Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-01-26
! L..-ful Old Grumpy"

Il .ou we're never interested In
s ~ the variety of ways-thread.
81. IN which leaves may be tied
na ~ a flower destined for an
s.e. s.e...,onhole. But Grumpy will
10 that. "Grumpy" Will open
lua ~ ~ ,he possibilities of life. For
ges " r,eIodrama at the Lyric DEM
that n llfe--even a play-may
isl's .,sh s 4 hair. 1t may even be
y s..o,,sh strands to last out four
~ y.ontlnuous excitement
ln 9TH an assault In the dark
s esDt man wearing a camellia all
81 i9od Una with a hair, as well as
VIA s,smond consigned to London
',h african firm. Next we learn
eos IN and the hero have swapped
w. Hence catch the camelLla WIN
". and you catch the TIMER WIN tne
" nut before the third act brings
~ 40 the villains rooms he has
m N, Swapped 1t again, this time
E,su .sroine. BY the fourth act he
ps "a that his freedom hangs by
ta,ss adornment of nature. And
,rIss 20 get 1t back he walks Into
=. nv an s0-year-old criminal law
~ ~
should have mentioned that
ifiap earlier. For II this Is the
filspan l,,.s,, and of the rather too in
.b,o of Messrs. Horace Hodges
wISnev Percyval-both actors
I, ,antlernan is the whole point of
e ~ And the way in which Cyril
8 .ra ues to make him a delightful
y ni,as to his own dramatic Intense
~ ~ n. raason grumpy" Is something
n ouo of the most heartily entertain
d .i,ces of the season.
"A acting is always a delight. Quite
y rom the fact that 1t creates an
''.lrInx figure, such expert imper-
.,,sn as Mr.. Maude's Is fascinating
KY s tor its technique. The actor takes
nat picture q quarrelsome-and
49, for some unknown reason,
.asr.old man and lifts them up into
.snns semblance of lovable reality
IN ali the little byplays of body
. .ssech that would make the man In
"a blood. AS he complains pet
! 4. sbo1t the smoky chimney his eyes
y vIth the auerulousness of 80. AS
,...ss about, trying to find some lost
'sS. bla arms swing with the uncer-
!. t,ebleness of age added to nervous
[.,lisnce. Ringing for a servant to de-
i a what the devil he called him for,
& ,,shes the bell with that curious.
- stiff hand of the old, all one
! 4, anger. AS he talks, his leathern
4. n IN the way or the sibilants. When
sackles-and he chuckles with all the
ksaom of self-indulgent old age-his
m rolls sidewise within the Wide
s,bg mouth.
'la,hls Is the surface of the impersona-
Y 4 any one in the audience may
&'.Iy1s II, It Is a very cleverly assembled
~. a mosaic of little bits of the
RTdeal. But II doesn't half describe the
t,sure Of watching Grumpy or half
,U6t for the art of Mr.. Maude. Be-
~ what seems the merely physical
\ Il In all great acting-and comedy
Y rreat as tragedy-a certain spiritual
saure Of the actor. BY this he identi-
hthimseIf with the character as he plays
shd through it he gives the audience
! Impression of reality which the phys
alAlors cannot achieve.
N Maude achieves this identity with
) character. The result is the creation
I the HesH OIL ueaTI uouueTlnS, ouliSlHS
: oVabiy kindly old Grumpy. Such Inn
afnation lifts a merely ingenious melo-
- 70 hrst-rate human entertainment.
{ akes us forget that the authors did
: bore than write an actors play" a
"a full of ali the opportunities for
Il scenes that the player dearly loves.
alai least such an emphasis on people
.aad Of things gives a man like Mr..
laas the chance to create the real sub
Ia Of good drama-character.