Evening star., 1933-11-14


Lee Shubert has dallied so long with
"A Trip to Pressburg," a play which
for some reason was bowling Euro
pean success, and which last night
American Theater Society patrons saw
as their seasons fourth play at the
National. 1t Is bright only in its pro-
logue and in its finale, and its subject
cannot be said to be anything but un-
pleasant. Although Mr.. Shubert has
seen fit to mount it handsomely. giving
1t one of those hugely expensive re-
volving stages, and although 1t Is
played magnificently by at least two
members of its cast-Ciarence Derwent
and Eduardo Ciannelli-it is q mourn
full chronicle of unsung people, giving
you only a mild case of the jitters
after you. have left 1t behind.
Travelling to Pressburg, the authors
tell you--the six. who have revised 1t
since 1t first came to this country--is
not synonomous with pleasure trips to
yo e ao this spoa WOW
doing so only because you are a shady
lady and are ending your days In
comparative comfort with other sisters
of your nk.
In this case a countess, actually the
one-time wife of a hotels head waiter
Clarence Derwent) and who is on heI
way to this doubtful seclusion, runs into
her ex-husband, as also his young
brother. an idealistic youth, who loves
her at sight with such fury that he
leaves his Job, filches some OF the banks
money and prepares to depart with her
for some haven Of pleasure. When he
finds out that she was merely having q
last kind of a fling with him, and that
she wants him to return to where he
came from, he mutters mkind threats,
and as she is about to leave him for
ever. tosses her angrily into the waters
of the Blue Danube.
What seems at fault with the play Is
the lack Of fineSse with which the CEN
tral character has been drawn. She Is
not the heroine that 1t Is to be sup
posed she was On continental soil
doesn't reveal herself as much of q
martyr when she trips of on that boat,
leaving her boy friend to pick himself
up as best he can. You don't really
care two fiddlesticks where she goes,
since she has done her best to spoil the
character Of rather decent lad.
Actually. then, the central character
is the boy-not the lady. And when
he lies dead In. the room of the Excel
sior Hotel, you feel that he has suf-
fered good deal rather needlessly, and
that until the play has been rewritten
again, he might have spared himself all
that trouble.
Richard Whorf played poor Carl last
night with gentlemanliness and finesse.
lacking, however, the continental graces
which we imagine such characterize
tion should require. And others who
did we'll were Jane Bramwen and Char
lotte Andrews, both of whom were un-
fortunately yanked out of sight after
the first brief prologue.
** r,
TT Is to be regretted that Washing
: tonisns are passing up one Of the
best films of the season: While THE
Prizefighter and the Lady" is no
literary or cinematic classic, 1t is first
rate entertainment and something
which, II you are fond OF the films.
should positively be seen. Curiously
enough ladies-for whom this film was
fashioned-are staying away from it.
Knowing only that its hero is a broad
chested gentleman who has won his
fame by his fists, they seem to imply
that they will be shocked by its brutal
ity and made sad by the acting meak-
ness Of its he-man. This, Of course,
is not the case, since Mr.. Baer Is by
no means dub as an actor, and is
presented in this as a genial dnly-
dallier as well as q -blooded punch
and-sock man. The whole OF 1t Is