New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-10-15
BY HECTOR TURNBULL.

= 10. =
simpson. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Arthur +. Sprague
BY HECTOR TURNBULL.
"Mr. w." cherished reader, is a
first chop melodrama. There can be no
doubt about the truth Of this assertion,
because upon investigation last night
at the Maxine Elliott Theatre we found
that it's presentation stirred once again
those long lost powers of appreciation
for thrills commonly supposed TO van
ism with the hockey playing stage of
youth.
Its Oriental splcndors of scene. its
sinister Queued figures fitting about
on heaven knows what kind of a hor-
ribe errand, its pitiful love tragedy,
its fendish mandarin and its English
woman in dire peril, all combined to
keep us primed to such a high pitch
of excitement that Mr.. Wu's CHASTITY
death was fair balm to our shattered
nerves. We went out into the night
wishing we could have helped rescue
the lady ourself, and hating Cinnamon
so heartily that we even hoped we
could meet our laundryman on the
subway and prove that lost collar or
two is no light matter.
Mr. Whiteside has evidently profted
hugely by his recent opportunity to
study the London production of "Mr.
W." which has been popular for two
seasons. lie presented last night a
singularly finished production and
played the leading role himself with
serupulous consistency and smooth
ness. As for his cataclysmic finish
by poison, IL is too colossal, too mag
nificent, to be discussed. Never has a
villain died more beautifully or with
greater evidence of excruciating agony.
He jolly well deserved it though, the
fiend, Wait till you hear the facts and
see if you don't think SO, too. Basil
Gregory, the handsome, carefree son
OF big English ship owner in Hong
Kong, falls in love and betrays the
pretty daughter of q powerful man
DARN, Mr.. WI. Mr.. WI discovers the
secret Of the pair, and after the Chi
aese custom kills his daughter and
prepares an elaborate system OF re-
yenge upon the house of Gregory.
Chinese custom also demands the death
of the entire family, but Mr.. WI was
educated at Oxford, and chose more
CHASTITY revenge. After holding the
Young Englishman captive in his home,
Mr.. WI brings financial ruin to the
firm of Gregory & Co. by scuttllng
ships, Withholding business conces-
sions and various other crafty
schemes, but his crowning vllany is
directed against the young mans
mother, Mrs. Gregory. Following a
tricky interview with the lady, he
manages to persuade her that she may
sec her son if she will call, attended
only by her maid servant, at his home.
The distracted mother consents, and
when Mr.. WI gets her in his room he
hustles the maid out of the door and
she finds herself a prisoner. Mr.. WI
then suavely leads up to the conditions
of her release and the freedom of her
son. He says il must be ian eye for
an eve and a tooth for tooth" when
the Chinaman leaves her for a mo-
ment to ponder over the sacrifice de-
manded Of her scarf floats through
the window, thrown in by the faithful
maid. Il contains, in its folds. wal
of poison. Her decision Is made, and
she pours the poison into her tea, to be
swallowed as a last resort. When Mr..
WI again enters and makes his dia-
bolical purpose clear she reaches for
the poison, but the Chinaman, fearing
that his own tea has been tempered
with, snatches the cup from her, drinks
and expires in grotesque gyrations on
the floor.
Then, what do you think? With the
last desperate stroke of his arm he
strikes the gong that was to be the
signal of freedom for both mother and
son. Isn't that luck? Suppose he
hadn't had that last kick in him..
Wouldn't that be awful? But he was
lust good for that last lucky stroke,
and the play ended beautifully. Every
body free and the villain as dead as
that deadest of things, door nail. We
defy any one to see this play and not
be overioyed at the neat turn affairs
take at the climax.
Deirdre Doyle, a lady with a de-
lightful voice and effective blue eyes,
quite captivated her audience last night
BY the way she played Mrs. Gregory.
Her horror of the mandarin during the
scene in which she finds herself
trapped was very well shown indeed,
and TO Judge from the expressions on
the faces about us, her horror was
heartily appreciated by the enthusiast
tic ladies in the audience. Antoinette
Walker has schooled herself well in
the role of Nan Ping, the mandarin's
daughter. Her short scene was played
with admirable restraint and with
Just tho right emphasis upon the
very necessary note of sentiment =.
J. Ratcliffe played the pompous, pig
headed English ship owner, and did 1t
"a well that one had no difficulty in
recognizing his type. Frank Wupper-
man, the impetuous lover Of Nan Ping,
loved and rallied at his fate with true
melodramatic fervor. The rest OF the
large cast were we'll chosen by Mr..
Whiteside. who has also managed to
inject a sensible amount Of that curl
Gus. indefnable spirit called "The Mys-
tery of the East" into his production.
Therefore if you wish 10 revive the
thrills of your youth in a satisfactory
manner go and watch Mr.. WI enjoy his
brief moment Of revenge and perish