Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-01-25
The Phantom Rival"
at the Broad Tonight

,,sts and such enterprlsing ladies
a,ure romance again in these ma
ae DAYS. The stay-at-home
..sNe has nothing left but her
+, must be said to the credit of
,ha most up-to-date playwrights,
H@,sr that they are taking care TO
,s her with quite the proper sort
was the case with THE Phantom
when David Belasoo presented it
~ ~ york and 1t will probably be
Hes true when Leo Ditrichstein ap-
!, The Broad tonight in his adapta-
~ Terenc Molnar's comedy.
Marshall was surely a stay-at-
i k6ueeyife, or she could never have
& Y tbe carping jealousy of her hus-
~ ~ saw a phantom rival" in every
fas,onflng man, and he might have
s svs IN the young Russian they met
ristaurant IL he could have known
s .abstance of his wife's dreams. For
\ ssscha turned up that night, via
s.,,bsus as four different gentlemen be-
IN his dapper self. Years ago, when
..s-ba left America after an ardent
sr,lship. he wrote the girl who was later
e.soroe Mrs Marshall, a sort of senti-
.,5tal syllabus of the various Kinds Of
~ ~ might be when he returned to
5r her hand.
rrest general, for instance. Into the
.s,Ion hall of the Van Ness mansion
S1s.s the commanding figure that has
s.gbt for Russia, and won honor for
8s.eia even in a disastrous war. She
~, him. Of course? She has waited?
I q I'd come! Then what does a husband
s.asrY The general fronts and shames
! <, mere American business man.
i n an imperial diplomat. Down the yell
\ - dream-stars to this dream-hal he
4 ~, austere in black breeches and red
-ssrs ohaperoned by the candelabra of
/ 4 powdered dream-footmen, powdered
IA 10 the tips of their noses. She loves
~ of course? She has waited? He has
.vssl Then what does 4 husband mat
sr' They will be wed in Petersburg.
a. 4 great singer. Down the staircase
sfsns a figure from "Pagiacci." He
xsnot sing tonight, even for Mrs. Van
Ves' whole checkbook. But for her!
a. woman VINO has waited for him!
in5 last, the broken tramp outside the
Az An arm gone in the war. But love
IN IN his heart. And in hers. Then
y ne husband finds a man he may fear
Rzly attack
Hrs Marshall wakes to the reality of
esl from the real Sascha. He has
hsness with the husband He is not
AtfoIc. He is only mildly handsome. He
a himself safely into the commissary
hssrtment of the army to escape the
ksrers of the front. He is very much
gvrbed with the excellent quality of
N husbands brandy. He has forgotten
d. letter, and so. of course, Mrs. Mar
e,f Is very, very happy to fall back
a he Jealous but secure husband.
Il makes an ingenious and interesting
he Some of it. the dream and the
txskenlng. Mr.. Belasco has recreated
sgh his old-time freedom, imagination
I'd Ingenuity. Small parts fail. The
afer scenes of quarreling are far too
lans dawn: Mr.. Ditrichstein might well
have pruned them. And while Laura
Hope Crews makes the very most of
Nrs Narshall's romantic raptures, NAL
olm Williams lays on bit too heavily
eth tie jealousies. They become irlting
nd hard to forget in the supposed happi-
fas Of reconciliation.
But there is as little criticism to be
kHnehed at Mr. Ditrichstein's own imper-
Eaalion as at the general idea and it's
kidding His Sascha Is a delightful
nmhnation of esoteric plquancy, so far
1 books go, and the most humorously
amale reality. His tramp is a grim little
eiie with just dash of bitter satire. In
as general and the diplomat, he gives
eash Of romance that our stage sadly
Aess II is not romance, as we under
Haad lt-good looks, amorous languor,
y dash Of dash. 1t is domineering,
l'Eost sublime, in its assertion of SUPERB
~ TO every other thing on earth, This
aance conquers inevitably, the world
sHFell as woman. Mr.. Ditrichstein car
= It's off with a precision and finish
asi'is real impersonation.
EsEa From the Irish Players
though the failure of Mr.. Tyler, and
SNAPS some other matters keep the
hsh Players in Dublin this winter, they
age their emissary over here in Lady
4gorY She is going from town to town
sYering two of her delightfully."- personal
s1lres-one on making a national thea
s for America and the other on the
stsriep aspects of Ireland by which
imens clubs seem to set such store.
LADY Gregory brings the very well
me news that the season of her thea
g n Dublin has been hardly at all af-
leSd BY the war, which has cut into
~ theatres very badly. The company
7 Increasing its list of plays by num-
q new Irish comedies and dramas.
e Robinson has written a historic piece
'aalI Robert Emmet. They have a very