The sun., 1919-09-22
STORY OF A DOUGHBOY
The American Family Again
Is Displayed, but at a Diff
ferent Angle.


Booth Harrington as playwright mas
strung together series Of episodes from
domestic life in the United States and
called the result Clarence" a new COM
edy in four acts. George c. Tyler in
vited the public to witness the play on
Saturday in the Hudson Theatre
Many of the scenes are charming in
the most characteristic of the Harrington
qualities-the qualities OF Harrington as
author, moreover, not dramatist Their
original and whimsical humor is SUI
perior to anything that the public has
recently had the opportunity to enjoy
ffom his pen. Indeed, this superiority
Is not merely in comparison with his
plays-his inscrutable, baffling plays
that are to be explained only on the
conviction of most writer's OF reputation
that anything ie good enough for the
theatre-for Clarence" reveals more OF
the fine and unique Harrington qualities
than such a pot boiler, for instance, as
Ramsey Milholland."
The reward Of this characteristic ex-
cellence was the enthusiasm with which
the audience greeted the new play. 1t
Is killingiy long in its present state.
But 1t was liked through to Its long
deferred end.
The American Family Again.
Mr.. Harrington has again amused
himself in the heart of the American
family. A slowgoing, philosophic dough
boy philanthropically taken into this
household forms the unit Of interest that
bends the incidents together. But the
motives OF. the sluggish action, since this
Is Harrington play arise from two chill
dren just emerging into maturity. The
officious, pompous, altogether lovable
youth very engagingly incarnated by
Glenn Hunter, who has been expelled
from three schools, and the girl, In
whom youth has awakened with such a
bang that she thinks she is in love with
a divorced man, are the real factors In
what story the four acts reveal. II
| Is their uncontrolled conduct that has led
| a gov. mess into the family. made theiI
stepmother jealous and their father al
but insane.
The doughboy, looking for employment
at the hands of a provincial captain Of
| industry, attracts his attention by sup
posed ability to drive an army mule
| without swearing. 1t seems as II sucf
| self-control might accomplish wonders
in the disturbed family of the million
| aire. HIS arrival has its expected re
sult2 Within three weeks and fou
| acts the stepmother Is happy, the Sol
accepted again by his school, the gov
erness betrothed to this once unlnow
visitor who has turned out to be a ia
nous professor of entomology, and tn
precocious daughter, broken hearted tina
tie is going to marry another. satisfies
| to go away to boarding school
The Action Is Controlled.
But none of these things happen sud
denly. The Harrington plays take char
| acter as their motive. So the audienc
laughing at the impracticable hero VIII
is willing to tune the piano, play tn
saxophone or repair the hot water pipes
turns its smiles to the bumptious so
or the sentimental daughter to revt
in their humors OF assertive youth, onl
to find at the end of the act that Their
really has been some sort of a chang
in the story. 1t Is always little fur
tier along. So smiling at the humorou
scenes of family life under the infuenc
of an undisclosed celebrity, chuckling a
the droll character of this discharge
doughboy and admiring the skill of tn
author in deriving so much that is whin
steal and novel from the commonplace
of everyday life, the spectators find
their surprise that all the relations
life have been adjusted and the curtai
down for the last time.
The Actors in "Clarence."
The youthful Helen Hayes as the In
portant daughter revealed once MOI
her surprising technical equipment. He
performance was remarkably skilful, a
though such mastery of the means
her art seems at times gained at II
cost OF spontaneity. There is an II
eyitable suggestion OF sophisticatiol
Alfred Lunt gave a most amusing PEI
Torrance of the entomologist maxim
the physical manifestations OF the cha
acter broadly grotesque He seemed
times to adopt the dramatic method I
the experienced Bert Williams, even
his gait and his furtive and worrie
look. But he brought out most effe'
, lively the humor of the distracted ar
absent minded scientist. John Floc
PLAYED with most effective naturalne
the harassed father. and Elsie Mackay
, sincerity and simplicity distinguished Il
inconseQuential role of the governess.
, Mary Boland was in hopeless conf
sion as to the meaning OF the play.
the first act she seemed to think thi
, a murder was going TO be committ'
! and that she might be the victim. The
Il looked as II the crime had take
place and the body in the cellar benea
her feet, II one is to beguided by h
Intensely perturbed manner. And
the time she was only a flustered ste
mother.