New-York tribune., 1922-08-18

Keith Forbes " s. william Shelle9
IsrAk estasyt IS . s m Il, sAlhekf Powers
Ar seyton .ss....sls William 1ngersolI
Egbert wInsaew s s. Rooert Ali'es
sorter tgnketS
Butts MoAifstar -. 81. 3. Lorin Raker
.ssarpera Eye Decker. Fhisip Lord
Silent Jim !. .ss..5...4.es go Sam Aamnes
Eigh Shine Jee.. .5..s..Cs Henry Gordon
Night Waterman AS 80 fSailaua Boswoth
Mr.. wellsbaak .....s.. william z. MorFM
After some of the things NE drama
lovers have suffered Of late, we ought
to have enjoyed Lights Out more
than we did last evening at the Van
derbilt.
The comedy had what is called an
@idea"; 1t treated Of such hot topics
as dashing crooks and the motion pic
ssres; it was acted by famous players;
and it was not without some small in
genuities of manufacture. But. be-
cause Of the high temperature, per-
haps, or certain lack of celerity in
action, il seemed TO leave us bit dis
satisfied, and irritated that it was not
more stimulating.
One surmises that it was written in
the immediate long ago, so redolent of
lavender was much of its conversation.
We ike our bank robbers to be savory
in speech, upon the stage, as we'll as
daring and resourceful in their foul
deeds. We look to them for new and
startling feats in rhetoric-for wallop-
ing SMILES and metaphors. Thus, dis
appointment ensues when the best we
get from promising stage criminals is:
Don't gum up the cards" or 'I'll tell
the world" or references to money as
Jack" and an escape as a getaway"
The best line / heard last night was on
the sidewalk between the acts. when
Al Jolson said of one of his friends
that he was as impossible as q caddie
with the hiccoughs.
The idea" referred to in preced-
ing paragraph, is the collaboration in
the writing of motion picture play
of q crook and q scenarist. The crook
provides the story from his own ex-
periences, the author transfers them
to the camera. Though fertile field
for satire, the authors, Mr.. Mann Page,
a cinema dramatist, and Mr. Paul
Dickey, playwright and actor, evade
their sarcastic responsibilities in the
matter and allow Lights Out" to be-
come mere melodrama of the lighter
sort.
1t begins picturesquely upon rail-
way train, containing one of those
fabulous, friendly porters. The valua-
Bile baggage pursued by "Sea-Bass"
Sebastian Mr. Felix ,Krembs) and
Hair Pin Annie Miss Beatrice
Noyes) is discovered by the bandits to
contain nothing but scenarios COM
posed by verdant dramatist from
Oklahoma. Thereupon the scenarist
and the crooks decide to consolidate
genius with experience and to compose
a movie in collaboration 1t is Mr.
Krembs's vengeful ambition to put
upon the silver screen the misbehavior
of his loathed rival in romance and
crime, "High Shine joe"
The serial which eventuates from
this affection turns out to be a sue
cess. But its accurate account of the
unsolved and mysterious robbery of
the Austin Bank produces complexi-
ties too numerous, as the saying is, to
be mentioned. Among them is "High
Shine joe seeking satisfaction for
having been humiliated in the nickel
odeons. The evil, we'll grooned, in
scrutable and sententious "High
Shine with a passion-Aower in his
coat and spats upon his ankles, Is
easily the most effective of the par
ticipants; especially because ne is so
accurately enacted with splendid
reticence by some one named Henry
Jordan.
Lights Out" is mediocre lark,
which ought to be ashamed of itself for
not being better. 1t seems to have
everything essential to the drama of
its kind, except as it is called 'that
something" / liked Miss Marcia BY
ron's performance" of one of those
routine nice girls of the theater: she
is pretty, intelligent, and she has
charm-more charm, think, than most
OF the others of her kind.