The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1910-06-02
Improper
Characterization
OF Prisoners in Stage Plays Aero
batus Believes, Does Great
Harm and No Good.

For some unknown reason, the
theatergoing public who infest that
big. burg over in the vicinity of Ellis
Island, seem to possess an enormous
appetite for romantic dramas that
portray the ups and downs of deni-
zens from the under world.
Paul Armstrong, one of the latest
to cause the metropolis to stay up
after the curfew rings, has woven an
interesting story around an old char
acter under new name.
As clever piece of fiction for a
srnoking-ca novel, or subject for
a motion-picture film, it could be en-
dured, if taken moderately.
But as play to be presented ona
stage, one of our greatest education
al mediums by the way, it is s-well,
the uninitiated may cotton to it, but
at the utmost it will only bring forth
smile from those behind bars who
are being characterized.
The trouble with this class of plays
is this: The authors, instead of going
into the jungle to procure lifelike
snapshots of their characters. sit in
their dens and try to make rubber
plants out of their imaginations.
If the convict is such an interest
ing type that whole play is based
on one of the FIVE senses that nature
has endowed him with, then he is
worthy of an important part in play
that isn't tainted with argot and pris
on stripes.
On the other hand, if he is char
acterized as an imbecile, or degener-
ate, in play full of absurd situations
where ultimately there is no moral,
then he is not worthy of the part and
should be omitted from the cast.
In Alias Jimmy Valentine we have
play where crook holds the win
ming hand all through the production
and is not punished at the thrilling
finish, as he should be, in order to
give the piece an instructive aspect.
Let us see. Here is the essence:
Several members of a Helping
Hand Society are being entertained
by some of the inmates of Sing Sing.
The Warden exhibits them one at
time and says they are loco, or words
to that effect.
One of the lady visitors. recognizes
one of the convicts as the man who
threw another crook through car
window for making insulting over
lures to her some time previous to
her visit to Sing Sing. She repeats
the incident to her friends and later
on the convict is released and given
position in her fathers bank.
Then along comes detective look
ing for him to answer to a charge OF
bank robbery he committed before
he went to Sing Sing. But he was
prepared for the d e tie ctive and
plays the trump card The detective
is just about to depart and leave him
in peace, when in rushes another
crook who works in the bank and
tells his pal that one of the two kid
lets that have been playing in the
bank, is locked in the new vault.
Well, the combination forgot to
come on the same train with the vault,
SO Jimmy does the sandpaper racket
on his fingertips and opens the vault
as easily as tin Of sardines with a
can-opener.
During the time Jimmy was open
ing the vault, the detective and the
bankers daughter came in unobserv-
ed and witnessed part of the proceed
ings. The detective s sure now
that Jimmy is the long wanted cul-
prit, but instead of arresting him, he
discovers that Jimmy and the bank
er's daughter are in love; SO he shirks
duty and they are supposed to live
happy ever after. Exit.
Continued N cogslsns 2 th,s paUe.)