Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-10-31
Mr.. Antonio" Gives Him An
other Voluble. Vivid Part, and
the Audience q Pleasant
Evening

Americas most distinguished and ver-
satile character actor and Americas most
skillful delineator OF small town characters
ought TO make an invincible combination.
II, as a matter Of fact. Otis skinner and
Booth Harrington ere purveyore OF Just an
agreeable and naive evenings entertain
ment you can lay the blame. such as II Is,
at the door OF the skillful delineator OF
small town character who doesn't happen
70 he born dramatist OF course. he
could get around the deficiency by being
AZ simple on the stage a. he IL In his Pen
rod" But that isn't ths way of the novel;
ist. Instead he qusils before the awesome
figure Of Thespis ana haais out--a re-
xol~er.
The Hrst act Of Mister Antonio" Is
wholly right and entertaining N 70 Just
four frequenters of n Third avenue New
York bar and q harmless lunatie. The
busy barkeep. the 'igoii'' after an sbsiuthe
pick-Fne-up. the garulous organ grinder and
the respectable citizen from the small town
on on bat are all fun OF real hfe. Even
the iunsttc with passion for shooting cap
pistols AZ his side partner. the organ
grinder Is plausible and real When the
organ grinder gives the respectable citizen
coat and n dollar to go telegraph home
for money, and when he then announces
that the man Is Mayor of a town to which
he pays an annual summer visit with his
hurdy gurdy, then you settle back for a
pleasant little play.
Mainly you get It. You see only the
meaner people of a small town. but you see
them pretty truly You have a great deal
of fun waiting for the Mayor. who runs
the town like the Holy Ghost would run
IL" to learn that the organ grinder he once
put In jail Is the good Samaritan of Third
avenue. When musical Antonio befriends
the distant.relative hired girl, whom the
Mayor would drive out of town for gu4ng
TO dance hall with the minister's son and
not telling who the man was the thicken-
ing in the plot is pleasant enough. But
when the Mayor casts q loaded revolver In
the way OF the iunatic In order that he may
kill Antonio In the course Of his cap-pistol
campaign-well. II is just one sign that a
novelist ought TO keep TO his own business
or else have more respect for either his own
trade or the theater. With humble rirn.
plicity, Mr.. Harrington could make Mr..
Antonio a triumph. When he brings In the
revolver Of meiodrama he merely arms his
audience and puts Il on the defensive II
is considerable compliment TO Mr.. Tar.
kingdoms sense OF character and OF humor
that the play at the Broad still remains an
agreeable amusement.
But 1t is a good deaf more OF a compii-
ment to Mr.. Skinner He has an admir-
able supporting company. capable of very
pleasant bits Of character work, but II is
he and his Italian that really count Per
hsps 1t is an easy sob for Mr. Skinner. IL
would be n huge one for most Of our self
restrained. colorless players. Mr.. Skinner
has breadth and impetuosity. the subtle
and the pungent, the vivid and the simple.
His fine voice is never forced. He fills II
with color and character even when II
falls 10 half n whisper. Mr.. Skinner has
the Imagination to conceive finely and the
ylgor 70 execute boldly. Perhaps Il ia
temperament At any rate. II is art
X NJ