Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-12-24
Theater NeUs.
From NeW York
BY BRETT PAGE

New York, Dec. 22-'l.lilom
achieved such a success-both artistic
ally and popularity, under the direction
of the Theater guild-that anything
bearing Ferene Molnar's name is des-
tined to draw at least for a time. AT
the National theater we have the latest
Molnar offering, presented by Maurice
s. Revnes. "A comedy In three acts
is the descriptive parenthesis below the
title. Fashions for Man. But this
latest Molnar offering is more than
that.
In Budapest Fashions for Man
must have been a rare delight. How
the Hungarians must have roared over
all the odd little Molnar twists. AS
BENJAMIN Glazer translated it. Fash
ions for Men" however, is as wistful
as a girl Of 10 hopefully smiling at her
first sweetheart. 1t isn't very funny.
1t is amusing. It's, well, here's the
idea:
A man no longer young owns a shop
in Budapest where all sorts of beauti-
full things for men and women are sold.
His wife is his cashier. She is very
pretty and once was much in love with
him. She has even demanded all his
spare cash-for he is notably IMPROVE
dent-and has saved it all for him.
But she falls in love with the chief
salesman in the shop. They would not
stoop TO anything dishonorable. oh,
MOI They merely announce they are
going to Berlin to work in a shop in
which Husbands money has bought
them a quarter interest. They have
even arranged to placate the husbands
creditors, for he is now to be thrown
into bankruptcy lacking the cash which
wopld have saved him. So that is one
fashion" of man.
The husband-exquisitely played by
o. 2. Heggie-is another fashion of
man. He is so gentle, so meek, so
forceful in behalf of others. but never
for himself, that you love him half be-
fore you know why.
Into the shop strolls his old bene-
factor. He is The Count-this is his
sole programmed name--on whose estate
the husband began his working life. A
benefactor of wealth. a kindly soul.
loving the husband as be would have
loved a son. The Count nevertheless
has an eye for beauty. He has been
sending all his friends to trade with his
old retainer out of charity. But he
has been coming himself. day after day,
just to gaze into the eyes of one Of
the girls-a protege of the shopkeeper.
Still. when he realizes the financial
problems Of his old retainer. The Count
banishes the girl from his thoughts and
takes the retainer back to his castle to
his old work as head Of the estate. He
is another fashion of man.
But the girl will not be left behind.
She longs for beautiful things and will
pay any price for them. She follows
her old employer TO the castle, but her
purpose is not to help him. She will
not permit her chance to escape
her.
What happens at the castle, the cur
ious retainers there under the ex-
shopkeeper's direction and the way the
entire financial and love puzzle is
solved, is the story Of the play.
One could imagine that Fashions
for Men, would be a bit more subtle
If the "for" were made of 1t is also
probable that the nature of the entire
offering would be changed if the play
ing were speeded 4 bit. 1t might turn
into a near-farce Mt least into a more
whimsy. the usefulness which is now
its chief charm would vanish. Per-
haps we should be grateful for what
we have, though we wish it made good
the promise which is now but ~scantily
fulfilled on the stage.
As the shopgirl, Helen Gahagan is
a joy. She is as handsome as one
might wish. has a charming speaking
voice and acts with diseernment and
rare emotional power. The head
salesman, who steals his employers
wife, is exceptionally well played by
Clarke Silvermail. While our old
friend, Edwin Nickander. dons a wig
and mobile" years and plays The Count
remarkably well. The rest of the
cast as we'll as the scenes. are ade-
quate to ''put over one version of this
interesting if not overwhelmingly fun
ny play.
When A r. Thomas and Rrian