The Washington times., 1919-11-24


Business Before Pleasure"-Abe
Potash and Mawruss Perlmutter de-
sert the cloak and suit ready-to-wear
business for the movie production
game. From the pen OF Montague
Glass and Jules Eckert Goodman. A
clever play spoiled by poor acting.
THE CAST.
Mawruss Perimutter. ........ Harry first
Rosie Potash ............. Lizzie wilson
RutR Perlmutter ......... Jane Fearniey
Keith Macdonald ....... Charles stanton
Robert blanchard .william Macauiey
sam Pemberton ......... Robert Kenyon
victor Curzon .......-... .John T. hickey
RaIpn .Nevill .......-....., 1Ach Grey
Rita Sismondi .............. Mara hevai
Potash and Perlmutter returned
last night, and the sheer humor Of
the clever lines kept the audience in
good humor. The plot Is only skin
deep, but deep enough to hang three
acts of five scenes on. Abe and Nav
russ are tied up in the movie game
on borrowed funds. The vice presi-
dent of the bank is "struck" on one
Rita Sismondf, a vampire" as Abe
calls her. More money is lent on
condition that they hire Miss Sis
mondi.
During the process of making the
film,i Blanchard, the bank man. trails
Miss Sismondi continually, and at
last makes q proposal that Is not
the verge of accepting, turning down
her true sweetheart, the director OF
the company, in the, meantime.
/ Abe and Mawruss discover the per-
hdy OF Blanchard. and even though
it means their financial ruin, they
decide to break up the plan.
Then to cap the climax, Abe Is dis
covered In the very compromising
position from which he wished to
save the vamp. The vampire, how
ever, clears up the whole plot, raises
enough money to finish the great pic
ture. and. as the fairy tales would
say. It looked like happiness forever
and a day.
The Introduction of moving pic
lures in two or three instances ad-
ded considerably to the effects Of the
play.
Abe Potash, played by Jules Jordan,
is man whose face truly Is his for
tune. Time and again he covered up
weak spots in his own good acting.
Harry First was good as Mawruss,
his partner. As for the rest of the
cast, the less said the better. There
were several good subjects for collar
advertisements, and they "acted" all
ceeded in turning situations of touch
ing pathos into hopeless pathos.
METROPOLITAN.
At Crandall's Metropolitan Theater
this week the chief feature of the
photoplay bill is "The Gay Lord
Quex." a remarkably well adapted
camera version Of perhaps the finest
comedy ever written by Sir Arthur
Wing Pinero. In the famous title
role Tom Moore offers a characterize
ton that will give his name a pres
tige that 1t has not heretofore pos
sessed.
The story of the aristocratic philan-
derer whose principal occupation was
breathing odes to the eyes of his lat
est conQuests, until Murie1 Eden,
young, sweet and unsophisticated,
crossed his frivolous path. Is familiar
to all who are at all conversant with
the. best the stage has afforded. The
filmfxation xof the comedy.
has been accomplished with excep-
of the original story has been lost
but much of it's pictorial possibility
has been realized.
Supporting Tom Moore are filmed
a particularly skillful band of play
ers.
Supplementing the chief features of
the bill is shown the two-reel Sunshine
comedy that convulsed the Prince Of
Wales upon his visit last week to the
Academy of Music in New York-"A
Yellow Dog Catcher" This uproar-
ious bit of tomfoolery. embracing
some really remarkable animal antics
a,a NJ
oughbreds, was met with the utmost
enthusiasm by yesterdays capacity
crowds.
The special overture, "Rigoletto," is
delightfully."- rendered by the Metro
politan symphony.
KNICKERBOCkER.
A new departure in film comedy
caught the fancy of the crowds in
attendance at Crandalrs Knickerbock-
er Theater yesterday when "A Yellow
Dog Catcher" the camera absurdi.v
at which the Prince Of Wales laugh
ed his delight at the Academy of
Music in New York last week, was
flashed upon the screen as the sup
Elementary feature of one OF the best
bills of the season. The principal ac-
tors in this two-reel ribaldry are a
dozen or so thoroughbred CANNES of
various ages and all sizes, a goat
that lives up to all of the traditions
of his race and ram that does like
wise.
The principal film offering of the
bill arranged for yesterday and today
at the knickerbocker is the film vec-
sion OF Sir Arthur Wing Pinero's best
play, "The Gay Lord Quex," starring
Tom Moore in the title role. a COM
plete review of which will be found
in connection with the Metropolitan
Theater. where it was also given first
Washington presentations yesterday.
RIALTO.
"A Virtuous Eamp," the second
or q series of productions which
popular Constance Talmadge is max
ing for the First National Exhibitors
circuit, opened weeks run at
Moore's Rialto Theater yesterday. 1t
Is adapted from Clyde Fitch's play,
The Bachelor" by John Emerson
and Anita Loos.