The New York herald., 1922-12-31
More Talk
of Broadway
Continued on Following Page.

Continued on Following Page.
infancy. The radio, spiritualism,
even the artC Of the magician. were
employed to dazzle and mystify the
audience who sat delightfully."- be-
wildsred through the three acts, try
lTS to guess who the arch-crook OF
} Nc play might be.
To sketch the story would be an
un<indness to the many persons
who are certain TO see it before it
leaves town. The JOY of seeing it is
to experience trying TO forecast who
is the mysterious Zeno. master Grim
inal who murders Arthur Hampton,
rifles the Hampton safe and by the
use of the wireless becomes the de-
spair of the detectives But actu-
ally the action moves SO rapidly
that one has no time for diagnosis,
lest tie rapid changes are missed.
The seance scene is one OF strong
appeal. The stage is enveloped in
darkness. except for CHASTITY green
light which floods the face of the
medium, who sits in the center Of
the room surrounded by observers,
all handcuffed to their chairs. All
the doors and windows have been
locked and sealed. There is an out
cry. Chairs are overturned. Lights
flash. Two of the party are miss
ing; the others still locked to their
chairs.
The three acts are full of this sort
of thing, holding the audience in an
unusual state of suspense until the
playwright as a sort of concession,
finally discloses the answer just as
the curtain falls. "Zeno" would
thrill an audience of mummies.
1t was said that The Tiger Lily"
the play in which Sessue Hayakawa,
film star, expected to be incarnated.
would serve 4 term at the National.
but this appears to be an item that is
juicy but untrue.
Incidentally. the claim is made for
"The Tiger Lily" that it has larger
body OF shareholders than even "The
Last Warning" hitherto. the worlds
sHpreme example of Broadway's com
maSity spirit in putting on a show.
The Japanese piece has inches in 1t
for Lee Shubert, Walter Jordan, George
Nicolai and Jules Murray
partners Again" another example
of the American theater. will seek
cordial relations with England soon.
1t will open in London during Feb
ruary, with Bobby Leonard, who
played Potash in the first reel Of this
serial over there. and Phil White
sneering enthusiastically at each
other. Charles c. Cochran will clap
the comedy into the Apollo Theater
there. 1t is interesting to note that
Ills Honor, Abe Potash" which
cleaned up in New York but sank on
the road. has been the only one of the
four Montague Glass comedies which
did not justify itself financially.
"The Lonely Heart" a play by Ed
ward Sheldon which was tried out last
spring on tour with Basil Sidney hav-
ing heart. is to he presented after
all hv the Shuberts. after having been
run through his typewriter again by
the author az
In connection with Rachel Crotherss
new play. Mary the 3rd." story is
told of an actor who had a temporary
enga cement in the piece during re-
hearsals-let us call him Jones for
mercy's sake. Despite the temporary
character of Jones's employment his
agent was so eager to have it known
that he'd landed job that he sent
out a premature announcement about
the play, getting its name wrong but
little recking so long as he got the
actors name mentioned And now
that the play is all set for produc-
tion Jones is out of the cast.
The play which Daniel kusell is
soon TO set to box Office music is
translation of another of the increas-
ing group of stories which reach the
stage after having served an appren-
ticeship on the screen. 1t is James
Oliver Curwoods yarn. ''The Rivers
End in which Lewis stone went
double on the films in a dual role un-
der the direction of Marshall Neilan
1t had an earlier dramatization, at
which Ray Long and Julian Johnson
magazine editors, officiated, and it was
given into the care and keeping OF
A. II. Woods. Woods rehearsed the
play and then put temptation away
from him. The rights TO it reverted
TO the author. and now Kusell. pro-
ducer with Lawrence Schwab OF The
Gingham Girl has brought it to pass
in dramatic form again.