Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-11-19
MOVIES GIVE
3BRIGHT STARS
TO BROADWAY
Tearle, Burke and Barriscale
Desert Screen for Spoken
Parts on Stage.
HINES GOTHAM LETTER
BY DIXIE HINES.

NEW YORK, Nov. 19.-The movies
are giving up their brightest stars to
the stage, and last week New York
saw three of them-Bessie Barriscale
in The Skirt" Billie Burke in The
Intimate Strangers" and Conway
Tearle in 1.-The Mad Dog"
Miss Barriscale has not been among
those present in Broadway casts for
more than seven years, and her return
was hailed as an event fraught with
pleasurable possibilities, and if there was
universal regret that her play was not
possessed of material that justified her
personal appearance, we were at least de
lighted with her freshness, cleverness and
undiminished charm. In The Skirt she
masquerades as most Hkable young cow
puncher, a masquerade practiced for the
dual purpose of learning from her sweet
heart-whOse ranch she visits-his real
sentiments regarding her, and to win 2
wager made by a group OF her college
shums who took the other end of the
wager that she could do this stunt and
get away with IT, The chief fun was de
rived from the fact that Bob" as she
prefers TO be called, fooled no one but
herself. The cowpunchers put her
through her PAGES. but she comes through
''manfulIy" until she mistakes real
highwayman for ore of her own gang
seeking to play a joke upon her.
When the truth dawns upon her she
promptly faints, her not unbecoming wig
falls to the ground exposing her crown
ing glory Of imprisoned sunshine. There
after she goes back to skirts as being
safer, and we leave them serene with pos
sibilities Of a happy future. Miss Bar
riscale was altogether charming IN the
puise Of the boy, and more bewitching
as a girl.
The scenic production was atmosphere
Of the Arizona ranch. and Howard Kick
man. the author. devised some farcia
situations and wrote some very bright
lines. Mr.. Hickman. himself lent muci
interest to the proceedings, and Pau
Harvey a manly chap. gave a cOmmandine
performance o. the sweetheart and rancl
owner. The cowboy characters were pic
turesQue.
BILLIE BURKE Is
FOUND TO BE CHARMING.
Billie Burke was quite delightful In
the play chosen for her happy return
from the films. "The Intimate Strangers
is by Booth Harrington, who can still
write charming dlaiOg and create IN
terestine situations. Mr.. darlington
writes about the maiden of age who
mocks and tests and Furnishes wor-
ried man who has fallen in love with
her by deliberately pretending that she
is much older than she really is. She
has encountered him in a railway sta
ton, where both are mar0oned by one
Of those storms they are forever hav-
ing up State. It is a station so lonely
that there is nothing for miles about
except mud and the station masters
brother-in-law and they-the two chance
travelers-are maroned there for the
night in such unchaperoned solitude that
the conduct Of Isabel as her niece says
afterward is open TO Interpretation.
Thereafter. because she can't help read
ing in her new swain's eyes the wonder
ing question as to how old she is. the
perverse Isabel insists on affecting
little rheumatism. on throwing ice-woOl
clouds around her shoulder, on remi-
niscing Of Tilden and Hayes and even
on knitting a lace cap for her golden
hair It cannot be said that the play
bears any particular value as a piece Of
dramatic writing, but Miss Burke IS
delightful never more fascinating or in
gratiating. and with 4 cast in her sup
port which meets all requirements, It Is
a new contribution which will be en-
joyed II not remembered.