Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-10-19
FAMOUS MRS. FAIR"
| APLAY OF SUBSTANCE
Henry Miller and Blanche Bates
I co-Stars in Comedy OF War
I! Workers Adjustment

Brcnd - To the drama as a very
oerious art, and in an absolute sense
fThe Famous Mrs. Fair" Is not a mas
ieriy addition; but to the drama as
form of entertainment. In the reduced
And sometimes debased current sense, "
q little short OF a masterpiece, es-
becially in contrast to the general run
III theatrical offerings of late seasons
What has been offered Philadelphia this
feason.
This comedy in four acts" by James
Forbes was not created great, nor dld u
Achieve greatly in thinking. development
br dynamic; II has simply had It's re-
strcted sort Of greatness Il thrgi r.Is,vIty PU
This IL by no means to depreciate Win
faintness Of praise Mr.. Forbess en-
deavor to write a real play; ne nse
done very we'll with his material ana ms
basic idea. He gets the most out OF
both, and the admirable cast, headed oy
Henry Miller and Blanche Bates, by act,
ing that Is nearly always ADEPT anu
sometimes polished. particularly IN tne
work of the new co-stars' Trn GonteIs q
vitality on the piece IN places ""eie !"
is not intrinsic.
structurally the action IL not always
eonnpacted, and II sometimes resorts 10
old devices more familiar in the pay
shop than in life. The development Is
not always finished and inevitaole. But
n
toward climacteric. and a sense OF sus-
pense, which hold interest There Is
too an underlying sense or SATIRE sooo
humored, but with an occasional touch OF
tsrtness, and the dialogue, wnile w,tnous
distinction, is amusing in II sepgram
and pat ontemporaneousness. ABOVE
all the characters. almost without eS-
ception, are believable.
This Is essentially true in the case OF
the title character. a war WORKER VINO
overseas to find herself "a celebrity. The
tiificuIties OF readjustment on a peace
time basis after rehabilitation from
the hazards horrors and honors that
have been hers. furnish opportunities
for bits of satire, as does some gentle
fun at feminism and social obligations.
But more difficult is the task or recon-
Citation OF the family TO her career.
Hectic days and nights of going about'
lecture tours and absorption IN any
thing outside the domestic circle result
In throwing her husband into the rather
palpable snares of n vampish widow,
her son into matrimony out OF our
set" and her sub-debutant daughter into
the clutches OF the designing and dis
honest manager of her lecture tours.
Out of the neglect and Its consequences
are gathered whatever of power the play
possesses There Is some real substance
In the war-bred democracy that makes
the sons marriage eventually acceptable
and In the genuine and touching emotion
of fnal understanding and forgiveness
of the husbands erring, but melodrama
has to be resorted for clearing up the
daughters runaway escapade with the
villain. This episode, in and for itself,
seemed much less authentic than the
other passages for the play, but ap-
parently was necessary for the resolution
of the family discords
Mr.. Miller steered a very creditable
middle course between his customary
hardness and his tendency toward
1nawkshness when sentiment is called
for by his role. His enactment was nat
nral and convincing. Miss Bates never
failed 10 realize all that her part held
for her, either as the eXuberant war
worker. rich in vitality and eager for
new helds of conquest, or as the wracked
wife and mother. up against a very
serious problem brought to crisis in the
main through her own faults. both Of
commission and omission Margola Gill
more, in n part that somewhat resembled
-fhat OF Helen Hayes. recently at the
same house in Bah" scored a hit with
the audience. despite a touch Of sophis-
tication. Jack Devereaux. as the son.
and Virginia Hammond. as the widow,
contributed both credible and creditable