The Washington times., 1928-12-26
'GLEANINGS
SCREENINGS
By ANDREW R. KELLEY

Is the CFltlCdl ulSNuS0lOh IL
arouses and the number of
people who feel they are better
equipped to analyze the Eugene
O'Neill play and its purpose
than the other fellow.
In the lobby chit-chat Sunday
night | overheard a business
man of substantial rating say
that he did not like the play
because it was too dirty.
His companion gave him one
of those patronizing looks, as
though, O'Neill fashion, he was
musing: "This fellow is mid
Victorian: he doesn't know any
thing"
"Of course, it's little free
speaking. But it's life," he
finally deigned to reply. But
the every appearance was of
sorrow for his companions
ignorance.
Now it is possible that many
who see and hear Strange In
terlude" may find some of its
unveneered frankness a little
shocking. Though am not a
member of the Oldest Inhabi-
tants, / can remember when
the word "hell'' was a daring
expletive, even on the burlesque
stage. Gradually the higher
priced comedians began to use
the word and now, ! am told,
it causes no particular raising
of eyebrows when blurted out
in the best Chevy Chase draw
ing rooms. The low-down, COM
mon garden variety of profanity,
which came into being for stage
purposes with what Price
Glory" has made "hell" almost
respectable.
Eugene O'Neill has never at
tempted in his plays TO saccha-
rify ugly situations or dialogue.
A generation ago most of his
plays would probably never have
been permitted a public per-
formance until the censors had
worked major operation on
what would have been rated
glaring indecency.
The world, including the thea
ter audience, is growing more
tolerant, if not better. In the
process of attaining liberality
land freedom of expression, the
stage has progressed in frank
dialogue to the point where
many construe it as license. As
an interested observer of the
change / can only report that
nv shock absorbers now re-
auire a mountain-sized bump
before | can reach the heights
of indignation. There are. !
suspect, many other regular
play-goers who feel the same
way.
But those who fail to recog-
nize a vigorous minority opinion
are shutting their eyes on the
truth. The New York Theater
Guild observes this condition
AMI, unless / am mistaken, you
will not find Boston on the
road tour of Strange Inter-
lude."
The superiority complex as
sumed by others who have seen
"Interlude" is amusing. Il en-
loved it but it was over the
heads of most of them," sum-
marizes the manner and opinion.
Why Interlude" should be
over the head of anybody who
has passed through the gram
mar grades is difficult of COM
prehension. The spoken thoughts
are as plain as daylight. The
dialogue is in everyday English.
The philosophy is not pro-
found. The action is con-
ventional. Anybody who has
never heard of Freud or Met
sche is capable of understand
ing all of its fine points.
Why then this SNUG, self
satisfied air of superiority and
this condescension to the aver
age play-goer? Because they
discovered O'Neill was a great
playwright long before he be-
came the. most successful one
of the day, in other words,
developed mass appeal?
1t is time for the O'Neill fol-
lowers to drop the high hat at
titude. There are too many
brown derbies in the O'Neill
audiences and the beavers are
as old-fashioned as high-laced
boots on a 1923 flapper.
Tom Powers, who plays
"Charlie Marsden" in the New
York company of "Interlude,"
directed the production at the
National Theater. | think he
will probably be surprised then
to know that Charlie" as played
by Ralph Morgan, inspired the
heartiest laughter of the Sunday
night performance each time the
lines called for reference to his
mother. And why this should
be unless it was Mr.. Morgan's
pointing of the lines to arouse
comedy | cannot understand.
Incidentally the Morgan inter-
probation was pitched through
out in much more vehement
and explosive method than that
employed by Mr.. Powers. And
was infinitely less effective, in
the opinion Of one who observed
both performances.
By the same token | think
that the Ned Darrell of Harry
Bannister with the road COM
pany is degrees better than that
of Warburton Gamble of the
original troupe. Pauline Lord
insnires q certain comn1isera-