Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1921-01-10
AMUSEME NTS
"The Storm"

Two men and a woman, fast locked
IN cabin for a handful Of months in
she frozen north woods, while a storm
breWs and finally bursts, furnish the
dramatic possibilities of "The Storm, y
melodrama by Langdon Mccormick.
produced by George Broadhurst. which
opened for the week at the National
Theater last night.
The Storm deals with the ele-
mental passions-as most tales in
usually do. There is no doubt as to
its being melodrama. But whoever
heard of that being a deterrent to the
success of a play? The Mccormick
play has a strong appeal to the human
side. 1t is admirably staged and we'll
acted. 1t comes to Washington after
a uccessful-almost a sensational
run of a year in New York.
The wonders of electricity have been
literally drafted to produce the effects
of a forest fire. as well as a blizzard.
in scenic effects little short of mar
Vicious. The curtain rises upon a lit
tie slice of the big woods. with a river
winding away in the distance. 1t is
for storm. The clouds pile up. A
wind tears belated autumn leaves
from the trees and hurls them to the
ground.
In, this setting are Burr winton,
woodsman. and David Stewart. a prod
uct of London society. They are
partners" and plan to spend the
winter in their cabin. Enter Jacques
Packard and Manette. his daughter.
Jacques, a Canadian trapper, has
there is sergeant that desired his
little girl. He has been shot and is
dying. The blizzard comes. The men
and Manette are forced to spend the
fatuated with the girl. That they
get through the winter without one
mans numbering the other is due to
the natural tact of this forest girl.
In the end it is the forest fire that
clears the atmosphere.
Ben Taggart, as Burr Winton; Eric
Maxon, as David Stewart. and Kath-
arine Hayden, as Manette Packard.
form the triangle. They play their
parts in the swift -moving drama ad-
the brainier. The Englishman uses
all his wiles to win the girl. while
Burr is more straightforward. There
is not little comedy to relieve the
tenSeneSs of the situations.
Peggy"
While lacking many requisites of a
continued success. Peggy" by Mack
Hilliard. which opened weeks en-
gagement at the Shubert-Belasco
Theater last night, provides plenty
] of enjoyment for an audience not
composed of critics too highly trained
in seeing through the weak spots.
The play lacks "a real plot"-a term
recently grown popular in connection
with musical comedies-but the mu-
| sic is good and the acting fair enough,
and folks don't usually go to musical
! omedieS with any idea of having to
expend mental energy in following
the unraveling of a complicated plot.
| The setting of both acts is pleasing,
and the women are costumed-ac-
cording to their sisters in front-in
the latest forecasts Of what will be
worn next April.
The story. simple enough. deals
with the difficult proposition faced by
Peggy. who has fought-oh, such a
long f1ght-in putting her millinery
shop on a firm basis. She is told by
the shop, that she faces disaster I'M
less she marries him. This gives OPP
portunity for the exercise of nimble
wit by Peggy's many friends to get
her out Of trouble. All of them fail.
and she is saved at the last moment
by the death. of course, of a planta-
tion-owning uncle somewhere down
south, who leaves her enough to
marry and live happily ever after
with the man of her choice.
| Virginia Eastman, who has con-
tagious personality delights her
audience as Julie Clark and Skeet
Gallagher comes near being 'the life
of the party" as Larry Meadows. her
beau, the boy whose happiness in life
depends on whether some beloved
horse comes home first" James C.
Morton as Jimmy Baxter, father OF
eight charming war orphans" comes
near filling the vacancy caused in the
cast by the lack Of a comedian. and
he does it we'll Russell Mack. as Hal
Brumley: Virginia O'Brien. as Peggy
Wayne Num-. in the part of Andre
Rambeau, the plays bad man, and Ed
ward See, as John Potter. the mystic
rfous stranger, are convincing in their
several roles.
Lou Dymond who composed the mu-
sic, conducted the orchestra last
night. and probably was able to pre-
sent the various compositions at their
best. The book and lyrics are at
tributed to Fred Caryll; the play is
| staged by Neil Twomey and the
! dances are by Allan X. Foster.
Government War Films.
| Pictures made nv the SipnaI rorne