New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-09-23
Good Theme Told i'm Terms
of the Trite and Obvious
i'm the New Melodrama
Now at the Playhouse
THE CAST
BY Haywood Broun

"Anna Ascends," by Harry Chapman
Ford, which WAS produced al the Play
house last night, is q play of little
humor, but small grace and less logic.
Setting itself the interesting task of
describing the rise of an immigrant
girl, it spins the story entirely in terms
Of white slavcrs, gun and knife play.
The unexpected is never present, and
the stage convention that persons may
refrain from explanations for the sake
Of the plot, no matter what difficulties
and misunderstanding may lie in ST.
lenca, is abused beyond decent toll
erance.
Miss Alice Brady, who IS starred in
the piece. does pretty we'll, but the
spectator is apt to be impressed rather
by hcr personalities than BY her
achievement. Although Miss Brady
has appeared in dozens of plays and
thousands of movies, we suppose,
she has by no means approached
the fufIlment of natural gifts which
ARE considerable. Her film training
stands her in good stead in iortfying
her facility Of movement and gesture.
1t is pleasant to watch her even in
an unimportant play, because she never
falls into an ugly pose. Hers is also
ose OF the not over numerous good
voices of the American stage, speak
ing voice and a singing one as we'll,
Tor she did snatch of song charm
ingly in the first act last night. There
are feeling and fire, also, in this voice,
hut the instrument is still more than
the artist. Particularly in comedy
scenes there is more gusto in the per-
forn,ance of Miss Brady than delicacy
of touch.
Anna Ascends" concerns an amb-
t:ous Syrian girl who kills a white
SLAYER in the first act and then prompt
t. runs away and writes q novel which
earns $4,000 in royalties within few
II )rths. She remains equally secretive
about pen and sword, much TO the dis
tress of rather dull-witted young
man who Loves her. AS somebody or
other remarks at one lofty moment
of the evening. "Riches without faith
wll not bring hanniness.' The dead
white SLAYER. one learns in time. was
not quite killed, and he returns in the
besm;r1h Anna character when cap
tured. In tn. face of tie accusations
thc Gull vitt,lt ,-ouN man admits doubt
INTO his heart and Anna fees, only to
or we him ir the last act, when he
turns up and says hat he is sorry:
.Aier all, not Only tte white salver.
bt typical society girl, had pointed
lne nnger OF scorn at Anna. We are
not prepared to defend our knowledlo
Of either white savers or society girls.
BIT we doubt whether the latter IN
vAriahly I "abole" for house or re
mark "Wha E, this rerson:." We d.
ow something ahou' III publishing
business. and we take stronger cXcer
tic1 20 the TACT f Il Young woman
"a rning So0,n00 IN royalties and hear
~frc nothing aoout it. - least, since
e. publisher is entirely willing 20 ao-
: nit It. Moreover, it oeems to us rather
Vs. re Convenient than logical that t.
heroine OF she play 81 id recognize"
- zero tra instant SIZE meets him
e or lapse OF eight years, willie he
should be quite in the dark about her
III characterization OF the pay IS
ecanty an. ITS NOV ement slugs;sH
There ar one or two lurid scene, Of
ntelooraua, which serve we'll enough
fcl excitement, though a least one q
them IS also rather unnecessarily re
jallenc. Tie breathing spaces b,tWeer
iueSe n'o.aents OF activity arc long. Tne
cas- is i,lir Gustave Roland gives en-
unusually SAIL y! performance as Siad
Coury, -yrian merchant, and Frank
Ha,ch and Red La Rogue also ere Ell
fective. Whet, or c. rot Mr.. kol and s
Syrian dialect * auth ntic we cannot
saS, bat u Is consistent and re EeEcv
allows it 20 get n the way of an effec-
tive expression q feeling. Here, at
least, is q finished ara altogether first
class piece Of work.