The Washington herald., 1919-11-18
onai--Btilie Burke and Norm
frevsr IN. aCaes.r's wife,
ny EARLE DORSEY.

= ny EAALE8 DOusGNs
aThere Were individuals at the
tional last night who violently
epuntered the opinion that "Ceaser's
Wife was delightful entertainment
a>hd well-construeted drama They
&sed their objections on state
I4ents that IL was "wordy. .-spoint-
fss and without definite climax.
D the interests.so of strict justice,
ceaser's Wife" was word" not
Inrticularly conclusive and labors
Iinders climax that seems tmma-
TIRE. but all these things are as
chaf before the wind of a solid bit
% pfawriting that excels Too
Many Hnsbands' by a wide margin.
rSvels in an atmosphere as subtle
a itsiss delightful. and gives Nor
Tzan Trevor the first role in
eighteen months that he can re-
spect.
Wv. Somerset Vaughan has given the
stage, In Caesars Wife" a telling
object lesson in the qualities that have
made Britain great-the quality Of inn
partial decision without regard TO
whom the decision may affect He
doubtless had other purposes In ming:
he may have fancied he was pointWs
the theory that love will ofttimes toi-
low respect and admiration. but what
fe succeeded in showing us was the
backbone of the Anglo-Saxon race
the sturdy and answering adherence
10 justice and the law, regardless Of
the consequences. "Caeser's Wife Is
q play that might have ben better
named but il is a play that few au-
thors would write with more skill. 1t
is a story Of the triangle. a British
consular agent in Egypt. who has
married a young wife, to see her fall
in love with his dashing secretary.
He finds himself surrounded by in
fiuences which work for the youngs-
tsr's removal to Paris, but he holds
his wife's lover to the Nile. always
near his wife. because by so doing he
serves his race. "Ceasers Wlfe, re-
veals a touch of the grim and spar
tan will of ancient Rome, in an at
naosphere of velvet softness. Though
some may claim that probability ope
posed a reconciliation and awakened
love between the consul and his wife.
one must accord to the author the
bedefit Of the doubt and objection
should not trascend the statement
that the climax seemed just trtf1e
ineffective. The remedy for all TINS
however. lies in stagecraft, not IN
theory.
Miss Billie Burke is the cOnsurs
wife. One wonders how Manhattan
can justifiably exercise its alleged
dislike for Miss Burke in a role ike
her present one. She came to the
stage in no simpering school girfs
part She is a young wife, with
responsibility that is increased by an
AfaSV- ha lc
and charming. but II is a sweetness
and a charm invested with rare
and compelling dignity. She rises to
tie intenser emotional scenes in a
sspremely natural way and perhaps
sipe does her best bit OF acting in
hsr downright forcible portrayal or
aSoung wife called upon to say fare
well to her lover. Here she is strong
and frail by turns. Alternately she
il the wife, repulsinE an improper
love, and a loved one. passionately
rrying out her hopeless love. Miss
Burke has had few parts like the
role Of Violet Little. 1t places her
plane on a new acting and one VEN
I ms the prediction that it Will serve
1I dissipate much OF the unfavorable
Impression this actress that Is said
IS labor under in other quarters.
q = distinct pleasure also to re-
81 hat Norman Trevor delineates a
roe in. a manner that places his work
on a par with that Of the star. We
have not always been kind. unfortu-
nately. to- Mr.. Trevor. but MIR. Trevor
mad not rOIos like his present one.
Itere ne has a role that gives him
no handicap. Here he is a man of
fSTce. of ability. past 40 and married.
tere he hnds himself challenged to "A
struggle n which his weapons are n
sSteadfaSt adherence to principle, a
crtat and disarming kindness and a
refusal TO think wrongly of his
Caesar's-wife He has no handicap
OF personality to weigh him down. The
part is admirably. adjusted to his ap-
pearance and his talents. He IS not
required to make love to a girl half
his age-a disgusting business. mostly.
RE can AVOID the irrepTessible sugges-
tion OF cid .rly philandering. Here he
-. a man. with a mans work to do.
nd a mans strength to bear his mis-
fortune lie interprets his role with
q fine and splendid appreciation. He
endOws it with a force that he con-
trasts with inherent human weakness.
He has found an opportunity to
display his real talents and he dis
plays theEl with unmistakable en-
phaSis. and we rejoice with him.
The rest of the cast. though not so
prominent. aCquit5 itself with honor.
The acting Of the evening. for that
matter. was almost flawlesE. HiIda
SpOng draws a Characterization Of
scheming mother with 4 rather
likeable though ineffective son who
Is unusually fine in its appreciation
Of Its possibilities. Tom Powers, as
the youngful lover of the consurs
wife. draws a. difficult character RIA =
tlon with keen and sensitive vlauc
that aroussS praise. Margaret Dale.
as background figure. achieves
prominence with a part that might
easily slide into ObSCurity. while
Mrs. Tom \. Wise assumes a char
acter role with the ease of ability.
Harry Green. as the IikcabIe though
ineffective son; T. WiEIey PerCyvaI.
as Richard Appelby. NJ. T.. and Fred
eTc De BelleviIIe, as an Egyptian
diEnitaTy. eXtrac- full values from
minor parts.
The settings h. Crban. particular
ly stIikingly beautiful depletion
of the River Nilr, the moonlight.
are inspiring in their beauty.