The Washington herald., 1914-11-22

Mr.. Howard combines the triple func-
ton OF author. stage director. and actor
He was formerly an officer in the English
hospital corps, after which he became an
actor and finally drifted into playwright
ing. He plays part in THE Story OF the
Rosary (Which, by the way, has no con-
nection with the song, The Rosary" nor
the play of that title). Mr.. Howard wrote
most of the melodrama in America long
before the present war, and personally
staged the production both at the Prince S
Theater, London, and at the Manhattan
Opera House in New York.
Unlike owen Davis, the English drama
tist has no intention of giving up melo-
drama for the writing of different class
Of plays.
..Melodrama is life" said Mr.. Howard
in a recent interview in New York. 1t
is life limned large. People complain
sometimes that melodrama Is noisy. L
claim that life itself is boisterous per-
formance. We love noisily and hate the
same way.
But mind YOU, I don't believe that
melodrarla is necessarily series of what
you call punches MelOdrama need not
be narrowing. In fact, those who go to
my plays expecting and desiring to be
narrowed are disappointed. To my mind
melodrama should be all heart and appeal
to the sympathies. l feel that our Eng
lish playwrights are sacrificing this quail
ity too much to what they believe is clev-
erness They write too much with the
head and too little with the heart. The
English want heart-throb plays. and in
this the English are no different from the
rest of the world. That is why the one
thing for which strive is sympathy. 1
know from my own experience that there
is Jig public always ready to come to
and keep coming back to play that Is
saturated with love interest"
The company presenting Mr.. Howard's
romantic melodrama here this week is the
same that was seen in London and New
York The players are all English and
won high praise from the New York press
during the run of the piece at the Man
haitian Opera House.
As for Mr.. Howard's diagnosis of the
want Of the world in the matter Of enter
tainment, his is not the only experience
that would seem to justify his opinions.
Eugene Walter, in talking to me Of his
new play, THE Better Way" which was
presented here this fall, declared that
American life is essentially melodramatic
and that consequently there is no other
form of playwrighting that can truthfully
depict any really vital question.
The experience Of Harvey J. o'Higgins
and Harriet Ford, co-authors Of THE
Argyle ana ne OuAIlAly sun
further proves public preference for the
play of quick, tense action.
We saw THE Argyle Case" with Rob
ert HiIlard in its leading role, and THE
Dummy" which returns to Washington
this week to play an engagement at the
Columbia Theater, had its premiere here
last spring at the National, after which It
went to the Hudson Theater. opening a
long and successful engagement in New
York on the 18th Of last April.
While ''The Dummy" is billed as de
tective comedy" it Is in fact melodrama
Ieavened with comedy, its main interest
being centered in two children who act
the principal roles, although a tenuous
thread Of romance is worked out in the
development of the story.
The most surprised person in the world
was Harvey O'Higgins when he realized
that against his intention, he had become
a playwright Harriet Ford was respon-
Eible for it. OF course, all magazine read
ers know Mr.. O'Higgins' Irish stories and
have admired them, but nobody gave the
idea of turning any of them into a play
a moments consideration until Miss Ford
saw a great detective drama latent in his
articles written in collaboration with De-
tective Burns for McClure's Magazine.
There is a great American detective
drama with a real detective as the hero"
declared Miss Ford I'VE must write it."
But I never wrote a play" protested
the magazine favorite.
Then it's quite time you began" de- |
cided Miss Ford. and right there they |
mapped out the scenario of ''The Argyle !
Case"
To the CONSERVATION of Mr.. O'Higgins, |
Klaw and Erlanger accepted the scenario, |
and to keep faith with their belief in his |
ability Mr.. O'Higgins had no choice but |
10 go on with the work. After the sue
cess Of this first piece Miss Ford seized !