New-York tribune., 1919-07-09
Ora m a
The Five Million" Has Its
First Showing at
the Lyric
By Haywood Broun

Among the things which the war has
not changed is war drama. ~rhe Five
Milhon." by Guy Bolton and Frank
landsl, which was presented at the
Lyric Theatre last night, deSls osten-
sibly with the problems of the re-
turned soldier, but as a matter Of fact
it is concerned with the familiar strug-
giles Of embattled virtue and rampant
evil; with the honest young man
falsely accused Of crime; with the aged
inventor and the villains who would
steal his patent; with the faithful
young miss who loves and suffers in
silence until the last act. In other
words the war seems merely to have
made the world OF the theatre safer
for The Fortune Hunter" Turn to
the Right and the others. They still
wave.
OF course, as skilful . theatrical
teehnician as Guy Bolton could write
such play with one finger. We rather
think that he has. for while one hand
was engaged with the typewriter the
other was held firmly upon the public
pulse. Mr.. Bolton seems to have main
tasped perfect lisison between the
aight and left hands. There is every
reason to believe that the play will be
successful. IL was very warmly re-
ceived by first night audience, and
the various factors in the play, If not
hau at La At
Moreover, the play has the advantage
Of being unusually well acted
The humor of the piece is rather
more successful than the sentiment.
Although the authors were dealing
with such fertile subjects for pathos
as the men who did not come back
from France, 1t seemed to US that sim
cerity was often absent to a degree
which made the void ache. The dia-
logue is exceedingly bright and the
piece has enough good lines TO furnish
a half dozen hits. We cannot help
making a few personal reservations
even in regard to this. Although
markedly successful dialogue it seldom
attains the virtue Of being real talk.
The play consists Of a series Of verbal
set-ups in which the vilianous charac-
ters are constantly leaving wide open
ngs through which the hereic charac-
tsrs can assail them with bright and
crushing rejoinders.
There can be no doubt about the
villainy Of the chief villain; he Stacked
in the war; he twisted a girls wrist;
he attempted to steal an old mans
invention, and he kept his hat on in
the presence of ladies'. 1t seemed an
i'll reward indeed that the audience
should have applauded him when he
made his final exit. II ever a man
earned his tribute Of Kisses it was
Purnell Pratt last night However, 1t
was a peculiar audience. For instance,
there was rapturous applause when a
young man broke open a safe, Posi-
bly, this was lead by the ticket specu-
lators.
The only note Of true emotion in the
evening was introduced by Percy
Helton, who gave very stirring per-
formance in the small role Of black
sheep young brother. Ralph Morgan
played the heroic aviator with skilful
charm and discretion. James Gleason
was highly amusing as an American
soldier who brought back French
wife, and William z. Meehan gave an
other successful portrait as re-
turned doughboy. Charles Able was
excellent as a G.. A. r. veteran, and
Harry Harwood, lovable old inventor.
Nor should the work Of Robert Nc
Wade be overlooked. The burden Of
the play rested chiefly upon the men.
None Of the women did nearly as we'll,
although MSS Amy 0ngley succeeded
admirably in the small part Of
slavey.
We began to suspect that the play
was not sheer realism when one OF the
characters read an account Of base
ball game and had Roger Peekinpaugh,
the leader of the American League in
batting, hitting down in seventh place,
which is no place for a cleanup man.
Then, when Jack Quinn, the pitcher,
raped out a double we felt sure il
was romance. The play Is distinctly
aimed to meet a popular theatrical
taste, and we rather think that in this
respect Mr.. Bolton and m. Mandel
have succeeded admirably. 1t is per.
haps unfair to say that there is moth
ing new in The play, Sor there are
threads here and there which are
based on new and amusing invention.
but then in the main the structure is
A.. -.