Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-30

TINE English, 1t is said, regard oul
national shortcomings with ar
animosity unnatural to the ma
l. ternal instinct. Our juvenile
habits in business and the arts
often anger the mother land, and II
has been known to criticize severely our
speech, dress, hustle and etiquette
Even our battle manners have given
England cause for umbrage, and our
persisting as a selfish creditor is looked
upon as gauche. To mitigate this hos
| tility of parent to progeny many heal
ing influences are in motion, not the
least of which is the Theater Guild.
We have sent many plays, players and
cinemaS to London, but few OF them
have been able to toot the harmonious
peace bugles. The moving picture en-
baSsies, they say, have nisrepresented
us as race of sinners, addicted to muir
der, alcohol, sentimentalistS, sword
swallowing and tucking the napkin be-
meath the chin. Their efforts to i'm
prove the relationship between hearth
stone and prodigal have been, according
to the diplomats, uudiplomatic. Just
when all was ominouS for continuation
of the ill-feeling the Guild moved
"Porgv" to London. and followed that
maneuver by appointing Caprice" to
be another emissary of good will.
You will be delighted to know how
well the Guilds acting company" has
shown off in England. AS we say in
America, its performance Of Caprice"
took Fleet street as easily as Pershing
took Cantigny. The reviewers for the
daily newspapers welcomed the enter
tainment with all the glowing stereo-
typed terms of hurried Journalism, ac-
claiming it as everything from "effec-
tive" to worthy" Alfred Lunt'S art
did not enthuse the West End drama
lovers as violently as did that of his
wife, Miss LYNN Fontanne. She was
quite the heroine of the expedition.
Psalms were sung to her expatriate his
trionism, while her brilliant Wisconsin
helpmate. Mr.. Lunt, was dismissed, in
one gazette at least, as a "clever Finn"
The wisest critic of the drama since
Mr.. Walkley of the London Times
joined his fathers is, in my opinion,
liver Brown, as he writes leisurely for
the Saturday Review. In his comment
upon the Theater Guilds Caprice" he
sings sanely of Philip Moeller's magic
stage direction and Of the miraculous
efficiency OF the players in their excit-
ing grooves.
solemnity and solidity of structure, but
its Characterization is wittily profound.
and the portrait of the boy is a charm
ing study of young enchantment in the
opening world of adolescence. Douglas
Montgomery develops the picture BEAU
tifully, and Alfred Lunt is delicious in
the wise folly Of the lawyer. The mans
blend Of self-knowledge and self-love
of noble impulse and absurd weakness
are all made exquisitely manifest in the
mixture of a stiff carriage and a twink
ling eye. Miss Lynn Fontannes bril-
liant raillery and command of the still
alton are the right match for Mr.. Lunt
The partnership is very rich one, but
1t does not overweight the poi.e OF the
play. Every character has been filed
to the finest point of significance by
actor, author and producer. Nobody
who cares about the art of the theater
can afford to miss so rare an exhibit
ton of its pleasures. Fancy the 'talkies'
after this? The thought nauseates."