Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-09-19

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l,shh hh,sTmnSsSsrn snaSRSs .Tsyior csrrSll
James Gleason .oa....... ''','' .jorrn a. Edysrds
~. woman . .........,....k kngsnien sls,r r,ar
,plsesc1 gi.s0~e Harry w E:irsr:
bi,aess ,oh DSn9hRd e,ty in the Middle west. kst
.-titrsy Of EiijHh Brsdsssw,s si nsw home Ae' IL
-..rs are three ways that the theme OF
srhs eternal Magdalene" might have been
l.-..t.d-in music as a fine sonata as an
,i,ustrious poem or as popular ana un-
s,htls play. Mr.. Robert H. McLaughln
hsInr. apparently. no musician OF poet has
s.uaved the iast-named course and he has
ssc.,v tailored a semireliglous melodrama
- the measure of Miss Eugenie Blair and
~ ". constituents. Their name Is legion.
rnsv more than comfortably filled the
walnut street Theater last night. And
~ ala show that competent actress that
~ 'stock tradition can still thrill and sting.
\, reward the play they were more skep-
s,.si hut they took II IN good part always.
Ma II NOT give Miss Blair back her calcium
~nronet and her robes of light that she used
IN wear In the ante-cinema days2 Was
shere not a gorgeous and mouth-hlling
srssch for the star at the close of act two.
snue good thick preliminary emotion, one
!, two remarkable gowns for that star
Ana the humorous filling that used not to
bs disdainedY
Mr. McLaughlins work is frankly for
those who feel rather than think. Some
what broadly he treats of the pretty Idea
that beneath the scarlet letter beats al
vays the heart of motherhood and love.
III Il a theme as has been sald more sus-
8 rsptIble to music and poetry than the foot
lights There 1t becomes largely matter
3 al blue spangles, baby spots" rhetoric.
Biblical appropriations, harsh OLD hypo-
srites. gentle-minded prostitutes. satire on
The new evangelism, pinkish ingenues and
: ,,hat the movies call visions" BY fad
ing out" in act onl into sort OF Servant
An the House" preachmeut, with The Eter-
nal Magdalene" as the preacher to the harsh
IA hypocrlte and 'fading-into' reality In
act three, the author completes three hours
Of entertainment and sometimes bit OF
boredom
That this boredom, which is not exces-
slye is due to Miss Blair, no one in his
senses would affirm. a deft technician,
poiseful, beautifully vocative, and skilled,
through long training in the economy Of
gesture and the Establishment of the eye,
the is a far more interesting study than
Mr. Mclaughlin. She has the old tricks
The sibilated "s," the upsweep of the voice
for humor and the downsweep for pathos
and the sense OF posture and ease or pear
ing Not always real, not always the best
Of its sort, but the genuine product Of
renune school, not a chance success through
babyish, personality or a mincing or hoy
denish mannerism. In short, an actress.
Just how valuable IL the possession OF
his quality, when trained. may be guessed
when II is said that not a single litter
erected the line. Into the gutter 20 when
she said 1t. The pity of it," which is GER
tainly as old as Camille" really had quite
o pltiful little ring to II when she said II,
She put a new slamour. or at least the re-
fection Of the old glamor. on all such stuff
One almost wished the days of stock were
alive now. For the movies" while great
IN their way. cannot give us warm voices
and the proximity of the speaker.
The Eternal Magdelene," according to
The records. was written for Julia Arthur's
reentry onto the modern stage. 1t bears
the marks of being written to order; 1t is
largely a matter of mechanical contrivance.
Of rather obvious balance, rather stale
touch-and-go. Yet II Is not bad play,
as old-fashioned plays 60 and some of its
eutspokenness Is likely to give 1t a factitious
value In certain public's mind. 1t has one
or two bright bits; a reporter more rep
srtorial than most, and a woman of light
virtue who is educated That 1t will be
popular is good wager, for It is easily
understood and It has an actress b. d.