New-York tribune., 1910-01-09
LONDON PLAYS
n Sporting Piece-HoHday
Pdntomimes.

London. December y
A sporting drama has been the novel
feature Of Boxing Night. II is genuine
meIodrama OF the pfizsring in the dash
ing spirit Of the earlS nineteenth cen
fury. when fighting with gloves or bare
fists was a national sport The House
OF Temperley," az the AdeIphi. by Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle. is not an adapta-
ton OF Rodney stone but the central
idea Is drawn from that novel II IA a
vivid play. with the most realistic ring
fight ever seen on the London stage.
Not even Corbett and Gentleman Jack
when they appeared fifteen years ago az
Drury Lane in a big bout. gave a more
spirited exhibition than the two boxers.
Mr.. Charles Maude and Mr.. Reginald
Davis. do when they strip and have
real knockout The piece Is strongly
tinged with sporting color Tor there are
scenes in the champions saloon. the ring
az Crawley Down and the COMMITTEES
room Of the Walters Club, where
blackguard is expelled from membership
as a card sharper There Is a slender
story. with the slightest OF love interests
If audiences are attracted-and the first
one was extremely enthusiastic VII
be from curiosity and taste for strenu-
Gus sport
As the story goes Sir Charles Temper
ley. impersonated by Mr. Ben Webster,
has run through his fortune and ex-
| hausted his credit by persistent and
reckless gaming and excesses OF various
kinds His estates are threatened oy
creditors. and in his extremity he makes
a final plunge on a prizedght- II Is 4
disastrous throw Of the dice, for his man.
/ Ginger Stubbs. forcftly kidnapped BY
1 the enemy. Is unable 10 come 70 time
At the last moment Captain Jack
/ Temperlev. a younger brother, enters tns
/ ring and knocks out his opponent N the
/ fifteenth round. The family home .
saved. the sentimental affair IN which
/ the two brothers are in love with tns
! same girl is Strengthened out, ana ths
/ curtain falls upon a military scene WITH
( a mine explosion in the trenches during
[ the Peninsrlar War There is no lack OF
/ sport. for. in addition 70 the big hghr IN
/ The ring. there is a brisk encounter Win
/ gloves in a saloon, with the champion as
7 a spectator and a coterie OF pugiiists,
/ and with Ginger Stubs impersonared oy
that fine actor Mr.. Edmund Gwenn. as
/ an agile boxer pitIed against Mr. a =
/ Homewood The main contest IS ad-
I nirablv stage managed. The crowd
I cheers. boots, is wildly excited ana
swayed by evil passions Only three
t rounds are seen by the audience-rhe
I first and the last two-but the mob OF
+ syrnpathizers is an interesting study dur
ing the interval II is hard. strenuous
f realism, with the manners and vices OF
! the Regency effectively reproduced and
, a bit OF heroisrn at the end when Sir
/ Charles Temperley dies in the trenches
/ in order 10 save his brothers life.
/ A good exhibition OF a prizedght with
/ a we'll drilled crowd 20 watch the rounds
/ with brutal interest cannot truthfully be
[ described either as an intellectual treat
! or as a poetical entertainment appealing
/ TO the imagination There is nothing IN
/ IL TO elevate public taste Curiosity may
/ be excited by "reminiscences OF one OF
| the most shameful recreations OF the
| Regency. but the play. with its black
legs and bruisers. its gamblers cheats
and nobbIers. leaves bad taste in Jhe
mouth Two men put up a pair Of
DUACES ~ AlS-4t 1OA 414O-4-E an 49,
heavily. and a mob OF spectators are
gambling on the result with insane
( frenzy. There is nothing depending
upon the fight except the money
! wagered. and indirectly the Temperley
7 estate, and nobody IN the audience IS
likely to be intensely interested either II
the plot or in the love affair Realism IS
I the sole attraction. and il Is not without
! drawing power The stage management
OF the crowd is as good as anything that
/ has been done at Mis- Majesty's Theatre
and that is the highest standard OF ex-
I Cellence. Probably Sir Arthur Conan
I Doyle. who is an ardent patriot, has
! thought that something is 10 be gained
I by the exhibition of the strenuous sports
! of Englishmen during the Nap0leOnic
era. when they were always trained for
I fighting and kept themselves in the pink
/ of condition on the physical side there
I is a marked contrast with modern de-
seneracy. and on the moral side Eng
land Of the twentieth century has an ad-
vantage from the abandonment Of de-
/ grading sport.
Peter Pan and The Blue Bird,' de-
lIghtful fantasies appealing 10 the inasl-
nations of young and old. have not killed
/ off old-fashiOnsd pantCmime- The su-
| perior. poetic holiday drama has Softened
and refined the crudities and cOarssneSA
! of the conventional entertainments fe
1 children AT Drury Lane IN 'Aladt'~
there are exquisite effects OF color IN COS
| TUNES and scenery. whereas there were
| formerly garish splendOrs- These are
/ conspicuous in the Garden Of Light. Win
the transition from moonlight 10 dawn
in an arena with messy banks and forest
/ Slades. where prisstesses Cf the lamp
dance rhythmicaIy and one circle OF
CoryphSes is added TO another with freSh
combinations of delicate tintS- Nhen
Aladdin has seized the lamp. which mas
been shining like pale moon hiSh IN
air, the jeweIled effects Of color N
garden OF irises fade away behind
screen of willows sparkling with dew
The market place in Pekins. with IT'S
dainty little people in quaint clothes -
another lovely spectacle; the palace gar
| dams are a dream OF deNghI. the nla<ic