Evening star., 1924-04-06
The Old Novel and tn e
Current Play
By Ph1ander Johnson.

Two Cities" that Dickens was not
limited to comedy in his finest capa-
bilitieS. Joseph Jefferson played
Cabel Plummer in The Cricket on
the Hearth" 10 delighted audiences;
w. ]. Florence was hailed with un-
stinted applause as Cap'n Cutie;
the breath of living identity was
given to Tom Pinch by +. S. Will
lard. With these and other prece-
dents within memory OF traditional
Splendor, it is quite possible to eX-
pect too much from a dramatization
accomplished a craftsman as Mr..
keSter.
The cast is a lengthy one. and it
is strange that there should not
have been, even in haphazard way,
more instances of genuine Dickens
deineation. The character OF
Harold Skimpole might easily have
claimed touch OF minute subtlety, as
sociated as it is with a poet OF such
lovable grace5 as those OF Leigh
Hunt. In this play his attire alone
is aCcentuated. In Dickens drama
exact sympathetic relationship must
exist between author and inter-
actor; but the type actor is likely to
fall short.
= :: = ::
"I1l Say She Is" advertised the
stunning girl as its chief attraction;
and many spectators agreed unre-
servedly that she was. An attrac-
ton that paraded feminine beauty
as its dominant inducement was for
merry regarded as novel audacity,
but it has come to be accepted as
entertainment OF the conservative
school. II beauty OF idea were as
abundant as beauty OF form, we
would seasons ago have been Joy
ously initiated into an era that re-
vived Grecian classicism An idea
has its appreciation. A witticiSm
that rings true is elevated to event
full Importance. All the town is re-
peating the reference i'll Mrs. Fiske's
play to the man who made his life
one long "alcoholiday'
< x x !:
Another fine actress visits the city
this week, Bertha Kalich. And
another great story, "The Kreutzer
Sonata" will be shown in adaptation.
The adapter's task is one of delicate
Decentralization, for it needs a
second poet to render the first in
ti1nately irtelligible. Considerations
of poetic Interpretation will not
assert themselves in connection with
"The Cat and the Canary" whose
mysteries and thrills have been so
thoroughly indorsed as 70 warrant
the audience III dismissing highbrow
scruples and settling down to a state
of comfortable expectancy. "The
Covered Wagon" brings the films
once more TO the front as vehicle
for genuine American romance. Its
vitality of interest increases as it
becomes more familiar, and it is
established as one of the permanent
cieS i'll the world of entertainment
< = K
The public is loyal to its favorites,
and, thanks to vaudeville, they can
be happily presented even when
conditions do not provide them
with three or four act vehicles.
Blanche Ring and Blossom Seely got
on nicely III the same Dill at b. T..
keith's, which enjoys the advantage
of a consistent policy.
X x X X
Jane Cowl is to play Juliet for
an entire week Her success in this
role should soothe her for any lack
of enthusiasm over MeliSande or
Cleopatra, both thankless roles. To
be recognized as a great Juliet is
an attainment which of itself con-
stituteS a career.
i X x Z
And there will be still more
Shakespeare, under the auspices
of the Sothern- Marlowe company.
The popularity of the Bard OF Avon
has become so great that Shake
speare instead of spelling ruin" is
now recognized as the life-saver of
a theatrical season.