The Washington times., 1921-09-16
THE CAST:
BY LOUIS ASHLEY.


mans head, one is not so entirely sur
prised that a New England guardian
OF the peace saw something vicious
anu suggestive of indecency in the
third act Of "Bluebeard's Eighth
Wife" 1t is probably true that, for
identically the same reason, one
IsAfts might go into paroxyisms were
ne % see mixed right before his eyes
wnat - apparently a Bronx Cocktail
ana later, to witness the gradual in
toxlcation OF a Sir Galahad In milady's
boudoir In the wee hours Of the morn
ing. Away with such debauchery!
Drive these scandalous French plays
INTO the sea! Save the people from the
generalization that was Rome!
But. really. "Bluebeard's Eighth
Wfe 10 q delightful bit admirably
english from what must be brilliantly.
pllng French. and II Is staged and
performed with just the correct tone.
Susgestiveness exists generally in
ones own mind. There is none in
this newest vehicle for the beauty and
grace or Ina Claire. Possibly it's very
absence may milf some
John Brandon. an American billion
aire Of the story-bo type, is the
modern Bluebeard. Seven times has
ne welded. Six times has he had the
ponds severed by law. Once the poor
woman died. He Is accustomed to get
| Wnat ne wants when he wants II, and
ne wants Norma do Briac, intelligent.
sophisticated daughter Of an impover.
ished small-time nobleman.
| Using strictly business methods,
Brandon bargains for Monna. She
uses the same methods. He has been
IN the habit Of giving his wives 200, 400
|
double the ante. They are welded,
put from that moment Monna beco. mes
the most tantalizing woman in the
world. Legally his wife. actually she |
| ID not, ana three-quarters Of the show |
Is devoted to Brandon's efforts to win |
his wife. =
Monna keeps dangling before Bran
aon's eyes her Grown prince" Albert |
ae Marceu, a stenographer in q Paris |
oank. who spends most of his time |
looking out Of the window. It is ad. |
French manner that Albert is to |
marry Monna the moment Brandon |
divorces her, even as he has divorced |
six OF her predecessors.
That third act, set in Monna's bou-
ooir, caused the trouble in New Haven
There, plying Albert with what ap.
pears to be champagne. Monna brings
him to a partial state of fntoxication
and then makes him remove part of |
bis clothing and get into her bed. She
knows her husband Is coming home,
hoping to find her with her lover. and
she makes sure he will. And. as Bran
don bursts into the room, she climbs
into bed with Albert! Oh, pshaw! But /
she does though she bounces right out L
again. Maybe that explains the New
Haven action. Il
Were Albert anything but a Sir
Galahad-oh. we'll. But he IL lust L
that. He evidences only a meager per
centage OF intelligence, judged by GER
tain standards. and with the audience
thoroughly awake to the farcical side
OF the scene. 1t is really a<rather Sun
day-schoolish scene. not a bit worthy
OF the publicity wished upon II by that
monumental intelligence in New
Haven.
Mona conquers her Bluebeard Of a
husband. She divorces him and then,
instead Of going away from that place,
she returns to surrender to be, not
the eighth or ninth wife, but the first
and last. She is much the same kind
OF a woman that Brandon Is a man,
only far more subtle.
AS with most French plays. the dia.
logue Is polished to an extreme. In
the Tits between Monna and Brandon
there Is often a world Of meaning in a
mere pause or in the stressing Of !
single word. Some Of Monna's replies
are rapier'like. some are a hundred
hot needles, while now and then she
swings a triphammer.
Miss Claire exhibits reserve and
poise that accentuates the bombastic
husbands weakness. She 10 good to
look upon and Brandon has friends on
that account. Miss Claire should make
great success in New York with ths'
play.
Edmund Breese. lately joining the
company, Is a Bluebeard to the life.
He will eventually temper a scene or
two, strengthening them, but he is ex.
cellent even now.
Much of the credit for the success
Of the play goes to Barry Baxter, the
crown prince" His rapid accumu.
lation OF what used to be termed a
crying jag" his admirable acting as
he removes his clothes proving that
man has no artistic argument for the
same and his excellent ending of the
scene as he departs with his suspend.
ers hanging down behind Is q work Of
art. He is worth seeing twice or
thrice.
Washington's playgoers are a bit
hazy as to French classics. Albert
wonders II Victor Hugo wrote andre
maque without drawing a litter, much
as II Hamlet might have been credit.
ed to o. Henry. But one cannot know