Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-12-15
Diplomacy" With Bates,
Gillette and Doro

Diplomacy" has lost nothing in al
these years. No. indeed; between English
adaptations and American modernlza.
tions sardou's old play has gained about
30 pounds. Last night, at the Broad, II
WA encrusted with three stars and any
amount of new dialogue. But since the
accretions had only to do with the humoT
of the piece. and consisted principally OF
such Information as "There are no dogs
in dog biscuits" they didn't do the play
or the audience much good. This revival
OF "Dlplomacy" puts Sardou in the class
with Shakespeare: they knew how to
write their plays better than the gentle
men Who try revising them.
IN It's pristine glory Diplomacy" was an
exciting and remarkable play. 1t held"
But, a. II started at 5 sharp last night,
there was more action In the audience
than in the first act, and as 1t ended
round 1850 a good many people besides
the critics wished there had been more
Sardou and a little. less of this sort of
thing. II shall be a num-" "A female
nonkr' and life is very hard" Yes, 1t
Is the hardest thing have ever been con-
nacted with" Spaced out by great wastes
OF jokes and Jollies and kiddings and
ailly-ass English boys. the big moments"
for which Sardou iabored and by which
be triumphed seemed pretty far between.
Ali the Same there were oases-very de-
ushtful. refreAhing ones. At their brim-
ming font OF theatrical excitement the
weary pIay-traveler drank his full. He
watched the net of circumstance, drawn
BY Countess zicka, the spy. close about
the young diplomats bride and threaten
to faaten upon her the theft OF valuable
scrst papers. He watched the poor young
rhlpE struggle blindly In the coils, in
dominating herself even in her hus-
band's eyes by every attempt at escape.
He gioried In the fascinating wickedness
OF Zielka and the equally engaging readi-
ness Of the young diplomats much more
diplomatic brother to extricate every one
from the tolls by detecting whiffs of
zicixa,s perfume all over the place and
by tricking the spies with the simplest
of little tricks That sort OF thing IL
very good fun--now or 20 years ago.
And It's also good fun, Of course, to
see 80 excellent a cast playing so ex-
pertly. II two OF the leading men gave
rather bad limitations at times OF the
sort OF person that used to be called an
''emofionaI actress" Mr.. Gillette made
lip for IL by being anything but emo
tionRl. He went through even hts "big
scene" with the humorous nonchalance
that u supposed TO make a character"
out Of q stage puppst. and succeeded In
being very amusing. Perhaps all this
fun-making helped to divert the narrative
A4am It's uAuf swift C0uIaG into
deringH OF "modsrniEatlon." But, any
way a Sherlock Holmes with a violent
sense OF humor Is rather good sport,
Minor figures In the cast stood out as
sharply-Mr. Won Seyffertitz as a spy.
with q German accent that would land
any man in an English Jail; Norman
1barp. .'silly-assihg' as usual; Jeffreys
Lewis jeffreys-lewising, and Bertha For
dyce making a portentous figure out OF
= gabbling old lady that Oscar Wilde
himself might have admired.
But two-thirds OF the audience came 10
see lli8s uoro and Miss Bates and two
thirds Of the audience had their wish.
zIarie poro looked az pretty as her name,
actsd with the appealing grace that Is
bars ~ physical right. and far outdid
any of her previous attempts at the dra-
Hatic Miss Batea-What did Miss Bates
aoE d to carry on the evenings honorg
Eha vas a zieka Of humor and dash and
she rfettieat OF poise. She shaded her
sntenations and her smiles with the
faiatest bit OF captivating malignity. She
asa ne best OF high spirits masquerad-
Ing ns cunning. II all Diplomacy were
Ike 4iss Bates and all diplomacy like
zlcka, then any number OF evenings at
ne Broad would be well spent and Eu-
fope veil lost to war.