The Washington herald., 1913-11-04
NEW NATIONAL.
Robert HiIIiard in "The Argyle
Case.

Case.o
II you want to spend three thrilling
nours go down to the New National
Iheater this week and see Robert Hill
Hard as ''Never-sIeep Kaytonr solve the
Argyle murder mystery. 1t rs as abb
soroing bit of business as one would
care to see
Ihere Is mystery in the air even be-
lore the curtain goes up on the opening
scene, which depicts the library of the
Argyle mansion all in darkness save for
ray OF light from a window. Frightened
servants stumble about in the dark un-
VI the coming of ASche Kayton upon
the scene of the murder, when the lights
go up, revealing the unmistakable evil
dences Of a struggle, and the fight to
ma the perpetrator of the crime is on.
The police have investigated. The
newspapers are advancing sensational
theories involving the innocent. and sug-
gesttng no clew to the guilty. The house
hold of the murdered man, consisting of
Mary Masuret. Mr.. Argyle's adopted
daughter, Upon whom the yellow journals
determine to pin the crime; Mrs. Wyatt,
her companion, and the servants about
the place, who are all in no less hysteri-
cal a condition than Bruce Argyle, es-
tranged son of the millionaire, who is
the last person known to have been with
him on the evening OF his death.
Keen; alert; not unlike the practical
everyday business man; the astute Kay
ton assumes control of the affairs of the
Argyle household, and with fiawless rea-
soning not only uncovers the murderer,
but incidentally balks an audacious coun-
terfeiting scheme and wins the girl he
loves
In Mr.. billiards. operations as Detec-
tive Kayton the audience is completely
lk.a
because the play itself is tersely and
dramatically told, but because its central
figure projects his own magnetic per-
sonality across the footlights without the
employment OF the conceited travesties,
assuming fantastic DISCUSSES, the prowl-
ing about with dark lanterns or any other
of the lurid dime novel methods usually
employed by writers in trailing a muir
der mystery to its solution. 1t is the
finger print system and the dictograph
for Ksyton, both of which methods he
vividly illustrates in his work to discover
the murderer.
In his portrayal of the dominating
figure in THE Argyle Case" Mr.. Hilliard
has a more likable task than was his in
The Fool There Was" in which he was
last seen in this city, win ing an en-
thusiasm of his audience last night
which would be satisfied with nothing
less than a curtain speech. His inter-
probation of Kayton is Clean-cut, virile,
and entirely free from any Over-emphasis
which might detract from ones absorp
tion in seeing the tangled skein of
complications unravel IN his skilIful
hands.
Klaw & Erlanger have surrounded
their star with a capable company in
the main. Stella Archer has the role
Of Mary Masuret falling victim to a
somewhat overeXaggerated hysteria in
the first act, which gives place to will
ing and sweet obedience to a stranger
with too great speed 10 be entirely |
convincing.
The fact of The matter is that Har- |
riet Ford and Harvey ]. OHiggins, |
who, in cooperation with Detective |
William J. Burns, wrote The Argyle |
Case have dragged the adopted /
daughter of the murdered man in by |
the heels for the express purpose of |
having some one with a possible mo- |
tive for his murder bear the early bur /
den of suspicion. ~RHd- also to furnish a |
minor theme for the satisfaction of the |
sentimentalists. While the melodrama1
would be entirely meritorious without !
it, one does-aok4however, object to |
the love interest which is woven into |
its wOof, especially that of Mrs. Mar |
tin, the wife of Kreisler, the clever |
COunterfeiter. for her husband, since |
IL LUZ duuleHCe Ine CnanGe TO |
witness the Intense emotionalism and !
pathos as depicted by Olive Oliver
AS the suave and evasive lawyer. Ed |
win Holland is entitled to praise, as |
are also Gustav Won Seyffertitz as |
Kreisler. Joseph Tuohy as zoe" Man.
ming, kayton's man Friday Agnes |
Everett as the garrulous Mrs. Wyatt, |
Wanda Carlyle as the maid, Kitty, and |
Harry H. Hart as Andy. an Irish serv-
ant.
Harvey Clark, as the son of the mur-
dered man. is Intellectual in the role, |
and other members of the company, in /
less important parts, add little to the /
strength of a production which does
not, however need their help to make
it a tremendous and thrilling success,
for THE Argyle Case" is a gripping
detective story, told SO 'vividly by the |
principals in the cast as to hold the
complete absorption of an audience
until the final curtain leaves the mys-
terry solved.
JULIA CHANDLER MANI.