Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-12-01
UT THE TRUTH LYRIC; RAINBOW GIRL FORR
SIDES


Barrymore Hamlet is no more rash than
was the thought of "Ned" Sothern's Prince
of Denmark in the days when he was in
dulging in the airiness of Lord Chumley.
Pictorially. Mr.. Barrymore is ideally suited
TO the richest of all tragic roles There Is
no reason to believe that his crystalline
articulation now displayed In the Du
Maurier piece would not he equal to the de-
mands of blank verse. OF Mr.. Barrymore's
consideration of such an undertaking. no
published record exists. But unduestion-
able hints of Hamlet-like tenderness and in
Prospective poetry are touchingly evident
In the role OF Peter Ibbetson as IL Is now
so delcately played.
The retirement of Eorbes-R Robertson and
Sothern and the parative abscurity of
Mantell greatly impoverished the stage 50
far as Shakespearean art is concerned In
the past so many uninspired performers
have heard the bard's seductive call that
conservatism in urging the younger genera
tion TO answer 1t may at first blush. seem
impetuous and unwise. Beerbohm Trees
Hamlet was called funny without being
vulgar" But the ambitious actor-manager
never could have played Peter lbbetson.
Mr.. Barrymore can and suprcmely well.
In his conception lies at least something OF
the flavor of what eternally charms In the
dramatic miracle of the ages.
COLONEL IBBETSON. as Lionel Barry
" more presents him, is limned with FIN
| ished artistry. Mansfield would have rev
| eled in it, as he did in Baron Cheyrial. who
suggests the sinister colonel sunk to the
depths of senile degeneracy. But the very
eccentricty of the role renders It decidedly
more easy for an accomplished actor than
that of young Ibbetson, where the indefn-
able quality called personality must DC
dominant.
1t is no surprise to behold the elder
Barrymore triumphing in genre work. lie
has been an admirable character actor Tor
more than ten years Part, of that time
/; motion pictures claimed him Another
share of 1t was devoted u painting. Never
| theless some of the stage portraits con
ceived by him dwell vividly in the memory.
| Among them are the Italian organ grinder
| in his Uncle John Drew's vehicle. by Isaac
! Henderson, "The Mummy and the Hum
| ming Bird Pantaloon, in Barries fanci-
! full gem of that title, and the pugilist i'll
Augustus Thomas's breezy farce, THE
| Other Girl"
| The vcracio11s detail with which those
| characters were embroidered has now been
| cultivated to a cameo-ke fneness. It n
more skllful display of genre work than
| the vain, sensual Ibbetson's voicelcss inter-
| pretation of the French song in act one of
Mr. Raphaels play has graced our stage, it
is not in the recollection of the present
writer.
As to the share of Constance Collier in
Peter Ibbetson's' success, that discerning
actress was so largely responsible for
| the very existence of the production
that reflections on her individual con-
| tribution must be recorded chiefly in n
spirit of gratitude. Pictorially, her
! realization of the Duchess of Du Maurier's
delightful drawings is strikingly faith
full. Her acting throughout is pain
stalking and sincere. occasionally the
| spirituality Of the part is beyond her grasp.
| Only n Bernhardt or a Duse of earlier days
could have sounded the depths of this roles
| singular beauty. AS it is Miss Golfers
talents have never seemed tithe as
| trustworthy as they do today.
The sympathetic Duquesnois of Wallis
! Clark and the highly commendablc Mrs
Deane of Alice John are gracCusly at
tuned to the spirit of this unique entertain
ment. Some of tale other characters are less
happily expressed, and this is especially
true of the young Peter and Mimsey of the
| Passy garden dreams.
1t was, of course, difficult matter TO
| secure inspired child actors for these inn
| portant roles. But the impression cannot
| be withheld that little Joseph A. Monahan
| and Mildred A. Kahle were wrongly in
! structed Ordinarily children of the stage
| are supposed to be cute, pert and pretty.
| Such types are not wanted in Peter Ib-
| betson" 1t is distinctly stated In the novei
| that Mimsey was sickly. frail and vlsually
unattractive. Miss kahle is altogether too
sprightly in the part. Master Monahan is
| less out Cf the picture, but it is hard to
| reconcile his personality and makeup with
| the John "A dreams" whose transcendental
| adventures so exqusitely confirm the fact
| that 'iron bars do not "a prison make"
AJEW YORk'S wisdom-questioned on
IN this page last week-in turning down
Somerset Maughans Caroline" seems to
| have had n very definite basis. Airy moth
| ings in comedy can at times be keenly de-
lectable, but sheer Stiffness and inanity are
| hard to champion.
Perhaps the youth in this play who con-