The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-02-20

world that knew it not, that there is left in the Irish people real heritage of culture from the days when Ireland was a land of scholars and saints. | The poetry, plays and stories that make up the body of this new Irish It, erature are written In Anglo Irish . that Is, English, as the Irish speak 1t. It Is not a dialect; 1t Is a mode of ex- precision. It Is not English mis-spelle0 and ungrammatical--it Is language touched with Irish imagination and eloquence. It Is English in the Gaelic word order and the speech tunes eff we may use this term), make charac- teristic Irish music rhythmical and haunting. And it Is from this great Iwealth of material that Mrs. Beecher I will select her programme for the date mentioned--a programme if interpre> tatons that is sure to be of unusual interest, freshness and charm, and par ticularly valuable from a literary standpoint.
 That Sir James M. Barrie will ar- rive in America soon to supervise the film version of his famous play, Peter Pan' is interesting news to the Barrie ite tand their names is legion). Few ] ether contemporary men of letters nave attained his position in litera- ture The British Cor Scotch) play wright was so well pleased with the DeMille picturization of "The Admir- able Crichton' C'male and female''l 1 that he has arranged for the filming of five other Barrie stories
 Two of the plays in his Half Hours are in process of picture mak- | ing, and work has begun on 'Senti- mental Tommy" Mention has been made in this column of the forthcom ing picture of What Every Woman Knows"
 Announcement is also made that an original story has been written for the screen by Sir James. One is apt to sit up and rub ones eyes and won- der if he or she is dreaming? No it is all true--but verify, the world do mover The screen is reaching out and up most ambitiously and one may add-is acquiring as it reaches.
 Good books do not always make good plays. 1t is only occasionally that novelists can write for the stage sue cessfully. It develops that Zona Gales Miss Lulu Bett" lost much of its vitality and charm in it's dramati- zation and the author is no doubt ex- periencing the T told you sos" on ev- cry hand.
 The reviewers seem most kind and deplore the fact that their comments must be adverse You may be inter- ested in Burns Mantle's remarks after the first night performance of Miss Lulu Bett" at the Belmont theatre be fore small but distinguished au- dience, including many of the author: friends. There was at the close o
 the second act, the usual insistent ca,
 for the author (which is often ac
 tuated by curiosity)" says Mr Mantle
 Finally Miss Gale appeared, beins led into view by Brock Pemberton, tn,
 producer of the play, and was dul,
 presented as Miss Zona Gale of Mali street. Portage, Wis Whereupon Mis-
 Gale, determined to share the honor
 to which the west was entitled, turne,
 toward MT. Pemberton and presente.
 him to the audience as MT. Brocl iPemberton of Emporia, Kan"
 Thus did the plays premier take oi
 a sectional interest. as though the mid
 dle west. characteristically defiant
 was saying to the effete east: Well lyou poor old painted trump here is
 real play about the real folk of req
 section of the country; observe it care
 fully and see how much less artificial I and unreal it is than the sort of thin, | you most generously approve dowl | here"
 We would like to add to this tha the play was as great a success as tn book from which 1t was taken, but | cannot be done." concludes this criti, III Louise Closser Hale plays tn grandma in Miss Lulu Bett." And
 is this one character from the boo that manages ,to pass through tn
 stage door without losing its origins force and vitality. according to Alex
 ander Woolcott. dramatic critic. who's