New-York tribune., 1918-11-06
Drama
German Spies Fall Faster
Than Ever in The
Long Dash"
By Haywood Broun

More German spies were shot in
The Long Dash" last night than in
any war play which New York has
seen this season. Other playwrights
who have tried to take them on the
wing one Mt a time never had a chance,
Tor Robert Mcars Mackay and Victor
Mapcs use rapid-hring cannon con-
trolled by wireless
At least one charge will never be
ievelled against the new melodrama.
lt/can hardly be said to lack incident.
IN fact, material enough for at least
half dozen plays has been introduced
II not always incorporated. into the de-
Vlous plot. The result is crude melo-
drama, which nevertheless possesses
many amusing and entertaining quail
Ties. Its naivete is so pronounced that
it hardly seems premeditated. Thus,
some OF the scenes which were in
tended to be the most tense pleased
the audience nightly as low comedy.
U1 course. it is possi ible that the nu-
thors fashioned the play with a delib-
crate intent to burlesque popular melo-
drama manners just little. Whatever
the intent, there seems reason to be-
lleve that "The Long Dash" will prove
excellent entertainment for all those
who do not take the theatre very Sc
riously. 1t is rs refreshingly unso-
phlstlcated as IL novel by Horatio
Alger, and is almost as much fun as
an old-fashioned Bowery melodrama,
with the additional attraction that
some of the acting is first class.
An author of melodramas is like an
elephant. He never forgets, and good
many time-tried situations of the
thriller school are presented once again
On the other hand, there are number
OF new devices employed. The cannon
itself is marvellous toy, and kept the
audience in constant suspense as it
swung straight at the audience several
times before firing. The wireless oper-
ator on the stage, who was said to con-
troll the big gun, paused irresolutely
once at a moment when the gun seemed
IN good position to wing Burns
shell, but then he reluctantly allowed it
to swing on past the audience and
shoot a couple of villains.
Robert Edeson plays double role of
two brothers who are said - look much
alike: The only difference seemed to
be that one wore his hair over the
eyes and the other brushed it back
Skilful stage management was shown
in getting one brother off the stage and
the other on again. Indeed, this was
done so we'll on one occasion that the
suggestion was advanced that the play
had been staged by Houdini. After the
bloody debacle of the German spv svs-
TEN at the end this list of producers
was amended to read Hopdni and
Annie Oakley.
The plot of "The Long Dash" has too
many ramhcatons to be attempted
here. Let it suffice that the young
American, who seemed to be a traitor
turned out in the end to be a Iowa
member of the intelligence service
Chief acting honors in the piece went
to Henry Dixey, who played German
spy with rare suavity, distinction and
humor. He too, had chance at two
roles through the fondness of the Ger
man for disguise. In his camouflage
Mr. Dixey displayed tendency to court
laughs. He received them in plenty
but they may not have been just the
right thing for the tense situation in
dicated by the plot Robert Edeson
played we'll and did most attractive
apoplectic death. Quick changes, we
suppose, had undermined the health of
the hero,