Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-20

- have awakened after a 20
year nap. But whether he
did or he didn't, What is
known as the regular theatrical
season opened its eyes and found
a capacity audience at the Ma
tional last Monday evening to
great Glenn Hunter in the Myron
Pagan comedy, peter Flies High.
1t was a friendly audience, thor
oughly disposed to be happy, de-
spite the fact that a reluctant
Summer seemed to have Stran-
glehold on the neck Of a weak and
faltering Fall. It poured out real
enthusiasm in its greeting Of the
star, and more than repeated at
the appearance OF each familiar
face in the cast as Mr.. Pagan
crowded them into the small iv-
ing room Of the set TO develop the
small characters ad lib in an effort
to introduce the Peter OF the play.
1t was a Send-oh that couldn't
have turned out better IL Its Spe-
cial duty had been to triumphant-
~ celebrate the recapture Of the
stage from the wicked movie and
to restore the conquered road to
the theater legitimate Through
out the evening, between m0pS
with the handkerchiefS welded by
the thousands there, came the
sounds of laughter, occasional ap-
plauSe and sometimes pauseS Of
establishment, for Mr.. Pagan, un-
der his own personal supervision,
had prepared everything for a
gala evening except his play. He
had evidently failed to look over
that before the final test of pub
lie performance.
"pETER FLIES HIGH" Is an adj
mirable title for the story
pleasant little theatrical hit, with
a new and different characterize
ton for Mr.. Hunter to add to his
galaxy in the dramatic hall OF
fame, were it not for Mr.. Fagan'S
evident oversight. Had he but
Just taken an hour or so of and
re-read his script, surely he would
have discovered that the too
much talk the sympathetic audi
ence complained of was mostly in
his first act, and due entirely to
the fact that he developed all his
minor characters therein while
supposedly trying to give an idea
of Peters makeup. Also he would
certainly not have permitted the
declaration Of "the sea rescue of
the family of the mayor of Miami"
to follow "the dog fight" when
they were identical in character,
and the latter served only to kill
the telling effect of the former.
Mr.. Pagan has play left to him.
self in peter Flies High" If he
cares to put a journeyman's hour
or two to the task OF remodeling
It a bit. The story is good enough
and Glenn Hunter, by magnificent
effort, established himself gen.
uine reScuer while you wait, in
spite of his playwright. But he
was fully warranted in faltering
when the old mortgage on the
family homestead cropped up so
brazenly right on top Of the Miami
sea rescue. A play doctor, it
seemed, might have remedied the
trouble in less time than 1t takes
to tell about 1t. Doubtless, 1t has
been done by now. But 'twere well
that it were done quickly.
T OVERS of the legitimate drama
some time ago lost faith in
titles. And there are times when
it seems that they lose faith in
critical laudation as well. So
often has mothers wonderful
child" turned out to be sQualling
brat Of high temper and vicious
impulses that "baby darling
doesn't have the same appeal to
the SympathieS it once had. This
fact, combined with the suspicion
that the great writer's of the the
alter have turned to improving
their style, while the poor ones
founder beyond their depth, ac-
counts largely, it Is believed, for
the fact that the field of theatre
cal review has been abandoned to
the SaucineSS Of frivolity bent
upon having good time with the
pitiful. Perhaps this is why the
rich world of mimicry appears to
be lying fallow in the current Fall
season and explains why the the
ater Is not yet all dressed up and
ready to 60.
*#
THE past week offered two no
table instances in which the
talking picture failed, possibly, in
its attempt to reproduce Iegiti-
mate drama, or TO furnish some
thing Just as good. The exquisite
work of Eleanor Robson, way back
in 1904, In Israel Zangwill'f
pathetic comedy romance, Mere
~ Mary Ann" perhaps fell short
OF its duplication, according to this