New-York tribune., 1917-12-30
DILLED with memories Of Bernhard,
n Modieska, Fanny Davenport and

TILLED with memories OF Bernhafdt'
n Modieska, Fanny Davenport and
- Clara Morris, playgoers who at
tended this first night settled down, ac-
cordine TO The Tribune, smiling with the
customary "show us" expression that eX-
perience always vouchsafes to the daring
tyro. Surprise attended the revelation OF
a prologue (the old piece used to start
right off with Act u. In this prologue
Armand returns 10 Marguerite's house
after her effects have been sold at auction
and passes the night in her chamber. But
this was only the beginning of the innoYa-
tons. The review continues:
"Bit by bit the astonished audience ac-
cepted the spirit of the renovated play BY
the end of the second act it was applsuding
with unwonted enthusiasm the play, acting
scenery and the direction Of lden Payne,
producer Of the piece.
Until last night the traditions OF Camille
had for years been as unchanging as the air
in the subway. If an actress Of invention
chanced to seat CASTOR before Gustaye at
the banquet or to drop the mirror in the
with care on the table, no less than column
OF criticism was bestowed upon her by the
reviewers.
Last evening at the Empire Theatre Ethel
Barrymore and the management gave up
holders of the old regime in the theatre so
many shocks that ideas left undisturbed FOR
twenty years will now probably stir about
/ stretch and wonder what the time Of day
may be. The once familiar Camille was no
! longer recognizable except for the characters
| and general procedure of the plot"
Alan Dale observed in "The American" :
"The play was famboyantly crinolined
/ The Lady of the Camellas, usually so 1.-the
/ and sinuous, 1ared in these crinolines, as
| did Prudence, Olympic and the others. She
/ looked very interesting, indeed, but-well,
prefer the uncrinolined kind. This is q
purely personal view. / recall that Miss
/ Nethersole crinolined her C'meel.
"The famous score in which Pere Duvsl
appears TO demand that sacrifice Of the Suf-
ferirg One was pathetically acted. The Lady
of the Camellias was Miss Barrymore, but
! ask you could she have been any one nicer
Undoubtedly not. She displayed less. emo
ton than this lachrymose heroine usually
lets loose-sh she was placid, indeed, compared
with the Divine Sarah-but there was a Ger
tain wistfulness, girlish abandon. II | may
use the expression. that got there
at was not the Lady Of the Camellias a.
we have known her, but it was very logical
Lady just the same. Throughout there was
10 rampage, or rant, but very suppressed
'sentiment'-which is the latest kind, don't
you Think"
But for all the crinolines, to John Cor.
bin in "The Times" it seemed that this
latest Camille was more 1917 than an
1910 parsonage. "Not only" he declared
did the production possess a certain
flavor of modernity, in fact, but it had as
well rather battling habit OF seeming to
be more American than it was French.
This reviewer found Miss Barrymore Civ.
ing "a thoroughly creditable, but by nc
means inspired performance, possessing d
little less depth and real feeling than one
might have hoped for. In sew
eral scenes, however, she brought tears &c
the eyes Of her audience as real as those
which she wept herself"