Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-12-23
AMUoEM ENTs
cesmo hamilton's "soandapr plays 70
Bio House at Cdeon.

Ce0mo hamiiton'o ~Scahdar P!ays 10
Big House at odeon.
Waiter Hast, who has produced
Cosmo Hamilton's comedy. Scandal"
believes in honesty IN advertising. He
frankly tells the public that Scan
DIAL" plays up to the line" Of propr-
ETY. and he has not exaggerated.
Scandal" has been prepared for
consumption and not as a consum-
mate work OF art to be handed down
thru the generations The author knew
his patronage. Some people prefer
nude ert, some read Jim Jam Jems"
and some enjoy plays like Scandal"
There's no accounting for taste. But
Scandal" Is far from being the most
risque stage production local theater-
goers have witnessed. There are lines
and situations which should be modi.
fled, but they lead up to corking CHI
max. which. from a constructive stand
point, might Justify the Jar sustained
by the more refined patrons. The raci-
ness OF Scandal" IS confined mostly
to one scene and is not more often
s!ve than the ever recurring semi-sug- =
gestive lines and situations in Sleep
ing Partners" presented here earlier
in the season by Miss Edna Goodrich.
The much discussed bed room scene Is
racy in lines rather than costuming or
lack Of 1t, and the heroine Is much
more decenty gowned than is the
young woman who nutters about the
stage in neg'igee in Twin Beds" AS
to the lines Of the play dozen fanil-
lar pieces might be mentioned which
are worse.
The nature OF the advertising Scan
dar" has received has prepared the
theatergoer for most extraordinary
shock. Turnout the second act he eA-
poets a thrill, and lines and actions
lead to q most remarkable stage scene,
but the climax is far from what the
audience expects. The lines are tricky
and only excellent acting by the two
leads save the act from being an ur-
savory one. Scandal" like many
plays Of this type, is wholly unneces-
sary, and was written, as the author
| blandly comments, to meet demand
for that sort Of thing.
Considered strictly from a dramatic
stand point Scandal Is weak only in
that It is overly wordy. The construc-
ton ia good and the situations unusu-
al. It Is hardly to be expected that
the little suggestiveness of the piece
held It ON the Chicago stage for seven
months. The Windy City found it one
Of the years successes, but New York,
seeing II presented with the complete
Chicago cast, found 1t less attractive.
Scandal" isP presented with a very
capable cast. The difficult lines OF
Pelham Franklyn, the leading male
! character, are ably read by Coates
| Gwynne, who conveys tine intent of the
author in his action. making the char
acter q dominating one, while a less
clever performer might have made the
part british and unconvincing. Miss
Ebba Andrus, az Beatrix Vanderdyke,
the girl who plays with fire and is
taught a lesson by the dominating
Franklin, was very acceptable. Clever
work was contributed by Charles
Guthrie, Clara Reynolds Smith, and
Mary Condor, as members Of the Van
derdyke family, who are concerned
with the welfare Of Beatrix, and who
experience greatest relief when that
young lady, discovered alone in the
partments Of an artist Of Questionable
character. very ingeniously claims to
have been secretly married to Pelham
Franklyn, who IL entirely satisfactory
to the relatives. Franklin shows good
sportsmanship and aids tf,e very dar-
ing miss in carrying out the farce, but
he takes the occasion to teach her q
much needed lesson In department.
we-S 1t not for the danger 81 mis-
interpretation Scandal should b