The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-11-19

| Special Correspondence to The NEW YORK
HExALD.
New York Herald Bureau.
| London, Nov. q.
IT'S been a creepy week for Lon
don. First came the creeps in
- John Wizards play, "The Cat
and the Canary" at the Shaftesbury.
and last night came Joseph Conrad's
creeps In his dramatization Of his
novel, 1.-THE Secret Agent" And though
London finds the horrors OF The Cat
and the Canary less psychologically
perfect than those of Mr.. Conrad, It
finds that that sound old actor. Mr..
Willard. excels the master novelist In
stage craft, and as between the choice
of two delightful evils the London vote
seems TO be going American.
The American play got a hearty well
come on its first appearance. and there
were many calls for Mr.. Willard. But
Miss Mary Glynne, who enhanced an
already considerable reputation in this
play, had to plead that the author was
so busy banking royalties for the
American companies that he could
find no time TO cross for the London
debut. There is a good deal OF criti-
cism in the London papers Of the
artificlality of construction in The
Cat and the Canary" but even the
most hardened OF critics admits that
these artificialities got" them.
Their opinion IS quite the reverse in
the case Of the Conrad play. Due rev.
erence is paid TO the greatness OF the
author in his proper field, but hardly a
paper in London this morning will adj
NIT that the soul OF Joseph Conrad IL
capable of transmigration to the spoken
word. II 81 true that despite the very
capable company last night. despite the
tensity and compelling interest of one
situation after another. the play was
made weary by arid wastes OF dialogue
not intimately connected with the action
OF the play. Mr.. Conrad can be mag
incd, prompt book IN hand--and Il is
true that he personally attended all re-
hearsals with more than listening
brief--he may be imagined caressing
each eve lamb OF written prose and
refusing not TO have IL spoken. Like
wise he failed to give just weight 10 in
formation and surprise in the theater
as he does IN the book.
Surprise Too Abrupt.
The book. it will be remembered. was
written In 1907 about the career OF
half Englishman named Nerioc. who
got himself embroiled as agent-provo-
cateur for a foreign Government, pre-
sumably Russia. He leads humdrum
life with a charming and complscent
English wife whose entire love he thinks
he enjoys. AS n matter Of fact there
are def touches In the book that give
the reader warning. just enough warn
ing. that this Is not true and that the
wife's entire sentiments are engaged
and involved about her half-witted
brother. In the play last night Il came
as a positive shock to md that the wife
did not love her husband. In less ca
pable hands II would have been almost
insane. But Miriam Lewes's craft was
almost equal TO the task Of sea change.
change from faithful affection to anger,
hate and murder OF her husband.
The play. too. proved an histrionIc op-
portunity for most of the cast. Even
on the stage Mr.. Conrad's clarity OF
character drawing could not be OBJ
scured and Russell ThorndIke. fresh from
his successes az a creepmonger at Lon
don's Grand Gulgnol." the Little Thea
ter. ola a marvelously disgusting COM