The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-11-08
A PLAY OF Merit
''Turn to the Right" Best Per-
Torrance of Season Here.
Comedy Hit of New York Most
Pleasing Ever at Grand.

The wide gap between the Bowery
If New York and the old fashioned
upstate rural districts was bridged
most pIeasingly and most cleverly In
Turn to the Right" the justly pop
ular comedy drama under the new
producers, Winchell Smith and John
L. Golden, at the Grand last night
1t was. by far, the best play Of the
season appearing in Topeka. II is
doubtful if any performance in many
years has mingled tears of pathos and
laughter in such lightning like man
ner as Turn to the Right ana the
crowd, that, by the way, paid sl29
war tax, pulled it's hands from out OF
it's languid laps and kept the curtain
bouncing up and down behind the
footlights.
Turn to the Right is a play that
doesn't need a spike to its punch.
The appearance of one star" WASH t
necessary to give it the kick. From
the prologue that opened IN H3Wn
shop to the lowering of the curtain IN
the bridal chamber, the play went
with bang and with an ever prevail
ing interest Quaintness and simple
ity of mother love-" punctured with
refreshing comedy right from the
Bronx, never allowed the lines to lag
1t was a good, wholesome plot with
The story has to do with the regen-
Grafton of two nimble witted crooks
thru the influence of the love be-
slowed upon them by the lovable old
mother of their pal" who had re-
solved to turn to the right" after
serving a term in prison for robbery
and after life of wild associations in
New York. The story drops to melo-
drama in the presentation of the ever
present mortgage on the old home
stead but the camouflage is so sue
cessful in hiding the plot from melo-
dramatic influences that it does not
injure the show in the least.
Turn to the Right has been the
comedy hit of New York and ChicaCo
the last two seasons. Summer and
winter it has played to packed houses.
Only two companies are playing it
the<Chicago cast is in Topeka. The
WincheIl Smith and John Golden COM
bination is responsible. When it is
realized that Winchell Smith was a
co-author in the Boomerang" and
Golden is a writer of such song sue
cesses as Poor Butterfly and Good
every-line revelation can be appreci-
ated.
The scenery well supports the cast
which, let it be said, needs o sup
port. The pawn shop scene, the in
terror of the kitchen of the upstate
home, the peach orchard, both in the
spring and summer. and the finale as
the motor car is seen speeding thru
the lanes to the new home of the
bride and groom and the curtain is
lowered in the bridal chamber-all
these stage effects are excellently pro-
duced. In fact the/audience bestowed
four distinct rounds of applause upon
the scenery alone.
The most pleasing character part
was taken by Mabel Bert as Mrs. Bas-
com, the mother whose influence re-
generated the Bowery crooks. Her
acting was superb. Ralph Morgan as
Joe Bascom, the young man who
part easily and naturally The two
crooks, Mugs and Gil1y, acted by
Harry Mccormack and William Foran,
took the crowd. Their love making
and taking-was killing. The robbing
of the deacons safe and the pick
pocket, display is scream. Philip
Bishop as Sam Martin, the village
store boy who absorbs wealth and
social aspirations thru New York as
sociations. takes many in the audi
ence back to their country town days
Bishop takes his part typically and
truthfully. Three charming girls,
Ruth Rose, Helen Collier and Dorothy
Belts, as Elsie Tillinger, Betty Bas-
com and Jessie Strong, form an IDEAL
counterpart-and~ contrast-to the
three reformed Sing Sing inmates
Helen Collier, in the scenes within the
Bascom home, is especially charming
and natural. Other parts taken en-
Enthusiastically and well are accredited
to James H. Huntley, John WEIGH,
Charles w. Goodrich, Samuel Lowen-
wirth, George Splevin, and Maude Fox
1t is interesting to note that James
H. Huntley, who played cleverly the
part of Deacon Tillinger. was with
the Emma Bunting stock conuanv
playing in Topeka about four years
ago.
Turn to the Right plays again at
the Grand this evening. If there is a
seat in the house unoccupied, it is a.
topeka insult to the stage, for this
production will not be equaled here
this Season.-AJC.