Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-11-03
BOTH SIDES


monplace melodrama, wherein lamentation
was made Of the fact that the piece had not
been written by Ibsen. Arrows Of dehun-
clation whizzed wide Of the mark and the
actual weaknesses of the piece as frank
melodrama escaped any well-aimed or de-
served attack
II is idle, therefore, TO pick flaws in "The
Boomerang" because II may happen to be
dinerent in design from ones favorite
media Of theatrical expression. slender
thread Of plot is spun out through three
acts that provoke interest rather than
rapt and passionate attention, and smiles
rather than hilarious laughter.
The chief weakness of the piece, consid-
cred strictly as an exemplar Of thstledown
comedy, is that the course of its develop
ment Is fairly well foreshadowed in the
opening act. The very title helps to fore
stall the dramatic element Of surprise, and
II must be evident, even to the mildly So
phisticated play patron, that young Doctor
summers methods for handling a love crisis
Will eventually react upon his own affairs
OF the heart. But the situation in which
authoritative assurance is hoist by Its own
petard" Is rich in humor and occupies a
legitimate place in polished comedy. Unin-
formed by especially sparkling dialogue or
unusual technique the thematic material
of the piece is handled with fluency and
taste. The effect Of these methods is glori-
fed to the point of almost disarming criti-
cism by some Of the finest acting Of its
kind which Philadelphians have been privi-
legged to enjoy in several years.
Augustin Daly's peerless comedy or
ganization used to take just such incon-
sequential affairs as The Boomerang" and
intensity their appeal with the facile au-
thoritative talents Of John Drew, Ada
Rehan, Mrs G. II. Gilbert. James Lewis.
Without their arts "The Railroad of Love-
would probably have carried few theatrical
passengers. Divorced from the interpreta-
tive assets of Arthur Byron, Martha He'd
man, Katherine Keys, Ruth Shelpey and
best of all in this instance, of Wallace Ed
dnger the Smth-Mapes play would never
have achieved its record Of prosperity on
the American stage.
Managers have a stock jeremad anent
the lack of good plays.' Suppression of
such means and the substitution of keen
attention in selecting the best available
histrionic material can work wonders with
comedies, which, like THE Boomerang, can
never demand recognition in A collection of
THE Worlds Library of Dramatic Litera-
ture" David Belascos respect for the
ancient and honorable art of acting, as evi-
denced in THE Boomerang" bears fruit
in joyous, intelligent, If not epoch-making
evenings of entertainment at the Garrtck
Theatre. Delectable trifies on our stage
are not so prevalent that fear OF over
praislng them should cause moments
anxiety.
CLAYTON HAMILTON, whose sound
~ position in New York theatrical crit-
cism is deserved by reason of his keen
sense of footlight values and his frank
methods Of expression, unsullied by the
feeble attempts to be funny that rage
virulently in Gothams reviewing circles
has called THE Boomerang the sweet
Lavender" of it's day. His analogy Is drawn
from the facts that Sir Arthur Pinero's first
ctr W 'nretty y,
that 1t broke London stage records with
a run Of 697 consecutive performances and
that It was unashamedly sentimental. Inc
citation of this alleged parallel has moved
the present writer to reread sweet Law
ender," The experience was illuminating,
although not entirely in the way suggested
by Mr. Hamilton. After several decades or
stage progress the old Pinero piece-desplte
much prettily written colloquy and at least
one vivid character portrait. that OF DICK
Phenyl--appears artificial, unreal and ul'
tra-sentimental Assuredly the modern
technique of Smith and Mapes is workman
like and convincing beside the Immature
Pinero's then clumsy tactics.
"Although I'm a poor commonplace girl,
declares the sweet heroine, Lavender
'and you're far above me, my prayers for
YOU are Just as good as any lady's. and
thew shall never cease, night or morning
never never dear. as lorg as | live II
"The Boomerang" ever echoes such treacly
notes as that they must be whispered
The "Sweet Lavender" influence, however,
Is by no means dead, even though the
present play at the GarriclS is In the main
guiltless II Mr.. Hamilton had looked
little further his gaze might have en-
.countered Come out of the Kitchen
There YOU have Sweet Lavender" Of the
neriod and there were others in "Polyanna'
and "Mother Careys Chickens" 1t is libel
ing even the undeveloped Pinero to carry
out the analogy in explicit detail The
greatest dramatist in England today never
dreamed even in his most syrupy moments
of committing offenses now registered IN
tho "glad" school of theatrical philosophy
"Sweet Lavender" is, however IN a sense
A. grandmother of the modern sentimental
drama. Mr.. Hamilton rightly teit thls' put
he picked out the wrong play IN pointing
his moral.
ttOoME Out Of the Kitchen" Is super
Acially less glad" than the highly
nonTIar specimens of its cult cited above
n resembles them, none the less IN It's
saccharine artihce. its crude theatrlclsm
and in the general asininity of Its situations
ANYTHING more palpably unreal than the
last act dialogue between MT Mcftae anu
Miss Chatterton Is hardly cohceNaDie'
IJare 90 a scene In which two actors, with
creditable stage careers parry each other
in lines which hatly dispute the audience
,yall-grounded conviction that both OF these
nersonages are perfectly aware that they
ore NOT fooling each other. Olivia DANGER
feld of the Virginia aristocracy' assumes
10 be Jane Ellen, cook In her own
household. Burton Crane (Bruce McHae)
i,,a,,Ts her Identity and pretends that he