The New York herald., 1922-08-16
BY LAWRENCE REAMER.

Manhattan" which John Cromwell
produced at the Playhouse last night,
did not turn out to. be nearly SO pre-
tentious as it's name suggested. Its four
acts did not attempt 10 deal with every
phase Of life on this rockribbed island.
That would indeed have been large or
der for any dramatists So new to the
profession as Leighton Csman, VINO
wrote The Fortune Teller FOR Miss
Marjorie Rambeau. as his only previous
contribution 70 the theater Of his native
lend. and Henry HUH, who Is best known
as an actor. The two wisely cortented
themselves with no more extended slices
OF metropolitan life than IN apartment
on Park avenue and the abode ~ the
heroine Were able 70 set forth.
The qualities which were presumably
summed UP in the title were represented
by the heroine. She said she was born
in the gutter and followed up the as
sertion by acting so much Ike other
stage heroines who boasted OF the same
cradle that nobody disputed the matter
with her. This young woman was by
- ISofession a typist, but such an inferior
mechanic that she could only copy and
not take dictation. When she came to
get the work of the young man of let
ters and fortune he could not fail to be
impressed by her fine qualities.
They where a native wit independence
Of character shrewdness learned from
her sharp encounters with life and an
earnest desire to polish her manners.
In these respects, she did not differ
from her ancestors in the theatcr. Per-
haps she was a little less ardently in
love with her employer than some Of the
most recent specimens--notably the i'm
ported-but she carried out faithfully
the traditions OF her long line. She even
inherited fortune and married her en-
ployer.
Miss Marguerite Maxwell played this
part, which is dominating in every act.
Miss Maxwell is alert and keenly intel
ligent, plainly possesses marked tall
ent for such roles and lacks at present
only the necessary experience to make
her performance continuously interesting.
The authors have given her every op-
portunity, even to the extent OF season
ing her speeches with the prevailing pro-
family Then all their skill in epigram
has plainly been concentrated on her
speeches. She Is comsly, with delicately
modelled features and dark eyes which
are her most eloquent feature. Her dark
hair curls crisply and the vivacity of her
movements almost compensates for
short and stocky figure. She was. in
the task of carrying a whole play on
her strong young shoulders-at all
events. not Just yet
Manhattan" moves through its four
acts with no other purpose than TO re-
veal the qualities of this heroine.
I Whether 1t be on Park avenue or In her
own home, she is equally dominating.
Norman Trevor was the wealthy young
| writer. who found not only his spirits
| but his literary style improved by the
secretary whom he ultimately made his
\ wife as well. He had a pale outline
OF role.
| But so did Miss Hilda Spons, although
| her skill adds distinction to any part
in which she appears. Greta kemble
/ Cooper succeeded in suggesting most of
Miss Laurette Taylor's peculiarities of
manner, but there is no ground for
quarreling with her for that. Miss Mary
/ Blair. Puritan Townsend. Miss Helen
Gahagan and Herbert Druce were MEM
bers of the excellent company that did
so much for this rather trivial dramatic
| effort.