The Washington times., 1925-04-17


* X
For two acts '"The Poor Nut"
maintains a rollicking tempo
that labels it the funniest of all
comedy try-outs this season.
The slump comes in the last act
and there is work afoot here for
the fixers. The piece has been
set with commendable novelty,
!. the action occurring in one of
those myriad bookstores that
fringe every campus; in the
trainers tent on Athletic Field;
on the field during the track
events and in the living room
of the Psi Sigma house.
Though the talk and action is
reeky of the college atmosphere
it is all so spontaneous and
novel that one is apt to forget,
under the crisp pressure of its
dialogue and movement, that it
it not essentially a play of col
lege life but an etching Of an
individual whose prototypes are
legion and this character draw
ing has been accomplished with
complete finesse by the authors
and enhanced by the acting Of
Elliott Nugent.
The poor nut is bespectacled
chap of insignificant mien who's
been told his ego has been
arrested and believes it. A
fellow of precious talents-he
cops a Phi Beta Kappa key
who isn't quite sure he can do
anything as well as the next
fellow. In parlance, "a wash
out" Certain influences direct
a beneficial attack on his
anaemic ramparts. First the
girl who begins cauterizing his
complex; then a sudden kiss
from the girl he actually loves
and finally a dipperful Of
alcorub, slyly administered, which
propels him so fast in the
track meet that he wins all
the glory for Ohio, the girl
herself and a priced frat pin.
One could wish that some of
the juniors and seniors had less
evidences of being undesirably
we'll beyond the voting age.
The cast generally is excellent,
with Elliott Nugent doing dis
tinctly the best piece of work
in his brief career. Florence
Shirley, Percy Helton, Norma
Lee and John Webster all lit
properly in the picture and
more than a few words of
praise should be doled to Hell
ton for his cheer-leading scene
and to Webster for the best
exposition of what an honest-to-
God coach looks like and acts
like. Webster's threatening
pleas to the poor nut before the
track events compose one of
the outstanding features of the
entire play.
1.-THE Poor Nut" is the kind
Of a show you could sit through
twice and not miss the kick by
repeating.
A last reminder that tonight
sees the climax of N. V. A. week
at Keith's Theater with a spe-
cial midnight performance be-
ginning at 1870 p. m. The
regular Keith bill will be forti-
fled by acts from other theaters.
Everything will be informal and
you are as likely to see part OF
the performance in the aisleS
and the boxes as on the stage.
"See the artists at play" is
Kemper Cowing's slogan for the
roundup and evidences are con-
stantly creeping out that the
evening will be super-gala.
A new piece of business has
been inserted in "The Gorilla"
now at the Belasco which puts
a trip-hammer punch into the
proceedings and thoroughly
demoralizes the audience. The
gorilla tumbles over the foot
lights, across what old-timers
will recall was once an or
chestra pit and into the first
few rows. Shrieks, cries,
laughter and high blood pres
sures result.
Ralph Spence, the author, I
have just learned is the young
man who leaped from the
obscurity of a press-agent's
chair to fame within motion
picture circles when he salvaged
from ruin to success the pic
ture "a Connecticut Yankee at
King Arthur's Court" by re-
writing all the original sub
titles which didn't have the
punch of warm milk. The pro-
ducers had figured on shelving
the picture without release
until Spence asked for a chance
to exercise his ingenuity. The
film is still playing after three
years and has returned a mani
fold profit.
Gloria Swanson's newest pic
ture, "Mme. Sans Gene" has
it's world premiere in New York