Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-12-08

Actors Life" and his literary perspl-
cacity will have an opportunity for as
sertion. The prospect of public per-
former at last in the right niche nat
urally inspires the hope that Mr.. Collier
may some time occupy his place In stage
lands SUM- Up to the present, however,
his very virtues have nurtured SO much
mediocrity that one almost wishes tn 1t
this droll farceur were a shade less
clever than he is.
Occasionally his humorous inspiration
has led him to dispense altogether with
the lucubratlon3 of feeble dramatists.
Certain of his offerings have been en-
tirely of his own otvising. These were
obviously actors plays" rich in oppor-
tunities for his distinctive merriment,
fragile in construction, void of sound
technical motivation.
At least one of them however, was
fully as meritorious intrnsically as the
present farce on view at the Adelph!
"Mr. Smooth" which patrons of the
Chestnut Street Opera House beheld
some seventeen or eighteen years ago,
was simply a quaint mosaic OF typical
"Collierisms." Nothing But the Truth"
despite James Montgomcry's authorship
claims On the playful, is similarly rcd
olent of the stars comic predictions.
BY far the funniest moments of the
piece. are those which Mr.. Collier adorns
with his inimitable byplay. his gift for
Stimulating comic embarrassment and
his deectable bits of business" The
conjecture that Mr.. Montgomery's dra-
matte instructions were not so detailed.
and that the comedian himself is primar-
lily responsible for the best points" in
an evening of fun. is quite legitimate
Mr. Golfers successes have always been
built up by such methods.
What Mr.. Montgomery did was to
''modernize" u well-tried farccal theme,
long since exploited to the maximum of
humor and satire by w. $. Gilbert in
'sThe Palace of Truth" The Gilbertian
fantasy exerted an additional and com
peliing appeal from the fact that his
leading characters, made veracious
through enchantment. We're unaware Of
their amazing, shameless and convulsive-
sly amusing frankness "Execrable." ex-
claims the applauding auditor of a
5 wretchedly sung ditty, The impression
2 that conventional social COMPILING mt
is being enthusiastically voiced consti-
tutes stimulating "lSick" to the scene.
The episode is echoed In Mr.. Golfers
7 outspoken denunciation of u debutante's
caterwauling at the opening of act
q In Nothing But the Truth" There
was whimsy In the Gilbert passage. The
new version Is sheer farce.
8 CENSURE Of Mr.. Montgomery for en-
~ ploying stock theme is, however,
{ hardly justifiable. NJ. Poll. French
critic, has reduced all possible dramatic
situations to thirty-six. Authority OF
treatment is what counts In playwrting.
Tho basic idea may be as familiar as
tho jingles Of Mother Goose" and no
complaint is warrantable IL the technical
sauce Is tasty. Theatre-goers must have
realized that Eugene Walters "The
Easiest Way" was based on much the
% same premises as Pinero's "Iris." But
that fact was never :nvidiously empha-
sized Mr.. Walters craftsmanship and
skill In Characterization lad fully justi-
fed his performance.
It matters not. therefore, whether Mr..
1 Montgomery's Gilbertism or MIR. lsham' 3
y as disclosed In the nosal from which the
MAY II derived. was deliberate or un-
conscious. Neither Of the writers is too
young to have seen The + llace Of Truth, "
nlncs n revival Of the piece formed a
fiatu1s Of Ben Greet's repertory In