New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-04-04

occasions on which | let others say
something. Once 1t was the then Dis
trict Attorney, and the other time it
was Frank O'Malley. I suffered these
Interruptions because I expected to be
asked, 'Whatll you have" But I was
disappointed both times. Since then I
have taken no chances in letting others
bore me; l prefer to interest them. In
this I feel as did Disraeli, who, on re-
turning from a steak dinner 1--WE think
Mr.. Swope may mean state but we
hesitate to take liberties with his
copy, was asked by his wife if he en-
joyed himself. mo- Dizzy replied. Il
can scarcely say I enjoyed myself. It
was inclined to be rather stupid, and l
should have been dreadfully bored had
I not been there myself"
Incidentally, Mr.. Wilbur avails him
self freely Of the melodramatist's priv
;lege OF picturing Coincidence as a
c%entipede. One character who
to the charlatan's house for advice
happens to be his son, who is ignorant
Of his fathers identity. The next client
IS the detective who sent the villain to
prison a few years before, and the
third is the husband Of the woman
with whom the medium eloped. Then,
just for good measure, the playwright
throws In the fact that the c~harlatan's
son has been adopted out Of an orphan
ago by the man whose wife was Sc
duced By the impostor.
We have every reason 70 beheve that
We sAw a great actor last wesk whom W.
watched a performance Of Jacob Ben
Am; In "Sanson and DeHlah," at tho
Jewish Art Theater. II would bs pleas
ant to follow the custom and say that
although the piece was in an alien
tongue we never felt the need Of words.
Indeed, one spectator told US that the
chief tnducsment which led him to the
Jewish Art Theater wa the fact that
he could not speak the language. This
condition liborates me-" he explained.
II can concentrate on the emotions pic
tured because there Is nc line to como
between ma and the soul Of the actor"
This is, Of course an extreme view,
but the school OF thought Is not I'M
known, as witness the large following
- NJ. r:l- D---o--1I- pya %k{rk ~ ia
sometimes amusing to be able to under
stand what the characters are talking
about. Since We were ignorant Of the
language In which "Samson and De-
lilah" was played, we have no means Of
knowing Just how nicely Ben-Ami dis
tributes and adjusts his emphasis, but
we know that he is an actor Of extraor-
binary magnetism ard FIRE. His gift OF
personality and his grace and his wealth
Of emotion are ali apparent v to one
who knows no more Yiddlsh than he has
been able TO CLEAN out of the Icy Kap-
Ian stories. Particularly, In the second
act Of "Samgon and Delilah" It is cas-
for the Anglo-Saxon alien to follow IN
a HOOd deal OF Ccthll WHhC II ROiHB VI
The play Is probably not one Of great
dramatic distinction, whatever It's lit
erary merits may be, but thu second
&C. Is decidedly amusing and tho per
Tormance OF Ben-Am! ono Of the most
thrilling things which the Now York
theatsr Of today has TO offer.
In addition to ths star there Is a
clever performance by Lazar Fried nnc
the whole production has been admirably
staged by Emanuel Reicher. Ths the
atrr deserves the attention OF tho dis
eliminating p~laygocr. Een-Ami. by thu
way, speaks English readily. and VI
hope TO hear him in that tongue another
season. II he comes before tho New
York public in an English-speakng roll
va shall not be surrrissd II be u at once
"diseovwred" ~ one Of ths finest actor
Of u dAy.