
poken. Brand. just before ordering the
atetul page sent to press. despite Nolan'S
rider. takes out the item about Mary
rown and puts what he mentions cas1i-
lly as a X correction" in the same
age with the big sensation. When the
ction concludes with his suicidal shot
the dark. the changed item is thrown
the curtain enlarged and illumined
Wheeler Brand. an inmate of the Ad-
ance Office, killed himself last night. He
'as weary of life of prostitution"
FRANKLIN FYLES.
Warfield Home Again.