The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-10-08
DITRICHSTEIN ACTS
In AN ACTORS PLAY
He Wrote Part Of the "Matinee
Hero" but A. f. Thomas
Is Author Of the Comedy.
TELLS A PLAYERS STORY
Would Interpret "Hamlet,"
but "0ther Woman" Inter
feres With His Ambition.



self. intrigves, as the French would say,
those who go to see It. since there is in
evitsbly the photographed element
somewhere to be sought. What actor
could ever resist the temptation TO put In
hero or there some aspect OF the au-
thor as he sees himself? Ordinarily the
actor has got to be what the playwright
makes him. But when he Is creator as
well as interpreter he may play any
sort OF a fantasy on reality that pleases
him. So when Mr.. Ditrichstein is named
al the author of his own play even with
| such capable playwright as A L.
Thomas at his side there Is certain to
be one more glimpse of the player as
he sees himself. Last night at the Van
derbilt Theatre he was an actor in his
latest comedy THE Matinee Hero"
Wise to show Himself.
Mr.. Ditrichstein called in the aid and
comfort of the Hattons when he wanted
to let the world see how he would have
looked and acted had he been a great
barytone-say the beloved Scotti--in-
stead OF an actor. Then he appeared as
the worldly wise ruler in THE King"
acting exquisitely high comedy role.
But the pablo awaited the shake OF the
kaleidoscope that gave Mr.. Ditrichstein
in another phase OF his character. SO
with Mr.. Thomas's help he showed him.
self last night on the stage and one
aOtf0bt xa-fth ha nxJ-
dences OF the autobiographical.
This popular player in The Matinee
Hero" lives in the suburbs. and in
the drawing room OF his house the
action passes. The country home is not
OF course at Stamford. The progra mime
mentions neither Freeport nor Larch-
mont. But Freeport Is excluded since
| this actor wanted to play Hamlet. II
was to be the browning artistic achieve
ment of a career which had been rich in
success. II not In Importance. Such an
| undertaking lay. moreover. far from the
previous experience of the player. He
did get as far as the soliloquy before
the play ended.
His faithful wife stood by him, quite
indeed as the wife OF Aryani aided him
In THE Concert" Another woman inter-
vened, a Questionable woman with yari-
Gus pasts, who might have cast her
spell over him for the rest of his natural
and stage life had not the power OF the
wife after all been stronger. She came
again to the rescue, and her place
at his side was no longer usurped by
suspicious beauty. Great was the
satisfaction of his friends when his
! wife was once again at the helm. They
almost began to believe that now he
might play Hamlet. Nobody was will
| ing to go on record in that matte"
| however, so long as the fair intrudC.
stood at his side.
The Two Authors.
What share each collaboration bore In
| 1.-THE Matinee Hero" is not easy to say
although much of the easy and graceful
humor OF the dialogue, especially in a
massage between the two leading &C
! tresses in the second act. seemed &c
come from Mr.. Thomas's pen. Not al
| OF the expedients by which the story
was advanced. however, seemed as skill
full as his have been In the past; so II
may be that they came from Mr.. Ditrich-
stein.
The star played with his usual ease
and his humor was as potent and light
as ever. Unluclily he had written for
himself the least interesting part In the
drama, for the matinee hero had but
little TO do that counted. II was the
, characters about him who were allowed
to take every step that was material to
the story. But Mr.. Dtrichstein Is de-
servedly so popular that his public Is
certain to enjoy him in this newest phase
of his skill as an actor playing an actor
Not all Of his associates were deserv-
ing of the opportunities the authors had