Evening star., 1915-12-24
Anl[lSE|slEl
Belasco.

In spite of the fact that the week be-
fore Christmas is proverbially slight in
theatrical attendance, the Belasco en-
tertained one of the largest audiences
OF the season last night, on the occa.
Cinderella Man,
The play is full of the Christmas
spirit. Without quite fndorsing the
Santa Claus myth. it introduces a series
of people and things whose existence is
life. Without being called upon to put
absolute faith in fairies, the auditor is
expected to believe in many things
ordinarily regarded with equal doubt.
He is expected to believe in real poets,
who starve in attics rather than sacri-
fice ideals of art; in love at first sight
In young woman, who begs her
rich father to disinherit her in order
that she may marry the young man
who insists on earning the money that
is to support his wife. Incidentally
are introduced, for the comfort and
happiness of the hero, a domestic serv-
ant whose personal loyalty makes him
superior to money and a play contest
which must be on the level because II
awards the prize to Tony Quintard. the
young gentleman whom the play is
mostly about.
The credulity required for the en-
joyment of the story is easily man.
aged. The sympathies are appealed to
with such genial directness that cold
blooded reason retires in prompt dis
comfiture The first act is a little for
bidding. group of middle-aged men
being shown in discussion of more or
proper care of young girl who Is to
make her home among them. Her
father is a man of such studied Sc
verify that there Is small wonder in
discovering that she seeks congenial
society in the attic of the young poet
who manfully insists on refusing loans
and starving as he writes.
To tell the story Of '"rhe Cinderella
Man" incident by incident would per-
haps be an injustice, for while the
ments of romance in perfunctory prom
inence, it sprinkles them with the
magic of fancy and turns them into
shapes anew.
are young Quintard, played by Shelly
Hull. and Marjorie. played by Phoebe
Foster. 1t is indeed a charming Kris
Kringle in petticoats who trips across
the snowy roof to leave food and raj
ment for hungering genius. And despite
to which his nature was attuned, it
was a manly youngster who won her
as his best prize in his battle against
odds for his own ideals.
is a difficult undertaking. Mr.. Edward
Childs Carpenter, the author of the
play, and Mr.. Hull, the actor OF the
part, have succeeded to remarkable
degree in rescuing the role OF the
rhymster from the taint of ridicule
1t is customary for every generation
to apologize for it's lack of apprecia-
tion of poetry by the assumption that
poetry does not exist. The play Is
rather bold in 'contradicting the per
petual theory that poetry is something
which existed in the past and which
will exist in the future, but is per-
petually absent in the present tense.
Even the tempermental explosions
which Mr.. Hull accords his poet are
sistent with the absolute frankness of
a gentle and unworldly nature.
A play which brings forward the at
mosphere Of Christmas must have char
Cinderella Man." the great she bear" Of
landlady, being represented with
proper ferocity by Lillian Dix. and Jerry
Primrose, the faithful serving man, being
played by Frank Bacon with quiet in
tensity Of simple humor that won the
hearts Of everybody in the theater.
Hubert Wilke not only gave a good char
acter delineation as the warm-hearted
musician, but utilized his abilities as a
vocalist in the fLrtherance of the plot.
The big-hearted man, whose sympathles
with youth remain warm, even though the
times have touched his heart, was, of
course, an indispensable parsonage, and
he was handsomely realized by Charles
Lane.
The production is in harmony with the
custom of Mr.. Morosco as to completeness
and beauty in matters Of scenery. The
stage settings contrast the spacious
beauty of plutocratic luxury with the
frosty privation of the artistic attic. and
make both pictures realistic to the last
detail. j.