Evening star., 1933-09-24

Mr.. Gleckler is now in Heat Light
ning," the new filling station drama at
the Booth, acting as a persuasive viper
in whose makeup there are few atoms
Of admirable quality. Just rat with
nerve and hypnotic leer, graceful
manner of moving about and the stage
criminals gift of brittle humor. No
one, you think, could be as completely
wicked as this fellow, not even a kid
naper, yet as Mr.. Gleckler proceeds
deftly to create him before your eyes
you are convinced. Often have I sus-
pected the Drama of having bad in
fuences on its patrons, feeling that
many Of us might have been better men
and women had We not been con-
taminated by its associations. From
Mr. Checkers performance you may
derive an urge to break into a bank,
kill thrifty cashier, betray a lady or
steal Reno nymph's jewels, so easily
and with such enjoyment does he con-
secrate these crimes in Heart Light
ming And when at the stopping
place Miss Jean Dixon's pistol makes
fatal holes in his steel entrails. emo
tions of regret are liable to depress
you.
If it is a fact that evil associations
are corruptive. what peril must Mr.
Gleckler be in, and other vicarious
cronies Of Old Nick. In case it is true
that the Drama is influential as guide
to human conduct, how worried We
should be that Mr. Gleckler, a valu-
able friend to theatrical entertainment.
Is exposed to its dangers, and might
be tempted by contact with his roles
to abondon art and become desperado
Mr.. Booth, it is said, alternated per-
NJ To y,l
that one or the other would get into
his blood. have heard such pro-
found, Freudian students Of Hollywood
as Mr.. Watts. Mr.. Winchell, Mr.. Cohen
and Mr.. YawitZ express the belief that
were 1t not for the toxic influence of
their feverish characteriZations, the
artists and artistes Of the cinema would
be less loose. shifting and panoramic as
wives, sweethearts, husbands and low
ers. I know nothing about Mr.. Gleck-
ler's private life 1t may be that be-
tween seasons he tends sheep on a
Long Island pasture, or sings in a
church choir or teaches bands Of Boy
Scouts how to tell the wild flowers.
Perhaps he collects postage stamps and
loves the poems of Longfellow; never
drives his automobile faster than the
constables allow. and would rather hear
the chirp Of cricket than the bark Of
a pistol. The idea of living a life of
dishonesty and bloodshed and dying
with his boots on might be repulsive to
Mr.. Gleckler Still. if he continues to
get close to these -veined rascals
he may weaken and fall, and eventually
60 out and shoot an actor or a critic
Heat Lightning" is a report Of an
unusual day or two in a desert filling
station run by two pretty sisters. Miss
Jean Dixon and Miss Emily Loury.
There is lot of sex in it and the
atmosphere of Wild West romance and
murder. In it you can see Miss Dixon,
in the third act, leaning over her lunch
counter and shooting Mr.. Checker, for
no very great reason, through the abdo-
men; and Mr.. Gleckler taking it
pluckily. Before that you can see Miss
Dixon and Mr.. Gleckler, as oldtime
Oklahoma lovers, in rather relentless
scene of passion. with the strong wom-
an being vanquished, as usual, by the
tricky man. The production is one of
George Abbott's complete and silly con-
trivances, and therefore runs easily.