The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-12


Louis Mann was the bewIgged and
otherwise strange hero of '"rhe Unwrit
ten Chapter" which A. III. Woods pro
duced last night at the Aston Theatre.
Mr.. Mann is as the prota gonist of "a
costume" play indeed unfamiliar to his
admirers. He bore externally scarcely
one of his accustomed physical attri-
butes, but before the play had progressed
far 1t was to be observed that he was
unchanged in most OF the inward anc
spiritual phases of his art so far as this
play by Samuel Shipman and Victor
Victor served to reveal them.
THE Unwritten Chapter Is pseudo
historical in that it's authors admit thai
they have used historical back
ground and the facts OF the period in tho
way that makes them most effective on
the stage. And the characters they
have taken from history with differ
ence.
Mr. Mann Is banker of the days of
the Revolution. He Is a Jew, but his
loyalty and patriotism enable him to be
of vital service to Gen. Washington and
the American cause when 1t seemed as
IL the Continental soldiers must retreat
In defeat from Manhattan Island. The
action takes place on the estate of this
rich banker. 1t lies as far north In thu
country as the Eighteenth street Of
those days, where he resides with his
wife and nephew. a young secretary,
and his servants. One of them--is this
also historical?-was an Irish cook.
Through the story there moved the
Jewish friends of the patriotic banker
and q rabbi, Gen. Howe and other
officers of the English army and
woman Of society Of that day in New
York. In the first act, there Is the
banquet by which the patriots conspire
TO delay Gen, Howe and his staff until
Gen. Putnam and his men have es-
capped
Aid for the Continentals.
The second act assemblies for its
final sctve the Jewish friends of the
banker, whom he persuades to help him
in his efforts to raise gold Immediately
for the relief of the Continentals. The
third act shows the arrest and trial of
the magnanimous financier for his eff
forts on behalf of the army of the Revo-
luton. There are still a prologue and
an epilogue since following the plan Of
Edward Sheldon In Romance the
authors introduce a Jewish officer In
the late war as the guest of a snobbish
New Yorker. He explains that his fam
lily came from Poland. but In the eigh-
teenth century. To quiet the surprise of
rates the story of his ancestor of the
Revolution, which runs into the action
of the play.
There was a long scene of polemic at
the close of the second act, which
brought the dramatic progress of the
story temporarily to an end. While the
Tory urged the Jewish bankers not to
part with their funds and recited the
history of their race he was only pre-
at.tt, fAv tEa &.-s@ C.Al
answer him with an extended prophecy
of what this country once it were free
might do for the Jews. The drawn out
episode has its interest for some spec
tators beyond doubt, but the interest
is not dramatic. Nor did any of the
episodes, strong as their appeal to
patriotism frequently was. stir the
blood deeply.
Acting Is Excellent.
There was excellent acting, the pic |
lures were agreeable to the eve, al !
though 1t is to be hoped they will here !
after be more carefully lighted and the |
dresses Of the women designed by Rob !
ert Locker were uncommonly tasteful In |
design and color. The sweep of the |
story. however. never carried the spec |
tators Off their feet. Mr.. Mann in a |
long speech after the second act. pro- |
tested that propaganda was not the pur- !
pose of the play. Yet 1t was so strongly |
marked by its tendencies that its value |
as drama was impaired more than once. |
Mr.. Mann gave a highly artistic per-
of the Revolutionary banker.
'uppressing his dialect entirely ana ex-
hibiting few of the usual mannerisms
which mark his playing. But at min
ltes there were amusing suggestions of
he sudden choler and the prompt good
nature which have proved his stock
ana trade as comedian in the past. |
howard Lang. when he spoke dis