Putnam patriot., 1928-10-18
In the Theatre

 | theatre going, for while the new sea- son has not yet produced anything which will make theatrical history, what has appeared so far is by no means lacking in interest.
 If. from the productions that we have seen, we were asked by some Windham County visitor, what Go see at the play, we would list the pro- ductions somewhat as followss--
 'Machinal'
 ''The High Roadv
 "Gentiemen of the Press"
 "The Big Pond"
 'sThe Front Page"-twith reserva- tionsl.
 The season is rich in musical pro auctions. Of the favorites that re- main we continue to recommend that every good American see .Show Boat" still playing at the Ziegfeld Theatre. Of the new musicals that we have seen we recommends
 "The New Moon"
 Good Boy"
 And if you should be in town and want to see a good movie we urge you all means to see first of all. Emil Jannings in "The Patriot" If ever there was a movie that justified the existence of the movies. this is the one. Here is picture that is worthy of the theatre at it's best.
 And now to explain why. in men tioning "The Front Page" we brack- eted it's title with reservations" When we saw this first pronounced hit of the season we were with party of men. We had dined well s:sa. shir ssHhir raucous vulgarity of the piece amused us. But last week, in the habit of the inevitable theatre goer we saw the piece again and this time with a party of ladies and gentlemen. We revised our opinion of Mir. Harris play of newspaper life. It provided an uncomfortable evening and, on second sight, we came to the conelu- sion that 1t is not too good theatre at that. Charles Macarthur and Ben Hecht, writers of the piece, have taken good idea and elaborately clothed it in "wise cracks" and ob- scenity. As result packed houses roar with laughter and applause. Not in the least squeamish about the thea tre in general, "The Front Page" makes us wonder just how far the tainlv. the authors of "The Front Page" have ventured far. To describe it as Rabclaisian in dialogue is being gentle and mild. ''The Front Page" should be advertised. like the old time hootchy kootchy dances at the county fair as For Men Only" Don't take your mother or your sister or vour sapling daughter.
 What we consider the most inter- esting production of the new season is "Machinal" produced at the Ply mouth Theatre by Arthur Hopkins "Machinap" is in two acts and ten scenes. Its manufactured name COW CTS the story of young woman caught in the machinery of modern life. She married, to get away from the monotony of business, a laugh- ing Babbitt, meets lover, kills her husband, reveals her crime on the wit ness stand and goes to the electric chair lt is not the story of the play SO much as it's method of writing. it's presentation and the superb act ing of a new star, Miss Zitta Johann, which makes ''Machinal," to us far and away the most interesting of all the seasons productions.
 English Bad Manners
 "The High Road" is one of those English comedies that began back in the days of Sir Arthur Wing Pinero. lt is the work of Mir. Lonsdale who wrote Aren't We All2" and "The Last Of Mrs. Cheney" and is played by as fine an all-English cast as has ever graced n production But "The High Road' is pretty poor stuff. The play opens in one of those English ' country houses where circle of la- | dies and gentlemen of title are sit | ting about being extremely rude to one another. The son of the house has become engaged to an actress, an outmoded situation that belongs ! to the days of the late lamented Vic | toria the Good When the actress i appears she comes down center and | all of the circle concentrate their bad manners on her. At the end of the three acts she has discarded the heir and fallen in love with the head of the elan, whom she also discards that he may marry the lady of his first choice. The play is saved by two situations Of romance beautifully E played by Miss Edna Best and Mir. Herbert Marshall. Frederick Kerr gives portrayal of a grumpy old peer that is the foremost character draw ing of the season.
 Frenehmen in Ohio
 The Big Pond" presents no prob |em of ethics or manners. lt is a nlnnsanf lilfIn nln.r nhnrt !. .........I