New-York tribune., 1921-02-06
By Harriette Underhill

\ The only place in the Greenwich VIII
lage TheateE which was large enough
for Us TO interview Willard Mack in
was the stage, so that is where we in
teryiewed him. 1t was Just after the
curtain had fallen on the final act OF
Near Santa Barbara" AR. Mack had
been notified that he was to be inter
viewed. and when the doorman an
nounced us we heard him sing out,
Take her in the green room. I'Il be
right down"
SO the Greenwich Village Theater
had a green room! Well, this was
news to us. We hadn't supposed that
1T was big enough for anything of the
sort. But we soon learned that this
was only one of Mr.. Mack's pleas
antrles.. 1t hasn't any green room. 1t
hardly has any dressing rooms. What
Mr.. Mack calls the green room is the
stage. 1t is also the living room of
the Trainors bungalow near Santa
Barbara and is done in green. That
makes 1t the green room.
FOR the last two years we have had
a standing engagement with Willard
Mack to be interviewed, When he did
The Big Chance" when he did "Tiger
wyn we thought "here is a story But
always something happened. Mr.. Mack
wrote to lis and apologized, and we
wrote to him and apologized, but still
we had seen him no nearer than across
the footlights. Somehow we didn't re-
Grct this very much. We had an idea
that Willard Mack thought himself q
most fascinating man and altogether a
pretty wonderful sort of person. Now
we have met him and we don't care
whether he thinks this or not, for we
think so, too. He is.
Such sense of humor God has given
TO but few men. We consider him even
more entertaining off than he is on.
1t was 11:10 when Mr.. Mack Joined us
on the stage, and at 12:30Eve tore our
self away only after he had promised
TO talk real soon again. And he has
written two new plays, and he asked
MS II we would read them and help
name them. Could anything be fairer
than that?
The reason Mr.. Mack is so entertain
ing is because of his clear vision He
sees all people and things just as they
are. He will describe scene to YOU
and will take each character in turn
the exhausted movie director who goes
in restaurant in Los Angeles to reg
lster thougnt, the noble movie hero
who does the same and the adorinp
lngenuc who goes to watch the regis
tratiop he showed US how each one
looked and talked.
We heartily approve Mr.. Mack's
views. perhaps because he agrees with
us. lie believes that to tell a story
one should begin at the beginning,
But will most directors do this in
pictures They will not" he said
They will show quarrel between the
heroine and the villain; she will seize
a pistol and shoot him in self defense
Then, Just as you are sitting on the
edge of your seat wondering what is
going to happen to her, you get fash
OF Aunt Maggie rocking in front of the
fire and knitting.
The director virtually says we
couldn't make that scene interestine,
enough to hold your attention, SO veil
cot back to the other. If we can't in
t.rest you we can at least confuse vol1
il some one says to you, What did YOU
DO to-night?' do you say, We'll, / Went
down to see Near Santa Barbara and
at Fourteenth Street a man got in the
train and he began to tell us about
fis sister who was married to wine
merchant IN San Francisco? Wouldn't
that person say. Here, hold on! You
We're IN the Greenwich Village Theater
and here you are with wine merchant