The Washington herald., 1920-03-21
In New York's Playhouses
By GILBERT SELDES

l suppose that L would be MUIR
dered or something IL l began with
anything except that notable pro-
duction of Richard III" which the
combined talents of John Barrymore.
Arthur Hopkins and Robert f. Jones
Cthe names are in alphabetical
order) made last week. 1t was an
event and the busy rumors did not
overtell the story. First came the
story that Edward Sheldon had re-
written Shakespeare, as he had Sem
Benelli Cof The Jest'D. The truth
is that this Richard III" takes off
with the final scenes of king Henry
W." where Richard appears as the
Duke of Gloster Cor. II you will.
Gloucester). The pundits are crying
that 1t is very good drama. and IL
Shakespeare can come that way. let
him come. AS for Edward Sheldon.
l am sorry to say that he is still
seriously i'll. in the West. and no
official responsibility for this play
has been assigned to him.
The Barrymore rumOr is true.
understand that. wearied of people
complaining about his voice. he
found himself teacher who believes
that those only can properly speak
who know how to sing. Wherefore
Barrymore did scales for ten days
or more and behold a miracle. the
conversion absolute of his voice.
There was no rumor about MIR. Jones
work. 1t was categorically an
nounced that this was going to be
his finest-and il is. No more need
be said. The whole production. for
which Arthur Hopkins gets credit,
has been called the supreme moment
of the American stage. strongly
suspect that it will be impossible to
write this correspondence for many
weeks without some reference to
this play, so / abandon it now. |
note only that a whole family of
Barrymores. having done theih bits
in other plays. came over for the
first night and saw two hours OF it
for ii lasted until l o'clock, with
the suburbanites remaining to cheer
after the final curtain.
! dropped in to see a bit of the
Winter Garden show, and later
Charles Winninger. who plays King
Solomon and who used to initiate
Leo Ditrichstein. winninger told
me an amusing story about David
Belasco. Winninger was preparing
a burlesque of Belasco for an act
ors' club affair. He went to Be-
lasco and told him his intention.
Very wsll," said the wizard. What
would you like me to do?" Win
ninger suggested that Belasco's
more famous attitudes should be
struck. And without a trace of
self consciousness. and equally
without resentment at the thought
lesqued, Belasco tugged at hiA little
forelock and showed his hand into
his waistcoat and made funny little
bows and otherwise deported him
self as he does on his famous first
nights. And now, my boy" he said
when he had completed the per-
formance, what about a costume ?''
Winninger had none. .Oh, that will
never do" And, turning to his sec
retary, Belasco ordered a specimen
of the famous clerical black garb
with the reversed collar to be put
at the disposal of his imitator. The
burlesque was a great success.
Robert Middlemas Is, 1 suppose.
one of the tallest and biggest actors
on the stage, but that gets the in
terviewer nowhere, because Mr..
Middlemas insists on talking as II
he were not really a very good actor,
which he is. You may have seen
him in some of Claire Runners
pieces-I think he played the lead
in Good Gracious, AnnabeIle. on
the roadA Now he Is the top SER
geant in "Buddies." the entertaining
play in which Donald Brian dances
and Peggy Wood sings, and every
body has a good time. Middlemas
has had quite career since his days
at the Harvard Dramatic Club, OF
which he WAS one of the founders.
Perhaps his most interesting ex-