The Washington herald., 1920-10-24
Beyond Horizon"
Hit IN Manhattan,
Spurned Elsewhere


Last spring there came TO US
from the road an unbelievabiy
nrenosterous play called The Blue
PLANE" a melodramatic monstrosity
concocted TO exhibit on the stage
one Theda Bara. a movie celebrity,
saws Alexander WoollcotI In the
New York Times. IL had been pre-
ceded TO town by rumors Of un-
precedented popularity UP Boston
way, where its theater was always
packed TO suffocation and where ~ Z
had been found necessary TO SUM Z
mon the police reserves on several
occasions to keep orderly the DEM
onstratfons Of Bostonian passion TO
see the play. The piece was so
wildly ludicrous that all through
its most serious scenes the hrst
New York audience fairly shook
with laughter. Thereafter the dis
position OF the New York public not
10 attend The Blue Flame at ali
became so apparent that the play
took the hint, and after brief
and defiant engagement Departed
Meanwhile, across the street there
was playing to rapt and enthusi-
astic audiences a piece called Be
yond the Horizon" as fine. uncom-
promising and austere a tragedy as
had ever been offered by an Amer
can playwright
These two seemingly unrelated
items Of theatrical news consu-
tuted an interesting and sisnihcant
phenomenon-onec commented. on far
and wide. They seemed TO suggest
IL not all by themselves to demon
strate, that on the New York stage
good work was preferred TO bad
To be sure, such lofty literature OF
the theater as the O'Neill play IL
not for the descendants collateral.
Of course) Of Polonius. II is ad-
dressed only 20 the appreciativs
minority. But all the evidence OF
the last four or five years has gone
TO show that in New York that
minority is at last numerous enough
TO support and make profitable the
best and most ambitious work our
playwrights, players and producers
can do.
Last night in Chicago, after a
, most dishesrtening fortnight there,
Beyond the Horizon" was with
drawn and sent to limbo. II had lost
close to $4,000 every week Of it's e1-
istence on the road. II had tried
the audiences in Baltimore, Pitts
, burgh and Buffalo and found them
;, wanting. Then Il rsshly tried Chi
cago, whose citiEenry had stayed
away in droves from the same pro-
II duction OF Gslsworthy's Justice
which had prospered so nightly on
:, Broadway. In Chicago, Beyond
!. the Horizon" expired. OF course The
= Blue Flame" and Beyond the Hori-
zon" could not conceivsbly have been
put forth by the same producer, but
! IL seems rather pity. because the
one could have supported the other
N For The Blue Flame" in it's travels
= has gained each week more money
L than the O'Neill play has lost
or Perhaps IL is unfair to judge tn,
l. audiences in Atlantic City, Bslu'
ID more, Philsdelphia and IndianHp'
l. oils Cwhere Miss BsrE has been re
as vealing her capacities as an act
In ress) by their apparent Endorsement
Of The Blue Flame" Very likel,
IN the seats were all sold in advanc'
III Of her arrival to those curious q
t see Theds Bara in the flesh; an'
he both she and her play would thel
IS, be discreetly on their way before s
sc dswned on each city what name
ne OF actress in what manner OF plsl
rs, had passed by. Still, il is fair to de
G. scribe New York as the city where
O. Blue Flame" can fail and q BE
ng yond the Horizon" succeed. or tn
road, the reverse is true.