The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1924-02-22

Ell the loot of their "betters."
And what is loot? It may be money
and it may DO the heart of a pretty
but clever girl. It is loot, whatever
1t is, and a. highwayman needs not
gun.
Around this idea Lajos BRO has
written a saucy, brilliant little thing
called ut the present time The High
wayman." This is not a costume play.
Far from IL hut a clever. light little
mental gihball with a hearty kick
in II.
We often find that a European
writes the so-called smart" article.
Gladys Unger adapted this from the
Hungarian, I believe. Smartness in
THE Highwayman" Is to be found not
only in the dialogue, but also the
situations. II has a European taste
and dash.
There is no one better fitted to put
over tn. efootl.ghts a smart situation
than Joseph S;childkraut, the sweater
rough-neck with a soul in ''Liliom."
Remember? He is still the rough
neck" but instead of wearing a
sweater. he dons evening clothes and
steals" money and hearts from the
continental aIistocracy which existed
before the war
This play is more Of a satire than
1t is a comedy. 1 might go ms far and
brand II as a trick satire" It IL the
duty Of Schildkraut and his cast to
provoke In the audience the suspi-
cion that yellow is not yellow at all
but scarlet and that red is black.
II you go TO the Murat this week
end to see THE Highwayman" go in
the spirit OF gay fun. When Elsie
Bartlett looks so sad and lonely at
tired in a pink something Il think it
was pink and of bedroom origin in
the second act, DO not prepare to shed
tears, because that will spoil the fun.
Do not be deceived by the idea that
this Is drama because the said Elsie
Bartlett as Olga Galambos carries
revolver This revolver never speaks
death but hands out merry laughs,
Here is a satire or a comedy (caH
II anything but drama) Of matched
wits. A temperamental no.account
decides to get easy money without
working for 1t from the so-caIled arts
tocracy. He decides that these mobiles
either stole their estates themselves
or that their ancestors were highway
men. So Eric Kardos becomes a
highwayman without a gun. This
chap will do anything for money.
So he contracts to compromise Olga,
SO she will be unable to marry Count
Ferenz Cserhati. He accepts real cold
money for the job Here is where the
fun comes in. Everybody in the story
is matching wits against each other.
1t is a mental checker game and 1t is
glorious fun.
At times. the first act is too talky
but you rather forgive that when
you realize that you are seeing some
very fine smart" acting. The aris-
tocrats are such a hopeless bunch Of
prudes.
Schildkraut wears a mental mask
! during the first two acts. He con
fuses purposely good and bad man
ners, smart and dull remarks, smiles
and evil grins and good and bad de-
sires.
Schildkraut is a master in this
light little exercise of matching wits.
At times he is gloriously sweet and
the next minute he confuses you by
proving that the character is really a
bandit. That is the value of the
play.
found the entire cast to be about
as smart as the play Corbett Morris.
recalled as a member of worth of the
Stuart Walker company is in Schild-
kraut's cast.
The cast is as follows:
Count Stefan Cserhati. 49,. Corbett Morris
Countess Margit Cserhati :. Hilda Graham
| Countess Charlotte Cserhati. ........
............... Jessie Royce Lands
| Count Michael Cserhatt ...... Philip Lord
Eric Kardos ........... Joseph Schildkraut
Count Ferenz Cserhati Grant Stewart
| Count Laslo Cserhati ...... John Wesley
Count Victor Cserhati Theo. Westman. Jr.
! Olga Galambos ............ Elise Bartlett
Peter GalamD0s ...... N. H. Cfeagan
The show has been tastefully and
beautifully mounted
With Schildkraut's delicious satiri-
cal work always present, you win have
q corking good time if you visit the