The Washington herald., 1915-09-26
I4iEKIRF FTAIKEeNH NHY0RK
~ %ae hN1Es.S;NEn

to gain sympathy by his simplicity in
the role of the poacher on matrimonial
preserves. and Dodson Mitchell gave
his usual force to the portrayal OF the
stern but in fact sentimental bank 'ex-
aminer. The other parts were in COM
petent hands and the performance
showed careful stage direction.
Husband and Wife would be
stronger play If Mr.. Kenyon had de-
defined more clearly the motives that
actuated his characters. Its story.
however strikes into a field that has
been rather neglected of late, and the
old themes of love, jealousy. and mis-
understanding have not lost their pow
er to interest, so Husband and Wife
stands very good chance of finding
patronage.
Another Phase of Competition.
= There were murmurings last season
on the part of theatrical managers and
producers against their high -salaried
stars who had acted before the cam
era and permitted their names to be
billed conspicuously in connection with
the moving pictures. This advertising
was sometimes done with intent to de-
ceive. and frequently it was difficult to
tell whether the play and star an
nounced were a regular dramatic per-
formance or only the showing of
moving picture.
This year the practice is more gen.
eral than before, owing to the large
number of regular actors who have
been drawing handsome salaries dur
ing the summer for working before the
camera. Messrs. Cohan and Harris are
registering a strong protest against
the exhibition at the Knickerbocker
Theater of a film with Raymond Hitch
cock as the star. They claim, and with
an appearance of justice, that this exhi-
bition impairs materially the value of
their contract with Hitchcock to act
under their management. 1t is not
plain, though. that they will be able to
do anything about it. as Hitchcock was
paid by the moving picture people for
his services, and the theatrical man
ayers have no ground on which to
base a suit in restraint of the pictures.
A real rumpus is likely to occur
when there is put into execution plan
to present in the movies the vaudeville
turns of the top-liners in that line of
work. The vaudeville managers are
powerful. and if they issue the edict
that they will engage no performers
who impair the value of their acts by
doing them for exhibition in the NOV
les, the vaudeville actors are very apt
to give up this method of getting lit
tie easy money.
Concession tc the Happy Ending.
Few dramatists are more insistent
on a strict adherence to their text than
Sir Arthur Pinero. After the first per-
formance of his latest play. The Big
Drum he changed the ending from
an unhappy one to a finale which sent
his audience away in a cheerful frame
of mind. In a public statement he said
that he made this concession only in
many causes of sadness in England
just now that he felt it his duty not to
add to them but lessen them. In the
printed play. he added. and in the YER
sion be used in the United States the
original ending would be restored.
Sir Arthur must be wonderfully
obstinate man or he knows America
very little if he permits it to be known
that a play to be produced here has an
surely keep Americans from going to
see it.
Chatter.
- The wa. has increased our exports
not only in munitions and provisions
but in plays. London which has al
ways. been very chary of American
theatricals. is taking more kindly to
US in this time of dearth. Among
A merican successes in London are
peg o My Heart On Trial. Ready
Potash and Perlmutter." and
Kick In." with "A Full House." The
Dummy and The Only Girl an
nounced as early productions.
BY way of retaliation, large num-
ber of English actors, who cannot find
work at home and do not care to join
the army. are finding employment in
American stock companies.
'.Moloch." by Julia NJ. Dix. turned out
to be rather disappointment to those
who saw its first performance. 1t was
announced as a war play, but in spite
of a distinguished cast, headed by Hol-
brook Blinn, and a very elaborate pro-
duction, it turned out to be not so
much a play as a graphic presentation
of a very depressing series of war epi-
sodes.
In the celebration of the Shakespeare
Tercenterary next April the artists of
the theater will be presented by The
Players. A number of organizations
are Joined in the movement and the
plans will be announced shortly.
Doris keane, who for some time has |
been out of the public view. is about
to produce in London Edward Shell !
dons delightful drama of old New York |
life, Romance" in which she starred |
so successfully in this country. The |
principal parts in the English produc- I,
ton will be taken by the American ac-
tors in the original cast.