New-York tribune., 1920-10-13
Harry w. Cribble
Attempts Too Much
In His New Play
The Outrageous Mrs. Pal
mer' Clever and Diverting
Comedy for One Act, Then
1t Becomes Too Serious
THE CAST

Leble.. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. Luis Alberni
Mrs Charles Cardigan North. formeriy fn1ae isV''''
known on the stage as Mrs. Michael
@aiiner' ....,s. s.-........... Mary Young
James Holden. ........ Franklin George
Oosy Woosy. ....,...........B Boi Loo Ylang
rhilip Michael Palmer. Raymond Hackett
Mrs. Herbert Rollins. Minna Gale HAYNES
Miss Clara Beebe. ..... Florence Ednev
Guy Dunn. ................ Frank Dekum
Natalie Thompson. n........... May Collins
Harry Wagstaff Gribble, in writing
THE Outrageous Mrs. Palmer" which
was presented for the first time last
night at the Thirty-ninth Street The
ater, tried to do too much. If he had
confined himself strictly to comedy and
mad lett the serious tone for q later
work, or, better, had forgotten it en-
t!rely, his play might have been a
clever, highly diverting comedy. For
little more than one act it is that,
but when the former stage manager Of
the Castle Square Stock Company, of
Boston, piles situation upon situation
and draws upon mother love and other
convenient emotions, the interest sags
nightly. There are bits of freshness
and charm in the play, but it is much
too uneven.
The author has chosen for his theme
the temperamental actress, as exempli-
ned by Mrs. Patrick Campbell, and
strives to show the development Of her
character. For three acts she is an
unmanageable creature, frightful of
mood and harsh of tongue. Somewhat
OF vampire, too, and q woman with
shadows Of past is Mrs. Michael
Palmer, who represents the Mrs. Pat
rick Campbell Of real life. She is the
divinity to whom all must bow and
her temper is one to cause a managers 3
hair to turn white overnight-not over
looking the playwrights who are COM
missloned m to write, for her. One Of
them comes to read the second act of
a new play to her. Does she listen :?
No, she must play the piano; she must
crush the orchids he has brought with
him, and she must lead him on to make
love to her. And, like the orchids, the
author is also crushed.
But in the last act the author shows
US dlHerent woman, calmer in mood
less biting in speech and unusually
considerate of those about her. The
change, however, is not convincing
one, and Mrs. Michael Palmer is a
much more interesting figure as she is
presented in the first three acts of
the play. Possibly he has attempted
~ oHo" tilat Tor three acts she had
been acting, even when away from the
footlights, and that, finally, stripped
of her artificiality by crisis, she has
become the real Mrs. Michael Palmer
1t would have been much more inter
esting to have continued the idea of
the first three acts to the finish of the
play.
The author has written much of
the dialogue with facility, and the
lines, especially those given to Mrs.
Michael Palmer. are refreshing and
amusing. And Mary Young, the fea
tured actress, who plays the leading
character, makes the most of them
She gives splendid performance. In
TACT. the former leading woman of the
Castle Square Stock Company, the
manager Of which is her husband, John
Craig, is mainly responsible for what
ever entertainment the play provides.
Her delivery, her poise, her restraint
are admirable.
Henry E. Dixey as the Irish play
wright who writes for the tempera-
mental star, is effective, especially in
his scene with the younger playwright.
acted by Franklin George, who has