The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-12-28
Br JAMES 5. ssETcALFE.


New York, Dec. 27-Is David Belascc
losing his punch? Certainly such combi-
cation Of bad plays, inartistic setting,
and Ineffective acting as was sci forth
IN THE Secret" shows that our be-
loved David did not get rest enough from
his trip to Europe last summer to Put
him back into his old stride.
Mr. Henri Bernstein has sent 10
America some pretty bad plays from his
. nominal habitat of Paris. Nine. Simone
was evidently 4 believer In his oramauc
Utilities, and enlisted the faith OF Mr..
George Tyler, of the Liebler Corpora
ton, in admiration OF her powers as an
actress. and Of Mr.. Bernstein's talents as
playwright. Mr.. Tyler's bank book
will doubtless wean him from that par
ticular kind of faith cure. How so as
tute a manager as Mr.. David Beiascu
could fail to gain knowledge from Mr-
TyJer's experience with Mr.. Bernstein
nJays is only another one of the ten
thousand theatrical mysteries that are
locked up in managerial breasts.
The Secret" in setting and characters
IS one of those typically French plays
Ehicb NAV have deceived Mr.. Belasco by
mis- recollection of the great success
made by plays Of French atmosphere ia
The wears when he first came TO New
York, Mr.. Belasco may have thought
that the time had come for a reVersion
and revulsion from the sex and crook
fframas that have filled our public to re-
uIetion with those topics. Mr.. Belasco
is nrobabIy right in that main idea He
is wrong in thinking that Mr.. Bernstein
as a dramatist can supply any such ma
terial as the French playwrtters sent &c
America in the '70's and SOS OF the CEN
fury before this one. And Mr.. belascE
is. perhaps, also wrong in thinking that
the American public today cares LOT the
French type Of play with ITS eternA
theme of possible or actual marital IN
Edelity. Yet further Mr.. Belasco is Ger
IainIv wrong in thinking that Mr. Bern
stein does, or can, put into play the
dramatic quality that used to make the
Partisan drama appeal to the American
public.
s.The Secret"
1t would be difficult to imagine a less
evmpathetic central character than the
one Mr. Bernstein has chosen Tor the
heroine of the play Mr.. Belasco has
staged. The woman is simply a con-
Genital and habitual trouble maker.
There are plenty of them at large Ia
America. and we may well wonder why
one of them should be depicted on the
stage at all and far more why, II II
must be done, We should be Obliged &c
resort to a French dramatist and
French setting. II,
1t is quite possible that Mr.. bernstein
fancied he had discovered a new type
If 80 he evidences his youth, his mex
nerience, or his lack of ability as an OBJ
server of womankind. In every civilized
community there is a female trouble
maker. Being surrounded by normal per-
IONS her power is limited. Mr.. Bern
stein, far exceeding dramatic license
surrounds this especial young woman
with an assortment Of imbeciles, VINO
should have been locked up themselves
IN account of their inability to perceive
hat the heroine was an absolutely lrre-
,sponsible mischief-maker. And the eli
max of this brilliant drama shows the
husband, after the immediate difficulties
have been Strengthened out, clasping the
lady to his manly bosom, forgivtng her
Tor all the trouble she has brought on
his friends and, presumably, giving her
,uII scope for her peculiar abilities in
stead of spanking her or sending her TO
a reform school.
We are likely TO hear lot Of Bernstein
admirers trying to dissect this play as
wonderful study in feminine psychology
and telling US what a great master MI.
Bernstein Is in this particular school OF
character. Mr.. Thackeray beat the
French author to it quite while ago
with his Becky Sharp, with this differ
ance, that Becky wasn't shooting her ar
COWS in the air and didn't make trouble
simply for the sake of making trouble.
II there had not been any more motive
m her madness than there was in the
1oings of Mr.. Bernstein's Gabrielle, Miss
Becky would have been certed of to
Bedlam in very snort order.
BcIascO's Failure to Impress.
With all the acting material that is glad
to flock to Mr.. Belasco's standard. it
seems as though he ought to have been
able to select 4 better suited cast, even
for this impossible play. 1t is not en-
tirely to the disaredit of Frances Starr
that she couldn't make credible the part
Of Gabrielle, who cculd't resist the temp
tation to, void her jealousy of every one
who was happy or successful by tangling
them up in misery. But even Miss Starr
might well have been supplanted in the
role by an actress of greater stamina
and more passionate force. Mr.. Basil
GILL; the husband of the unfortunate
creature, was simply a lay figure, and
Marguerite Leslie kept the audience
guessing about the real intent of her
speeches and emotions. Messrs. Frank
Reicher and Robert Warwick were
properly cast, and made good in their
roles. but the abilities of Harriet Otis
Dellenbaugh were wasted on a very minor
old woman's part.
In showing the interior of a villa at
Deauville, it may have been Mr.. BeIas-
cos intention TO depict the cheap con-
struetion of French summer cottages,