Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-10-31
NICE PEOPLE" IS
GENTLY AMUSING
Fsancins larrimore Plays the
Leading Role in Rachel
crothers' Play

Broad--The word "nicc" co,notatcs.
n the minds Of most people. something
that Is perfectly proper, but wee
trine boring.
Rachel Crothcrs has constructed n
Olay around n set os individuals who
0Ali themselves "nice.' but who do
things that arc startling. to say the
least. 4 middle aged woman is used by
che author to express the attitude OF the
more conservative class ~ tn" wild
doings and jazz goings- -on of the younger
generation of mice people. Her wor-
fies ana her warnings are dangerously
near preachment. and they constitute"
the slightly borrsome pnrt Of Miss
Crothers' play. The Younger set. who
may he "nicp." hut nre seldom proper.
ere far more Interesting.
As il usually the case with this
author, "Nico People often slips into
4 didactic vein. Miss Crothors cannot
let n perfectly good theme take care OF
itself, but must en5roider il With too
much "purpnse and too much moral
isinr. In nice P,ople" she is hitting
At that most popular of present day
targets---the fast livin. OF young people.
There are six cf them shown. and
they range from the virulcnt and rn-
tirely unplcasant type. sharp "f claws
and devoid Of loyalty or generosity. 70
the 'morc to br ritiol than blamed
variety as eXcmnlirirl by tn" heroine.
She Hou,S her father and insults her
aunt in tho first oct. dash"s into an un-
conventional morass in the second act.
and reprnts NJ more or less leisure in
the third and final scene. Like III"
heroine in ccsmo !iamilton'S ''Srnnial'
(which was once played. by the way.
b. the sane Francins I.nrrim"r" who
a eccn as Teddy Gnurrster'. this young
LADY deserves nothing 80 much rs solid
spanking. but th" fact remains that.
with all hor wildness and wnywardness.
Teddy Is far more entertaining from mn
auditory standpoint than her we'll
maanirr but deadly dull aunt. who tiays
Our modern mode nf living and prates
Of il being an insult to the boys who
gave their lives for civilization in the
war. Margaret Eainsford /. Rachel
<'rothers in hcr dulest mood Teddy is
The raartion. and z most welcome on".
The hos, moments Of IN" play com"
sfter Teddy's ''indiScr"tion. which
take. the form Of hcirg forced to spend
the night with n y"Tng man IN conn
try house. which is cnt IF by cloud
burst What had gone before was the
authors conception of the way the Jazz
artists" behave. and while amusing.
vas all 'ingrd with ab>urdtes. Even
the "indiscre'ion iiself was rot half
6eliavable. Like the heroine IN ''iIindle
Wakes Teddy refused 70 marry the
young man with whom shH was COM
promised because she admitted sh.
didn't love him. This might have been
inspiring. but. as it happened. was only
Q bit silly. only dsgr". removed from
the terrible rural comedy introduced
about that time.
When Teddy settled down to become a
Hfarmeretto. however. and fell In
love with the attractive yoTn. stranger
vho had dropped in to help her out
during the storm. the play logged along
at a pleasant. if by no means hilarious
pace. At any rate. il seemed i'm
menselv amusing ~ tn" aGdi"nc" VIII"
applauded Teddy. "Aunrv's" preach
ments. hovseeG comedy and oil.
Miss T.arrimoro. ,o-t "i = combina-
tion Billie Burke ami Ina Claire in an
pearance and voice. kent the part al
ways in hand. and pat little real
pathos in the final act. Walter Abel
was the stranger who taught her farm
ing. and he did it we'll. Icnors thiH-
pendale struggled nohly with the food
Of plntitudes written for thc aunt's role.
and Lyons WicklaHI was alequat" a.
the wild young man Winifred
wellington was tho 'rntiy' Young
lady who smoheG Ike a furnace. drank
like n pirate skipper and plotted her
friends DESTRUCTION bNhind their backs.
Nice People" leaves the general i'm
preston after is final curtain that its
all very we'll to criticize these young
flask .to,srs. and youngsters who are
YapiIly going to tho dogs. but the fact
remains that they make lot more in
feresting company than those extra
''nicr people who 10 the varping and
the cri'icizing.