The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-11-19
Two Davids Have Their Way
With The Merchant of Venice
Comments by Reviewer Showing the Effect of thu
Belasco- Wartield Production on
Baltimore.
Baltimore.

In the matter OF David Belasco's
presentation Of David warfield in "Th,
Merchant of Venice" which opened al
Baltimore last week, Robert Garland
finds the production mainly interest
ing as a spectacle. His comment fol
lows:
You recall the man who didn't care
for the plays of Shakespeare because
they contained SO many quotations.
This benighted gentleman was GER
tainly not among those present last
night at Ford's, where, after no lit
tie preliminary red fire and newspa-
per hullabaloo, David Belasco's pro-
duction OF THE Merchant OF Venice
was shown for the first time on any
stage. So sacred was the atmosphere
within our Fayette Street Opera
House. so surcharged with impor-
lance, that visitor from Mars would
have thought that the story OF the
suffragette and the Jew was under
going It's world premiere.
This visiting Martian would have
felt quite certain that David War
fields too sympathetic shyIook was
the first projection of Shakespeare
unhappy Hebrew. that Miss Mary
Servoss's rather studied Porttd was
the initial INSTALLATION Of that taika-
tive and pedantic female. From be-
ginning to end the occasion was
Just too notable for anything, an
event quite solemn anu holy enough
to give any critic pause. 1t was al
most like revival Of the creation
with the original cast.
Be this as II may, there are two
ways OF approaching a play by Will
lam Shakespeare. Just as there are
two ways OF approaching produc-
ton by David Belasco. Considerable
hokun is current about each OF these
well known gentlemen. Shakespeare
---or Belasco-can be APP, reached on
Bonded knee, with a candle In one
hand and a prayer book in the other.
Or he can be approached as one
human being approaches another,
with fairness, common sense and an
attempt at mutual understanding.
Shakespeare was a great poet who
wrote some extremely good plays and
some plays not so good. He wrote
Hamlet one Of the greatest OF
tragedies. He wrote "Coriolanrs.
which is terrible. And he wrote
"The Merchant of Venice" which
comes somewhere in between. Mr..
Relasco, on the other hand. Is
skillful and somewhat old fashioned
producing manager who Is prone to
take himself over seriously. Although
we have him to thank for The East
est Way" we shall never forgive
him for Dark Rosaleen."
II Mr.. Belasco ever had cause to
take himself seriously, now is .tps
time.
THE Merchant of Venice Is
spectacle such as we have seldom
seen Never has the famous mpre-
sario's vast knowledge OF the craft
manship of the theater served him
to more pictorial and effective ends.
Never--not even in the halycon days
OF 1.-THE Darling of the Gods" and
''Du Barry''--has Mr.. Belasco's sheer
artistry had a more colorful canvas
to spread itself upon. And. despite
n not infrequent self-conscious artifi-
cialty--in the second scene Of the
second art, for instance--his long and
arduous training has served him we'll.
Pictorially, the current production
Of THE Merchant of Venice Is un-
surpassed. The streets of Venice
have height and breadth and thick
ness: you feel somehow. that the
Rialto is just around the bend, In
the rich and unreal chamber of Por-
tia, in the open place outside the