Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-09-29
SIDES
1,oHe


precious. ''''''''''''
AS IT is let not these reflections be mis-
Io.i Ions., ueu as anything so lnconsiderately
, aearuess as broadside of condemnation
me willow Tree" has branches of beauty
.nHt are unlikely to be rivaied on our
stage this season. No Philadelphian with
lotty ideals of footlight art should omit a
,lslt 70 the Garrick while the current bill
is proffered. The only pity is that not quite
all the high aims of the authors have been
Tealzed, Tor there are few playmakers ex-
lant tnat have the progress Of the theatre
more sincerely at heart than J. Harry Ben
rlmo and Harrison Rhodes
TNHE former has keen sense Of situation
L and an instinct for comedy which served
him admirably in "The Gentleman From
mississippi on which he collaborated with
Thomas A. Wise. But "Benrlmo," as the
playbills tersely denominate him, is
unique figure in stageland. Racially of
moorish blood tracing his ancestral line
back to the picturesque Casa Bomba" of
Fec, he Is through training and experience
an electrician, stage director, a facile
character actor, playwright and an Orien-
talist. In the last two aspects he was
delectably represented by that marvel OF
imaginative dramas, THE Yellow Jacket"
in the composition of which he was a part
ner of George G. Hazleton.
In the lore OF the old vanished Chinese
San Francisco, Benrimo was deeply versed
AS boy he visited Japan. There he
beheld the graceful fountain of NilISo that
is so effectively initiated in "The Willow
Tree" set, and began his acqua intance with
the fascinating domestic architecture so
realistically reproduced in the present play
a few hours before "The Willow Tree
had its premiere here this week, the writer
found both Mr.. Benrimo and Mr. Rhodes
in ,ofi oil
ments of one of the most enchanting scenes
ever revealed in this locality.
This house" declared the senior play
wright as he nolselessly slid forward its
delightful paper DOORS "is, save for the
absence of fourth wall, perfectly habit
able. In fact, it is not a stage house at
all, but a real oriental dwelling. In fash
ioning this play" he continued, 'I have
drawn upon my early memories, on the
San Francisco chapters of my life and on
my studies of Eastern subjects, which have
been my hobby for many years Natural
ly there may be defects of oriental detail in
the piece, but not, believe, of spirit. Many
of my Japanese friends have assured me of
the atmospheric fidelity attained, something
which these same experts failed to find in
portions of Madam Butterfly Above all,
they have appreciated our treatment of the
Nipponese temperament which I and they
maintain has been so mechanically mis-
represented IN unfair, luIlu plays ike Inc
Typhoon,' in which the oriental characters
are absurd,y set forth as consplrators and
spies But you mustn't quote me-" he in
terpolated, as claiming that The Willow
Tree is the first sensibly sympathetic
oriental play. The First Born with which
l was associated some two decades ago,
had the right flavor and so did Chester
Bailey Fernalds The Cat and the Cherub,'
which held the stage at about the same
period.
"In a few days" he went on as he ma
npulated his own special electrical appa-
ratus that illumined the flawless sky
background attained by flooding with lights
a white canvas panorama, II shall bid good
by to this set on which l have expended
so much time and labor 1 am headed first
for London, where l shall supervise the
English production of The Willow Tree
and afterward | shall dip down to Madrid
where shall stage the Spanish version Of
the piece, by Mendoza, who so admirably
made the Castillan version of The Yellow
Jacket, which ran for several mOnths in
the Spanish capital. The date of my home
coming is undecided. I have learned much
from European stage directors, notably in
Berlin and Moscow, and ! intend to survey
the theatrical field as thoroughly as is pos
sible in wartime.
81 can't say" he concluded, that / am
seriously afraid of the Atlantic crossing
None or those new funSinkaDle' llte pre-
Sservers and staunch bottle Of Dutch cour-
age should assist me materially in con-
fronting the U-boat menace"
"Goodby and good luck" closed the inter-
view. 1t was appropriately spoken, for by
this time the gifted Amerlco-MOor should
be several days out at sea.
TN "The Rescuing Angel" Billie Burke's
i numerous admirers seem TO have found
her appeal unchanged by two years ABB
sence from the ~footlights, but unquestion-
ably she has previously had better vehicles
for it's expression. Glare Runners play is
light and slender, but its airness is some-
times periously near to simple vacuity. The
sentimental passages appreciably handicap
the evidently intentional whimsicality of the
piece In proportion as they are differently
keyed will the effect of the unpretentious
play be enhanced
Little remains to be said of Fred Stone
in Jack OLantern." A plethora Of praise
grows monotonous, and there is not much
save laudation that may fairly be written of
this huge and hugely dverting extrava-
ganza Not since THE Red Mill" has the
nimble star comedian been so happily
placed. Never in his career has his fantastic
art shone amid such resplendent surround
ings, such intelligent stage direction and
so lavishly Kaleidoscope am exhibit OF fun
~ -