Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-17
Good Acting In Extraordinary
Abundance.
By Ph'1ander johnson.

A SEASON rather productive
IA in play material has made pos
sble A reversion to something like
the old stock company, when players
of distinction were available for
minor roles and the technical term
star" had to be earned by eXtraor-
binary merit combined with fair
share Of good fortune The alI-star
cast in which that disting uiShed
shingtonian. George {. Tyler. de-
lights to specialize. is closely related
? to the stock company in securing a
general proficiency in casting. Only
a dearth OF star-supporting plays
could account for the possibility OF
assembling such a company as now
appears in Close Quarters.
The motion picture also has an as
semb1agc of shining lights IN
Clothes Make the Pirate calculat-
ed to make the average single star
production look like rather lightly
equipped enterprise.
4 very good old play. "Demi-
y
served as the basis OF the production
which came into being rapidly. al
most spontaneously. as in the case
OF so many Tyler undertakings. The
material was available and the ques-
ton. Why not?' a favored motto
OF this adventurous. yet calculating.
manager More and more the the
alter has concerned itself with actors
and less and less with plays. Au-
thors have, in some instances. en-
deavored to employ for themselves
the same billboard methods upon
which the actor depends. but the
men who produce the real material
are not. a. rule. ostenta t1ously con-
cerned with their own picturesque
ness. A tendency to self-ettacement
has distinguished such writer's as
that wonderfully reliable producer,
Booth Harrington, and the man who
modernized Close Quarters A. +.
Thomas. The dizziness with which
touches OF smart modernity arc
given to a theme which served the
turn of many an emotional actress
is admirable
The story of the woman with a
past. truly loved Tor the first time
in her life and sent TO despair be
cause OF the memorable social bar
rier. might seem in this sophisticated
era scarcely comprehensive in its
pathos 1t is scarcely possible TO
turn a dozen pages OF print without
finding some intimatlon that the
conservative scheme OF society has
broken down, and that any code of
morals is largely matter of indivld-
ualistic option. Yet along comes
this old story with perfectly COM
prchensiblc appeal both to sympathy
and understanding for the large au-
diences which were suspected OF
having outgrown appreciation for
anything more subtle than musical
farce or the Charleston.
Part of the appreciation is neces-
sarily due to the fine bit Of mocha
nism that has been so swiftly per
fected i'll this organization There
is sometimes a trace of resentment
when a player who has established
himself on certain lines as domi-
nant iavorite is presented in what
seems contrbutory capacity. There
Is very little impression of this
kind in what has even more right
to be classified as an allstar cast
than that which played School
for Scandal" Wallace Eddinger, al
though playing only the role OF the
good-natured, meddlesome friend.
highly essential to this type OF
drama. but usually rather thankless,
has not been seen TO more delight
full advantage in long time. Effie
Shannon. after long and serious
acquaintance. reveals suddenly that
she has a most charming capacity
for vivacious comedy. Elsie Fer
guson contributed no surprise. Her
role is OF the type in which she is
most congcnially placed. 1t is cen
ter Of interest. and the test OF abll-
i,v was far greater in her case than
in the performance OF traditional
emotional star who permitted the
presence OF good leading man. but
very little other possible rivalry i'll
claims upon an audiences admiriug
attention. Miss Ferguson, i'll holding