The Washington herald., 1918-09-10
Nntionni-Otis skinner In "Humpty-
Dumpty."

Dumpty."
OTIS Skinner has scored again!
Not so heavily. perhaps. as he
scored in "Kismet," nor yet so de-
Hghtfully as he scored in Mister Az
tonic" but oh! the joy of the re-
viewer. to stretch out and revel in
honest praise of drama that is drama,
Of comedy that is comic. and of play
that Is a play!
Such is Humpty-Dumpty," a four
act laughter-and-te tears comedy by
Horace Annesley vachelI. that forced
six bows and a curtain speech from
the properly-reluCtant. Otis himself
at the end of the third act. From
/ curtain TO curtain. here is we'll
nigh perfect bit of dramaturgy, a
delightful thing, a four-act gem that
rings as true as a dropped half-doI-
lar.
| Let's examine the plot:
James Delamothe. heir presumptive
TO the earldOm of Mottisfont. discovers
/ that the old earl has willed him the
estate with the full knowledge that 1t
| really belongs to the son of an older
brother, who consummated a secret
! marriage while at school and left a
/ son, who, ignorant OF his heritage,
| has become a hairdresser at an Eng
! lish coast town. James Delamothe
promptly breaks his engagement
with his cousin, a charming but i'm
| pecuniOus girl, turns over his hold
| ings to the rightful owner, the hair
Il ~. l.
! estate, dedicates himself to his new
/ life, only to discover at the end OF
| the third act that he is dreadfully
| unhappy. lmpetuously he casts
/ aside, for the time. his earldom, re-
| turns to his hairdressing, only to
! discover, in attempting to thwart d
! blaCkmailtnG woman. that his sup
/ posed mother. the secret wife of
| Arthur DelamOthe. was not his
mother at all. but a woman who
had exchanged her dying baby of
noble blood for another woman 3
healthy but illeEitimate son.
Such are the opportunities offered
Otis Skinner in "Humpty- Dumpty."
There is a flaw in his performance
! that will be eliminated. perhaps.
| Try as he will. Skinner has not eIimi-
mated the flavor of his Mister
Antonio's" dialect. 1t clines to his
| cockney accent; it befuddles his enun-
| citation; il blurs his Interpretation.
Nevertheless he has invested the
role. of an English barber with a
| charm that lifts it from the ruCk of
! things. He is the artist hair dresser.
at one with his art. Strange AS it
may seem. Mr.. Skinner fails to
swashbuckle successfully as one might
expect of barber lifted to earl. This,
too is another gsperity that time will
likely smooth Blame, too. seema 10
/ lie with the plot which causes n
| barrier to renounCe an unhappy earl
| dom for a happy tonsorilI studio.
Such things may happen. but the
stage is keyed to the law of pre-
liabilities and the emotional thrus'
that should close that third act i3
only saved by he actor himself. There
/ is a biting touch Of tragedy In tic
| fourth act that again brings out the
artistry of this man Skinner, bit /.
! succumbs swiftly to a bit cf romance
! that brings out the same artistry,
tn orCh in happier vein.
| Praise. fulsome and unstinted must
go to each and every member of the
supporting cast Beryl Mercer, as the
| spurious though loving mother of this
| barber Humpty Dumpty, builds a
| background of dramatic action that
attains the brilliance of utter sim
plicity. No character actress Wash
ington has seen in months has inter-
| preted with deeper intelligence and
more finished skill a role which could
become utterly inane with poor
| handling. Skinner's own praise of bis
cast is echoed here and, while space
/ FnrIfl5 lnta eli OIL
| out for particular praise Morton Sell
| ton, Ernest Elton. Elizabeth Risdon,
John Rogers, Ruth Rose, Clara BraCy
and Walter Scott. This must not be
interpreted as detracting from the
merits Of the performance of Flem-
| ing Ward, Robert Harrison. Robert
Entwistle. William Eviile and Maud
| Milton.
Truly, Skinner has scored and the
| National this week is a place the
careful theatergoer cannot ignore.