Evening star., 1925-01-11

to the street, there is, song plugger
in waiting to persuade you to take
some of this home with you!
x x x X
Artists and Models" fulhllS the
promise of neither substantive in its
title. In some respects, George
Whites Scandals" is one of the
most beautiful and entertaining
shows he has presented. But it can
not quite conceal with costumes,
scenery and some incidents of irri-
sistible lure the inherent mental pro-
cess of certain elements of the or
ganization's personnel.
x x
The Sidewalks OF New York" is
being sung, danced and recited all
over the map. The simple bit of
balladry, almost worthy to be
deemed a folksong, was revived il
attention amid the pandemonium of
the Madison Square Garden conven-
ton. Manhattan is not content to
celebrate the innocence of sidewalk
youth dancing to the tune of the
piano wagon. There seems to be a
sort of sordid pride in the curbstones
that lead to the haunts of thugs and
gangmen and the bedraggled waits
who keep them company. There is
not a decent impulse to interrupt
the gutter current as the play in
which Lionel Barrymore has the
leading role flows into public at
tention.
Technically, the play is undeniably
good, the story being popularity and
possibly scientifically interesting as
a revelation of the perverted mental
processes characteristic of the un-
derworld. 1t leaves no CLINT of SEN
timent or even of spontaneous COM
edy to enliven the recollection of it
1t is not pleasant to study our side
walks of New York from the night
side, where the lights shine on
harpies as we'll as birds of paradise,
Abject as some of the pictures of
feminine desperation have been, Mr..
Barrymore's play emphasizes the
fact that the male of certain side
walk species is deadlier than the
female.
The attitude of the public that still
hopes to find the theater a means
of reasonably clean recreation is one
of pathetic resignation. Auditors
seem to say, How can you have the
heart to abuse us so, when we have
given you our perfectly good money
and are maybe missing the last car
home" Fortunately, the roughness
of thought and brutality of speech
may, in many cases, leave little per-
manent trace in remembrance. We
are most likely to find what is most
interesting and congenial to us. The
little message of hopefulness and
faith in humanity is clutched at and
cherished in spite of the inter-
mingling offense. In Mr.. Barry
more's play there is not even such
a message. Nevertheless, it has the
close analysis of mental operation in
the submerged type, likely to inter
est the various groups of people who
are eager, sometimes morbidly so,
to understand one another better J;
even to know the worst. This play
is not pleasant. In some respects
it is unpardonable. But it is psyche
logically correct.
x X y
The chief interest in the theater
is the battle for publicity control.
The custom of making news reports
a vehicle for discussion calculated to
invite sensational interest has given
press agency in some phases almost
the rank of legitimate journalism.
A recent magazine article entitled,
Dead Beating the Editors" is re-
ferred to in a leahet issued by the
Theatrical Press Representatives of
America. The pamphlet refers
touchingly to the sentiments of con-
fidence that have existed between
press agents and newspaper people,
vowing in bold righteousness that
this organization would instantly
discipline any member who would
violate this valued confidence ex-
tended by the press" No doubt, by
this time, the minutes of the organi-
cation contain page written in red
ink and bordered with black, excom-
municating about the highest SALE
aried press agent in New York, who
declared there was not a dramatic
critic in the town and then cited the
difhdent expostulations as proof of
his contention. The entire situation
resembles a melee with producing
managers fighting openly and from
ambush. The public cannot under-