New-York tribune., 1917-12-24
Bv |. Alexander Pierce

The delightful comedy Of Lord and
Lady Algy" has been revealed at last
TO a long expectart and eager genera
tion. Although quite rs smart as wnen
il was first produced. j. is not so SIR
ful by half A deal of water has flowed
under the bridge since then. II this
has not washed away any sins, at least
II has brought downstream many plays
that are closer kin to the wicked Res
toration drama.
Cartons play recalls Congreye by
the suavity Of the dialogue; it crackles
continuously with wit. and it has the
same quality Of captivating improba-
bilitv as "The Way OF the World The
intriguing gallant appears on the
scene. but his Vaccinations come 10
noueht. In the place Of looseness IN
nolite conversation. however, there Is
only a little horsey talk. Feminine
frailtv wears a coming blush, and ~
the last is easily converted into an
abandoned intention.
One Of the plays recently seen mere
that might be more aptly likened to thc
drama under Charles III was Our Bet
ters." which displayed both cleveness
ord Ioosoness i'm conversation, as well
as license in thought and action. ne
norvoding viciousness OF Restoration
Jraroa which shone. and likewise smelt,
lito rotten macLerel in the moon
light. is altogether lacking from tne
internal economy OF Lord ana Lau5
Algy." IL. or.r.
To bring the play up TO date, appar-
emily nothing more AZ neeue' ~
ercc TO motors here and there, and a
,rrist wafch FOR Lord Algernon Chet-
land amply suffice. We have oecohe
accnstomed 20 havA our smart come
oies ceared I'D TO slightly hlgher
speed. and the question may be peru
aent whether the play would go II IN
trusted 20 less competent actors. IL ~
undoubtedly true that bungllng. "ouiu
knock il into cooked nat ~ Is DnlS
A step from the sublime to the ridlcs-
lous. but the play is minehtiy saie
in the hands of the cast 10 which II
has been in.rusted. ., =
A notable element OF strensth III
lord ard Lady Algy' which our 90
nestic dramatist5 would do wen 70 noIe
Is the large number OF important roles'
The star system has been largely re-
sponsible for the repression ol seq
ondarv personages. but no other slhs.e
oXDodient contributes so enecIEely 70
a sense OF reality as the introduction
Of q number of well drawn characters'
The Marquis Of Quarmoy, as gar
lant. who is making his frst atIemP1
10 run of with a married woman Is
vital and distinctive as bodied fortn py
Mr.. Hare. Brabazon Tudway. the Jeai- .
Gus husband. is an amazingly piastlc
lunp OF modelling wax IN ING deTcSI-
ous hands of Maclyn Arbuckle. why
The pretty and fragile Mrs, ludWay
gbould ever have married the glue-
maker is ouite as incomprehenslpIe as
wbv she should wish TO elope WIN
Ouarmby. but Miss Fenwick MAKES her
80 appealing that one only Wohder'
-,horo the other sutors are. Then tnc
rlav would hardly be the same y.
George Fitzgerald. rs the DuKe o.,
nrorehorough. father of Algy and
Ouarmbv. were omitted.
Another player could not be found TO
make Lord Algy quite what Mr.. raver-
ham makes him in point Of presence
gontilitv. amiability, charm and grace
evcp when stewed at costume bali.
AIR Faversham insists upon MISS
Elliott sharing equal horors with him.
even though her part is not so promi-
mont Tho great moment for both IS
at the end of the second act, when the
host obsessed by the idea that Algy is
a nerlor snake, orders him to quit the
house. ., ,
The Injustice is great, FOR all the
time Alpy has been striving TO protect
the rluemaker against the real seducer.
LADY Algy has been living apart from
ner husband but at last has learned
that he is not so bad as the popular
idea of him. In spite of his condition
Alrv has succeeded in warning his wife
of the threatened elopement. At the
moment of his disgrace Lady Algy
sprinrs TO his side and goes with him.
The nest morning, when the effects
OF the LIQUOR have worn off, Algy sober
~ faces the task Of keeping Mrs. Tud-
way in the path Of duty. He assures
her that his brother, although not quick
tempered. has a smouldering sort OF
humor. and that she will have to take
his dab liver with his heart. He adds
effectively. "Your husbands heart beats
for YOU; his bones are boiling for you"
The costume ball is capitally handled
for light comedy. There is the shep-
herdess who one might say was too
burlesque 10 happen outside Of Dickens,
but is nevertheless just the sort of i'm
possible creation that every one has
seen at a costume bal. The situations
are productive OF wit. Algy appears as
the Duke of wellington, and is very
anxious that everything about him
should correspond to the period. OF
course, they were three-bottle men in
those days. The play is neither deep
nor subtle, but it is vety neat and
amusing.