Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-09-24
ADJUSTMENTS.
Columbia.

over the ubiquitous hero of San Juan
Hi has a splendid opportunity to en-
thuse this week at the Columbia Theater,
where the doughty hero of the Cuban
round-robin seems to have had gathered all
the available material of The Fourth
Estate "Mary James Pa and The
County Chairman into a composite Of
fering. under the name of THE Search
light. to exploit the virtues of the pro
Sressive party True the real hero is
not there. except in Photographic form on
screen election night. but he is ably rep
resented. and despite its borrowed habili-
ments it must be confessed the enter
prising young newspaper men, Walter
Fox Allen and Marvin A. Riley. authors
OF the play. have made of their campaign
document bright, lively and entertain
ing offering.
1t would be a work of supererogation
to start in to pick technical flaws in the
drama. The wonder is. with its mani
fest object in mind. that il hasn't more;
Yet the fact remains it is pleasant enter
tafnment and a large audience seemed to
enjoy and some of the audience to cor
d1ally applaud the play or the players.
IT would not he fair to say that the Bull
Moose was solely responsible for this.
bccause the players throughout were
competent. effective and some of them
quite forceful in their approximations. To
them certainly belongs the chief credit
for whatever of success was achieved
The story of the play-James Franklin
and 'the interests" propose TO put bill
through the city council of somewhere
by which they will make clean million
dollars and the horny handed son of toll
will b. made to pay it in additional street
car IA, es. Thomas Seeley, young
editor in love with Frankin's daughter
Doris. and whom Franklin originally
put upon his feet is approached to
keep quiet on the deal An election is pend
Ing in which Sceley and his. office force
seem to be much interested. all being
ardent ''progressives." Seeley repulses
the big interests" and their boss one
Matthew O'Connor and proceeds to pub
lish the scandal two hours before the
meeting of the board of aldermen OCon-
nor secs James Fisk. the city editor.
also in love with Doris, and persuades
him to bride drunken employe to put
his one press out of commission. Seeley,
however. not to be outdonc. dictates his
story to six rapid fire. reporters who
telephone it to the aldermen and the
'progressiyes' win the election.
Love interest is found in the romance
Of Doris's wavering because Seeley will
not do what her father wants him, to do.
but she returns to her lover in good
season. when she discovers her father is
wrong and Tom is right and also in the
attachment of the star reporter for the
society editor.
TO it's climax. and really seems an i'm
provement upon The Fourth Estate.
from which it borrows SO freely for its
story
ncorruptibe young EDITOR presents an
effective representation. He is quiet md
dignif1ed in his methods and forccful in
the climaxes. He makes a pleasing lover,
despite his repression. Eileen Enrol, as
Doris, and Jean Galbraith. as the society
editor. are comely to look upon and
charming in their portrayals. each amply
adequate in her respective role. Towering
ture of real Davenportish inspiration and
rugged force, is Ralph Delmore, with
picture of a real boss hideous to be-
hold and sufficiently impressive to fright
en- into the progressive ranks even the
bravest of those who waver. William Nc
Way, the wicked magnate, seems far too
respectable. barring his proposition, to
represent 1.-The big interests" in a play
of such pure purpose. although his COM
panion magnates compensate in this re-
spect with the rugged character of their
makeup.
Frank Allworth. the "star reporter in
spite of his attachment for the society
editor, for which he might well be par
doned. was good throughout and will not
offend his fellows on the daily press by
his impersonation. George German ably
represented type of advance man with
which Washington is not SO familiar, and
Elsie Mckay, a many-titled woman suf-
fragist of a type that ''lordly man. likes
to present when he wants to suppress
the cause" The other players were
quite competent although it might seem
to those familiar with some newspaper
offices that Elmer E. Redmond. as Mike, |
the Office boy, was allowed a latitude in |
the office of the Searchlight that might |
cause him the loss of his job elsewhere. |
Two scenes in the "city room of the |
Searchlight are realistic. even though |
great stories seem to break over the tele- !
phone with unusual frequency. The play |
is we'll mounted and gives evidence of
careful preparation throughout. 1t re- |
calls 1.-The Curse of Gold,'' which had a
like mission years ago.