The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-01-15
Walters Revival
Shows the Value
Of Older Drama
"The Easiest Way" Triumphs by
Comparison With This
Years Pleye.
By EARLE DORSEY.

WHEN one has wsded from Labor Dsy 70
w Christ Snrstm mas, tnro Ugh soEET. ss .'-esl =.
season, must lie psr a certain boisterous
enthusiasm when the ground suddenly rings true
under foot Stage terra hrma has cropped out at
intervals in such plays Miss Lulu Bett," The
Emperor Jones" Belasco's "Rixi" and one or two
others on the music side. but the quality OF the
seasons material has been such that the appear
OF a play like The Easiest Way" is apt 90
go to ones head
OF all the host OF reactions to this admirabl.
Belasco revival of Eugene Walters magnum opus.
lie more pronounced than the yearnng hope
that Mr. Belasoo's revival tendencies will embrace
a greater segment Of the Belasco Literature than
The Auctioneer,' The Return OF Peter Grimm
and The Easiest Way" For most important
in the entire revival OF The Easiest Way"
my mind II its eminent fitness and acceptsbiliiy
as stage material Of the present day This point
demonstrated with perfect clarity during the
past week at the National. and what is more
important. in demonstrating that point The
Easiest Way" gives glorious promise TO any
scheme that Belssco may have hand for the
vival OF other outstanding successes Of years,
Even whose mind is hed with pass
ing parade Of good drama and bad, # is difcult 10
repress. IN less than a week, the constantly
curing memories OF this and that charm and dis
tInction In this Frances Starr success. On last
Monday night Miss Starr obviously afflicted
with a cold-a handicap which made all the more
splendid her impersonstbon Of the role Of Laura
Murdoch. the girl who had gone wrong once. who
had met man who was willing to forgive who
faced the prospect Of a brilliantly happy future.
but who found herself without the moral courage
to face the OF waiting for him make good
An IN an, novinS, spirited, profound drama,
rich n patkos, deep IN po0noncy AVID ringing tOtth
o climatic force stark, relentless and az
srimIy incorporating OMEN !, WOHt TO do.
xwAvING failed thus for to enlist the interest
n Of either Sherlock Holmes, TicQ-TOcQ or the
q Hon william J. Burns in the matter / fear
the cause Of the popularity Of The Bat" must re
main q great mystery. For the past fortnight Ger
tain amateur sleuths and psychologists OF the
community have toiled without ceasing on III"
problem. but up to this time none has turned in
the answer.
I do not intend to imply that The Bat is
bad play 1t IS as a matter of fact fascinst-
ingly intricate and cleverly synchrOnized piece or
thester mechanics. 1t has been conceived and eH-
ecuted by less writer than Mary Roberts
Rinehart with the aid Of Avery Hopwood' and 1t
achieves a species OF delightful hysterla thAt ~
thoroughly appealing the average intellect
However, any or all OF these elements do not
entirely account for the overwhelming popularity
Of this play. There are, at present some prePos-
ferrous number Of companies playing The Bat
throughout the provinces, and wherever the play
appears it instantly the mecca for an excited
mob of buyers. whose sole aim and interest
in life seems be the acquisition OF chair IRON
which to view this amazing drama
There is another element Of The Bats" popu-
larity that is very difficult to explain. The
ment its coming is heralded there is a general and
well-nigh unanimous movement the populac.
toward the box ONCE though for months the
entire census list had been grimly waiting for the
moment when the theater doors swung open
One understand the tremendous popularity
OF Ethel Barrymore in "Declassee." one
easily comprehend the readiness OF thou
sands of infrequent theatergoers to David War
field in The Music Master" or for further exam
pie, the emptying Of the schools. both high and
Sunday, Julia Marlowe in Twelfth Night"
"The Bat" honeper, IS dHythiuo but classical
It's excessively popular Nepo York hos not
been greatly herdLded heredboutS The only clue
that gires any key to the problem IS the 0btdtN9
and inveterqte determination Of m0Nkird 0eH-
eraI to Grtifc+GHy scare itself death.
~NE who comes into close contact with the