The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-01-02
New York. Dec. 81.

full much 10 say about mere phOtOg-
raphy" In the theater might retire a little
less curly of the lip If they had suffered
the premieres Of a certain December q,
1909. In the afternoon Arnold DAILY pro-
duced Paul Hervieus "Connais-toi," put
into English by Algernon Boyesen, but
I suspect some school Of languages. Even
in moments OF the tensest anxiety, the
most overwhelming passion. the persons
talked in careful. elaborate. elegantly
Rounded phrases. They conversed like edi-
torials chopped up into dialogue-and not
much chopped at that. There is no ex-
cuse for casting a drama into such stilted
terms. but there is a reason. Hervieu,
academieian and honored Itterateur. be-
longs TO that small school of French
dramatists who write for the Coincide
Franchise and the Odeon, and who appear
TO think the whole dramatic structure
would collapse If they once let them
selves down to nature.
This Know Tkvself" presents two of
those familiar French triangles instead
Of one. Where they cross and clash and
a general surprises his cousins wife
stealing from a bachelors apartments he
advises that cousin 10 the steInest course.
But when he learns that the seducer was,
in fact, his son, and furthermore that the
man suspected is really the lover of his
own youthful second wife, the old gentle
man is considerably cut up. He reels of
some OF the grandest language ever
penned. We-the style editorial seems
necessary-would Ike to know what
French-Engllsh dictionary Mr.. Boyesen
uses. A testimonial from him would be
invaluable to the publishers.
Last Play of Clyde Fitch.
A viciously crazed young man shoots to
death a girl he married an hour ago and
tries to kill himself; but her brother dis
arms the murderer; a desperate fight en-
sues for the pistol. and the wretch is
saved from suicide TO await lawful pun
ishment for his crime There are suffi-
cient reasons, Of course, why that violent
physical encounter. which ordinarily
might not move spectators much, makes
an emotional and intellectual masterpiece
of "The City" The news that a postum
nous play by Clyde Fitch was not a
comedy with women dominant, but a
tragedy with men for remarkably potent
factors, was not exaggerated IN the tele-
graph dispatches
Fitch lived many years in very costly
luxury from the proceeds OF his light and
most trivial work Nothing that he wrote
was other than ephemeral. I know that
he held some Of it in contempt He
seemed more mercenary than worthily
ambitious. However. when he had ac-
cumulated a fortune sufficient to richly
endow himself and his parents for the
rest of their lives. he decided to write a
big, broad drama Of deadly passions He
died within a month after its completion
He left other and usual manuscripts; but
his wisely affectionate mother has de-
eided that none OF them shall be acted.
because she wishes the last memory Of
him to rest on his only wholly serious
composition.
Would you like to fully comprehend
how Fitch made THE City psychological
and metaphysical with murder and an
attempt at suicide? Then read this para
graph twice If don't write It so that once
renders the subject clear. George Rand
comes TO New York with an ambition to
make fame and fortune. He gets the for
tune quickly through rogueries in high
finance, and a nomination for the gov
ernorship of the Empire State seems sure
TO bring him fame. Fitch has created him
so strenuous, reliant, and selfish that he
doesn't know he is a scoundreL He as
sures the nominating committee that no
mudrake could dig up anything to dis
qualify him for a great public Office
Fitch's other singular creation for this
play, Frederick Hancock, doesn't know
he is a half-brother 10 Rand. but is
aware that his mother was seduced by
Rands father Hammock is a moral and
physical degenerate. addicted to NOR
phine and living on the price Of HIS
silence about the Rand family scandal
He sees in Raad's governorship an op-
pOrtunity for further blaCkmail and de-
mands a promise Of graft or he will let
the skeleton out OF the closet. That's the
situation at the start q the great middle
act The first and last arr no5 remark
able.
A Stirring Climax.
Now for the intensity of the action
Hammock nerves himself with a hypoder-
mic injection Of morphine for the cour-
age to threaten politically destructive
exposure Of Rand's financial crookedness.
Rand covers abjectiy before the black
mailer. Then Hammock tells him that
marriage with his sister will unite their
interests. Impossible. says Rand. Quite
possible, says Hammock, for they are Just