Evening star., 1932-02-28

" eye in the direction of
"A. adversely, and, renewing
his struggles on behalf Of
the drama, presents play about
modern outlawry entitled The
Inside Story" He has been missed
since his overthrow by bankruptcy
at the beginning of the season,
and his return to activity is re-
garded by many as Symptomat1c
of livelier happenings in the the
ater. Mr.. Woods has suffered the
wreck of his fortunes gallantly, l
am told, viewing it in the fashion
of those lofty souls who can look
beyond viciSSitude and see fate
wreathed in rainbow smiles. Even
in the bleakeSt hours of his in
Solvency he was able to jest. For
instance, when it was time for him.
to distribute his Christmas largess
he mailed defunct Germany cur
rency to his creditors, and on each
note was written: This money
used to be good. So did show
business"
The play, treating of murder,
has much opposition in Broadway,
since 10 of the recent dramas are
founded on the habit of man
slaughter. 1t, however, is notable
in its school for the intricacy of
its principal crime. Whereas most
of its rivals are content to shoot,
stab or poison by the simplest of
methods, THE Inside Story kills
tortuously and with almost inhu-
man craftinesS. 1t makes homicide
an art, remarkable for its cum
ming knack of concealment. The
StrategemS and tactics of its chief
miscreant-a luxurious New York
gangster-amaze by their snake
like convolutions, and cause ordi-
nary aSSaSS1nationS to be looked
upon as humdrum. Ernest Trucks
scheme in "Whistling in the Dark"
is a good one. While an annoying
district attorney SlumberS in a
sleeping car his tube of toothpaSte
is distracted from his travelling
kit. After it has been tainted
with cyanide of potassium it is
returned to his reticule with the
expectation that upon its use the
next morning he will pass away
without trace. In BLACK Tower"
the loony murderer's procedure of
destruction is to freeze the arteries
of his victim with embalming
fluid. Black magic, I believe, is
employed in "Trick for Trick" to
erase the villain from the play.
But in the others, Mourning Be
comes Electra" Monkey" THE
Fatal Alibi," Blessed Event" IF
Booth Had Missed" and Ten
Nights in a Bar Room" the re-
movals are achieved with no re-
freshing innovations.
~
WHEN Louis Carrotta in The
wv Inside Story" embarkS on an
errand of depopulation he medi-
tates on means by which he will
escape punishment. A tall, well
dressed, reptilian racketeer in the
person of Louis Calhern, he is a
power in State and municipal
governments. Desiring to be rid
of two acquaintanceS whose exist
ence irritateS him, he presses some
buttons in his voluptuouS fiat and
sets the lethal machinery in opera
tion. First he permits one of them
to escape from Sing Sing, whittier
he has been railroaded on an un-
just charge of forgery. With split
second calculations he arrangeS
for the fugitive to arrive at Nick
BernStein'S room in the ParkSide
Hotel at the instant that Bernstein
is eXterminated by a gun shot.
Also that he himself and an hon
est captain of police will reach the
scene a moment later and con-
front the innocent fellow with
undeniable evidence of his guilt.
The situation seems a perfect
thing in the way of cogWheel alibi,
and you may be aStounded when
eventually it fails to work.
All the familiar paraphernalia
of urban vice plays is utilized in
"The Inside Story'-the masterful
crime king; his courtiers rough
and smooth; good reporter and
a bad one; a weak Governor and
his son-in-law; a weak district
attorney; an unctuouS boss of
politics; a golden-haired baby girl,
and a SHINING though noble lady
who Is the instrument of retribu-
tion at the last. They are dove
tailed efficiently, however, as are
the episodes of the play, which
move quickly, but without haste.
1t Is o vivid bit Of theatrical