Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-10-29
L. BARRYMORE
is SEEN IN NEW
DRAMATIC ROLE
The Demi Virgin Might
Have Been In
decent.
HINES PRESENTS VIEWS
By DIXIE HINES.

BY DIXIE HINES
NEW YORK. Oct. 29.-Playgoers. who
take their art or trade seriously, endured
less effort this week IN witnessing the
new plays than for some time past. Only
three Of consequence claimed their at
tenuon.
In Importance the first was Arthur
Hopkins excellent production Of THE
Claw" adapted from the French Of Henri
Bernstein By Edward Dunn and Louis
Wolheim, and acted with consummate
skill by Lionel Barrymore. supported by
Irene Fenwick, Doris Rankin, Charles
Kennedy, z. J. BaIantine, GiOrgio Ma
jeroni and others.
The story is told with grim reality,
recounting the study Of a we'll known
journalist, who, through love for his wife,
just married, barters his reputation,
honor and manhood 10 hold her love.
And then loses her. From the high
estate held in the councils Of his party
he becomes q pawn IN her hands. He
becomes a traitor to his principles, and
hnally, to bolster his depleted fortune
and to crafty her ambition, he is de-
teeted accepting a bride. When his house
is about to fall about him she departs
with her lover, leaving the now broken
husband to face the music as best he
may. The play is brought to a termina-
tion by his death from apOplexy induced
by the menacing crowd which surrounds
~his home with jeers and threats.
II is a story more familiar TO the
French than to our country, and with
due allowance fails 10 make an appeal
except insofar as It affords Mr. Barry.
more an opportunity to contribute some
Of the most effective dramatic acting the
stage has witnessed in a decade. In
deed, such notable work has seldom been
seen here or anywhere.
Irene Fenwick as the heartless wife
and Doris Rankin as the daughter by
another marriage, who is driven from
the home Of her father, are the two chief
assisting artists But the acting is
skilful throughout and the staging eff
fective and appealing.
DRAW YOUR own
CONCLUSIONS ABOUT THIS.
It may lie that New York is in a
class by itself, but when the first night
audience witnessed Avery Hopwood 3
latest opus. THE Demi Virgin" they
spent many restless moments awaiting
the scene or scenes which were supposed
to have shocked the Pittsburgh police
into official Interference. Up To the time
Of the final curtain nothing occurred that
might explain this oticious act. In the
final act it seemed that we were ap-
proaehing it when the playwright intro
dueed a new card game which has pos
sibiIides. which also has its disaIvau-
tages If popularity IS sought. 1t is called
stripping Cupid" and the rules are sim
pie. A pack of cards is used and each
Of the players pick one The holder os
the low card removes enc article Of gD-
parel Eventually II the game lasts long
enough. OF II one Of the players is es-
peCiaIy unsuccessful in drawing tie
higher cards, the possibilities are obvious
But on thu opening night the game
did not progress so far What may oc-
cur later 5 at least intriguing The story
u which Mt. Hopwood tells IS about col
ny Of motion picture players ar Holly
God. a leading man and leading
.romHn are cast for the completion Of a
film on which they worked before they
were married. q ceremony. by the way
that was inopportuuely interrupted or
their wedding night Thereafter the story
has more To do with action than sequence
The press paid irs usual compliment tC
the playwright, and the playgoers. who
appear TO be responding with satisfying
results To the manager, find much {,
amuse and something 10 shock Which
means by the usual token that The
Demi Virgin" is not "demi success" II
is a full -Aedged one. Hazel Dawn con
stance Farber, Kenneth Douglas. Charlie.
Ruggles, Alice HeRamau. Glenn Auder,
and a group Of especially attractive IN
draped and semi draped ladies' uf n,
screen contribute to It's success. And q
IS tastefully and originally staged, too.
CONCERNING OTHER
NEW STAGE PLAYS
a Bachelors Night" by wilson Col
Hsou, was presented by John Cort. i
is a conventional farce. which Is freely
admitted by the author in pr0g-au
note. There is bachelors apartment
IN vacation. uiiritiy rented by The mait
TO q young thing from Iowa s taxi
cab wreck Introduces wife, who Is ben
on a clandestine meeting The preaid
Ing genius OF farce brings IN severn
other women Of the hard-boiIrd type
This IS the convenient place for the IN
expected return Of the bachelor yropr!e
tor Of the apartment. who finds on,
woman in his bed another in advanced
state Of undress and the others enjoy
ing all the freedom Of the place. o
course the husband Of the wife Of blacl
intentions also arrives. And that j.
where all the doors are employed 10 PRO
note the futterugs and excited goiugs
on. The dialogue is ultra-moderu. an,
kafor those who seek their entcrtaiDmeu
IN the category suggested by this brlc
synopsis viii find quite as much to laugI
at here as he would at any other uIay
Of a similar type
"As Ye Mould is said to be a play pre-
scented somewhere downtown by a groui
Of indiscrimiuate players headed b,
pFral-r . e b.. III q
that do not justify more space than &
required TO announce the title. Whateve
shortcomings the present play offers
not comps able to the shortcomings o
the chief aver to depict the characte
he assumes It is tiresome piTle
Marcelle D'Arville, the Parisienne &C