New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-07-29
On the Screen
Emily Stevens in The Slack
err" Arouses Patriotism
at Private Showing

"Age cannot wither nor custom stale
her infinite variety" Shakespeare must
have had Emily Stevens in mind when
he wrote the foregoing, although, or
course, the first part Of it is necessarily
suppositional; the last part refers to
Miss Stevens's performance in The
Slacker,'E' which was presented at the
Strand Theatre Friday before an in
vited audience.
Miss Stevens's methods are all
wrong. She works too fast; she uses
her hands; she turns her back to the
spectators; she wears long clinglnS
gowns; she smiles infrequently; she
lacks repression; she has no repose;
she cries real tears and washes off all
of her makeup, and because of these
things she is magnificent.
Her performance in this, her first
picture for the Metro. will mark her
as one of the foremost emotional ac-
tresses of the screen. Indeed, 1t Is
doubtful if there is any one else who
could have given such an interpreta-
tion of Margaret Christy as Miss Ste
vens gave. Nothing finer ever has been
seen on the screen than the last scene
with the Stacker" who has volun-
teered and has come to say "Goodby"
to his young wife before his regiment
marches away to the trenches.
Some one has been agitating No
more close-ups,' but close-ups OF Emily
Stevens are wonderful character stud
les. Every line in her face means
something, and even il she could not
act she would be decided relief to
the softened, expressionless rotundity
which the current fashion in film ac-
tresses gives to the screen.
And now as to "The Stacker" II Is
a good play and an interesting one, be-
cause every one who is not q Stacker
is filled with wild desire to get out
and exterminate the Prussians. The
theatre rang with applause and every
one stood up at the slightest provoca-
ton and, hgurstively speaking, waved
a flag. There may have been some
slackers who entered the doors Of the
Strand Theatre on Friday, but surely
none went out.
The story tells Of Margaret Christy,
who has been engaged for two years to
Robert Wallace. This part was played
by Walter Miller, who really looks as
though six months in training camp
would do him good. He was admirably
cast for the part Of the Stacker. Rob-
ert is too lazy to set a date for the
wedding, and every one. including Mar
garet, wonders when he is going to ask
her to namo the day.
There is another man, John Harding,
who Is not O Stacker in anything. He,
too, loves Margaret, as who wouldn't?
But she, woman-like, prefers the easy
going, vacillating Robert, and so when
he reads that only single men will be
drafted into the army, and he rushes
to Margaret with a plea for an imme-
After this, Robert makes himself OBJ
noxious to every one save Margaret.
He insults his brother, who is wearing
the uniform of common sailor" and
tries to talk peace at any price to any
one who will listen. But one day Rob-
crt sees a German workman grab q
flag from little girl and, throwing il
on the ground, trample on it. Then
what does Robert do? Why, he does
Just what every one in the theatre
longed 20 do. He ticks the man to a
standstill and makes him salute the
flag, and then rushes to the nearest
recruiting station to enlist.
The greatest applause Of the day
came when Charles Fang, Roberts
Chinese valet, said: "Me list, too; me
givee German hellee," and when an
American-born German boy went to the
recruiting station and said, 81 was a
German. but now l want to give my
life for the country which has given
me a home"
Every ones emotions were very near
the surface, and Miss Stevens's sur
mise was correct when she said that
she was afraid the people would foa.
out of the theatre on a sea Of u cir
own tears. They very nearly did jus.
that.
A word Of advice to slackers. II
you wish to remain Stacker don't 90
to see "The Stacker" For not only
will you no longer have the courage Of
your convictions, but you'll find that
you haven't any convictions, H..U.