The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-10-26
THE COLUMBIA.
Louis Mann In 1.-THE Man Who stood
Still"

Eckert Goodman, called THE Man Who
stood still" but as shown by the per-
Torrance II was clearly not Louis Mann,
the actor. who has stood still. Mr. Mann
had. until more recent years, been as
ISOLATED only with musical comedy IN
the guise OF a German dialect comedian.
He made. however. a determined effort
10 break away from the useless creation
OF characters who lived only for the
moment, and cherished an ambition TO
be recognized as an actor. not Of wholly
serious roles. but at least Of parts that
afford him some opportunity 10 vary his
efforts by interpreting comedy and
tragedy by turns.
He has IN THE Man Who stood sun
an abundant chance to show what ne is
capable OF. for the play is little else but
dramatized monologue, in which the
leading character has all the attention
and the interest. Outside OF the pivotal
part. the play and it's types amount to
nothing but setting, pure and simple
for the character Of Johann Krauss,
the man who stood STILL and not
very good setting al that
The play has for It's leading motive the
excellent idea that was set forth so fully
In Mr.. Zangwilrs play Of The Melting
Pot" and IN one respect-that or specific
incident-exemplines more intimately the
basic idea Of the United States being the
great crucible where men and minds OF
all nations are 10 be forged into a great
and lasting type.
Johann Krauss. In his little cellar shop
IN the Bowery, has mended Swiss watches
for twenty years. His father and grand
father have done the same back in the
fatherland, and Johann argues that what
was good enough for them is good
enough FOR him. He is too much OF
dreamer TO recognize that in America
one must keep up with the procession
OF be left altogether. He does not fight
competition but steadily drops back.
until his business is all but gone. His
most immediate rival a hard-headed
Scotchman. MacFerguson, Is a contrast
( ing type OF foreigner, but Il Is from the
comparisons Of Krauss with Joseph
Abrams that the biggest illustration is
drawn
Abrams begins by peddIng jewelry for
krauss. The Jew IS very miserable. but
keen and eager TO see that America holds
forth his only hope for success. He
learns al that Krauss has TO teach him
and then goes over 70 MacFerguson,
only 20 leave him In turn 10 set up an
establishment OF hts own. Meanwhile.
I Krauss goes on. steadily losing ground.
Ia the end Abrams, rich and prosper
Gus, gathers Krauss into the jewery de-
partment Of his great stores, thus show
I ing that the man who stood still' has
no chance In this age OF competition.
The old mans character Is summarized
I I'm a single line. An old Swiss watch is
brought him Tor repairing. He admlres
/ its beauty of workmanship and rhap-
sodizes over 10, comparing II with the
dollar watch that his competitor. Mac
Ferguson IS selling so successfully But
MacFergUson calls attention 10 the one
defect in the Swiss watch--it won't 20.
Cor shouts Krauss.
In this country everythings got 20
I so, or it's no use And so ne finds IL
as time goes on. lie is obliged 10 close
HIS little shop and De absorbed in the
successful business of the man who for
merly worked for him as peddler.
This idea is "a thoughtful appeal and
assuredly deserves better treatment. Tn
fortunately the mixture Of almost mawk-
ish sentiment and generous melod~a-
matte touches. and a totally unnecessary
last act, marks the play indeHbly with
poor Craftsmanship. In truth. the play
has been tin.:ered ar considerably since
Il rrst saw the light and the result IS
that It is patchy. Several periods also
are too long drawn out TO hold the aler:
attention Of the audience
The comedy. however. IN The Man
! Who Stood Stll' would carry any play.
however mediocre. into tolerable success.
/ 1t is here that Nr. Mann is I'm his ele-
ment. He has not. however. become sure
| footed enough among the pits and falls OF
tragic emotion. Where he would appear
/ overcome with grief he succeeds only in
becoming doddering and when he would
/ be emphatic, he IS only noisy and over
vehement This is because he cannot
wholly separate his serious moments from
/ his comedy methods. which by their very
( vehemence and earnestness have made
/ countless hundreds laugh. and VIII again.
/ AT this particular phase Of comlc-sugges-
/ ton Mr.. Mann has no equal He gets
sure and certain response for every single
/ one Of his comedy lines. and al charac-
/ terizing he has great ability
| The greatest fault seems to lie. not with
Mr.. Mann, but with the play. The actor
! finds :, Impossible via the lines furnished
]
/ shadow without sounding a Earring note.
/ It IS a pity that the serious moments OF
/ the drama do not carry with them the
/ conviction that the comic ones do The
! scene Of the pinochle game. in Act III Is
| uproariously funny. and il gains strength
( oy the fact that the actor who PLAYS op-
posite the star-Mr. Louis Hendricks as
/ Edward Spigel-is also a consistent en-
/ bodimeut Of a type Mr. Hendricks
! found his dialect rile bothersome in
| moments Of stress, but was otherwise a
/ thoroughly successful copartner I'm fun
with Mr.. Mann. though as indicated the
latter carries the lions share Of every
! thing on his own shoulders.
! The company represents some extremes
in histrionic ability. OF Nine. Cottrelly.
who plays Katrina Krauss. nothing but
praise could be written or said. Nine
! Cottrelly Is a veteran on our stage in
years. as well as in artistic excellence
! and her quiet humor and well handled
/ sentimental moments gave much charm
| 10 the performance Mr.. John Charles
too, as the earnest Abrams. in whose eyes
! burn the fire Of "A restless ambition and
/ more-a do or die" spirit which IS i'm
bibed by the Jewish immigrant with the
| first breath he draws on Ellis Island-was
/ splendid. His speeches constitute the
/ principal literary value Of the author S
manuscript and they were delivered not
with pugnaciouS insistence. but with
/ diSnihed and telling force.
! Leslie Bassell. Edward Maynard. H. A.
La Motto, Emily Ann Wellman. and Lii
/ Ian Sinnott. represented types not out OF
/ the ordinary, unless so much can be said
/ Of their seeming incongruity in Bowery
/ surroundings. The men and women both
! appeared to be far too well dressed and
/ respectable to be representative OF the
/ folk who are commonly understood to