The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-05-29
THE DRAMA
Back to Methuselah," New Play by George Bernard Stage and Screen.
By ANNE GOLDEN ,wILkERsoN

Shaw contends that the extension of human life Is a scientific possibility and must be included as such in the religion of creative evolution. This. he ayers, has been taking shape in un- belief of the last 50 years and is now ready for adoption as the new falth. While we may not agree with the playwright on all points, he surely sets one a-thinking-an act which has never been known to kill, and which in the long run, is said to benefit the performer"
 Lawrence Langner, a representative of the Theatre guild, it is given out, has returned from London, bringing MT. Shaws permission for the New York guilds production of his new play, and also any other of his plays So when, Back to Methuselah" goes on the boards-probably this fall--it will be under the guilds presentation.
 Strange indeed. George Bernard Shaw declares that, under no circum- stances will he ever come to America And for this I find fault with the noted Irishman.
 Said he: Why should I come to America when all the Americans worth knowing come to me?'
 The New York shows, 1t appears. are by a process of elimination (eight having closed last weelS), being worked down to the summer list. Several new musical pieces went on during the past fortnight, distinctly of the "On With The Dance" type. Judge for yourself-- Peek -A-Boo,' 'Biff Bang, Bang TWO Little Girls in Blue," "The Last Waltz" "Honeydew'-and the '1oike!'
 "Honeydew'' is playing a return en- gagement after being heard in Boston, Philadelphia and several other cities. This. is really a delightful musical comedy and carries melodious nlu~ sical score by the noted violinisr Efrem Zimbalist.
 The Hippodrome is to become nov ing picture theatre for the summer months Motion pictures have not heretofore, been shown in this big the atre.
 Billie Burke will make her annual return to the stage ill the early fall, using as vehicle a musical version of Clare Runners Good Gracious Annabelle."
 Helen Lowry, writing in the Times last Sunday on film studies, said among other things, Temperament has been taken over intact from grand opera to the films" And director, mopping his brow, tells story or no " Billie Burke once developed so much Temperament in picture, and threatened so often to strike, that there literally had to be two plays filmed--one of them to show Billie and the other to be released. in due time to the general public. The film for private consumption had Billie in every scene, which was what her tenn perament demanded.
 To my mind, one of the most anus ing bits of comedy seen in Birmlng- ham this season was in the Mary Pickford picture, Through the Back Door," refer, of course, to the scene between little Mary and the donkey. Clever, somehow I have warm spot In my heart for this little cinema beauty Maybe it Is because l saw her when she was mere child. She was on the legitimate stage, playing the child part in "The Warrens of Vlr- einia." Frank Keenan and Charlotte Walker were the co-stars in this play, I remember. when saw it in St. Louis Yes, it was steen years agos Even at that time Mary Pickford was receiving very favorable comment on account of her beauty and talent. As I recall, she looked just about as she | does in this latest picture