New-York tribune., 1920-08-24
THE Bat'' Brings
Thrills i'm Plenty
To Broadway
New Mystery Play at Morosco
Keeps Secret OF Murder
to tho End and De-
fies Efforts of Cuessers
THE CAST
By Haywood Broun

Mary Roberts Rinehart and Avery
Uopwood were much more successful
with murder at the Morosco Theater
last night than they were with love at
the Maxine Elliott week ago. "The
Bat is always battling and generally
exciting. We did not come within a
million miles Of guessing the identity
O. the CRIMINAL. There were moments
when we were almost ready to quit the
game and stop guessing, for the play
suffers q little from an excess of com
pNcations. Before the evening was
over the audience had two murders, two
eases Of assault and battery, one arson
and bank robbery to distribute among
a comparatively small cast.
IN mystery plays. as in all guessing,
games, the greatest excitement comes
when everything is in place except
the one missing segment, the horses
left ear or the top of the cockade for
NapCleon's hat. This moment was not
reached until late in the evening. How
ever, this served to add a climactic val
ue TO the last act. Instead Of going COM
pletely in circles, according to the
usual mystery play convention, some
progress was made before the final
scene of revelation and discovery which
provided an excellent succession Of
thrills.
TIE complicated nature Of the plot
required great deal Of explaining.
This technical difficulty was handled
expertly in the main. Indeed, through
cut a high degree Of proficiency Vas
maintained in keeping the tangled
threads in motion. In one respect we
think the authors have made a mis-
take. in the method which they have
chosen for the telling of the tale 1t
is, however. something which they have
done with premeditation and for cause.
We like our mystery plays straight.
When we are hard on the heels Of
criminal with fngerprints just in front
of Us and dead bodies on either hand
We prefer to go on without the intru-
sion of comic relief. 1t distracts and
annoys us. More than that it out
RACES US. We would feel much the
same if bloodhound, hot upon the
scent should be called off every now
and then and asked to say his prayers
or balance a lump of sugar on his nose
Mrs. Rinehart and Mr.. Hopwood
have studiously arranged that between
all the most exciting episodes Of their
play, May Nokes shall have interludes
OF low comedy. Some of these inter
ludes were exceedingly amusing. Prac-
tically all were greeted with shrieks of
laughter by an audience grown edgey
with the excitement of carefully ma
nipulated thrills. 1t. seems to US that
this mood Of neryoue and fearful ex-
pectancy is exactly the emotion which
the mystery playwright requires and
should cultivate. Once gained, the
playwright should not allow anything
to dull or divert it; no, not even for
any Of the ten best jokes in Christen-
don, and we would hardly rate the
comedy lines assigned to Miss Vokes
as highly as that.
OF course, the theory Is that an
audience can stand only just SO much
excitement and that it must then be-
cooled off by the porter or the grave
digger before the terrors begin again.
Perhaps true tragedy is heightened
by the very banality of broad comedy,
out meIodrama is not as important as
that. 10 be enjoyed to the full one
must have at least passing belief in
IT. Laughter always puts faith to
fearful test. There were times last
night when the test was too severe
We chortled at something May Vokes
SAID or did and then it was many min
Gtes before we were able to feel very
MIch Interested in the problem Of who
k'i!d iiS Rlchard Fleming or where the
million dollars was hidden. Always we
dld care again, but we should have pre-
ferred an unbrollen emotion.
We are asked not to divuIss the
solution OF the mystery. The easiest
way around that is not even to outline
the plot except to say that a murder Is
comm 'tted IN country house at night
during thunderstorm and that other
crimes follow after. Tho acting honors
81 the evening belong to Miss Efle
h!lstler as strong minded old lady
with marked abilities in detective work
hn0 Edward Ellis as a Doctor r,uch
under suspicion Harrison Hunter.
Stuart Sage and Ammo Morrison were
other useful members Of the company.
We have no hesitation in recommend
Ing the play as n good thriller.