Evening star., 1919-03-31
ADJUSTMENTS
The Better Ole"

The praiseful and discerning COM
ment already bestowed on The Bet
. ter Ole" which was seen last night
a, the New National Theater. leaves
hu, little hope of discovering new
points of interest in this unique bit
. of stage artistry. So lavish has been
! the printed approval that the most
! industrious advance publicity has
! been unable TO reflect it all. The
4 dramatic reviewer who has done his
. bit in uniform is no less enthusiastic
. n welcoming it as "a worthy contri-
+ button to the current theater than the
. stay-at- home scribe. whose resources
for measure and comparison are un-
fortified by intimate experience and
observation. 1t rings true. despite
the humorous effect which made the
.tairnsfather pictures so distinctive.
The touci. Of eNaSgera ton is util-
, -, Il sith tue deftness OF a Dickens.
old Bil." is "A fellow mortal and
liend and. like other new-made
.riends, he reminds US of some one
We nave met aud liked before. His
nie nose his rough exterior and his
,entleness of soul send the mind
e. opinS through the corridor of
"ieasant Recolections. Old Bill is
'yrano of the trenches. And then
! mere was FalSIaH. II SIT Jonn coulu
have preserved his genial JUNCTION and
: often rid of his vices he would have
seen worthy of association with Old
/ Sill.
The play is produced unde" :he di-
; ection OF the CoburnS. whose offer
ncS have appeared 20 eApresS the
:eSire 70 ne good OH the stage and
- who will. be commercially clever.
N This play the CobutnS have " Work"t.
reconciliation heI"'ecn ar and the
OK office. the popular approval be'H2
extraordinary.
AS drama the presentation is in
defiance of all the rules; episode and
with no heart interest. save interest IL
The big heart of a man who stops al
no sacrifice and whose love for homo
and the miSSuS is SO sincere that there
$ not a chance for the third point OF
, the eternal triangle hitherto supposed
20 he indispensable. 1t is first of all
; picture of heart -hreaking times which
destroy artificialities and reveal men
for what they are 1t is a study of
! Il at that. And You take it. Even the
embellishments of music are most en-
ioyabie when they are most in char
.lCter and farthcst away from the CON
%@utionalifies of the lyrical stage.
Behind the big nose and walrus
:nustache is James X. Hackett. ..an
, actor hitherto associated with grace
full poses and sonorous sentences
Old Bill appears to have revealed Mr..
Hackett 10 himself. There is no miss
in. the heart that goes into the i'm
personation Mr.. Hackett fairly loves
that putty nose. He idolizes his bat
tered helmet and his muddy boots.
and as he puffs out the walrus mus
tache he revels in distinctly modern
pride and bids defiance to old Shake
speare himself. 1t is seldom that
chara cterization is so closely studied
and so beautifully expressed
While interest concentrates on Old
Bill. the numerous company gives
vitality to all the personages OF the
play. They are human. sincere, ard
contribute an environment of smiling
that holds no mockery. Possibly there
! are a few tears. too. for the SYM
pathy is intense. The terror and doubt
! that form the background of the pic
! ture are canddly- in evidence to
strengthen by contrast the unconquer-
able affection and buoyancy of this
; homely D'Artagnan of old England,
His 1wo friends. Bert and All, are
admi Ia bly, played by Harry McNaugh-
| ton and Victor Dyer. In fact. the en-
tire production is finely made. J.