New-York tribune., 1918-08-09
TIE CAST
By Haywood Broun

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# the average man is asked What
is life >" or "What is death >" or any
thing ike that he is not apt to become
passionately interested. But he will
leave cards and wine and honest toll
70 try and find the three bits of card
board to complete the ear OF a dachs-
hund in puzzle picture or to supply
{ the missing letters in "U-ncl- Tom
/ CABIN" in q booklovers' contest Most
Of us have jigsaw minds, and no the
atrical entertainment caters to this
type of brain so much as the mystery
play. As rule, there has been muir
der. but in "The Blue PEARL at the
Longacre Theatre last night, it was a
jewel robbery. Anne Crawford tleX-
ner's meIod rama has practically no ac-
curate CIR interesting characterization
and no distinction Of dialogue save IN
the important respect that words are
not allowed to impede the devel lopment
of the plot. And yet when the play
was produced on a hot night it held
the attention of the audience almost
up to the last minute.
The author has been signally sue
cessful in enlisting the services or the
audience After all. everyman has a
detective badge just under his ribs,
and George Nash, as the Police Com
missioner, gave no more earnest men
tai effort toward detecting the criminal
than the spectator in the last row or
the second balcony. The play does
carry through the intermlssions be
I,o 40 !, N L
did t?" seemed to be pretty generally
alternated with "Is it hot enough for
you?" during the lobby receptions.
The play follows the model of "The
Thirteenth Chair" in that guilt is fast
ened pretty definitely upon group OF
persons all in the same room. After
that the universal practice OF all de-
tective plays and stories is followed.
/ Suspicion is directed first toward one
person and then toward another. On
the whole, the rather difficult technique
of this manipulation of suspicion is
we'll handled. We did fasten upon the
culprit before the mystery was solved,
but when we made definite selection
a little later and risked our reputation
! as guesser we went wrong. We are
of the opinion that the audience was
also generally wrong in is conjectures.
In this respect Miss Flexner has been
a little more successful than WELLER
in The Thirteenth Chair" in which the
dramatist's attempt to shield the guilty
man up to the last minute was just a
little too pronounced. In some respects
THE Blue Pearl" is also just a little
fairer for as we remember no character
actually goes out of his way to fool the
audience. The new play, however, is
by no means as good a play as the
WELLER thriller. 1t lacks the super
natural quality; it lacks a striking sur
prise such as the knife in the ceiling,
and the motive of the crime as finally
revealed is just shade too trlflng.
1t Will more than suffice, however, to
interest all persons who have fond
ness for detective stories.
In a play which holds the interest
minor crudties do not make great
deal of difference, but we must note
the fact that "monsieur" proved pretty
troublesome last night We are never
quite certain as to when it is done just
right. but since we heard at least four
different pronunclations last night we
are under the impression that three
actors at least, and possibly four, were
off key. There is also some cause for
slight complaint against Orlando DAILY.
He played love scene in the prologue
of the play as if he had just run a
ten-mile race and didn't want anybody
to know about it. That prologue did
much to make the audience feel cool.
/ The scene was the Boardwalk at At
lantic City, and the actors leaned on
rail and talked out across the foot
lights Our seat would have been just
about in the thick of the breakers.
However, We are under the impression
that even those critics who sat further
back were not out Of their depth. Later
,0i, ha
temperature. 1t was in the second act
that the Police Commissioner took a
violent dislike to the villain. He told
him to go into the next room and be
searched, and the villain said he
wouldn't.
"lll search you myself" cried the
police commissioner. strip"
Last night this did not seem cruel
and unusu. Il punishment. George
Nash would do we'll never to face the
audience as he delivers that line these
days or they may conceive it as a
special dlspensation from d kindly
management.
At that we are willing to testify
that the Longacre Theatre last night
actually seemed five degrees cooler
than the street and twenty degrees
cooler than The Tribune Office
"The Blue Pear" makes no very
heavy demands upon the acting ability
Of the cast and the performance was
effective throughout. George Nash
enunciates badly, but he does succeed
in putting over the decisive quality re-
auired in successful stage detective.
Julia Bruins looked exceedingly we'll
and acted as cattIshly as her part re-
CURED g. Oliver Smith was deft in
grasping the possibilities of q rather
slight silly ass part and Annie Hughes
and J. Palmer Collins were also etfec-
tive.
We may save ourselves the trouble
Of dealing at length with the plot. It
should suffice that blue pearl s
stolen during Il demonstration of hyp-
notism ard that it is eventually re-
stored TO the rightful owner. OF course
we won't name the culprt.
Heads Russian Orchestra