New-York tribune., 1922-11-21
The Theaters by Percy Hammond
MIR. Mines 1.-THE Lucky One
Is the Tragedy OF Young
Man Afflicted With
ss(laarm''


n-.saas. ..Tas lucky one.a play " 4. a Mine,
Theates Guild with the following cast:
Tommy Todd ......,...... Rognney Brent
Henry Wentworth Harry Ashford
Gerald harrington T1ss,ssIs giny
Miss FarT3asdon ......4.. Helen Westiey
Lefty Herbert, ....... .Gwynedd Vernon
lazy harrington ......... Grace EiIiston
..r James Farringaon. Roner4 Ayrton
Eesiassa ga 1aTeY ..... Violet HemInB
soo Earring don. ........ Percy waram
The trouble with Gerald Harrington.
The Lucky One, was that he had n
little too much charna. He was a
eebonrlair fellow Of twenty-six. with
the golden tongue and shifting eyesn
which added TO other gifts, command
success. A crieketer of the ripping
type, he was likewise praiseworthy at
golf; and, although Mr.. Milne does not
say so, he probably was good at love
songs and pretty extemporization
apon the pianoforte. He looked we'll
in fanneis, and out of them To his
'doli2ing parents and the countryside
he was as the sunshine, dispensing all
vapors. He was also doing we'll as
an embryo diplomat with Lord Grey
in the Foreign Office.
You Will wonder what harm it is
possible for Mr. Milne, in "The Lucky
One" to assign to this fortunes favor
ite. In what way could such winner,
equipped with all the implements of
happiness, fail at the end of the drama
to be merry and gay? There are sew
eral explanations, however, for Ger
sld's gloomy departure from the en-
tertainment, leaving the lovely lady of
] is heart (Miss Viola Hening) in the
rms of his surly eIder brother AL
though it seems that Gerald (Dennis
King) was handicapped by an excess
of pleasing personality, the real cause
Il his disastrous finish was that he got
what is known as a bad break
All of us at the Garrick last evening
were fooled by Gerald, including his
cynical old great-aunt (Helen Westley),
who with us, was little dubious
about his persistent charm. This wise
old lady found his graciousness TOO
intended" and she believed him to
be merely shiny Silhouette. Her
favorite granddaughter, and OURS, for q
while, was Robert, the elder brother
For Robert, having no charm, had been
put all his life in the hu1niliating
identified usually as Gerald Earring
don's brother. He hated the Isucky One
for those causes, and also for the rea-
son that Gerald had won away from
him the woman of his desire. But
when ne got into financial trouble in
the city he asked Gerald to help him
out, ana, oddly enough, Gerald post
poned his succor until after he had
played cricket match to which, as
charming sportsman, he was com
mitted.
Both were victims to Gerald's charm.
When they came to grips in the last
act the se-called Lucky One prove his
moral superiority over the mean, vel
low, leaiousies of his kinsmen. Robert.
however, snstched the comely Pamela
from her betrothal to Gerald, and be-
ing an ex-eonvict set out with her for
Canada, there to begin life anew. At
the end we see Gerald in the midst of
congratulations on his selection for an
important diplomatic mission. Good
cid Gerald" says his friend, Tommy
Todd. II never knew such a fellowl
You really ore"' And Gerald answers as
the curtain falls, ~ wisn weren't.
Tommy. oh, wish l weren't"
'The Lucky One" is a somewhat de-
!iberate and interesting study of two
trothers, one magnetic, the other
otherwise, and of the conflict between
them. The mildly agitating story which
accompanies it is plausibly told. as
IS Mr.. Mines habit, though the actinc
OF it by the Theatre Guild is not so
elicitous as that institutions endcav-
ors usually are. Mr.. King, as the un
lucky Lucky One, was charming to
fsTISEsS5 's.s