New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-09

Salisbury Fields attempt TO incor-
porate Lawrance D'Orsay and his pecu-
liar manner.sms into a three-act play
resulted in "The Rented Earl" last
night at the Maxine Elliott Theatre,
and the effect was very droll indeed
Much more so than the author bar
gained for. perhaps.
The idea was to present an Amer
can family of climbers VINO are SO
eager TO establish themselves IN LenoN
society that they hire an earl as bait
to attract the more successful climb
ers. The earl doesn't know he is be-
Ing hired, and actually falls IN love
with one OF the guests, an heiress
Haw, haw! Not so bad that for start
err. What?
Well. his love is returned. and in
the end he proves TO his hostess that
he is not such an so-bally-lutely
bounder as she thought him. In fact
he behaves rippin' and he gets the
girl and the "cow" ranch he had also
set his heart upon. This is not quite
ell the story, but any one will admit
that it's & tophole idea to elaborate
upon. Mr.. D'0rsay revealed in its pos
NlDlnIlpS, nay, "dlIONtu way
Being Just the same Lawrance DOT
say that we know so well, it all came
about quite naturally. Without appar'
,nt effort he haw hawed, drawled
strutted, dropped his monocle and had
His little joke with American idiom'
in a thoroughly comfortable manner
He, indeed, was the whole affair. Alice
Lindahl, who was required TO fall In
love with him at first sight and de-
fend him from the serpentine craft OF
the wicked, villainous Douglas J. Wood
did nobly, too, but any one could see
tkat she was doomed to shine in the
light reflected from her noble lover
Teresa MaxwellConover was re-
pcntant adventures, with smart
gowns. but even her heart softened to
D'Orsay when he showed his sportin
hreedin. Albert Brown. another char
acter who could not withstand the no,
bility of D'Orsay's nature, began well
enough, and even made money on his
patrons simple faith in his fellows
but he weakened, too.
There was only one thorough going
villain in the play, and that was the
said Mr.. Wood. He never repented at
all. Even when D'Orsay's drollery con
vulsed the garden party at the climax
Mr., Wood was as adamant and frowned
terribly on the whole affair. Evelyn
Carter Darlington played the agitated
but aspiring hostess, and it was. of
course, hard for her TO think well OF
the fellow to whom she had presumably
passed a check for services rendered
but she managed to smile upon him
when he proved his innocent, guileIess
nature.
Altogether it was quite an achieve
ment for Mr.. D'Orsay. But why he
should be subjected 20 such a test OF
his staying powers is not 50 obvious
PLAYS like 1.-THE Rented Earl" were be
lieved to have been packed in lavender
this many, many seasons. And 70
bring so thin and feeble memory to
life at this period in theatrical affairs
is strange prank for a producer
to play upon theatrcgoers STEPPED ~
the ears in "red blood dramas and
"new idea" plays.
Still. as Mr.. Shaw so beautifully
said, you never can tell. Perhaps
there is a public simply gasping for
"The Rented Earl" his ba Joves, his
haw-haw and his Raythar. At any
rate, it ia not complex drama. II
requires no great mental effort 10
grasp the humor, conscious and uncon-
scious, of its comedy, and one can give
ones undivided attention 10 the star
and his mannuvres without the loss OF
a single point of interest of the per
Torrance.