Evening star., 1925-10-18
Drama, Well Done or Raw
By Ph,1ander johnson.

The real dramatic season Of 25-26
still INDUCES in lengthy prologue.
Suggestions OF what is to come are
of cred. but in most cases they pass
as Suggc stiOnS merely and make no
enduring contribution The Fas-
siouate Prince" throws out the init
nation that the New York pro-
duCcrs still have the >heik drama on
their minds There Will no doubt. be
a number OF them in spit" OF the
fact that so many. as this one does.
make All early dash to the store
house. The manner III which the
theater reaches 1or new idea and
proceeds to hammer it to death
conpelS sheer pathos to do duty in
stead OF either Wit or humor.
x = Z =
There was a great deal OF friendly
ipClination toward The Passionate
Prince" because OF the association OF
Robert II. Davis in its authorship.
Davis has pilotcd MANY a writer to
popular success III tho magazines.
He has the discriminating faculty
which enables him TO suggest a turn
here or there which will give story
lust the proper clement OF suspense
He is. in fact. an editor and pro-
moter. His association with Mr..
Achmed Abduliah promised that he
would take the benefit OF his own
technical skill on original lines.
From distance the PLAYS looks too
much AbduIlah and not enough
Davis. with. incidentally. an over
whcIming element OF self-conscious-
ness which would seem almost inevi-
table in connection with the super
iative male faSCinationS attributed by
the plot 10 It's leading character.
x x X
We have been through harsh
times Illusions have been shattered
The experiences OF the last decade
have destroyed many polite hctons.
Il will be many year before that
delicate creation OF the press agents
imagination. the so-callcd matinee
actor. will be revived TO a re>ponSl-
blli,v which permits him TO be pro
claimed. even III the big type OF
the hiIibOardS. as the la.iCs fayO-
rite" This was done in the case OF
a handsome actor who played IN
The Still Alarm"
);
There IS an amusing story told II
connection with that Still Alarm
production. An CnthttSia site Young
reporter who was specializing on
fires made a dash for An engine
which was Changing wildly down
PENNSYLVANIA avenue, where traffic
rccula atiOns were al that time quite
II ~ ~
step. What arc you doing" asked
the driver. I'm going to the fire" "
There amt no fire. This is an
advertisement for The Still Alarm.
The reporter. who was one OF the
most popular men III newspaper CIR
clcs. made himself at home. never
thelcSs. got A good story out of his
own discontinue and was so adj
nired for his enthusiasm that the
producer Of the show endeavored to
persuade him TO JOIN his forces Is a
publicity man. He declared that III
view OF the line. ladies favorite,' he
couldn't take TIE job because he d
pc tempted to forget the title Still
Alarm" and write it False Alarm.
An actoe is not personally respon-
sible for tke methods OF his eXploita-
ton. as a rule There is no artistic
hardship greater than that OF being
compelled to pose as an example OF
irresistible male destinations. The
task grows harder as the public
grows less impreS SSionable. and there
is perhaps no more difficult ordeal
for a PLAYER than to try without the
assistance OF any poctical expires sion
whatever to break into the modern
scene as rough-and-ready Romeo.
!; K
is Zat So?" made po'it- recog-
nition of this National Capitals
metrorolistic strides and gave it
fortnight season instead OF treating