The Washington times., 1914-09-20
By GARDNER MACK.

Did you ever see a phoenix play?
The kind of play that is consumed
in its own fires. In A manner of speak
will live in the memory OF those who
saw it-something that Is really worth
while Plays of tins sort are mighty
tough on the actors You see an actor
will work hard to create a part that is
an artistic gem and brings all sorts of
enConiums from the public and critics,
and yet doesn't live because the other
necessary qualities lacked by the play
of which il was a part. Sometimes there
arc two or three big things like that in
play that fails. And the actor is the
only artist who Is compelled - suffer
from such things. When a painter does
great piece OF work on a canvas and
surrounds IL with mediocre stuff. he can
cut out the masterpieces and still use
il as a fee simple title to fame. The
writer can do the same thing-he can
take an especially fine character or
chapter from bad book and write a
new story around it. But the actor cam
not do il. His work falls to the ground.
Having prepared YOU by this little ad-
vance paragraph for the withdrawal Of
'Cordelia Blossom In New York last
week because the people declined to go
to see it. We want to dig a little In the
ashes Of the play for a few phoenixes-
if that is the way to spell it when you
mean them instead OF II. Burr McIn-
tosh is the first to qualify.
Mcintosh today stands out in New
York as one of the great actors Of the
period because he created a wonder
full part in the dramatiza ton of Mr..
and Mrs. George Randolph Chesters s
stories under the title Of "Cordelia
Blossom New York believes that Nc
accomplishments. New York has one
of the poorest memories in the world.
Burr Mcintosh has been one Of the
really big actors in the country for
almost quarter of century. The
trouble Is that New York's latest MEM
pher or lecturer or member of the
Amalgamated Order Of Unmarried Sur
vivors Of the First ft-Congressional
Excursion to the Philippines. That is
Mcintosh didn't marry anybody he met
on the trip-thereby stamping himself
AZ unique among his fellow trippers.
The facts are that in his numerous
on the stage Burr Nc
Intosh has created three other char
acters that stand out quite as great in
Of memory as his Col. Watterson Bios
som can possibly be-and the chances
are that his new creation is really as
great as the New York critics declare it
is. Mcintosh has made his excursions
into other professionalism he honestly
belongs to the stage because almost
everything he does behind the foot
lights is a masterpiece Of technique, OF
art. and Of individuality. His first fam
Gus portrait for the theatrical hall Of
fame was that Of Joe Vernon. the black
smith. in Nat GOOdwins production of
I'm Mizzouri II Ia quite probable that
had Mcintosh heen one of tn" kind Of
4 ctors who would steal a show. as the
actors call person who strives to out
shine the star. he would have made Mr..
GOodwin's Sheriff Jim look a little bet
ter than a supernumerary. But Mr.. Nc
Intosh is not that kind Of an actor. His
business WAS 10 make the character OF
the blacksmith as absolutely true to
nature as he could. and to play il so
that il would help out the star. And
he did ii.
. The public had about forgotten Joe