The Washington herald., 1922-11-28
National Theater
Reopens NTH Real
"Meuo,v'' Drama

THD National Thsatsr. no longer
encumbered with Q New" in
its official title, but at last actually
new In design and equipment. and
thus fAr undscorated except for
. clean. plain coat Of white that
gave the auditorium q strange
and slightly spoolky aspect, opened
its ssasonsiast night with . crack
Ing. stunning. nerve-thrumning
thriller Of ., ,melodrama. delight.
fully played by an unusual COM
pany headed by H. B. wasner.
Bull Dog Drummond" seems
to be the acme OF British crook
drama. The authors name 10
''Sapper." or at least the program
says 50. 1t viii stand a rigid
comparison and come out near
the. top Of the heap II lined up
with such .plsysA as THE Bat"
sherlock Holmes" and '~The
Thirteenth Chair"
Its assault on the nerves In
more direct and driving, II any
thing. than that Of any Of those
others. 1t certainly has creeps.
Drummond is q young Egg
nsh exrofficer who lacks excite
ment and advertises in the Times
for 1t, for a bit Of q joke, maybe,
but he gets Il. 1t comes first
when a beautiful girl (she's Miss
Sheila Hayes, and she Is sol comes
In response to the ad and tells
how her uncle IL in the power of
DIR. Lakington, who has a private
hospital next door to her home.
We make the doctors acquaint.
ance next, and he 10 a sinister
looking object, fit for a nightmare
II you refrain from laughing.
Drummond goes to the girls
home and gets thoroughly mixed
In with the doctors formidable
outfit Of thugs and blackRuards,
Their game is holding captive an
American millionaire as a sup
posed patient suffering In the
head. but reall ydrugged, until
they can get him to sign an or
der for delivery Of fhs diamonds.
Drummond manages to rescue
him. The gang comes to Drum
mond's house to kidnap the mil
lionaire all over again, but by
mistake they carry off Drum
mond himself. The biggest thrill
comes In the third act, when the
doctor has Drummond strapped
to one chair and the girl uncon.
scious in another, and proceeds
to amuse himself. Imagine Drum.
mond's feelings. II you see H.
B. Warner do 1t, you will not
need to-. You will suffer them
yourself. Also you will learn
the rest of the story. This In
no place to spoil 1t.
There is some good fun inter-
mingled with the excitement, and
a current Of humor runs through
the whole story. A hero OF melo-
drama with an unfailing sense of
humor Is a blessing.
Geoffrey Miller is amusing and
also remarkably clever as one of
c. H. CrokerKing as the horrid
doctor must also be allowed credit
There 10 some good fun in
termingled with the excitement,
and a current of humor runs
through the whole story. A hero
of melodrama with an unfailing
sense Of humor Is a blessing.
Godfrey Miller is amusing and
also remarkably clever as one Of
the captains rather silly chums.
G. H. CrokerK King. as the horrid
doctor. must also be allowed credit
as a comedian. for the part is 50
extravagantly sinister as to have
something of a comic effect. That's
what saves the situation. II you
believed in him you'd lie cake
nights.
But all the members of the com.
pany are good. The piec els ex-
cellently staged and directed and
you ought to see il II your
gasping Is good.
An audience notable In more
ways than one come and re-
joiced at the opening. The Ma
tional's season begins late but
aspiciously.