New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-03-04
BY ARTHUR RUHL.

Mr. George Scarborough's much talked
about play. The Lure" was important,
not for any literary ouality-which was
entirely lacking-nor even for its dra-
matte force. which was decidedly ftfui,
but for It's news. II was. in effect the re-
Tort OF poiceman-a special of1cer-siv-
ing the public apparently authentic in
formation about conditions OF which he
was better informed than they.
The importance OF Mr. Scarborough s
rev play. THE Last Resort II has
any importancc-is OF a similar kind.
Crude and noisy. and rarely giving the
spectator any illusion OF life, Il neverthe-
less puts into dramatic form a kind Of
criticism often heard in the air these days
criticism. that is 10 say of the judiciary.
and, I'm this case, rather particularly the
Appellate Court This Il does with ap-
parent earnestness and a certain pretence
Of giving the audience a glimpse behind
the scenes. The scenes may be as mpos-
sible as they often seem on the stage. but
the subject is. at any rate. vital and of the
immediate present, and the piece borrows
perforce n certain vitality from It,
The scenes arc i'm courtroom, in
which. through the connivance OF cor
poration lawyer and a corrupt Judge,
militant young lawyer. dangerous alike
10 the corporation and crooked Judges IS
badgered into committing contempt OF
court, fined and promptly rushed off 10
JAIL in the consultation room OF the Ap-
pellate Court in which we see the afore-
said corporation lawyer. who is also
Senator, debating an adverse opinion on
the young lawyers appeal for tho
chcken-hearted Judges: and lastly, in tbs
Jail, from which the young man and his
faithful newspaper sweetheart, whose 81
forts in his behalf have landed her behind
the bars as a convicted burglar, emerge
trumphantly. 10 witness the rout and
discontinue OF their judicial foes.
Just how Mr.. Scarborough would have
his audience take this extraordinary
mixture, which is literally sprinkled with
noisy action and language is left some
what in doubt The programme calls the
play modern melodrama," but the
spectator IL not left. as he is in old-fash-
toned melodrama, in the comfortable as
surance that the people on the stage are
but conventional puppets TO be put
through certain motions according TO well
understood rules-and dear and amusing.
whatever their dreadful behavior, be-
cause they are unreal and the motions are
understood. Instead of leaving them thus.
the author takes pains to say, above the
names Of his cast. that people will prob
ably say such things couldn't happen-but
they have happened" And he continues
10 say tho Same thing. by implication,
through the extremely controversial char
acter OF his dialogue. throughout the play,
although the judges themselves and the
corporation lawyer are as wildly and
completely vilanous as the most exact
ing patron OF melodrama could demand.
The result is confusing 10 say the least
and neither one thing nor the other:
neither serious criticism like that OF Jus
tice"--if Mr.. Galsworthy's scrupulous real
ism may be mentioned In the same breath
nor frank and jolly mclodrama.
The general effect OF the play, however
is Wild and improbable enough to he
rather amusing Mr.. George Fsvcett re-
pcats. Az the corporation lawyer. the pict-
uresaue characterization he has lent TO
various other roles. Mr.. a. q. Andrews.
as a trial Judge In lower court, and Mr..
Mark Price. as the Chief Justice OF the
Appellate Court. played with considerable
lfelikeness more than could be said OF
the other two judges. Mr.. Wilson Melrose
was the oratorical hero, and Miss Owe
Nvndham the astonishing lady reporter
who bounced out of the telephone booth
4, the Appellate Court consultation room
Win complete stenographic notes OF tho
.,,a,.,od dccision like some extraordinary
Jack .in-the-bo1.