El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-03-30
Latest Hatton Play Is a
Movie Thriller; Season
Of Ibsen Drama.

FEW YORK, March 50.-TWo
M things must be said at the be-
= ginning Of this review Of The
SQUAD Farm the latest Hatton farce
comedy at the Bijou. The first IS
that II is not as naughty as some of
the New york critics pretend to be-
IeVe- And the second is that It Is
not at all up 10 the Hatton standard
Of cleverness IN dialogue and smooth
continuity OF action
The SQUAD Farm is supposed to
delineate the foibles of a certain
class Of motion picture producers
but the play is not as some OF the
local ooserF ers seem TO think, aimed
10 snow that the movies are pro-
duced in an atmosphere OF free love
and easy virtue. Ia my judgment,
the chief fault with the play Is that
it was written with an eye too open
for box office possibilities. 1t re-
mains 70 be seen whether the Hattons
have Eaged correctly the eageruess OF
the public 70 see business office
disrupted by the love affairs and
petty 3ealcusies Of a lot of Eirl en-
movies would probably have been
earning their daily bead as stem
ographers
some immortality shown.
The story is that the director OF q
large film factory has decided to
present q modern Garden OF Eden
IN spectacular way, ana has ar
ranged oil the details OF his cast ex-
cept the important part Of Eve IN
fortunately the regula-' leading wo-
man OF the company aces not "fill"
the bill and as the director has been
rather ardent in a love affair with
her. there is something stirring when
she finds out that she is TO be sup
planted
The morals Of the director are not
AZ an nice. Els ideals Of women are
principally noted for their nom
existence He goes through a scene
in which he selects his new Eve with
a brutal passiOuareness that is not
inviting, and possibly is even shock
Ing.
But as the action progresses It de-
yelOps that the dire tor Is riding 10 a
fall and that virtue is 70 triumph.
lust as IL used 10 in the good old
days OF Bertha the Beautiful Sew
ing Machine Girl" Therefore the
rather broad delineatiOu = me moral
obtuseness might be excused. and
everybody is glad when the new Eve
rriumphantlv resists the bad direc-
tors advances, and does Il so charm
ingly that he fails honestly in love
An OId-FashIoned Triumph.
Wei. as IL happens. she fails in
love with someone else and after the
director mas 4oHL MS rear VIE anu
his former leading woman and all the
iuEenues. and then loses his che true
love into the bargain he has 20 90
10 work II that isn't a triumph for
the good 0ld-fashioned virtue, what
is2 III is an offering which must be
left open TO discussion
AS Bruce Sanford. the wicked d.
rector. Lowell Sherman was splendid.
Alma Tell was equally charming as
the new Eve. while Julia Bruins
PLAYED the movie adventures with an
authority rnIr made many a wife
giad she nad come along as per
sonal chaperon for her tired business
man OF a husband. Harry Davenport. /
as Gloomy Gus" an assistant direc-
Tor with q conscience, and Susanne
villa. cast as a character woman
rather painfully conscious Of her re-
speciality, added a lot 20 the en-
joymenr Of the evening.
Old Farce Made Into New Play.
The latest Of the old farce comedy
successes 10 be rechristened and given