South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-12-04
CROOKS ARE HERO
STARS IN DRAMA
They Even Claim the Heroine
in the Modern Play In
stead of Old Penalty.


what has happened 20 The old ira
dition that a thief may not be the
hero OF a play That Is. the pundns
said. no might not be unless at he
end he paid the price Of his sins
not by mere atonement and the
promise 70 do better In the future
but with his life. All the wise men
who wrote books and essays on how
q construct a play invariably ex-
planned that thieves could be sue
ccEsfuIiy heroic in the drama only
r. they ended up about II o'clock
a. night by making the supreme
s1cri6ce. All playwrights believed
in the dictum. No manager would
accept "a play IN which "A crook"
vas made happy at the final cur
tain. Every actor would tell YOU
that an unpublished bad man meant
a. unsuccessfuI drama This doc
trine that the villain must be pun
sshed was the main argument OF
those men and women who felt call
81 upon. from ume 70 time. 20 de-
feud the art Of me theater against
attacks from those who called it i'm
moral
Stll IN active patronage OF the
theater are thousands Of men and
women who remember plays ike
Jim the Penman," Captain Swift"
- Social Highwayman." etc. and
come who recall The Lyons MALI
and. perhaps, Robert Macaire." IN
which the late Sir Henry Irving ap-
peared In his earlier visits TO the
United States. All OF them were so
written and plotted that the thief.
who was the chief character. should
be dead by the hour when carriers
were called 70 take away the audi
once.
Conventional Supreme Sacrifice.
Thus. jim the Penman slipped
of about 1855 o'clock and put a
bullet into his black heart in order
thar his wife. who had been tricked
into marrying him by his gifts as
a forger when her heart really be
iorged 20 n better man. should
know happiness IN that other mans
arms Yet for three Bours Jim had
been a fascinating figure in the
drama And in Captain Swift" at
1855 o'clock the -higlrwayman
shot himself to death in order that
his doting mother and his illudoned
sweetheart should not learn that he
had been the notorious bushranger
or the Australian main travelled
roads. The thief IN "A Social High
wayman" managed a. 1885 o'clock
- topple upon himself a heavy
piece OF statuary ana rail- dead in
explation OF his crimes. although
love and wealth were within his
reach
What brought about the change
in playwrights. managers. actors.
and especially the theater-goers2
Theater patrons in the last Is years
have been called upon times with
out number 20 find entertainment in
plays in which the crooks" have
not only been amiabla and delight
ful men and women. but also have
escaped the consequences Of their
sins and. in many cases. have been
rewarded highly in lucre and in love.
To list them all would be a mere
waste OF space. Half "A dozen stand
out IN the memory Of most thea
the radical change which overlook
tradition as old. perhaps. as the
drama itself Alias Jimmy Valen-
tine" The Deep Purple" Within
the Law" Cheating Cheaters."
smooth As SIX" Kick In"-they
serve for illustrations OF the wide
swing away from the stern morality
which obtained i'm our theater habits
when Jim the Fenman' and Cap
tain swift were In vogue.
Where do all these stage crooks
come from? What was IL in the So
cial or artistic progress Of the Amer
Scan people that made these pick
pockets. safeblowers. forgers. porch
climbers and stiCk-up men think
they would be welcome In the thea
ters where the tariff on the best
seats ran from s. up2
"Erminic" Cnuscd Transition.
The explanation seems 20 be II
one takes the Judgment Of shrewd
and experienced theatrical observers.
that the comic opera called Err
mjnle" brought about the change.
The famous little operetta Is recalled
FOR its cleanliness in story and dia-
logue. It's gay comedy. and its dur
q bic tunes. and not at all as an In
Citement 20 the wave OF crime which
has deluged the stage in the last Is
years. Let Us look into the explain
alton.
Mention was made OF a play call
81 Robert Macaire" as an item In
sir Henry Irving's early repertoire
Tor the United States. The play. IN
St. original form. was a melndrama
Of the French romantic school writ
ten by the famous Frederic Lenaitre
for his own use. He was eager TO
play a noble hearted thief-a fellow
who could steal with amazing deft-
ness. and yet subjuEate his cupidity
20 true love. SO. he had MaCaire
vaylay a bridegroom. pass himself
or "a the victim, help himself TO
~-f-Haa a. bride and her kin