New-York tribune., 1922-09-19
The Theaters-By Percy Hammond
Miss Claire and MIR. McRae
Make Pleasing Gestures i'm
"Ihe Awful TRUTH
q Shrewd and Skill
full Comedy

.a,oTThn.es Awful truth comedy by Arthur
pany. under the direction Of Charles Froh-
man. and with the following cast:
r,rss gsniei Lasson r '...... Paul Harvey
SSsysoR M, '.......... Lewis "A. Sealy
Mrs rs' Leeso es5,hsr iai.a n a Glslrs
Sosepnlne Trent ,s..... Cora Witherspoon
norman Satteriy. ............ .nruoe McRae
RUFUS Kempster. RayInona None WsISnTn N'snown
| The Awful Truth in Mr.. Richman's
pleasant new comedy is not that Mrs
Warriner Miss Ina Claire) betrayed
her husband (Mr. Bruce McRael. The
| acts, as adduccd in the last act, arc
that she had been faithful to him, af-
! ter her fashion, and that she allowed
/ him TO believe otherwise at the time
of their divorce simply because she was
caprtcious. There was considerable in
dignation in Mrs. WARMERS New YORK.
set when her chastity was impugned By
the family of Dan Leeson, q gaueAe
Oklahoma ell king, to whom she was
about 10 be married for his money.
Mr. Leeson was one of those Gods
countrymen, who had made himself
and $30,o00,00o, and he regarded the
exclamation, "Mon Dieu," as profane,
end cigarettes for ladies as repugnant.
He kissed with loud report. Just
Why it was considered as unseemly for
Mr.. Leeson, the Oklahoman, to be a
little humanity anxious about the rast
of his betrothed, though it was ad-
missible for Mr.. Satterlee, the New
Yorker, to be utterly convinced Of the
lady's bad habits, Is not matter for
midnight analysis. Where Mr. McRae
is involved In romantic episodes with
Miss Claire Gas with other aetresses)
Midnight analyses do not get square
deal. Neither of them is TO be sus-
pected of any impertection upon the
stage.
From the aromatic bouquet which
Mr.. Richman has assembled for Miss
Claire and Mr.. McRae to be fragrant in,
d posy or two may be segregated for
admiration. The oil-nan's upright aunt
for instance, having heard rumors Of
his fiancee's former impropretes, i'm
oues him with an aspiration for in
curry. Ee knows that she is one Of
od's good women and fit to be the
mother of an Oklahoman's offspring;
~ sdll he feels it prudent to in
vestigate. So Mr.. McRae, as her previ-
o1s husband, is summoned to an in
terview. The crude, suspicious oil
dealer across the table from the good,
generous, kind, gentle and quizzical
New York man of the worldl How
proud you are Of the New Yorker, and
how contemptuous Of the mean fellow
who is from elsewherel
You never tire of Mr.. McRae as you
do of other so-called leading men"
who operate as lovers in the dramas.
Though not perhaps an actor of iny
finite variety, his charm persists and
renews itself like a classic. You sec
him, again, in "The Awful Truth" lean
ing over piano, while Miss Claire,
also irresistible, ignites him with
French love-song. "No wonder,' he
exclaims, as he seizes her hands end
kisses them, that men are fascinated
by you!" Most men players would be
baffled if called upon to sentimentalize
over perfumed sofa pillow, as is Mr
McRae's duty in the second act; but
he is not, and he makes the incident
very enjoyable, indeed.
Miss Claire's beauty and her excel
lent facility in the impersonation of
right women with q sense of humor,
are admirably bestowed upon the role
Of the lady In the play. Her attitude
toward the dull fellow from Tulsa is
so smilingly insolent that you forgive
her for being the chill mercenary that
she is supposed TO be. And she makes
you cheerful, when in the last act, she
3ismisses the skeptical petroleum
prince and sets about to remarry the
skeptical Mr.. McRae. She poses Mr..
McRae behind door, so that he can
hear her as she is shrived by the
man who has compromised her. A
pretty play, "The Awful Truth" com
prlsing interesting persons, amusing
. conversations, smart, romantic situa-
tions, Miss Claire and MIR. McRae. Not
the least of last evenings entertain
ment was due to the good playing of
hr. Paul Harvey as the troubled mil
lionaire from the prairie.