The Washington herald., 1918-01-29
NatIonaHSIightnin''.


Eightnin'. in the person Of Franz
Bacon. struck the Natioial ,Theater
last night and though an elemental
white mantle chilled all outdoors
those inside had their hearts warmed
by one Of the most lovable character:
ever written and acted. We loved
him just as much for his faults a!
we did for his virtues. The former
consisted of a tenderness for the bot
tie and q most vivid Imagination
particularly as to his own proves
while his virtues can be summed VI
in the one wordNhuman.
And it is the human element added
to an exceptionally fine drawn char
acterization of Bacon's 'Lightnin' .
that will put over this play. We sort
of got accustomed to humanness from
Winehell Smith, who Is the author Of
"Lightnin' in collaboration witt
Bacon. when he gave US Turn to tht
Right" Box office returns from tht
latter have since proven that the ole
general public likes to have its hear
touched occasionally.
Frank Bacon does just that He
touches the heart; holds it UP be-
fore him and handles it tenderly with
never a jar throughout the whole
evening and when he returns 1t to you
at the close of the play-somehow, II
sort of feels better for the handling
The play is Bacon. True it has a
plot just like a regular play and
throughout its entire course the deft
hand of Winchell Smith can be seen,
but telling the plot would not be
giving the slightest idea Of the play.
II is old as the hills-this plot-yet
there's a newness. See IL you don't
recognize it.
There is the girl-the young lawyer
lover-the old homestead wanted by
the railroad-the scheming lawyer
and his accomplice. who know of the
railroads plan-their attempt to
force a sale from the old folks
through misrepresentation-th neal
success and their final failure
throughout the activities of the slow
moving, slow-thinking Lightnin' and
the young lawyer lover.
But the old homestead happens &c
be a hotel on the State line between
California and Nevada which is
popular because of its convenience
to those who are doing their bit oi
the required six months before
Reno. This atmosphere of the diff
ferent sort, lends the settings un-
limited comedy possibilities and In
the end everybody is made happy
and most of them that have beer
estranged are reunited.
Bacon's apparent ignorance OF
courtroom etiquette in the second
act is very reminiscent Of DaviC
Warfeld in the courtroom scene
from THE Grand Army Man." al.
though his Characterization needs
no precedent. This act showing
a regular clearing house for di.
vorces is the best of the piece, the
others needing considerable prun.
ing and Tightening. Some change:
could be made in the cast too-but
Bacon makes you forget any de.
fects- As Lightnin' he is so hu.
manly egotistical that you forge
to condemn his conceit and almost
believe everything he says.
His Characteristic viewpoint may ot
CLEANED from one tale he told of the
many men who had robbed him, He
nonchalantly admitted that he haG
shot some Of them-the rest were In
the penitentiaTy-except one-who diet
before he could be reached.
Aside from Bacon the best work In
the company was contributed by Jant
Oaker. the hysterical divorcee, whC
remarked the day she secured the
decree-leading the Judge who gave
her freedom to the altar; Jason Ro.
bards as the honest young lawyer