The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-02-17

thing. helps TO
Pedro make The Squalp'
a crossword puzzle. The playwright
knows that the mother stuff in a
great measure which made papa
and mommer a fact in "Abie's Irish
Rose" a box quality. has equal va '
when son gets much, papa fretS -
cause he does not and mamma tries
TO keep from knowing too E,uch
about her bow and papa. The play
wright has played his sex stuff ID a
rather clever way in The Squall'
He goes Just as far as he dareS with
out making a Mae West out Of such
a good human dramatic artist as
Blanche Yurka.
Here is a sex play done By suggcs-
ton and as fact. The writer is
darb at throwing English, which will
make one excited about bedroom
manners. He has conversation
about a youngster taking a frolic
at night with a gypsy dame while
she or he picks flowers under the
moonlight. That is al right until
his papa wants to do this same
thing. but hasn't the nerve. Prior
TO this discovery. papa has kicked
out of his house, because, he is
master, a servant. one Pedro,
because papa thought that this
servant had picked too many flowers
under the moonlight with this
gypsy dame.
The wife, Dolores, knows that
both her husband and her son are
lust both babies" and she realizes
that the wise thing is to keep EN-
Just babies, but nature and the
playwright will not tolerate such a
thing. So they both attempt their
arts with this gypsy girl.
So you have in The Squall' a
sex play that shows very little, but
builds up by clever conversation a
bunch OF water and a lot of dra-
matte hokum which is gigantic
theater.
THE Squall" was kept on view in
New York for many months by as
many tricks by the selling game as
the playwright uses in his play.
But the saving grace of this sex
bunk is the great artistry of Blanche
Yurka as the mother, who lets the
gypsy dame come into her home
and make a frolic companion of her
servant. her son and a possible
victim of her husband.
1t is when Miss Yurka faces the
facts of sex and as the mother
throws her voice into storm or a
definite invitation of a threat OF
battle that THE SqualI' becomes
gigantic theater. At times Miss
Yurka in her stormy but honest
scenes becomes a storm of revenge
to that extent of both suggestion
and fact that one thinks of the Won
derful Duse in THE Closed Door"
Blanche Yurka is doing the inn
possible with sex trick of a play.
She lifts it to the realm Of fine art
because it is great honest acting in
rather dishonest play.
can call attention to many mo-
ments of great acting on the part Of
Miss Yurka. Take the time when
she faces the gypsy girl, Nubi, and
tells this girl that the door of hos
pitality can close as easily as 1t
opened.
The Nubi of Suzanne Caubaye is
gorgeous theater. You will hate her
at all times and you will welcome
the sight of seeing her gypsy boss
put the whip to her body in the last
act. Nubi is incapable Of real love
and she only picks the strong male
flowers in the moonlight and she
will murder the mother" of those
flowers in time of stress and dis
covery. Miss Caubaye knows that
Nubi is female rat and plays her
as such. At times, even a snake with
burlesque tendencies. Great acting
in a criminal cat role on the part
Of Miss Caubaye.
Curtis Arnall is now the Pedro,
the servant who has the first chance
with the gypsy. He is good in his
big scene. Mervin Williams is the
worried sex son of Dolores and Jose.
Good work, even fine at times when
the playwright does not get too the
atrical. Lee Baker is the husband
of Dolores who paints the picture
Of the gypsy and calls it art. He is
jealous of all property that might be
called art or different. But he learns
his lesson. Mighty good, consistent
acting here.
Watch the comedy relief of Ida
Mule and Willard Tobias. Splendid
Others in the cast are good and even
more so.
OF course the storm in the first
act and the follow up in the second
act is probably the best that the
stage has seen.
Here is sex bunk theater gorgeous
ly done by Blanche Yurka and her
supporting cast and the storm.
At English'S tonight, Saturday
matinee and night.
= n
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VISITS "THUNDERBOLT"