The Washington herald., 1919-06-26
The Voice of the "Hokum" j"
BY EARLE DORSEY

One of the penalties of professional heater attendance the
usual inability of the professional sahoder appreciate
values of that dranaturgc
h neverfang
audience and rarely fails evoke a desired
The in the the the home who
dozen theatrical performances year,
professional drama be-
nearly all Of "hokum" fact average
heatergoer the presence of this form
theatrical tkcr performance
be replete with II thing to hear hokm" and
another thing o identify
In spite of all sad place
world
sphere thereof contains few enough paywehts at best who can
and worthwhile entertainment
liberal and copious dsh
dialogue And the number of playwrigh who can ignore
and still write successful plays small that the heater
large placed position of dependence thereon there would
few plays indeed
"hokum' and subtle manifestations The elemental
usually recognizable by all hands, the speech
of the bursque who stuck for method appeal
with feeling nobility
ried union card for thirty The nobility motherhood
something feel The carrying of card for thirty
years something to evoke admiration in the heart of the
staunch Comperite.
Going higher. readily the first glmmer
OF George Cohans genius for showmanshp manifested his
popuarzaion Hag which constantly re-
erred grand old emblem and which by
heavelng oscillations of that patriotic insignia
tudnous has become the number of M Coan
Department of Justice has recently warned thespans that hereafter
the American flag will longer be available
AS the SCALE the "hokum of George
" Hobart playwright unfangy pack piece laughs
each and of which based
pdated the old essential principle though greatly
fined by Mr. Hobart A point whats
Doing the Gark vehicle Here
is rich entertainment value Its lines
making little appeal the instinct ude
nevertheless with the fruit of long
tried and have been found wanting Its incidents
evoke the reaction since Dayy Garrs
ensemble Whats Your Husband Dong?" manages diff
Guilty. send its audiences home ge happy although
impossible for remember
tion that emphasized the mrthu motif.
Mr. Hobart might has learned we'll
introduce incidental "hokum Nothing
lief he trouble develop the
imetrd variety He merely hokums" he ne
makes himself rich in the meantime The Beasco
affords illustrative another type
the that "Dadds three Fools" and other
of the k successful and which Grace
Georges THE Widows Might" play not
overdone the idea
The Belasco pay-"e She" by Cothers-empha
the deep understanding of hokum Miss
Crohe Miss apparently to point
the theory that being wife and mother greatest calling
What really osis something far different Crothe
sufficiently familiar with psychology majority
incapable of distinct achievement and cons
queny like that the calling of wife mother in which
they do excel the and therefore the calling for all
These successful mothers being perfectly
human, restrain the thrill of 81 told so" when
Witnessing the downfall and failure
wise Not only is the theme itself anscndent piece
but enables the playwright fill the players with
such gigantic bits of Observation-Disclosures hokum tha-as
successful wife and mother enough any
brains and again After ALL love is the greatest thing
Now frankly threeminue wait at the entrances of the
IN