The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-09-08
ARMSTRONG PLAY
MAKES FAINT APPEAL
Playwright in "The Bludgeon"
at the Maxine Elliott De-
serts Underworld.
THEME, MARITAL INTRIGUE
This Leads to Murder, Which
Audience Would Have We'll
coined in First Act.

The Paul Armstrong Company came 10
the Maxine Elliott Theatre last night with
an original drama In four acts by Paul
Armstrong and staged by Paul Arm
strong. called The Bludgeon" The
author has so long been particularly as
ISOLATED with plays Of the UNDERWORLD"
as author or co-author OF such accepted
plays az Alias Jimmy Valentine" THE
Greyhound" and The Escape" that the
large audience which greeted. the produce
ton last night rather expected. from tho
title OF the play to see the stage covered
with gore However. the bludseon. proved
to be child weapon IN the hands OF
an unfaithful wife, according TO the
author, moro powerful than a blackjack.
In The Bludseon'' Mr. Armstrong has
departed from tho underworld" as his
theme. Despite the change OF environ
ment from the "underworld' there Was a
murder, which although perhaps justified.
might have been more heartily approved
by the audience II II had occurred In the
first act instead of the third
Irene Evendorr Is married to a chemist
who has made money. but who cannot
give his wife the luxuries she demands
/ They have "A ten-year-old daughter. After
he has left for a few days business trip
he returns unexpectedly to find his wife
in the arms OF Stoney Brook. a society
idler. The lover confesses at the point
| OF revolver. and is allowed to go, and
the guilty wife save her life by demand
/ ing that her husband remember their
daughter. She had already told Van
| Dusen, who IL 90 years old that she
/ a q 20 tt1 1t,Iev a1,,
/ against her husband. The outraged
| husband for the sake OF his daughter.
| agrees to allow his wife to secure a
| divorce.
The lawyer friend OF the husband.
Huffman, believing that Evendorr is guilty
OF misconduct with his wife's maid. and
! In love with Irene, the wife. secures the
| divorce and arranges that the alimony is
so large that the former husband cannot
come into the State OF New York Then he
| marrics his client and loses the friend
| ship OF his friends and business associates.
/ The third act. supposed TO be seven
/ years later, is the one Of the murder.
Irene. now for seven years Mrs Hiiimdn
/ quarrels with her husband. and during
| his absence is visited by her former hus-
band, who wants 10 zee his daughter The
| audience has thought her hard and iner-
cenary enough. but 10 give good measure
she telephones TO the police TO have him
/ arrested for arrearges in alimony. Then
comes the first lover, Brook. who has been
serving time In prison and who wants
! money. but who does not get It. But he
/ nnds the husband and tells him the truth
/ and when his wife conrosscs she is
I promptly shot by the second husband she
/ has deceived. To end It all properly
Brook, with the pistol and money fur
nlshed by the murderer on his person. Is
killed BY n motor truck. and quite nat
urally the police decide that he Is the
| murderer Then there is the happy meet
! ing OF the father and daughter. who has
/ remained loyal to him throughout
The piece was originally written for
| Olga Petrova- and perhaps in her capable
hands the play might have been more ac,
! ceptabls. And this not to decry the really
excellent work OF Maude Hanaford In ar
unsympathetic part. Mr., Armstrong In
| a brief curtain speech said that the play
had afforded the audience an opportunity
to see some players with whom they were
not familiar. and his listeners quite agreed
that the cast had not improved the play.
| The Maxine Elliott Theatre has already
had Apartment l2-K' this season. L
is feared that II will have to try try
again.