The Washington times., 1930-09-23
FIRST SUBSCRIPTION PLAY FOR D. G.
LENORE ULRIC STARS
IN PAGAN LADY,
'By ANDREW R. KELLEY

WAnA1lklBgOAl AACW oCHoOA "a eAAN
legitimate theater opened with a
close to capacity audience at the
National last night. Lenore Uric
was the star in the first perform
ance of Pagan Lady" q free
spoken drama by William Dubois.
The inevitable comparison be-
tween this opus which tells Of q
young evangelist's struggle to re-
sist the call Of the fleshpots, will
be with Sadie Thompson and her
memorable conflict with the Rev.
Davidson In Rain" or the less
renowned clash between faith and
morals 1imned in Keable's Simon
Called Peter" In such dress
parade the new drama Is rear
rank.
AS presented last night Pagan
Lady" is loosely written and
clumsily contrived play with a
dramatic third act that presents
the real moments Of value for the.
Lenore Uric talents. Before that
an eager audience sits through
two Stanzas Of spotty interest
awaiting with some anticipation
the early indicated towering scene
when the holy man must choose
between the lure of the siren and
the urge for the pulpit. The eli
matte denouement is sturdy
enough to win a round Of cur
tain calls as Dot Hunter shouts,
"Slay 'en Baby" to the departing
evangelist, but two dull acts have
gone before.
Dot Hunter as played by Miss
Uric is the attractive and wise
cracking i1amorata of Dingo
Mike who makes his headquarters
in a small town Florida hotel. To
this hosiery comes Malcom Todd,
an elderly evangelist and mis-
youthful nephew, Ernest Todd.
being trained to carry on in the
ministry. One sight Of the seduc-
tive Dot is enough to raise a
doubt In the mind Of young Todd
as to whether he is fitted to be
a leader in the revival. He sue
cumbS to the charms Of the JeZa.
bel and thereafter is torn between
the pleadings of his uncle to re-
turn to the paths Of virtue and
his yearningS to go on to a more
worldly future with Dot. When
Dingo Mike returns after one Of
his business ventures the issue for
Dot is bootlegging or evangelism.
She elects the life where the wise.
crack Is the favored speech.
The Uric role is studded with
the prevailing type Of Broadway
witticiSm. do you realize that
I know everything" says the
elderly Rev. Todd. "At your age
you ought to-" retorts Dot. This is
a sample Of the flip writing but
it seemed to me Playwright Du-
Bois has sacrificed convincing
dialogue in this studied effort to
compete with the contemporary
columniStS. Indeed one or two
Of the lines challenge Mae West
at her dirtiest.
Lenore Uric makes q beguiling
and revealing figure in the mod
ern bathing suit and the char.
acter of Dot Hunter became a
believable symbol Of loose morals
when endowed with the acting
graces at command Of this
star. Splendid assistance is given
by Franchot Tone who plays
Ernest Todd. by Thomas Findlay
as the elderly evangelist, and Leo
Donnelly contributed creditable
characte cterization as DR.. Heath.
Adequate describes kindly the re-
mainder Of the cast.
In the necessary revision Of
Pagan Lady," the prepoSterous
Tola, an imbecilic peeping Tom
might well be dropped as a super
fluous character who merely clut-
ters UP the plot and the at
tempted vamping Of the haraSSed
Todd by Dots rival impressed me
as an obvious piece. Of play pad
ding with a wholly counterfeit
ring.
The action Of Pagan Lady"
occurs In a single setting showing
the veranda Of the Hotel Chata-
qua, In a tourist town on the
coast of Florida.