New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-04-17
By Haywood Broun


~ HE annual Lambs Gambol'
f was marked by the success
W of two sketches, one a far
cical satire by Frank Ora
rrn,ealled Camille in Great Neck"
md the other sragic--unde
ray by Emmett Corrigan, called
The Law Of the Gang" Craven under
took to show how Camille would be
done by various producers. According
to the version assigned to Winchell
Smith and John Golden, producers of
Craven's "The First Year Camille"
was laid in the back room of a country
store and was introduced by the re-
mark of ore of the characters that he
mad been up to the city" Not to
Hartford % said the other, in great ad =
miration, and so it went
Cohan's Camille" was done To Jazz
dance, which ended with each of the
characters pulling out an America
Tag. The Belasco version was played
on a pitch black stage, but each mem
Der Of the cast carried his own spot
light, which he switched on when speak
ing his lines, only to fade out into
darkness when his part was done. The
Erlanger Camille" was done very rap
IDLY and entirely through megaphones
Mr.. Craven apologized to the audience
and explained that it ought to be louder
and faster, but that the cast had not
mad sufficient time to rehearse Next
was the travesty on the methods of
Arthur Hopkins, in which all the char
acters faced the back drop and whis-
rered to each other.
Corrgan's play, which was written
In collaboration with Edward Smith,
New York newspaper man, con-
cerned four gunner awaiting trial
and sentence in Sing Sing. The
case against them was complete
IN attempting hold-up one Of
the gang had shot and killed the victim.
Death by the electric chair seemed
certain for all of them. In their cell,
however, the leader of the gang gets
lhe happy thought that it may be pos
snle TO avert the execution OF all four
one member of the gang will come
Forward to confess that he did the &C
'uai shooting. This, of course. will re-
move from him the little glimmer of
nope left in the chances of the trial.
out 1T Will probably serve to let three
men off with something less than the
death penalty.
The gang decides that it will not re-
euire the man who actually did the
hooting TO shoulder the guilt. At least,
snai! have fair chance with his
mates The thing is to be decided by
saance. Borrowing coin from the
guard, they agree to flip it to see which
'ae OF the four shall die for the rest
"a an extraordinarily tense scene the
asst ls made and'"Lefty," the actual Stay
y, IS the one designated to die. He
saAes the chance hard and intimates
mat the test has not been fairly con
aacsed. In fact, after brooding over
ls tate little he rebels and says that
e viii not confess but will insist on
'aking his chances in trial with the
sess' accordingly. Bull, the gang leader,
agrees TO toss Che coin with him once
more SO that he may have no possible
ssouno OF complaint. Again Lefty" calls
'spng and is designated to die, but he
ssnnoe bear the thought of dying and
snee more ne refuses to go through
'sn MS parxasn whereupon "Rull" in
vokes the Law u the gang and kills
aim with his own hands.
c,,s, ~ pay = dscadedly unpleasant, in
,s'au'ns as It does scene in which the
1sepsr taunts the prisoners bv de-
scribing 70 them in great detail the
exact effects u elsctrocution. Another
scene which tended to horrify the audi
- 80 eAms 3ast befors the first flip.
.s..s -, 'ns cosn, IN which Lefty" the
ssssea cFucifix and prayed in