Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-17

The excellent photoplay version of
Ferenc Molnar's "Liliom," playing at a
local theater to small audiences, calls
renewed attention to the large book
containing 20 of his plays which was
published in June. 1929, in the languages
OF their countries, in Budapest, Berlin,
Rome, London and New York The
Vanguard Press were the United States
publishers.
This is volume which every play
lover should own, and which very few
do, we believe. It was one of the books
published last year worth the price of
IS. Twenty complete plays of such q
master as Molnar are worth that much
of any mans money any day.
Molnar, If he were just q little bit
better. would be q greater playwright
than Shakespeare. Lacking that small
extra something" he ranks below him,
along with the other writer's Of plays
who somehow never seem to achieve
quotable lines.
Maurice Maeterlinck wrote some
startlingly effective plays, plays which
gripped both the person who saw them
performed and the reader who read
them in book form. Yet not one of
them ever contained a line which one
felt the urge to underline as he read.
Perhaps we put too much stress on
the "quotability" of stage speeches. We
are convinced, however, that in this
matter lies one of the secrets of the
difference between essential greatness
and near-greatne6s, or even greatness
Of another SOFT. Shakespeare possessed
no such mastery Of stage technique. Of
entrances and exits, az belongs either
to Molnar or O'NeNl. He will, however.
be played long after their plays are
forgotten.
shall we not say that Molnar, in his
"Lilliom' is more true to life than
Shakespeare? None of his characters
spouts ITO be, or not to be, that is the
question" because In real life people
never talk so. DO they? Never yet
has a man or woman of any ones ac-
quaintance been heard to launch forth
into blank verse which contains word
formations well worth remembering and
hauling forth on the appropriate occa-
sion. You will find such purple pages"
only in Shakespeare. That Is why he
Is Shakespeare, Of course.
y y
''Liliom" Is one of the worlds most
beautiful plays: perhaps that explains
why the theater was not half full the
afternoon we were there. 1t is a sad
reflection upon the tastes of "talkie"
goers that such q well handled film
version, sticking 30 close to the play.
should not have played to crowded
houses.
This play is only sordid for those who
choose to see sordidness. In reality 1t
Is an eternal statement of womans love
for man, a love which no man ever
deserved, but which most receive, as
Liliom received 1t from Julie. The
tribute of tears which the motion pic
ture wrung from every woman's eye In
the audience was not so much in praise
Of the actors and the directors work
as for the understanding heart and
mind of the playwright.
Molnar Is one Of the most curious
fellows in the world today. Always
getting his name into international
news on account of his affairs with
women, he writes plays which some
how show women that he understand"
them pretty well.
There has been q great deal Of bosh
written for centuries about how no
man can understand q woman, but
there have been plenty Of writing men
who understand them, as well as any
either male or female.
The understanding of Ferenc Molnar
Ia not on the surface Of his words, but
beneath them, far below in the very
inception Of his ideas. David Belasco
spoke of his quick apprehension alike
OF the humor and the pathos OF human
experience, keen sympathy with the
Wretched and miserable"
OF "Lilliom," Louis Rittenberg IN his
critical introduction to the book OF