The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-01-13
George Ariiss.

/ If you know Mr.. Arliss, If you know his
crafty, :nsinuating course OF conduct, II
ArIiss IN aJacdues Duvai." 1t is his great
est play. He swept a critical audience off
its feet at the dear old Grapd" last evening
Elegantly staged, a carbolie, hypodermie,
aspiring story converted into an etherized,
pany of artists that excel in every character
deineation and Interpretation assigned TO
them JaSques Dnsa o y by f la ba as
been seen in this section in many moons
! with the possible exception of Guy Bates
Post.
Mr.. Arliss is a master of his art. Cast
in the subtle part of doctor whose heart
and soul are in his great discovery OF an
ries his audience with him thru it all, now
| smiling, now laughing, sometimes crying,
keynote and. because this is SO, the play
| at oace takes deep hold upon the audience.
| Jacques Duval" is a great play but Mr..
ARTISTS smooth, quiet, incisive art Is what
Not a character seems out of place. Not
a single Interpretation can be improved
upon Ii fact, everything about the offer
| ing the mechanical details, the settings
i the drama, the comedy, Is presented with
such sincerity that I am not inclined to go
| digging around for something on which to
hang bit of adversed criticism
| 1 think the scene Of DR.. Duval in the
room of his wife's lover is about the most
| effective scene for tone in comedy and
drama and tenseness, 1 have ever witnessed.
It is done as only Mr.. Arliss can do it.
Miss Elizabeth Risdon builds splendidly
along with the action of the play, is lovely
1 to look at and has neglected to overdress the
] part, which is a pleasing note these days
Miss Risdon is charming and intelligent.
In one way she is SO alluring that you feel
| sorry for her, passed back and forth be-
twixt a cough and a cure.
| Mr.. Manart kippen was splendid as the
weak lunged Henri. An actor of less
| the difficult part, which bords on heroics,
! but never allows it. !
| So summed up, Mr.. Arliss supplies his
character with the deft touch, of an artist.
Revealing a versatility and repertoire of
quiet, effective, emotionalism rare among his
+, the best thing he has ever given the dra-
matte stage-even better and stronger than
his delightful Disraeli which is still fresh
Jacques Duval" is the cleverest and
most fascinating drama of the season thus
far, and its pcrtrayor is as fine an artist as
And the dear old Grand" was packed to
the dome, assuring Messrs McCaffery and
| Birch their efforts to obtain the best are
| appreciated by the towns theater goers.
corners during the first act--an inexcusable
| crime" And did you ever hear SO much
| coughing and sneezing at a play in your
life: And guess that'll be about all.
The Novelty.
There are only two gils, women or fem
mime parts, whichever you would have 1t,
on this weeks opener at the Novelty. The
bill suffers in consequence. Did not get to
see more than the last half of the first act
following the movies, because of the crowd
that always waits till the pictures are out
Of the way before they will condescend to
take their seats, but it looked to me like a
fairly decent, dancing act. 1t was SEIZED,
uled on the bill as Sherman and Rose. "
The little woman who always >uses the
other half of my comp declares that Rose
has been hit by the high price of silk
tights and did not wear 'em. It's con-
troversial subject, SO I will leave to the
| rest whether or not she is right. Lee
Barth, the dialect comedian, sprung a new
one on the crowd by palming off Chinese
as Scandinavian stuff, but he managed to
get off the boards with one or two laughs
to his credit. The real act of the evening
was by Hayden and Ercelle Hayden il
there with his English comedy. most Of
which went over the heads of last nights
crowd. His act would be better minus the
violinist stuff. Dan Holt and Burt c. Yves
ton, in their Trench travesty, got a few
laughs. but most of their war jokes were
secondhand. The Melnotte Due started
pantomime act with some really clever
, stuff and wound up with slap-stiek rio
in which tearing down the scenery played
the star part, and as usual started the