The Washington herald., 1922-07-09
THE TEN BEST PLAYS
By WALTER p. EBERHARDT

Mr.. PIN and more consistent
with II than, 1.-THE Truth About
Blayda" Mr.. Milne has developed
distinctive brand Of subtle hu-
NOR that might be, an uncynical
Shaw, IL such q thing were imagin-
able. Charles Cherry and his fell
low players did Justice to the gay
little comedy.
Thank You" may have been pro-
paganda for underpaid clergymen
along with its entertainment: but 1t
was genuine entertainment. so who
cares? 1t was one of those home
spun gems that occasionally creeps
into Broadway without flaring
headlights or iIlustrious names and
wins on pure merit, an art that its
producer. John Golden, has devel-
oped to a rare degree.
For pure, unadulterated hokum
We can. with qualifications, pre-
scribe no better brands than Cap
tain Applejack." ITO the Ladies"
and THE Goldfish" although to in
sinuate that there is any point of
comparison between the three plays
would be a gross injustice to all.
The first named. Walter Hackett's
comedy. Is for ebullient boys OF all
ages who still love pirates and ad-
venture. 1t has touch Of George
NJ Conan and the recollection that
its star. wallace Eddinger. played
In Seven Keys to Baldpate''
heightens the touch.
ITO the Ladies'" the second
Kaufman-Connolly product, was de-
clared by many critics to be just .
step behind -Dulcy." Personally
We thought 1t Infinitely better. The
humor was more spontaneous, the
characters were not so grotesQue in
their portrayal and the situations
appeared more logical. We have
enough confidence in the latest ven
ture Of this partnership to look for
ward to the arrival of West of
Pittsburgh" in the fall.
The Goldfish" was less hokum
and demanded real acting ability.
This scintillating comedy of the
rising woman, first semitough, then
parvenu, then arrivee. owes a great
deal of its success to Marjorie Ram
beau. We question whether any
other actress of the present gem
GRAFTON could give the three stages
of this role the distinctive stress
that she does; and II is this feeling
difference that makes the play
plausible and entities it to a rank
ing among the genuine entertain
ments of the year.
He Who Gets Slapped" and
From Morn to Midnight" were
typical Theater Guild productions
by foreign authors. Morbid in
thRmA. Tiara f.A
something magnetic fr, their crea-
ton, subtle settings and compelling
characters. They thrived in the
city OF pleasure seekers, while the
guilds sole attempt at semicomedy,
what the Public Wants." died in
infancy.
Perhaps this latter was due to
the fact that our public prefers a
fresh hamburg steak to a cold
pheasant that has been in the ice
box overnight. for 1t Is notable that
revivals. as a whole, Jared poorly,
Sir Arnold Benefits comedy revival
was direct slap at the Grass COM
merclalism OF a big newspaper pub
Usher and 1t was a commercial
cipher. 1t was satire rather than
sarcasm; a bout of brains rather
than Drawn. and-it failed to at
| tract.
The frank discussion Of a double
standard of morality, done so dis
creetly as to have caused offense to
no one of mature mind, was the
theme Of Fanny Hawthorne"
Under the title of "Hindle
Wakes" the play has been revived
and reviewed for all of ten years.
1t is not as timely as when it was
nrst presented, but for all that the
cast headed for whitford Kane
gave a sterling presentation of a
simple. unusually natural play, free
from any of the plot complications
that have ruined many more pre-
tentious efforts.
We might like to add a list of
personal triumphs during the past
year. but the space is lacink ex-
cept to mention hastily: Lenore
Uric in 'Riki;" Doris Keane in
The Czarina;" Katherine Cornell
In "A Bill Of Divorcement;" Mar
caro- Gilmore in He Who Gets
Slapped" Helen Hayes in ITO the
LADIES'" Pauline Lord and George
Marion in Anna Christie;- o. p.
Heggte in The Truth About
Blays," and Helen Mencken in
Drifting"
Our all-American selection Is
ended. We notice that walter
Camp. king crownsr of the grid