The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-09-10

few other pastures of circumstances
as the phase used to be in rural life
that would SO we'll have served the
purposes of the playwright.
THE Old Soak" seems, indeed.
rather superior in comparison with
some similar classics of the past.
Joseph Jefferson confesses in his au--
photography that RIP Van Wrinkle"
In spite Of it's success in this coun-
try and Australia, was such crude
playwriting that he dared not submit
1t to the London public until Dion
Boucicault had done what he could to
improve the work. Yet there had
been various versions of the play be-
fore Jefferson appeared in Irving's
character. Boucicault Is usually
credited with having introduced the
children.
In "The Golden AEe.v
Buy copy Of 1.-THE Golden Age"
and see in what crude frame Mark
Twain's Cot. Mulberry Sellers sur
vived in the talented John T. Ray
mond to delight playgoers sea-
son after season. II there is such
a thing as copy OF "The Phila-
delphia Lawyer" to be discovered on
the dusty top shelves OF any book
shop try to conceive the naivete OF an
age which allowed itself to be de-
lighted with John z. Owens year
after year as Scion Shinole, with his
inevitable barrel OF apple sass. Does
anybody remember Dol. BdrdiceH
Siote in "The Mighty Dollar"i He Is
to be found still In the Libraries, Just
as william ]. Florence enacted him
for q score Of years more or less
II there is anything cruder In
dramaturgy than these dramatic
frames for famous characters It
would not be diverting to witness
them. In comparison with these
authors Mr.. Marquis deserves to take
rank with Sardou. II he isn't care
full somebody viii hurl the charge Of
the well made play at his happy head.
All OF Them CfndereIIas.
Evidently the form OF musical COM
edy argument" as the old librettl
used to put II, have become standard
lied so thoroughly that they are not
to be changed for some time to come.
The heroines must be Cindercllas. In
"Irene" the interior decorating do
partmcnt OF a large shop sent the
hungry heroinapto Long Island home,
rather cruelty. without her lunch.
Was not the protagonist of sally"
dishwasher in a Greenwich Village
eating house before she became Rus
sian dancer and married the richest
man In the play? In Good Morning.
Dearie," she worked In a fashionable
ooutourter's sewing room. Did not
"Mary's" leading lady, II the phrase
Is not too expansive, have a big social
lift In the piece7
What is more important II the dues-
ton whether or not the authors win
ever have the courage to supply any
other kind Of a girl to head the action
in a musical show. Otto Hauerbach,
an experienced worker in this vine-
yard Of words and music decided TO
follow the line OF least resistance when
he prepared molly Darling" and that
heroine is the daughter of a music
publisher who loves Mozart and Schu-
bert and SO hates jazz that he Is on
the point OF being dispossessed. lie
ought to know better. for look at
the audience would convince him how
important Jazz is 10 the life Of stage
musician nowadays. Instead OF being
on the point OF taking the air he would
he in an orchestra scat yelling like an
Apache indian IL he only wrote jazz.
The initiative tendency In the man
ayers and writer's may, OF course, be
responsible for this preponderanco OF
CinderelIas Just now, but this renas-
cepce of the fable in SO many quar-
tcrp II interesting proof of It's un-