Evening star., 1927-04-11
pFr .AsCO--'T,ove Is Lie That .


A puzzled irst.night audience at the
Relasco last night saw Basil Rath-
bone and Charles Richman move
through two acts Of scheduled three
act farce-comedy to the almost com
plete subnaergenee of the other actors.
The new comedy drama is entitled
"Love Is Like That" With the play
apparently ended, loose strings OF
tangled lives dangling in the air, psy-
chology, romance and unreGuited love
mixed in loose-j jointed fashion, this
YUgzled audience came back to see
the actors run through a third act,
which although it did not materially
relieve an involved situation, gave
Mr., Rathbone an admirable and ad-
sairably accepted opportunity to por-
try the passionate lovemaking of a
Russian prince.
Technically the play might have
ended at the close of the second act.
Last nights audience thought so, for
watches showed it to be the usual
ending time. But some vague hint
that all was not over kept half the
audience seated, while the remainder
put on hats and cloaks and trooped
out into the lobby, to be recalled by
a quick-witted announcer. 1t was an
unusual experience in the modern the
ater to find that interest should be
sustained to the end of a second act
in such fashion that half an audi
ence believes the play is ended.
Light In plot, vet brimming over
with tensity and the interplay of hui
man impulses, Love Is Like That"
leaves a good taste; a taste of repressed
and elegant acting that converts a sit
,F.1-
which pleases with its impression of
sincerity. Aristocracy in its ultimate
is played against shirt sleeve democ-
racy; style and manner of the Conti-
mental air clash with the bluntness of
American business; the entire piece is
interviewer with smart comedy
Through it all appears the we'll man.
aged artistry of Mr.. Rathbone, on the
one hand, the supporting grace of Mr..
Richman on the other, not forgetting
the sincere efforts of Ann Davis. The
play hinges around the love of Cas-
sandra Hopper, daughter Of a wealthy
American, for her boyhood friend. who
has had an affair with the much-naar-
1ied New York vamp, Kay Gurlitz,
convincnigly done by Catherine Will
lard. On her way home from Europe,
where she has gone in an attempt to
forget nef love Tor Graham DelanO,
Cassandra prevents the would-be sui
eide of a mysterious Russian prince.
She brings him through the silzen
strings of immigration and customs
and drops him in the lap of her tar
tistic" mother, who provides for him a
studio apartment as one of her toys
The prince, quite frankly seeking an
American heiress, obligingly becomes
engaged to Kay Gurlitz, relieving the
situation where Delano is concerned.
but only intensifying it when he ad-
mits himself in love with his youthful
rescuer and benefactress. To relieve
himself from the obligation of marry.
ing the much-married lady, he repre-
sents himself as a valet to the prince
he really is, and, believing this will
bring about a confession of love for
himself alone, sets about to win Cas-
sandra. She, however, the recollec-
tions of years tumbling about in her
mind, confesses a liking, but not love.
and the air castles of the prince topple
about his ears in a whirl of admitted
love for Delano by Cassandra.