New-York tribune., 1921-01-18
ssDear Ne, % With
Grace La Rue, Is
A Clean Success
John Colden's New Play at
the Republic Theater Also
Stars Hale Hamilton i'm a
Thorough American Story

John Golden believes in the rule of
three. With two prime successes on
broadway he placed third play on
the lap of the gods last night-"Dear
Me- in which Grace La Rue and Hale
Hamilton are co-stars, shown at the
Republic Theater. 1t is staged under
the direction of Winchell Smith.
Clean American plays for the Amer
lcan public is the golden text. Ger
talnly Dear Me- is clean and Ameri-
can, and that section Of the American
public filling the Republic liked it
prodigiously.
Some who remember the Miss La Rue
lately, before the footlights in musical
comedy had an opportunity last night
to see her as a prima donna behind
scenes, getting in and out of dazzling
gowns, and they liked it better than
when they viewed her spinning dizzy
cartwneels in the Follies some seasons
ago. For Miss La Rue is an uncom-
monty rood actress and endowed with
the coniiguration for clothes.
The story of the play, which is the
work of Luther Reed and Mr.. Hamil-
ton, opens in the home for Failures"
This home is memorial raised by
his father to Edgar Prentice son who
had failed in a boyish ambition It's
inmates are men who have failed in
art pursuits-a sculptor, a musician. 8
painter, novelist and poet, who had
mostly failed in matrimony. None has
been as great as his ambi tions. Cour-
age to fight their battles has evapor-
sted and littleness, petulence and jeal-
ousy possess their hearts. Miss
La Rue's role is April, the maid of all
of sloth and despond. Good gave each
something to do; you cheated Him, you
didn't do it," she says. Edgar Prem
tice, now his fathers heir, arrives in
the glise of disappointed playwright,
tor The purpose of getting an inside
line on the administration Of the insti-
tuition. This is Hale Hamilton's role.
1t is obvious at once that ne will fall
in love with April, but this assurance
does not detract from the interest of
following the operation. The play gets
its title from Apiil's faculty of other
ing herself. She writes letters to her
self addressed Dear Me:" and signed |
. Myself" A sort of examination of |
WITH Edgar and the musician, April |
quits the home and becomes a success
ful actress, not knowing that the
money for the venture comes from the
man who to her is still failure and |
gnoyant also that the successful play |
IS his.
Miss La Rue's finest art is displayed
in the tickle moods of April's changes
and especially in an extended bit of
The scene is in Edgar's apartment,
where she has been invited formally
to meet the author of the play after
the opening performance. She has the
stage all alone, and from pictures and
ether tokens Of the past she pieces to-
gethcr the solution of the mystery of
Edgar. Then all the ends are tied up
and the eystwhie incompetents ali
enter. visibly falling into opulence by
the grace of Edgar Prentice.
Mr. Hamilton plays his part with
some delightful touches of humor,
which flowers finely into sentiment.
Robert Fischer, as the musician, deftly
nlngies ecceNtrcity ana sense and
in his creation Of the char
lcter. His plaYinr takes ranl, ,,,ith thn4