Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-24
Columbia.


A quiet and idyllic opening was ar
ranged for The Trail OF the Lonesome
Pine. June, the strange girl OF the
| mountains, was to steal across the lore
ground of the picture in silence Wild
creature of the rocks and WOODS IL was
to be a tiny touch of pantomlme "illca
symbolized her character
But the audience would not permit the
intention to be carried out. As the rise
of the curtain revealed a moun ain PIC
ture with foreground of exquisite de-
tail and a perspective which melted away
into splendid rugged distances the audi
ence began to applaud. As one detail
after another caught the eye the ap-
plause was renewed. First the lonesome
pine. which stood forth like pictured
prologue, was hailed with welcoming
recognition. Then the realization that the
water which tumbled over the rocks was
real brought forth another storm of
handclappins. There was applause Tor
the blossoming that seemed to be bu! ST
ing from the rocks in beauteous pro-
fusion, and applause for the rugged hills,
whose wooded gaps seemed filled with
mystery and romance. And when June.
barefoot and with hair streaming to
across the stage the house re-echoed in
positive ovation.
1t seemed too much enthusiasm to be
sustained throughout the evening: II left
fear that the scenic artist mad over
whemed the authorship. But the story
material as it developed called for no
less emphatic demonstrations of the
spontaneous sort. in which the willing but
perfunctory usher had no appreciahle
part. The story by Mr.. John Fox provid
ed a fine poetic spirit. which was reflected
subtly but powerfully not only In artistry
of scene, but in incident and dialogue.
The character delineation needed the
hand OF a craftsman like Eugene Walter.
who consents to study audiences and their
moods and resorts to assertive force
rather than risk the loss of a point by
dependence on delicate suggestion.
While there is much in the way of de-
tail which does not measure up to the
standards of accurate delineation, the
vital clinaxes ring so true that the de-
ficiencieS are overwhelmed by the merits
and are forgotten. Some of the dialect
would not pass unchallenged by philolo-
gist who has interested himself even in a
slight degree in the variations of speech
in different parts of the continent. An
actor in playing a dialect part is likely to
overlook the fine distinctions of pronun-
citation which characterize different types
of humanity in the same locality. The
dialect of the southern mountains Is not
the dialect of the southern cotton fields.
Miss Charlotte Walker is the central
and controlling figure of the performance.
Her picture of June * dramatically ap-
pealing and admirable even where II
seems to contradict the requirements of
close character analysis. Instead of por-
tray:ng the intense steady reserve Of the
mountain character, she makes this
heroine the exceptional type and endows
her with impetuouS abandon and frank
emotionality. For the needs Of the play
this doubtless serves purpose. At all
events. there can be no question that in
the great scenes she realizes the part with
compelling force and fine dignity.
The role OF the old mountaineer played
by w s. Hart, is a creation Of extraor-
binary power worthy at times to rank
with the tragic majesty of some of the
oldtme giants of the classic stage. Will
lard Robertson as Dave Toliver. June's
cousin. gave a fine character portrayal of
the sullen yet impetuous youth. who re-
fleets his surroundings and upholds the
code of retribution. the code OF his time
and place. as against all other laws Some
of the minor character parts were rather
too much in the spirit of conventional rus
tic comedy. and the speeches allotted to
them would scarcely suggest more finely
wrought interpretation The role of Jonn
Hale was played by Berton Churchill. in
a manly. straightforward way, and his
young partner. played by Richard Stir
ling, was natural and sincere.
The story moves on. with the momen-
tum of bigness, until the final act. which
is brief and more like an epilogue than
al pal vi Tic SUI ltSClt 1Hc
vigorous method of the narrator Is aban-
doned, and the union of the man and the
girl is made the one sufficient culmina-
ton of a story in which some rather COM
pick social and psychological suggestions
have arisen. 1t is in effect a return to
the atmosphere Of the first act. and the
characters and events are left in very
much the same situation in which they
were originally discovered.
Enthusiastic curtain calls. which the
audience was willing to extend without
limit. were brought to an end only by
acknowledgements made in person by Mr.
Walter and Miss Walker.