The evening world., 1916-04-05

dull at an army post-and youths the
same the world over. II things go
wrong, who's to blame? In this in
stance It appears that a somewhat
remote bathing beach had something
to do with the case.
Ihis much, at least, is suggested in
the first two acts, which are the bet
ter part Of the play. Mr.. Thomas
knows how 70 write good. racy dia- !
| logue based upon observation, and he !
gets back to his old virile style in |
| telling his story. In the open, with |
army men. he Is at his best. For eX- |
ample, he has an irritable major say: |
There are only two kinds of women. |
Colonel, they either purr or spit"
Excellent characterization makes the |
play interesting almost as soon as the |
curtain is UP, and this sense OF char |
acter extends 90 the supposedly
gentler side OF the post, so far, at
least, as the indomitable wife OF Ma
jor Lane IS concerned. With her. Mr..
| Thomas challenges the oft-repeated
statement that no man understands q
woman.
AS FOR Nan. who marries Col
Barnard after her father has been
stabbed TO death by a Mexican, she
Is merely n girl with no real outlook
on life. In other words. she is created
by the author 70 suit his own pur-
poses. She believes her father wished
her 10 become the wife of his old
classmate and comrade, and accord
ingly the second act reveals her more
or less unhappily married.
Her relations with Lieut.. Ellsworth
are discovered by tho Coloners
orderly. who sneaks into the house
after the subaltern has taken his
leave. and then tries 10 force his at
tentions upon Nan, who spoils his
little game by fainting.
SO far, so bad! In the morning Nan
leaves n letter for her husband, con-
Tossing her disloyalty. and then
throws herself into tho river. only TO
be saved. The letter, read by the
Major. who has taken Il from his
to indulge IN heavy heroics.
Ellsworth clears the way to mar
, ital happiness by shooting himself,
and the Colonel. II you please. shoots
his disorderly orderly.
No audience, OF course, could 40
home in happy frame of mind with
! the villain still enjoying life. But in
asmuch as Bill Hecht was suspected
of being unduly interested in a troop
ers pretty wife, employed In the
Colonel's house, can't help feeling
that tho orderly should have been
killed by the trooper. How the
| Colonel could shoot down his own or
derry on calm afternoon without
getting himself into trouble and
. bringing scandal on his young wife in
the end 10 more than can under
stand.
, However. "Ilio Grande" is n very
= good play OF its sort, especially foI
, two acts. II holds the interest OF ar
, audience and in the final pistol shot
l has the thrill of mclodrama, We may
, miss the blue uniforms of old in these
DAYS of khaki, yet soldiers may al,
ways be depended upon to cut a dast
on tho stage.
Richard Bennett gave fine per.
formancc as Col. Barnard. There wa,
not the slightest trace in this rough,
and-rcady soldier OF tho actor whit
played John Shand in What Ever,
Woman Knows" From time to tim,
, we hear the lament that the Ameri,
can stage Is developing no actors
: And yet the past two nights hav,
shown us John Barrymore in Jus
tICC" and Richard Bennett in ri,
: Grandc." That's the answer--if you r,
d waiting FOR one.
e Lola Fisher played Nan appealingl,
n and INDUCED in the tears and sob,
n that may be granted to youth. Ever
" hcr letter. we learned. was spottcC
5. with tears. The author was nothinl
II not sympathetic In Mans behalf
{ut why, Oh, why, did he have tn
adoring lieutenant call her "do
lcctahlc?" MIR. Thomas Is old enough
to know that young men, even whci
: they're madly IN love, do not talk il
y such cNtTaVaG1nt terms.
\ Amelia Gardner did capital picc
OF work as the Majors wifc. an,
% Robert McWadc, with hls raspint
"a voice, was always a ready party 10
ouarrcl. They were q lCgitimatcl
lnInusing pair. Frank Campcau playc,
the villainous orderly with all the olt
skin that he displayed IA the yellow
= cur IN "Pudd'nhcad Wilson" and tn
bad man IN THE Nirgnian."
u generally good cast In short, car
ricd Rio Grandc" to success