The Washington herald., 1918-06-25
BeIaseo-&AnetAer Man. Shoes"

Belsseo-EAnether Mans Shoes"
Although based on the age-old
motif Of dual personality. the new
comedy Another Mans Shoes"
which appeared for the frst time
an any stage at the Belasco last
night, easily proved that with skill
full treatment even ancient sitna-
tions may be transformed into
surprising announcements. With
Lionel Atwill. an English actor. as
Dick" the hero whose muddled
brain led to comical complications.
the plot unwound itself delightfully."-.
supporting company Of exception
al merit ably abetted the star.
The play. which In adapted from
a story that was read by thousands
few years asone, needs q little
trimming or adjusting in the FIRST
act. This undoubtedly will be at
tended~to before the week Is out.
Given even as pretty q nurse as is
Miss Podmore (Sue MacManamye
and q patient in q sickroom, interest
cannot be sustained for long by re-
peated whispered cautions to the
other characters in the piece who
tiptoe into the chamber only to tip
toe out again.
But after the FIRST ten minutes,
dn which time the hero. struggling
slowly back to consciousness from
the effects OF his personal atten-
dance on . railroad wreck some
weeks before, the piece moves
rapidly and logically. The lines
are clever, the situations are good
and the humor is spontaneous and
delightful
Mr.. Atwill's stellar honors are
shared in full measure by William
Powell. a. Hughes, the department
store manager. and Frederick Bur-
ton. who plays the role Of DIR. wor-
rail-, the attending physician, with
such faithful leality that the only de-
tail left untouched was the size of
his bill. Harry Ashford, as Mr.. Wolf.
the trascible father-in-law Of the
hero, also displayed some wonderful
ly clever character work.
The work Of the women members
of the cast was universally good.
Miss Elsie Mackay. as Dora. wife of
the injured man, had her opportunity
In several emotional scenes and rose
to the part. Miss MacMansmy was
nurse In . Thousand, while Lucia
Moore, as Mrs. Wolf proved to be a
charming II fussy matron.
The play, as indicated, opens In the
sickroom Of the Craven mansion in
Syracuse. There has been a serious
train wreck and the master of the
house, Dick Craven, has been brought
home In q considerably shattered
state. He has been seriously hurt
about the head and with returning
consciousness he realizes he Ia not
Craven at all but II Richard Trent,
resident Of a small Nebraska town.
Despite his protests, Mrs. Craven
and. her relatives refuse to listen to
his story. As a reult Dick find him.
self living in Another Mans Shoes"
in daily association with another
mans pretty wife and groping aim
lessly in an effort to carry off the
situation because Of the warning of
DR.. sWorrall that Mrs. Craven's con-
dition Is such that any shock, such as
his persistence in denial of his iden-
uty. might have upon her.
There is, Of course, the lost money.
which Craven Is supposed to have
embezzled. but which later turns up
safely. This serves to hold the be-
wildered man to the side Of Mrs. Cra-
ven until matters can adjust them
selves. Altogether, complication fol-
lows on complication.
Like all good stories, a shock brings
Dick back to his senses. In wholly
unexpected fashion he is confronted
with the girl he had taken to a dance
Just before the accident. There is a
sleam Of returning hope in Dicks eyes
and he refers to the dance as though
It had been Of recent event.
why. Dick. don't you remem-
BERT" said the girl from the past
That dance was twelve years ago."
Loss Of memory through an at
tack by the town roughs more than
q decade before. on the evening Of
the dance, had driven him, blank
minded. from the town. As Richard
Cravan he had lived new life for
more than q decade, only to revert
to his former identity hS reason OF
the second accident. 'ss -
There you have II! Rather q COM
plicated plot. sbut well worked out
and acted with q fidelity and spon-
taneity seldom seen at first-nfght
productions. p -