The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-03-30
Molnar Work Is Clever
Modernization of Old
Theme.
DOES NOT APPEAL
TO BETTER NATURE
Excellent Acting of Arliss Lost in
Offering Barren of Any
Motive.

The best of the devilish plays now
current on our stage was offered FOR
the delectation of Washington last
night at the Belasco Theater. 1t was
the Knota & Larned version Of
Ferenc Molnar's The Devil and
George Arliss and a Fiske company
acted II with entire capability. The
result was that little more than half
an audience received it with laughter
ebout as frequent and applause about
ts hearty as have been extended TO
any Of the half dozen comedy failures
presented here this season.
This Molnar composition has stirred
she stage Of two continents After its
production in Budapest it was i'm
mediareiy translated from Hungarian
into French and German, and acted in
Vienna, Paris and Berlin. Then two
iranslations were made into English
one from the German, which has al
ready been offered 40 Washington by
Henry Savage company, with Edwin
stevens at its head, and another from.
the Hungarian, which is that now being
acted at the Bslasco. Still another
Sorm was acted in America by a COM
pany with Henri E. DiXey as its lead
ing figure. The general judgment has
seemed TO be that Mr.. ArllSS alone of
these three made the role anything
more than mildly interesting; and he
nas been the only one to survive.
WherefOe it seemed best to at least
one critic TO keep his impressions fresh
Tor this particular impersonation.
Conception Not Original.
The conception does not owe its in
terest 10 its originality. There are par
Rllels for II as old as the drama itself.
The very beginning of our stage. the
miracle or morality plays, We're occu-
pied with precisely such themes-the
representation of power for good or
power for evil in carnate form; and
While none OF the oldest Greek comedies
or tragedies dealt mainly with the fg-
Hre of darkness there is hardly one
which did not in some wise include
4. Goethes masterpiece makes the
a'eVh almost its protagonist and the
literature which has its apex in the
Inferno aboundS in tales which in
Guide personal devil and illustrate his
ulcSnlerlc power over mortals.
AS lar as can be judged from this
translation, The Moinar play has its
appeal IN simple, clever. mOdernizing
OF this old theme A good woman in the
prlde OF youthful beauty and sweetness
are pictured as OF our own time in a
city OF modern Europe The Devil
Qerceiving his opportunity, appears to
fhem as the one is about to paint the
portrait OF the other BY di5bolicaI
ingenuity he is able effectively 10 mis-
represent these unfOrtunates 10 them
seIEes, 10 shadow the purity of their
AearJS' 10 awaken into fire the dead
enDerS or an old passion, and TO wreck
tneir llveS-lives Ike ours in an en-
Nironmsnt not unlike ours-with every
ether Interlocked with theirs This Is
accomplished in three usual stage-sef
tIngs, noteworthy only for Mr.. Fiske's
personal good taste, and by means OF a
oidlogue winch Is at times biting and
Arhss a Revelation.
For the incarnation of the Devil Mr..
flske chose Mr.. Arliss. This actor had
engaged attention for several seasons
Tor his ability 10 act human. faulty.
smiling. complacent, with occasional
flashes OF wit that made one wonder if
the character were after ALI so ernnt,-
and subtle. His cOuntenance is sar-
Gonic, his voice light. his manner of
speech somewhat mincing But IL was
lropaDly distinctive personal ami
1ude 10 embroider a characterization
with little revelations Of purpose and
thought that led 10 his selection for
mis- task.
Mr.. Ariiss quite fuIhus all exnecta-
tlons. lie makes himself sufficiently
oetestaDle for every purpose No NO
man = suong IN her purity, no man
earnest IN his uprightness. no motive
UnalloyCd by wrong no strength sUDC-
nor 70 temptation 10 him. A sbaru
brushing OF the hair away from the
temples f'rOaching." the Larbars cslI
iU and an imperturbable smile nm rho
Office Of horns. forked tail and hoofs
lie assumes maryelOusly exasperat-
ing 1oreknoWIedge OF human weakness.
lie mdnlIeStS an actor skill which IS
rather too unusual ia making his
Laughter fairly pleasant and only sue
SestiVe or its unoercUrreut of cyni-
Clsm And All this is framed IN tn
habit and appearance Of a poIIshed
citizen or the world, punctiliousIv tai
lored. confidently insouciant
His chief victims are acted by TTar,i1
ton Revelle and Anne Sutherland The
former is competent, though a UtfIe
tddllng. and the latter one az tho tr-o
bright spots in the performance. for her
personal lOVeiiness, wouanIine-s
which even this play cannot deDrese
and histronic effectiveness which
does credit 10 her training with the
DssL actors OF our generation. The
young girl by Marion Ruckert Mrs
ArllsSs Herbert BUdd and J. Palmer
Collins, who complete the cast, present
interesting thumb-nail drawings OF
character.
Accomplishes No Purpose
But what good is it all? Those who
were present last night were hardly
entertained. They laughed occasionally
and they looked on at the breaking
down Of two natures with the fascina-
ton OF little children who hang over
sore. But there must have been more
than one who came away with A feeling
- though be had been looking AT in
decent pictures or hearing vulgar
stories and a general nausea as though
some one had stuck writing paper down
his throat
The theory is that the play teaches
the Inevitable consequences Of sin that
vice is q monster Of so frigHtful Ynfen
as, 70 be hated, needs but 10 be seen.
Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face.
We first endure. then pity. then en-
brace This, IL Is argued, Is the teach