New-York tribune., 1922-12-17
Here Is One Man
Who Smiles and
Is Not a Villain
JhLIETZP GR1y1N
% "ZRS Z0HE GIMP

Several yssrs ago the Washlngten
Square Players had on their program
one-aet play called "The Girl In the
Cofin." Il was a realistic thing, q vari-
alton Of the old thsmo Of the woman
who pays. The girl In the cofin had
paid with her life and the leading man
was such q powerful and -aWe-inspiring
figure that be made the girl seem
very real person. although as matter
Of fact no one at all played the title
role. Tho girl was already In her
conn when the curtain rose.
The leading man wss also the villain
IN the eass-not having done right b.
our little Nell--but he Esemod a digni-
hed, niddls-sged man Of stern reeti-
tuds and lacking only In courage 70
confess 10 the community that he, the
trusted one, was equally eulpablc with
.he dead oas.
That was FIVE years ago. Yet 50 I'm
pressed we're we with the performance
Of the leading man that when we we're
ushered BY the manager Of ct Is the.
Law" into the drsssing-room Of Arthur
Hohl our hrtt remark was; well, how
old were you when you betrayed the
girl and then preached over her eOf.
hnf"
"TWenty.four," answered Mr.. Hohl.
And We had been thinking Of him all
the time Gs man we'll on In bis ilftisSi
whist horrible, mslodrHmAtie past
performances ara you unsarthingi" In
quired Dave Wallace. II never heard
Of anything like that and I thought I
knew ell hiI dramatic indiEeretIonS.'
Il hardly think that would come IN
der the head Of an indlserstion. II
was when was with the Washington
Square Players, but that villainy was
not a circumstance 70 other things I
was ordered to do By Helen Wesley
In one Of her joeulsr moods she handed
me a young infant and ordered me 70
take II down In the cellar, put Il under
q plank and sit on g."
We gaEed at Mr. Hohi reasetivsly.
You do not look In the least like a
villain IN real llfe-quite sane and de-
eidedly GoOd.lookIng, we should say;
and yet there must be 4 reason for Il
whsn you are always selected 20 do
this sort Of thing"
In his new play, at IL the Law" he
10 worSs than he has been, ever, IN any
other production, and he probably Is
worse than any other actor ever has
been too-tho wlekedsst man in the
world.
Albert Woodruff, ths disappointed
suitor for the hand Of Alma Tell, con-
eeives 3 plan Of revenge 80 terrible
that no one can possibly anticipate II.
Therefore we have no intention Of CIV
Ing Il away, or even limiting at Il. Gh.
people in the play are even more mys.
tiled than the people IN the theater,
for the audience are taken partly Into
the Villains confidence after the sec
ond act. and Il Ia not until the end Of
the play. almost. that Albert let's the
heroine have a peep on the Inside. Then
he does il not because OF his frank
and open nature but because "a is true
that when murder outs II usually is
the fault Of the villain himself.
''You see." said Mr.. fohl IN defend.
Ing the actions Of this Albert Woodruff.
'he was a bora actor and he had 70
have applause for his eunningly con-
eocted crime. II he had kept stIll no
one would ever have known, but he
longed for The appreciation Of ths
woman with whom he was In love. Il
Is diSagreeable part ard ] can't en-
10y II very much even wAen they hiss
me. can feel the hostile attitude a.
soon a. ! begin that scene where I de-
nounes the hsrqAnd swear 70 have my