Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-09-12
OLD-TTlIE THRILLER
OPENS THE GARRICK
"Sport of Law Will Do Nicely
on the Road, But Is Not for
the Sophisticated

FEtueilck hhfNeNs ssss. Wilam boneil
Perhaps the best way Of giving the
theatreRoer some notion as TO what sport
OF Law" the Garrick's first bill OF tho
season, is all about Ia TO summarize the
story, That Is not an easy job. for the
constructive scheme OF this new play by
stuart Fox is. TO phrase II mildly, intricate.
Divested OF its technical legal terms and
banking idiom. II describes the wrecklng
Of a cotton merchants fortune through a
deceitful partner. who withholds from him
rumors OF an impending crash on the mar
ket The bankrupt has two daughters who
join him In denounclng the INSCRIPTIONS
ones double dealing, but are told their
father had been guilty of contributory
negligence. In act two the bankrupt Is a
night watchman In the plant of his former
fraud. His younger girl loses her life as
result of neglected elevator. Her sister
again denounces the cruelty OF her fathers
oppressor, now doubly culpable TO her fam
fly. When the curtain again rises. this
elder daughter has secretly welded the son
OF the villainous rich man, and is the lat
ter's secretary. BY strategy, inexplcable
to most OF the audience last night, she
manages to have her husband pass n worth
less check. inspires her father TO set fire to
the plant, silently connves at the plans
for betraying her slster-in-law laid by a
rascal OF n broker, and then divulges all
to the man she holds responsible for her
woes. The familiar change of heart"
which 40 many ladies' undergo before the
footlights constitutes fourth act with a
general patching up of difficulties. though
her husband she sends packing. because of
bitter memories OF her dead sister.
Now, how is any reviewer. gently dis
posed toward all drama that quickens the
pulse with large ardors. to treat such a
production as thls7 Three courses are
open: To falslfy the pieces true impress
sion with a display Of incoherent amia-
bility: to turn the heroics and trapplngs
OF the evening into n derislve parody for
readers, or to state in all gentleness and
frankness what sort of play Il is that the
Garrick chose for its inaugural Taking
the latter course. II be stated that
Sport OF Law" is an excellent vehicle for
''the road" To unsophisticated souls the
situations may yet have some bite, some
drive. In the smaller cities there might be
a pervasive thrill when the back drop
seemed to blaze up and Miss Boland lad
mirable actress that she is) announced her
revenge to a quaking wretch. The test OF
response to old stuff is not gauged by the
center OF population. And here elements
of small time success are not wanting
There may even be in this city persons who
will find ~ see II all now" 1T seems like
a horrible dream" and "You call yourself
a man." the essence of conflict IL so
they can look forward to an evening OF
harmless preoccupatlon. with a good come
dienne working hard on a serious role and
supported by good straight actor. Mr.
Truesdel
But even to these playgoers, unless they
be banking experts, the phraseology OF
sport OF Law must be a high hurdle
What with Its strangely oscillatlng con.
struction, its undigested motives and tan.
| gled crises II is not a smooth play. But
1t will do nicely for the provinces.