The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-11-27
"The Third Degree,

"The Third Degree"
 'sThe Third Degree" Charles Klein's Hest triumph begins an enga cement the Jefferson theatre Monday night, |ecember 5, where 1t will remain for Fo nights and Tuesday matinee and Is expected that few, if any. dra-
 attic offerings of the season will att l act more attention.
 The story in brief concerns the life one Howard Jeffries after his sus- |ension from college, marriage with a laitress from a restaurant and ulti-
 ate abandonment of family ties. How Fd's wife though the unculturel laughter of a saloonke per, Is a girl
 orthy of the serious Intentions of the oung man, and he displays his good Judgment in the choice of his heart, Rgardless of the narrow mindedness ! his ultra -aristocratic. father.
 Facing dire need and to prevent the |bcessity of his wife seeking employ
 ent for their maintenance, Howard Ills at the house of friend and debt i of college days in hope of d loan. he friend, Robert Underwood, is on
 e eve of bankruptcy and while list hing to d tale of misfortune the young |bnedict partakes of too frequent |-aughts of a nearby decanter until E falls off into a sound slumber on davenport While still sound asleep uch happens in the room withou his |howledge. His stepmother calls in hswer to a threatening letter from 'nderwood, with whom she has pre-
 ously had an affair of the heart. Af- r denouncing him for making a
 reat of committing suicide Mrs. Jeff lies leaves firm in her belief that Underwood is too much of a coward commit such deed. Underwood has Rmly made up his mind, however and Sth cal:n and deliberate manner,
 es the ouse. stels into an ad-
 Ming roo %-and a glnshot Is heard
 ling of his action. After 30 seconds
 e curtain rises on the famous police
 quisition scene. which is supposed ] have lasted seven hours. Howard hs been seized by the police while was attempting to effect an exit om the darkened room after waking 'om his snooze, and, after a severe Iquiry in the hands of bullying Srceful police captain, he confesses Is guilt of murdering the man who
 a suicide. The confession is won
 means of visual captivation of the
 ght steel barrel of the revolver ILshed quickly before the eyes of the Ieakened suspect and mental sugges- 'on. Towards wife, Annie, believes in s innocence and the battle and wor- she is subjected to before estab- 'shing his acquittal and paternal in- Prsement gives one of the most pleas | examples of stagecraft seen in bars. The psychological study afford ! through the play is said to give 1t a Iarked degree of prominence over any the plays seen in some time past
 Henry B. Harris promises a strong Est. which includes Hiss Fernando ' mi nil ri Ialph Ramsay, Frazer Coulter, James beley, Walter Craven, Earle Williams, bymour Stratton. James Cody, Lida iacMillan and others The four scenes the play are said to be magnifi- tntly mounted.
 Mrs. Fiske
 Mrs. Fiske, said to be America's fore ost dramatic artist, will be seen in the reatest role of her career Becky harp" at the Jefferson theatre Thurs
 y night next.
 HBecky sharp in which Mrs. Fiske's falization of the immortal Becky"
 ands as one of the most signal contri- lttons that the American stage has nown, is a dramatization of Thackeray's
 mous novel Vanity Fair" made by hngdon Mitchell. With its various groups of strongly Snerentiated characters and it's multi kcisy of incidents. Vanity Fair has
 ,ays been held to be replete with dra-
 (kic material. It has been said that
 Gre are a dozen plays in the novel.
 any have been made, but none other
 an this, by Langdon Mitchell, ever
 ored any particular success. No skill
 l dramatist should ever attempt to
 ake a play of the book without mak-
 Becky the central figure, since the
 terest centers and radiates with her as
 @ principal object of the story. MT.
 itchell, in making his play, put every hportant incident in which Becky pre-
 minates into his work. He displayed
 markable appreciation of the dramatic dues of the novel, and an equally pro-
 unced ability in assembling them in
 amatic sequence. Experts have con- hued to marvel at the symmetry of . r. Mitchel's work, the march of it's Tents, and the completeness of the story
 it is unfoldpd. In the play as 1t ands the reader of Vanity Fair will .hd that peculiar satisfaction which Rws from the picturing of a favorite
 nel on the stage-the living embod-
 ht of its characters, and the actuality
 it's scenes-while one unacquainled
 h Thackeray's story, if there be such
 pns. will snjoy the play as perfect