The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-30
Paul Dickey and Charles w.
Goddard Contribute Thrill
ing Play to the Stage.

From the moment that an airplane with
two American aviators plunged realistic
ally through a Mexican ranch house and
onto the stage OF the Forty-eighth
Street Theatre last night "The Broken
Wing was more than n hit-it was a
crash 1t hummed along with all the
thrills OF flying excursion. plus all the
comforts of a $3.50 seat. And despite
occasionally fogsy weather. the trip
engineered by Paul Dickey ana Charles
w. Goddard ended without bad bump
Their joint typewriter had the speed OF
a, Liberty motor.
The high spot-and the low spot-of
the evening was that drop of the blplane
almost into the laps of the spectators
The storm driven machine. with one
wing crumpled, topples $50 miles inside
the Mexican border and in the most
sensational scene of the season charges
through the dobe house wall. sending IL
bursting about in the lightning flashes
so that the patrons can nearly reach
out and take home a few bricks as
souvenirs. They might want to as a
memento of their first glimpse OF the
most effective stage novelty since Eliza
crossed the ice without scraping the
paint off.
The climax Of this act occurs when
the little Mexican girl, brought up by
Yankee foster father to adore every
American institution, including soap,
exclaims over fiier's PROSTATE form :
"At last Heaven has sent me gringo
husband!" The rest of the four acts
in her adopted home most properly
concern themselves with this primitive
maiden,s fight to keep this prospective
mate sent in ansfer to her prayers
who loses his flying pal and his MEM
Dry from the crash but fortunately
keeps his good looks. 1t wouldn't be
fair to disclose the shrewd trick which
illustrates the lawless capt Innocencto.
scheming to ransom the wealthy fier
and take the girl himself. and sends
the couple off for honeymoon in the
sky. while the defeated captain also
goes up In the air below.
sh Maintains the Interest.
The play maintains the interest UNI
daggingly with excitement and occa-
sional comedy almost from its inception
with the best solo snore by peon of
the season. AlphonZ Either gives a
capital and almost likable performance
as the plotting bandit. Charles Trow-
bridge as the aviator had so little to do
Ut uISL lIldI ne sCtiHcd iutiiiiy W nav
been chosen because he resembles II. E.
Warner, the star of these collaborators'
early success, 1.-THE Ghost Breaker" But
in the scene in which his memory comes
back to him he also drew the audiences
favor back to him admirably
Miss Inez Plummer as Ines Fillerd
gave most attractive portrayal of o
semi-civilzed girl who yet simply had
TO be primitive when she had the urge.
1t sounded bit homogeneous to hear her
use Broadway slang occasionaly-but
then. how else could Broadway welcome
her to its midst? She is pretty actress
of the Fay BANTER type, occasionally too
cute, but then few persons can say
''Nemmine" sweetly and get away with
it. All the other performers are excel
lently balanced and never mutilate their
dialect, even though two Mexican officers
use the broken English in talking pri-
vately together
Altogether, with two very solid and
artistic sets and a real airplane. THE
Broken Wing" ought TO buoy patrons up
for a whole season.