The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-01-21

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Shylocks until George Arilss
Monday night George Arliss unques-
tionably took his place with them.
His performance was vastly super
ior to the recent performance of
David Warfield, whose Shylock never
seemed to rise above a caricature of
an East Side pawn broker, and far
transcends the performances of E. H.
Southern or Robert B. Mantell.
Of the Shylocks of Booth and Irv-
ing this reviewer can rely only upon
the reports of their contemporaries.
OF the great Shylocks only the per-
Torrance of Richard Mansfield-sar-
donic, cynical, scholarly, technically
masteriy-is within our memory.
In the scene where the Jew de-
nounces the Christians as slave hold
ers and hypocrites, Arliss was remin-
iscent of Mansfield, while his utter
detection at the close of the trial scene
before Portia sounded note of des-
pair that cannot be surpassed. Most
actors overdo this scene and have re-
course to grotesque wailing or rant
ing. No such note marred the per-
formance of Arliss.
The achievement is particularly
noteworthy inasmuch as it is the first
Shakespearean role Arliss ever acted
since he became a star, although he
had long years of Shakespearean
training in British companies before
he first came to America as leading
man for Mrs. Fiske in a series of
Ibsen plays.
The play itself is of historical in
terest, because it is one of the few
well-known plays written by Shakes
peare that has for it's chief roles
characters other than royalty or no.
bility. The loan-monger is depicted
as an INSCRIPTIONS, revengeful crea-
ture, while the merchants are por-
trayed as of higher calibre, although
they are berated for their slave-hold-
ing practices in satiric lines placed
in the mouth of the Jew. Shakes
peare, the feudal dramatist, takes as
his theme a struggle between the
merchant capitalists and the loan
mongers-both a part of the rising
bourgeoisie-and makes play of it.
His sarcastic references to each of
these new classes reveals the con-
tempt in which tradesmen and money
lenders were held by the declining no.
bility of the feudal system.
Usually "The Merchant of Venice
is a dull play because Of the inability
of modern performers to handle it.
In the hands of George Arliss and
his company, however, it is one OF
the best productions now on Broad
way.
Next to the performance of Arliss
was that of his leading lady, Peggy
Wood, only recently musical comedy
star. Her Interpretation of Portia
placed her, at one stroke, in the front
ranks of American actresses. Always
an excellent actress, the role of Por-
tia gives her an opportunity to dis
play some of her remarkable talents
to better advantage than heretofore.
AS Antonio, Leonard Wiley, was
rather stilted and seemed somewhat
uncomfortable in Shakespearean re-
gala, while the Bassanio of Murray
Kendall was far from convincing,
probably also owing to his unfamil-
iarity with Shakespearean roles,
Also effective was the work of Hope
Cary as Jessica, the daughter of Shy
lock.
The weak points in the prcsenta-
tion at the Broadhurst Theatre are
conspicuous because of the high stan
dard of the cast in general. Arliss
is not one of those stars who sur
rounds himself with fourth raters in
order that he may shine more bril-
liantly, but has always appeared with
the most competent support avail
able. His Merchant Of Venice" is no
exception to his practice.
H. NJ. W.
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