The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-05-04

dr1a, La. Clarence Sykes $cOl0fed)
Louisville. KY; Vera Small, Ocean
Springs, Miss.
actually does drive forward everybody
is overly prepared for the big scene.
Moreover, Paul Dickey and Barnard
]. McOwen have been to greedy. From
each situation they attempt to gain al
least two vintages. Thus, after the ras
Gals of the Yukon resort have played
cards for the possession of the beauti
full Nine Moosha (nee Miss Levy
another player is suddenly produced
and the game is played all over again
And the villain, who is struck by light.
ming to furnish n fitting climax fol
the end of the season act, must be re
vived to meet Sergeant O'Day in d
death struggle just before the final
curtain.
But ssThe Dust Heap" should moi
be dismissed merely as q clumsy and
slow-paeed melodrama. It manages to
be offensive as well as tiresome. Bias
phemy, when backed by honest belief
should be allowed free rein, but OBJ
ject to blasphemy when it is used in
this cheap play merely to add shock to
scenes of empty commotion. For that
matter the piety of the play is in equal
" bad taste. 1t also deals IN dirtiness.
.",The Dust Heap" is a thoroughly bad
lot.
Cobra the new play by Martin
Brown, commands a profound interest.
Not all its scenes seem true, but even
those which are shade of key have
enough dramatic dexterity to hold at
tentiOn and it is played throughout with
high skill.
Mr.. Brown has built his damatic
conflicts around the clash of right and
wrong. He is rather dogmatic about
vice and virtue which is not neces-
sarily a theatrical flaw, but he has
erred in occasionally setting forward
mere dumbness as noble conduct.
The play is largely written around a
woman whom the author conceives as
evil no end. She is the Cobra. And
this part has been. enstrusted to an
actress who plays a little better than
an the rest in a brilliant cast. Ac-
cordingly this spectator was not wholly
satisfied to watch the downfall of evil
and the triumph of good works. Elise
Van ZiIe was burned to death because
she had no moral cruples, and Judith
Drake, the virtuous stenographer, lived
to marry the hero. / did not find that
altogether heartening.
Judith Anderson. last seen here in
'Peter Weston" gives another beauti-
full performance. In her last role she
was condemned to rather excessive
austerity. Wiekness she does even bet
ter. More than that Mr.. Bowen, no
matter how much he may disapprove
of his villainess, has paid her the COM
pliment of writing her down as a far
more vivid person than the poor
heroine. The evil Elise does lie upon
occasion but only about other people.
She reports her own feelings and desires
with entire accuracy and frankneSs.
And what she wants she goes after.
There is something admirable in this.
The good woman annoyed me a great
deal. 1t wasn't because she was good
but because she was 30 full OF re-
licences. She loved the hero just as
much as the villianess did but ON ac-
count of being a heroic she seemed in
honor bound not to tell him. At least
not right away. 1T can never be- was
her attitude while the wicked Elise went
right up to him and threw her arms
around his neck. She didn't waste any
time in being cryptic or wistful and
so il seemed a shame that she should
be burned to death for her sins.
And / think most people like that
will get to heaven. IF there were fifth
act to Cobra" indicating. the hereafter
/ would rather like to take a wager
on the chances Of Elise and all like
her. She at least will pound on the
gate and say, II want to get in"
Judith Drake and her kind will hang
about the entrance and act coy until
st. Peter gets sick of it. With so many
souls thrOnging up to the golden gate
he will have no time to waste on peo-
pie who don't know their own minds.
But to get back to the play. Cobra
tells the story Of Elise Van Zile, who
marries a man for his money and then
falls in love with his best friend. Ralph
Morgan plays Tony Dorning, the hus-
band, and Louis Calhern is Jack Race,
the friend. Race is a. young man of a
low boiling point, but a good deal of
ambition toward reform and remorse.
In q capitally written and played
scene. Elise prevails against his
scruples and arranges for him to meet
her and have supper in the rooms of
a Fowdy hotel. Remorse seizes race in
time and he merely goes to the hotel
to bid the woman a stern goodby. After
his departure the hotel burns and she
is killed.
The problem then arises as to his
duty toward her husband, his friend.
The husband only knows that his wife
has disappeared. Is it best that he
should be told the circumstances and
put out of his misery of doubt or have
the truth, and with it the destruction
of the woman whom he has idealized
In this situation the virtuous steno-
grapher falls down badly. She has no
advice to contribute, but only sweet
ness, which is not particularly helpful
under the circumstances. Race decides
not to tell, but in the end the husband
learns everything except the part which
Race played.
Louis Calhern, a young actor. must
be set down among the fine prospects
Of our theatre. He is first rate already.
Ralph Morgan does a scene Of object
misery in the last act with an elO-
quence to tear your heart out. And he
does it without single alternating trick.
Cobra" may annoy you here and there
but it is worth seeing.