Evening star., 1937-11-14

ing fashion, as her husband. Az the
play emerges in its current mani
festation, it is combination of bed
room farce against Grecisn back
ground and philosophical comedy
about mankind and the gods. think
that 1t is to the disadvantage OF the
play that the former mood predomi-
mates. "Amphitryon 38" is urbane
and silken and sly; 1t is beautiful in
language, in settings and in costumes,
and 1t is. of course, quite brilliantly
acted by the Incompatible Lunts. The
only trouble is that the bedroom farce
grows little bit thin in three acts,
and that there isn't the constant fow
of wit that would have atoned for such
slenderness of narrative.
There is one scene which shows what
Mr.. Behrman could have done II he
had concentrated more on the mood
Of sly, philosophical fooling that
weaves its way in and out of the mar
rative. That is when Alkmena, think
ing that she Is talking to her husband,
Amphitryon, is bit scornful about the
miracle of creation, finding fault with
a few of the details In the worlds
structure. Whereupon the disguised
Jupiter, his pride as a creator aroused,
finds himself defending with outraged
zeal his creation of only four elements
when Alkmena thinks that a smarter
deity might have devised q score or
two. 1t is witty and delightful scene,
pungent and provocative, and it Is
great pity that there are not more Of
them. Yet, even though cannot help
being disappointed that "Amphitryon
38" does not permit the gods and the
mortals to engage in more Of their
mutually profitable debates on each
others weaknesses and in less Of their
familiar amorous interludes. 1t is un-
deniable that here Is one Of the good
things of the season and Is deserving
Of wide attention.
OF I'D RATHER BE RIGHT" you
have already heard that 1t Is the
musical show in which George M. Co
han appears as President Roosevelt.
and which. in something Of the man.
ner the Washington reporters use in
putting on their annual Gridiron show,
calls names and has q lot of fun kid
ding the administration. I'D Rather
Be Right" received more advance pub
licity than any show in history, which
may prove that there still is q certain
popular interest in both the drama
and the presidency. 1t happens. how
ever, that excessive publicity previous
to an opening has way Of acting as
boomerang. When you have heard so
much about q work before seeing 1t
you are likely to be disappointed. both
because you have already heard all its
Jokes and lyrics and because it cannot
live up to your dream anticipations.
This, 1 think, might well have proved
disastrous to the Kaufman-Hart-
Rogers musical show, because, In
truth. 1t turned out to be neither very
biting nor very inventive.
Fortunately, it possesses a great vir-
tue that We had not been told much
about, and that is what saved the day
for I'D Rather Be Right" The show
has charm. We were all looking for a
bitter and angry attack on the Roose-
welt administration, but we should have
known better when we were told that
Mr.. Conan was to have the role of
the President. The great man Of the
American theater makes the role so
thoroughly winning and delightful that
the sting is taken out Of the satirical
assaults, and I'D Rather Be Right"
ends as a heart-warming rather than
q sardonic show.