Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-05-31
THE PLAYCOER'S
WEEKLY TALK
Obseruaiions on Plays and
Photoplays Of Interest
to PhiladeIphians

new play is drawn, he should have an
opportunity to display his capacity for
comedy comedy, that is, in its genuine
sense of drama that chastens with
smile.
Castiga mores ridendo, as the high
brows put it.
TIME gentle little rabbinical prctagon-
i ist of the play should give amplitude
OF opportunity for delicately humorous
delineation and very human comedian
ship.
We hope nobody will be misled by
this to think Mr.. Whiteside has be-
come what is called 1lddish
comique,' as a burlesque press agent
once described his star.
The Goldsmith novel is based on an
Incident which occurred during one OF
the fearful massacres!in kiev, at when
time two small brothers became sepa-
rated. Mordecai, later Rabbi ElkaE'
has spent his life in the search for his
brother, Jacob. whom he ultimately
meets in New York under circumstances
at once dramatic. yet still satisfying to
lis fraterna heart hunger. There is
love story and comedy incidents are
supplied by marriage broker.
Thus 1.-The Little Brother is one OF
those intense dramatic plays that have
for theme the world old one of bigotry
and prejudice. Its fictional inspiration
has aptly been termed a plea for toler-
ance in that it has for its object the
breaking down of the barriers that re
tird the progress. of humanity. The
two brothers have waged an unrelent'
ing warfare. and when the realization
is brought home that they are kin the
denouement IS the more startling. The
book, and presumably the play, ends on
a chord Of hope for the future.
Special timelincss should attend this
plea for tolerance and message of uni+
versal humanity in view of the re-
ported pogroms in Rumania, Poland
and southern Russia.
Mr.. Whiteside's Rabbi Elkan, so
different from the passionate emotion
alism OF his David Quixano in Iang-
wills 1.-The Melting Pot" tquitc
different sort of Jew from Elkau), his
intense yet subtle japanese Tokeramo
in "The Typhoon," and his inscrut
able and gruesome titular impersona
ton in "Mr. WI" will be awaited
with interest by devotecs of the serious
drama.
DEFORE he became celebrated for
4 ~ impersonation of exotic characters
MFR. Whiteside had quite a reputation
as a Shakespearean actor in the prov
inces. He did not hesitate to introduce
innovations in Shakespearean perform
snces, and in his portrayal of Richard
Third he made that character a young
man. just back from the courts of
France, and not the typical bumped
backed, handy legged villain as shown
today. History shows that Richard
was not an old man at the period OF
his plots and counter plots and muir
derous scheme for pomp and power.
Mr.. Whiteside was but youth when
he had the temerity to offer his own
conception of Richard, and that he had
the erudite critics by the ears goes
without saying. Nevertheless, the pay
ing public liked him in the part, which
convinced the star that he was right
Instead of waiting until he had achieved
fame in the usual round of parts before
essaying Shakespearean roles be began
his career in Hamlet" later appear
ing in "The Merchant of Venice,
Romeo and Juliet" and Richard the
Third" As a playwright he wrote ant
starred in several of his own pieces
such as THE Man In Black. "Jewels
of Fire I'VE Are King and "Th,
Magic Melody
IXTE ARE in hopes that our exper
w colleague, Robert w. Maxwell. viii
give the o. o. to the prize6gh'
staged in Broken Blossoms. W.
heard very refined looking person sa!
at the Garrick that the bout wa'
''pulled," whatever that may signify
n We seemed to sense, more by the man
ner of the refined person than from
any knowledge of fisticuffs as a fin
art, that this technical sporting tern
means the fight was not authentic
or in other words, that it would no
''kid' "wise guy" By the way
there was a kid in it. the formal.
3 typed Mr.. Norman Selby of the pro
gram being none other, so we are in
formed, than kid" Mccoy, who wit
Cashel Byron and Joe Grim (eheu anr
fugaces y forms our repertoire o
pugilists.
Doubtless Mr.. Maxwell will rotor
that be is ready to offer an authorita
tive analysis of the engagement betwee
Battling" Burrowes and kid" Nc
Coy il he can panhandle a pair @
passes. That isn't what is worrying us
What is worrying us is that we hav
been unable to fit in the interestin
word bash anywhere.
UNHAKING comedy is tragic"
1vl So says Mack Sennett, the kin
of film farce makers, whose laug
makers are known to the screen ii
world around, in a talk brought abou
by the numerous hilarities of his late,
fun production, Yankee Doodle j
Berlin" which film fans who III
laughs will have chance to chortle {
Monday.
There are weary lines in the ruggt
face under the gray hair of Mack Ser
nett, but the light in the gray blue ey,
shows that he knows just what Il
lights and shades of life are worth.
behooves ''lord of laughter he has
sense Of humor and can't take life tc
seriously.
Mack Sennett is a pioneer in Il
motion picture comedy game. He
to the comedy part of cinema produs
tion what D. W. Griffith is TO the drs
matte part To Sennett's talents me
tioD picture followers owe the deyelot