Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-11-19

that we'll like 'cm as we'll as Others hnv
Frances Starr comes to the Broad
Elsie Janis ami her crowd come to the
comedy. "rhe Last Waltz" opens at I
the Walnut in The Emperor Jones.
T Asst week the more or less erudlte
IL writer of this column spoke Of the
splendid stage settings that Joseph
Urban made for "Thc FOllics.' Mon
day will show us another play most
clnboratcly staged and by 4. comparn
tive newcomer in the ranks OF art
directors. When / saw "Thc Last
Waltz" in New York some weeks ago,
it struck me as being one of the most
beautifully staged pictures ! hnd eyer
seen.
The opcrptta introduces three very
unusual settings. They arc done hI
II chap named Watson Barratt. who's"
name venture to predict will ON"
day he played up as cOnSpicuOuSlN as
is Erban's today.
As the action is laid in II my'hical
kingdom in the Balkans there mas
been no restriction placed upon the
IMAGINATION Of Mr.. Barrntt. lie com
bincs vivid reds. oranges ana biueS WIZ
arrCst!ng effectiveness and always WIN
n suggestion Of Eastern luXurI"uHu">>'
The second act setting r. uAuSuai III
its sconc. II represents huge ball
room In n Balkan castle. lhrouEh
vast bay window at the rear, WM'h 'A
tends from the floor to the "'lllhG ana
almost the entire width of ~" s''''iESi
mountains can be seen. ANA n h"Nc.
effect is provided by tn" tiny GLOW o'
train which crccps down the noun
lao m
story Immense candelabra. hanging
;amns that suggest toy balloons wv"
mammoth StairwnyS and ColorlWi "rap-
rrics add pictorial beauty t" the d''"Fa-
tiOns.
Mr. Barratt is n believer IN contrast
o,J omnhnsis in his work. II" has
.rxorutcd his first act setting araW
IT,, room in II caStlC--in CumparauN'iE
nmict tones. The second act setting lT
,i"nc in considerably boldcr coi"rS' ana
rho third act, which represents aH",nc'
drawing room. reaches rIlrhaN "' y"
torial voluptuousncSs.
THlT ctcrnally southio sho", "Ih'
/ Rot e" is SfU wnh rs. L"rH
Iroon,, the munger Of the pioV. got oy
y rIrrrr line tie other might dSh'"
linn. rbdt he hOught ms "hHhr'S ''','
,ritL oH these other h0W% r"mWg !"
to,ru ,rifb famous stars. A"d. ~
f1jrIv duIccf rOicC. he Sung. W. car,
nat for the shines thnt star. '"r"'
caIIs hdt. en-
DHILADELpIIIA Theatre EoerS are
/ getting quite used t" r"vivnlS Ia''LE.
LAST wear there was tine lnlmiI"o'
"Erminic" and the slightly less sue
ccssful "Florodora, the p"r"hn,n'
.Rct,uu of Peter Grimm ana lh'
vcry much renovated 'B"Hr "i N'"
Yoik." to say nothing OF lt"D'n
Hood" which could hardly b" r"Il'"
- ,nyiynl since il seldom has hnd a
chance 20 go on tn" th"atrI'hI S"''''
even for a earned rest.
This wear. already. th"r" has been
t,,r beautiful "NIrrry Widow, ANA
now. for two weeks run. is t.ug"n"
Walters easiest Way with Frances
Starr again playing Laura MurdorN'
A straight drama survives the
royngcs Of time in most cases more
successfully than muslca comedy IN
thc latter there is generally the rritl.
rism of the absence of modern ZIP
md men" But with drama it is
different Fashions may change, nut
thot's n mere matter Of wearing what
ever style Of clothes happens to he IN
ynrur when the production is staged
The lines and business tif the play Is
not based on some purely local matter
or question Of the hourl can stand
rs they were originally written.
"Thr Easiest Way is announced to
be virtually aS it first appeared here,
There is one little point lqultr un'hl-
portnnt, but nevertheless interesting 10
ArI, ,,t,IiIsl n
nIcl which must have been changed,
although no announcement has been
made of it. Remember where the
hand organ plays what was then
a very modern tune Its name
was bon Bon Buddy, My Chocolate"
Drup." which probably means nothing
to the younger generation. NOnd"r
what jazz" tune they'll substitute for
If? Jazz it should be. because that hts
right in with the spirit of the action.
Miss Starr. by the way, is almost
attached to "rhc Easiest Way as that
other RrlasCo star. David Warhcld, is
70 '"Phe Music Master.' and The Auc-
tjonccr." She played Laura Murdock
for three seasons and now takes 1t up
again. after lapse of ten years. as full
Of enthusiasm for role and play as
She was at first Asked about ITS NOR
ais recently, she said:
"To me it seems supCrlativ"ly moral,
bccuuse it sounds warning note. In
NV opinion no young girl ever received
injury from witnessing this dramatic
cypositiOn Of the tcrrOrS that may lie
in wait for the girl who goes out and
tries to make her own way in the world.
1t is constantly ringing Don't don y
and girls who understand what ! mean
know that the wages Of sin is death.