The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-01-20
ADJUSTMENTS.
"The Girl From Rectors"
 .f-rf,rraD,G NynmH

''The Girl From Rector's," by Paul M. Porter, is free version of the famous comedy, s.Loute," which has had trium- phant career in Europe. Based on the strange theory that married men often lead double lives, and that the saint of the rural home may be the Lothario of the city, MT. Potter hesitated to introduce this comedy to a community where. he believed. "in his innocence" that married men of double lives were practically un- known, but as many recent lawsuits have tended to prove the contrary, the manage ment has now decided to produce this play, in the hope that it will serve a
 warning to American husbands, and strengthen the hands of matrons and maids, who are battling for the purity of the American home.
 If MT. Potter, "in his innocence" im- agined for a moment that he was doing a service to his country in translating and adapting ''Loute" for use on the Amer ican stage under the caption of 'The Girl
 From Rector s." he made a grievous mis-
 take. AS a matter of fact, tho authors
 note, which seems to be a sort of excuse
 for the play, is either the refinement of
 irony or else balderdash. Let us be char
 itable and say tho authors note is irony; otherwise his "innocence'' may appear im- beetle.
 "The Girl From Rector's" is probably about the filthiest exhibition that was ever set before audiences in what purport to be the frst-class theatres of this coun- try. Such shows in the vernacular Ego great in burlesque houses and razzle- dazzle places of anus ement where no de- cent woman would care to be seen, but to put such a play before the wives and daughters of a town is about the limit. To make matters worse, some of the worst features were not vitally concerned l with the action of the plot, and some of | the nastiest jokes could have been elimi- mated without seriously effecting the | legitimate portions of comedy, if such a | nauseous mess can be dignifled with the | term Legitimate" No; no innuendo sus- | ceptible of a double construction must be
 overlooked nothing lascivious must be l left out, in order to make the piece a Ego"
 | And it was a "go'' all right. When | the girl from Rector's, the wife of a
 judge who was about as low down as | she got drunk on champagne and in neg l ligee attire did some stunts. with the as- l sistance of three other women and a large 1 part of the profigate male contingent, which for downright nastiness would have 1 made poor Salome shed tears of hopeless | envy and the sinuous. sensuoue tWisters l of the far east seem tame in comparison, | the house cheered enthusiastically. The | hit was immense. But that was only one feature 'The Girl From Rector's' l reeks with obscenity, and after the va | rlous participants in the series of esca- | pades depicted patch up their differences in the last act. the impression prevails | very strongly that the whole bunch Is
 rotten to the core and never will be other 1 wise.
 Morals" forsooth! It's fine moral lesson .'The Girl From Roctors" teaches, and the decent women of Birmingham who saw the play last night owe the play wright a vote of thanks for preachments so thoughtfully devfsed
 There is absolutely no excuse for such nlay as Ane Girl From Rector's," save I desire on the part of theafri"sf '-'- =