Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-12-30


Scandals" at the Forrest.
HAS "To the Ladies'" built for hd
w famous banquet scene or was IN
barouct scene built for "To h
Tndics"p
That question is bound TO occur t.
many Of those who see this little gen
Of n comedy at the Garrick. Not tha
II makes any difference in ones ability
10 enjoy the performance, for /
doesn't; but We've been wondern!
whether George Kaufman and Mar,
Connelly. the authors, we're struck by
mo chance for satire in our modern.
dnv banoucts and decided TO write Q
NAV using some such satire, or whether
thcy were writing play about n young
u.;fc who was responsible for her more
or less incapable husbands success and
huilt up the banquet scene after they
got going. ;,
willing to admit thnt ''To the Ladies'
is not so coherent as "Ducy.' but it
seemed about 80 degrees more anus
ing. "AIerton Of the Movies good ns
!, vas. must be left out Of the discus.
Il ,;om m" since it is bit hard to figure
,yboro Harry Leon Wilson. the author,
Ictt OH HIl'l ''''N ''
edautcrs. began.
Wc liked ''l'o tho Ladies' so much
.bot wc saw it. second time ut a
"Wednesday matinee. when the rlVetlhs
r,birh was supposed to disturb the office
/, ,bc last act receives burly echo IN
rooli,v from budding skyscraper near
tbc theatre. and when the honk OF taxi
cobs and touring cars in the iirSt act
was rivalcd by real cars OUTSIDE III the
strcct. ,,,.., ,.,,,,o
of its human domestic touches. ltS ac-
iirious and quite unaffected lovcmnking
onI tragedy Of the piano which the
;n.io,lment men came to take away.
Tho second act was. of course, the
host of nil because of the noted ban
mot aided largely by the excellent
comedy scene of our old friend. Louis
Harrison. as the politician who brought
A talk on pianos around to certain
marty in washington and got up and
icft ne soon as he finished because he
had another speech TO make uptown.
The third act had moments OF cXag-
rcration, but it also had some or the
most subtle satire of the play when II
vperod around to the business OF wives
control over their husbands business;
A was hin,cd in the review OF this
riav. the authors attack, or perhaps it
would be better to say satire. IL two
forkcd. One prong sticks inefficient
males who claim to understand their
business, but rely on their wives. ana
the other aims at foiblcs of banquctinC.
In fact, Kaufman and Connolly
seemed to be so bubbling over in
sntirical vein that they took random
shots at other subjects, too. These
formed detached (and often obtruding)
n,.;Jonco of continuing whole themes for
',,,o, ,ioTs much no Joseph Conrad's
"o,oIs ,, rnnntnin cxtronoous bits and frag-
m",y'o ""ortorr chnrocters TINT seem TO beg
FG, e.; 't|rt f,rtbor cynIoitotion.
v,',tmon ard ConnelIv eeerned often
-, NO. verge Of poyinc their respects to
otber little business and marital idio-
,nrrosies There was n brief mem
mont ,'Hr II IN n Tho ,os ST. net which had nothing
fo do with the main action, but brought
laugh, and every now and then the
authors showed their acquaintance with
newspapers by clever touches.
It may be admitted quitcjrcadily that
one Of the reasons for depressing n
preference 70 'ro the LADIES' ms op-
posed to 'Dulcy' rests III the nluch sl-
rrriur acting Of the play now in the
city. Outside of Lynn F"ntanne.
"Dulcy' was rather shabbily portrayed
here, whereas ''To the Ladies has, IN
allition to the unusually talented nnd
magnetic Helen Hayes, almost perfect
canoes by Harrison, Isabel irving ana
Carl Anthony, who seemed to improve
on second viewing of the play.
nnp UANTELL 1riU add one Of his !
M ,,,;.,tio,, IN ,bc
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"lS i"T 'ncrlH'l'r' a,I Miaroni T" Nnr,nn
hnI Iih"ut OF "Srhl'. i,'oI, "tI"ot .,"' -; i".t
ana i'ter RAN put 'n'.''u.n, ,,o .Grho
,n'n h"l"r, "hch 'n'y "'"'e '"'
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husband hh" VII" wnoS:u mapr.
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