New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-12-04
BY Ralph Block

Lou Tellegen, undergoing the pro
cesses Of redemption after a hectic
Partisan love affair. is we'll enough
and interesting to contemplate. But
All the pale and ghostly grace Of Mr..
Tellegen, the exceeding pathos with
which he closes his eyes and remem-
bcrS the terrible past. the plant Tel
legen voice which doubtless has un-
/ learned and learned more Of stage
speaking than most actors on this side
discover in n lifetime all this can
not abate one jot Of the burden Mr..
Tellegen has 10 carry in Blind
Youth" once he - redeemed and
begins TO project his redemption into
the lives Of those around him.
Whether Willard Mack had the idea
and Mr.. Tellegen built a structure
about II. ! cannot say, but at least il is
quite the expected Tellegen role which
Mr. Tellegen is called on TO take. He
is the noble young man who loved not
wisely. but too well. and who, when he
had drunk Of all the bitter dregs Of
his despair. drained the cup to the very
dregs, as they say in all the most ap-
proved literature about the subject,
suddenly discovered he had "eXperi-
euced." and then went priggishly about
the world. trying TO give other people
the benefit of il. Under all circum-
stances. | should give Mr.. Tellegen
more latitude in being noble than any
other actor on the stage. He can be
noble for me without saying even a
word out loud. but Blind Youth
strains my faith a good deal. and |
shall probably hunt up a Tellegen
movie somewhere 10 get my faith back
again.
Somewhere in the shed that every
playwright has at the back of his shop
is an old box filed with all kinds OF
knickknacks. Once in while, when
the playwright hasn't anything c Sc TO
do, he goes back there and digs IN all
the accumulated dust, brushing of ten
derly the smudgy face of the little toy
lady vampire in her faded Paris trock'
combing the glossy mustache OF the
almost pathetic little lying, cheating,
cowardly toy villain, Strengthening the
ribbons of the tender young thing tha1
was wellnigh broken by the rough
knocks she got the last time, ana DrlehI-
ening up TO its first stern design the
now almost faded streak Of red paint
.bat stood for the mouth OF the hero.
Here they all are. the same old crew,
and fascinated ana beguiled by these
marionettes of his dramatic youth ne
draqS them out, puts them on tne
strings once more, and laughs dehgnt-
edlv to see them dance. IL is all qulIe
a lat of fun for him, and he never can
Tnderstapd why other folk see in his
Gancing dolls only few old broken
dolls. faded and ragged and worn. on-
banDy that we are, why aren't all OF Us
blessed with the imaginationS OF pay
Anvway. that is what Mr.. Mack ard
Mr. Tellegen have been spending their
time at in blind Youth" Mr. lelle-
gen is the hero with the stern young
mouth. Marie Chambers makes SUD
dued but quite believable wicked VAN
njre and William Courtleigh, Jr:, IS
the CIVILIAN" In this case nc Is
silly young half-brother who 1alis IN
love with the vampire, Just come from
Paris. and quite pink il not ehtirely
scarlet. He has 70 be torn from hei
deadly clutches by the noble MI leI-
legen, at the imminent RISK OF a never
purer. freshcr love which Mr.. Iellegeh
has Just gotten to bud. III
lust why he should take so mucn
trouble for a relative he detests ana
who hates him is not clear. Inc pay
saws it is for the sake OF their JOINT
mother. and Mr.. Tellegen does his best
n anpcar noble and self-sacriiiclng IN
the matter. His nobility, however is
somewhat confusing. lie lures tnv
wicked lady TO his studio on pretence
of renewing their old love, meaning
tbere TO expose her to the innocent
lover. The latter, however. not 80
Great p fool after all, refuses TO let
bis prierish brother get away with ~
and disappears. after calling up tHe
artists new love on the telephone 10
no in at the death. The last act IS
lind Of double exposure, in when AZ
last the vampire and the villain are
foiled. Mr.. Mack and Mr.. Iel'egen
even have the lady leaving the sceEe
cursinc. That is quite the most de-
licious moment of al. A..
The acting is much better than the
plav deserves. Jennie A. Eustaee, as
The mother, has the opportunity OF pre-
/ sentinq the most lifelike figure III the
MAY and does it well. The rest are
tbadows. Law figures Of mimic world.
/ MIR. Tellegen is not just a player OF
/ some personal charm; he Is, TOO, an
/ actor of much discretion. IL seems,
/ however. that he yet must forget many
/ trickeries and artiiicialities ne may
/ have learned on another stage, before
I those qualities OF his which are eHcep-
/ tional can receive their full attehVoh'