The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-01-29

Mirror.
 | BG01MALL town dramatic critics-God N save the name!-are the most self-suffcient, the most ignorant and the most needless asses that infest the theatrical game"
 Thus asserted a famous New York pro-
 ducer, not so long ago, at a little as-
 semblage of his fellows He accompanied his dictum with an emphatic crooking it was that sort of a gathering. His companions gave him hearty acclaim. To the first count on the managers s indictment there can be but slight defense offered Any one intimately acquainted with the habits of the animal will admit it's truth. Not merely does the small town critic know more of well knit plays'' than the late Charles Frohman ever imagined, not only is he a keener judge of atmosphere than David Be- | lasco, not simply is he more alive to the 1 "ragtime allurement" than Irving Berlin, but he, himself, conceives that he comes l in more intimate touch with the other side of the footlights than did or do | any of these, for does he not know, al- | most as soon as his friends the ham, l fats, that the really well dressed man is i to be allowed more latitude in colors ] this season?
 1 Ordinarily he affects close fitting suits and cane-this when it is not his pleas ure to wear Van Dyke, flowing tie I and tweeds. But be his garb ultra-cor- rect or "daringly Bohemian by this sign shall ye know him--he has horn-rimmed I nose glasses, secured by a broad black 1 ribbon. No small town critic is complete without them. His clientele would imme- diately identify him as an impostor did | he not display this official insignia of his office.
 | o. he is self-sufficient, without doubt. Make allowance for human frailties, please. He is a big toad in his small I puddle, man of importance Always he occupies the same seat at the best thea l tre and the townspeople learn to point l him out to visitors as one of the sights, | a distinction he comes to merit. in time. | Younger men on small town papers will go to any length. serve any apprentice | ship, to obtain permanently the theatre
  distinction Down south there is a dra-
 matic enthusiastically, God save the name-who to quote our ever entertain | ing friend, Dame Rumor, has never re- 1 ceived a dollar of salary in the 10 years 1 he has been on the job. His remunera- I tion is in fame. Wealthy parents happy
 to have so brilliant son, support him 1 in luxury.
 1 As to ignorance, the producer aforesaid | has slightly less occasion for his com plaint Of course, this manager--even ir l his passion over some banning" of his l No. g road company in Beatrice, Neb- | had his mental fingers crossed over a | few of the really intelligent small town | critics, men like Archie Bell of Cleveland or Henry Chrsteen WarnaclS of Los An l geles Modesty forbids mention by name | in this category of the exceedingly in l telligent, exceptionally erudite, remark l ably we'll informed, scintillating young critic of the Richmond. Va, Journal, who 1 happens, also to be the author of this I article But there are ways of outwit- 1 ting modesty.
 Even leaving aside such shining lights | as these, the small town cricic cannot 1T all fairness be accused of ignorance Gen erally speaking he is overeducated He desires to apply the precepts of William Archer and Brander Matthews to "Whilt | the City Sleeps. He measures anything resembling vaudeville, except that of the l local 10 20, 30 house, which is a good ad vertiser, by the opinion of George Jear 1 Nathan.
 He is close student is the small towr critic-he has even let Vachel Lindsay | tel. him how to judge motion picture a thing he has shown a tendency to do II certain quarters, until curbed by an al wise business office. Usually he possesse! | quite a respectable little library on dra matic subjects and his files of Greer Books, Theatres and Dramatic Mirrors are the joy of his life and the despai of his landlady.
 Usually too, if his service has been O l average duration, he has seen most of thu leading lights of the stage. If his drat lis good, probably he has attended ever! I'performance of their rare visits to hi town To hear him talk you would b' convinced that he loaned Dave the none. to buy the first Warfield wig. and tha ] 1t was grief over the news that he hat broken his glasses which made Maud | cancel her engagement in Kansas Cit, on a day which has since become mem
 orable in the diplomatic annals of our be loved country.
 Sometimes he is justified in his as sumption of the 'I-told-you-so expres sion. All we members of the clan hay,
 our pet remembrances of private discpv
 cries since confirmed, l. myself. we'll re