The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-07-09
THE FIVE MILLION
HAS OLD FLAVOR
Creations Of Stage Hokum
Walk Through Acts Of
Bucolic Play.
PRODUCED AT THE LYRIC
William Meehan and James
Gleason Are Effective in
Role Of Comedians.
The Five MnIlon---At the Lyric.

Last week II was william A. Brady
decided at short notice to open the new
theatrical season at the Playhouse.
Whether the incident escaped the knowl-
edge of Ray Comstock and Norris Gest
or whether every manager feels that
only his own play can properly declare a
season opened. there Is no means ut hand
to discover 1t 10 enough to know that
the new theatre year began all over
again last night
This time Comstock q Gest were the
instruments OF this important act, while
the place was the Lyric Theatre and the
play Tho Five Million" Guy Bolton
and Frank Mandel wrote the new drama,
which deals with q consequence of the
war. Tho scenes OF the three acts are
laid In a schoolroom. n lawyers once
and the dining room Of a boarding house
In Clinton Falls, N. Y.
With two dramas and two theatres
dedicated to chat purpose. the theatre sea-
son may now be considered by the elect
as open. In the meantime the public
will probably prefer to think that the
summer is here. the close season for
drama and oysters Is on and all the
plays put forward just now. merely the
experiments Of too eager entrepreneurs.
Same ola Rural Drama.
There Is nothing about The Five Mill
lon" that demanded immediate hearing
lest Il be anticipated In other pieces.
The new play 10 one OF the bucolic type
so popular In the American theatre.
The dougheoy 10 apparently an after
thought, SO little is the return Of the
soldier essential to- anything the scenes
contain.
There are the .cheming village lawyers
who through the crime of youth In
stealing bonds belonging to another and
imputing the crime to an absent aviator
are able TO gain possession OF the oldest
practice in the village the struggling In
ventor who through their sharpness
would have lost all the rewards of his
labors but for tho sharpness Of the hero
the quiet village girl who loves In silence
until the soldier learns that she and not
the beauty who forgot him while ne was
lighting in Europe u really intended for
him by Providence-all these dear old
creations OF stage hokum walk through
the three acts and usually md them
| selves in the centre OF the stage.
One of them has brought back q French
wife. while another nnds his place In
business filed 90 much moro satisfac-
| torily by his mate that he surrendors "a
! her superior skill and begins TO do the
housekeeping There are occasional out
break. OF tropical humor of kind which
has grown stale long ago such a. the
| speech that life IN New York Just oon-
sists OF one parade after another.
The audience did not rise readily &c
the bait Of the patriotic outoursts. The
applause came slowly and seemed per
| functory. Indeed all that was based or
the life OF the returned soldier in the
play had long ago lost its power 10 en-
| terrain or interest
DouShboy and Stacker.
1t Is by no means certain that the
returned doughboy can be made an In
, eresting figure on the stage. He has
been discounted already by the wide
proclamation OF his achievements. The
public knows too much about him from
other sources TO be concerned now
There was more reality last night In the
denunciations of the Stacker than In any
other martial references In the text.
| Thus It happened that the usual In
gradients Of the small town play, old
and familiar as they were. possessed
more vitality than the efforts to add the
\ wartime interest. Robert Mcwade Al
the villainous lawyer roared with hii
.anliliar effect and Purneli Pratt gavs
an amusing sketch OF his contemptibl,
on. The veteran. Harry HARDWOOD
played the Irish inventor with humor
and Ralph Morgan was q sufficiently
Ieroic aviator.
| Beatrice Noyes as the village maiC
who never told her love acted with en-
gagtng naturainess. William Meehar
was again irresistibly comic as the sol
der who had to do the housework. Will,
James Gleason, with the French wife
was an effective associate In the militAr]
fun Here Is a comedian who with tn,
right opportunity will some day distin
guish himself.