New-York tribune., 1921-03-20
By Haywood Broun

1|EJ that for a time he seriously
considered sitting down and
and dashing off q novel on
The Harold Bell Wright plan. He
thought it would be easy until he
tackled it, but then he made the dis
tevery that in the work of Mr.. Wright
there was sort of moral earnestness
which could not be faxed. This same
sincerity makes Survival Of the Fit
test" by George H. Atkinson, far
more amusing burlesque than "The
Tavern" of George M. Cohan.
The only barrier to complete enjoy
ment on the part of the first night au-
dience was restraining sympathy
for the author and his friends and for
the actors. Now that the secret is out,
and author and actors and everybody
else knows that no audience can be in
duced to take Survival of the Fittest"
seriously, there is no reason why the
play should not be one of the huge sue
tssses Of the season. It took serious
minded person to reduce the whole
school Of fiction and drama about the
Ae-man to a. surdity. With some lit
tle help from Montagu Love, this is
ssast what Mr.. Atkinson has done. No
body who has seen Survival of the
fttest' can ever hear anything more
about the conquering and primitive
male without being sorely tempted to
aughtsr.
Io be sure, opinion about the high
spot IN the play was divided. Most
}sfaons In the audience with whol.l we
lavs discussed the matter feel that the
Nak Of hilarity was reached in the
sssne in which the "big woman's'
Seakllng husband died from heart fail
We and she and the "big man" stepped
e'er his dead body--indeed, on it, if
sa are not mistaken-and hurried off
sAee to live their own lives. When
ne news of the death of the estima-
" young man was shouted after them
@e'r only reply was mocking laugh-
Y IN deep chest tones.
ms was a capital scene, but it did
y appeal to US quite as much as the
ssae IN which the big man .neered at
y snt OF a safety razor and scorn-
auly tyssed it away IS an efrsminate
y LOT striplings. But the big man
y more than a tough beard to justify
1qself as superman. He was an in
Sasor OF surgical instruments and
ssnlne guns, the author of large
ssx mature aot indicated), success
"aii Street financier, an expert
1usr and q perfect lover.
sae production of Survival of
y flstest" raises once more the in
's'sang question as to whether actors
4 reasoning beings. A number Of
~ known players were enlisted in
esst OF the play at the Greenwich
nAss Theater. One, indeed, is q sue
M Playwright Ind conducted an
asiye job during the actors strike
sfsat skill. Naturally, the ques-
ss'ses as to whether he had any
ssshsnsion of the fact that asur-
y the Fittest" was one of the
Il 7 pays ever written. Perhaps he
-
= may be that an actor, like q
and still more like doctor,
my case which is presented to
'nout passing Judgment on the
sser Of his client. On the other
aetors are tradjtionally poor
e 3 g. the plays in which they APP
s.li, It is only fair to note that
sne most successful p!ays of
!ears have been put on largely
nsslgation Of actors concerned.
vNeisl's Beyond the Horizon"
sus Office Of John d. Williams
~ rs | many months before Richard
asppened upon it and obtained
sElcn largely through his own
snthusiasm for the play.
y Jest" M the aelectiou