New-York tribune., 1916-02-28

Presented by the Messrs. Shubert at the
Cort Theatre.
ki-ke Brentwood ................ Vincent serran1
S l"o '...''.-''... a., jlin SOL
MtA tc'''n ------..-.....-.- Ms iauiie llu1 !
Ir Grclson Observation-Disclosures. Henry Itrms1
Naftiis ................. Burke & aric
isabelle Observation-Disclosures. So me- Ja.is'i
Ruth .............. Gertrude iaI.
/ Cag.aa OF tbc roice. .......... Edward Usye,
The worm yawncd. stretched and
finally turned at the Cort Theatre Sat
urday night. 10 is an old story that the
popularity of the films has depleted the
galleries Of the 50 playhouses. Now,
however, innumerable film fans are
going to save their dimes and quarters
and spend them on "Pay Day" Not
that the detection is likely TO be felt
by the Gargantuan picture industry,
but "Pay Day" will have the tremen-
dous satisfaction Of being the begin
ming Of the attempt TO get square. For
It is a foregone conclusion that others
will follow in its trail.
Take it almost as you will, "Pay Day"
! is q delicious entertainment. If You
are a film frequenter who vibrates in
direct proportion to the suiIerings Of
the harassed heroine, the. you will
have rafting good time at PAY Day
If you are of those who regard the
camera as merely another manifesto
tion of the Evil Eye. then you will be
overjoyed at PAY Day" But if you are
a passive individual, whose feelings
toward the films are expressed in terms
neither Of love nor hate, then "Pay
Day" is not for you.
The chief mission Of "Pay Day" is
10 have fun with the films. To this end
the authors have concocted thrilling
melodrama, and have framed it within
a prologue and an epilogue In pictures
themselves this idea is not new. A re
cent film introduced an actor as hero
and showed him considering certain
script. One saw the script played. with
the actor in nc leading role, and the
scene then flashed back Not for any
amount said the actor. would he play
such a part. And the picture ended.
This is precisely the idea OF PAY
Day" save that in She end the actor is
so attracted by the salary offer that he
agrees TO play the E Inn. In the picture
within the frame the authors Pile on
the agony with lavish hands. The films
have harbored no more despicable a
villain than kirke Brentwood an in
spired film name, incidentally. Poor
little Doris Fcnton, tralied by Game,
the detective, goes to jail for crime
committed by Brentwood. When She i5
released he has married another. Being
dissatisfied with the second wife,
Brentwood murders her and contrives
to throw the guilt upon poor Doris, who
receives life sentence. But she cs-
capes and returns 10 ram the life Of
Brentwood. again happily married.
Thrill is piled upon thrill. and in the
end the girl and her false lover are
sent away together TO a leper colony,
there TO live out their lives.
Saturday nights audience entered
wholesouledly into the spirit Of the
entertainment, even 10 the extent Of
kissing the picture of the villain. The
story is deftly told with a combination
Of pictures and spoken scenes. and the
satire does not stop with the story.
There are the "leaders" fOwery SEN
tences which tell of "a voice out u the
yesteryears." There are the names Of
the characters -Kirke brentwood, Doris
Fenton, DR.. Greyson. Watkins. There
is also an occasional ripple OF melo-
dramatic music. Finally 10 may or
may not have been so intended by the
authors there is a suggestion Of the
loose construction so often found IN
pictures.
1t may be that future audiences will
elect TO take the piece in all serious
ness. and then the management will
have the best joke Of the season on
their hands However, it will be a
profitable joke. PAY Day" is q winner,
no matter what kind OF audiences il
attracts The story, though wild, 10
scarcely more melodramatic than some
that have succeeded when seriously Of
fered To make assurance doubly sure,
the first act o. Pay Day should be
speeded Up a trife. Then nothing will
stop IT,
Aside from its thrust at the films, the
play is interesting because Of the man
ner m which II alternates pictures and
spoken scenes The first act, for eX-
ample. shows four FLASHES" and the
play throughout is a stl Ong reminder
Of "On Trial" Undoubtedly this method
OF telling a story viii be more and
more employed one Of our prominent
dramatists was but recently said 90
have written and sold a play in twenty
four scenes. also interlarded with pict-
ures. Possibly by the employment OF
films in their productions legitimate
managers viii find an answer 90 the
problem Of how 10 keep the public from
going 10 the motion pictures.
Irene Fenwck and Vincent Serrano
head the cast at the Cort. and. all
things considered. give performances
which are commercially restrained. The
same is true of the remainder OF the
company. il would have been quite
easy TO drift from satire 10 burlesque,
and authors and cast are deserving or
credit for not doing so. To tell the
truth. however. the acting is the last
thing that matters in PAY Day Near
ly every role is actor-pToof.
The scenery. sad 10 state. looks a.
though 1t cost somewhere between eight
and eleven dollars. But PAY Day
nevertheless. is great stuff.