New-York tribune., 1920-10-11
.Calsworthy's Play
"The Mob" is Seen
I'm Grand Street
Neighborhood Playhouse
Makes Good Production
of Important and Vital
Play of the War Spirit
By Haywood Broun

1t is only fair to say at the outset
that John Galsworthy's "The Mob" is
an important play which deals with n
i've and vital theme in an earnest and
sometimes an eloquent manner Since
1t IS as good as that reviewer has a
right to be q little fnicky and COM
plain that it is not by any means as
good as it might be.
For all his earnestness, or better
perhaps because of his earnestness.
Mr.. Galsworthv is not quite lucid His
play deals with member of Parlia-
ment who opposes war and is mar
tyred for his opinions Just which
war is not set forth clearly, but from
the time at which "The Mob" was writ
tea 1T is safe to assume that Mr.. Gals
worthy had the struggle with the Beers
in mind. Although any audience of
to-day can hardly fail to read broader
Implications into the play, it is quite
evident that "The Mob" is in no sense
a general plea ft.. pacifsm. Mr.. Gals
worthy's hero distinctly states that he
opposes the war on local issues, and
these are not sufficiently disclosed to
make the governmental philosophy of
stephen More, the hero, entirely clear.
Moreover, by some curious twist,
Galsworthy makes the struggle Of the
antl~war man lie not so much with the
government as with the mob, although
it seems to US that this assumption
that wars are forced from the bottom
up needs a good deal OF proving. A
rather annoying snobbishness underlies
the play. Not only does Mr.. Galswor
thy get the cart before the horse by
implying that mob spirit is cause
rather than consequence of war, but
his portrait of the strong man who
protests against the popular clamor is
lltJie n7sympa hetic and little un-
true. Stephen More as presented is
animated by nothing more than a GER
tain logged courage. OF the exalta-
tion which belongs TO martyrs there
is not trace. Mr.. Galsworthy may
not believe in mob spirit but he does
it the honor cf making it seem much
more fearsomc and powerful force
than it really is. He seems to feel
that anybody who goes against what
has become good form is in for ter
rife amount of spiritual suffering.
Stenhen More, although he stands his
ground, does a deal of whining and
wringing his hands. Now, as a matter
of fact, anybody who is strong enough
to set his face against popular clamor
is generally also strong enough to
shake the taunts off his shoulders with
no more than toss of his head. No
martyr who is worth his salt gives two
straws for the tuppenny lions.
Ian Maclaren. who plays Stephen
More, gives a most effective perform
ance, and if he is unable to give any
Of the soaring quality which belongs
TO the man who knows he's right it is
simply because Mr. Galsworthv hasn't
put it there. There is a slight tend
ency to hambovancy in Mr. Maclaren's
work Although we admit being
thrilled at the terrific fall in the last
act when the actor plunEes from the
top of table fiat upon his back, we
think that the effect is perhaps ex-
cessive. 1t is: necessary to call a halt
somewhere in these spectacular death
scenes or we must come at last to the
admission that the oirl who leaps from
the roof of the Hippodrome Is the
greatest emotional actress in America.
Whitford Kane is exceedingly ef-
fective in a small part, and there is a
good performance by Alfred Shirley.
Galsworthy never has been half so
successful with women as men, and
Katherine. the wife Of the anti-war NJ.
p, is q particularly wishy -washy and
uncohvincing portrait. When we came
out of the theater we found just
around the corner Socialist meet
ing at which the speaker was pleading /
for the release of Eugene Y. Debs. For
once at least here is a play concerning
which nobody can say, "1t has no re.
lation TO the life round about u.s."
The production offered by the Neigh
borhood Playhouse is generally highly
skillful and effective