The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1942-06-04
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Just StroIling
Round the Town :
BY THE OBSERVER
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A PASSING JUDGMENT


space in this column to discussion
of the theatre but now and then the
spirit moves me in that direction.
I have always been a lover of
the theatre and of the great art that
finds expression in good acting. 1t
has been my real privilege to have
seen several of the greatest artists
of the passing generation when they
were in their prime. Shortly after
the turning of the century | saw
such outstanding artists as Sir Hen
ry Irving and Ellen Alice Terry.
two of the greatest actors of their
! day Also it was my pleasure to
l.see Sothern and NARROW in their
incompatible Tanning of the
Shrew:." Robert Mantell in "Othel-
/ To-" Walker Whiteside in Hamlet"
and similar noted artists in 1.-THE
T Merchant of Venice, and A Mid
Summer Nights Dream | shall
never forget the keen interest
aroused in me by those great mas
terpieces of the stage presented by
great actors, nor will | ever forget
the thrill that came from my first
witnessing of Faust
That interest has followed me
down through the years. Sometimes
| regret the passing of the 'slegiti-
mate" stage. When it was in its
heyday, great artists strobe the
boards behind the footlights. Per-
! haps few of today's professionals
might measure up to within reach
of those great ones but not many of
81
auctions they present today send
one away with a feeling of real en-
tertainment; others leave only a
bad taste in ones mouth.
enjoyed immensely a picture
recently presented here, THE Van
ishing Virginian" Frank Morgan
headed an excellent cast and the
acting throughout was perfect. The
plot was largely devoted to COM
: edy and the audience was convulsed
from start to finish into gales of
laughter. 1t was lively yet true
to-life presentation Of those little
every day incidents that 60 to make
up living in SO many of our av-
erage American homes. 1t portrayed
the cultured gentleman and lady
of the old South with strong hint
, that such are vanishing from the
American scene. Those who laughed
at the comedy were sometimes
brought to the verge of tears by
: little touches of pathos. And
throughout it all there was an at
mosphere of clean fun, high char
!" acter noble standards of life, and
G life drawing to close for two amid
e peace and contentment and happi,
ness.
One was heard to remark as he
left the theatre, Il wouldn't have
t missed that for anything Thai
gave voice to my sentiments also.
. Contrast that happy entertain
: ment with the opposite type, also
shown at the local theatre. Johnny
= Eager was young man of un-
Y questioned ability in leadership bu
e a ruthless killer who murdered hi:
own friends, double-crossed those
: who had worked with him, saw ir
: the doing of good only foolishness
0 and climbed up through a life 0,
crime over the destruction o.
others.
The other characters were of {
similar nature, with one or two
exceptions. They were of the I'M
, der-World, with the under world.
streak of yellow running through
y the lot One was a brilliantly edu
y Gated young man, drunken so
r who was throwing away his grea
. abilities as stooge for an arch
criminal. Others were killers and I
class of men and women who live
n as parasites on society, plotting tt
o steal or destroy all that is worth
2 while in society The heroine wa.
a cultured young woman who fel
r SO desperately in love with the hos:
q criminal that she was ready to fol
low him into the depths of degra-
7 dation and almost did.
Here was picture whose entire
n atmosphere was that of moral filth
d and destructive standards of life
The acting was superb. It made the
picture real, living thing But il
i was great talent thrown into por.
y trayal of the base and disgusting
n The plot was gripping, the acting O.
, such high quality that it held the
audience in quiet tenseness. Yer
) despite the squalor of it all, it sue.
ceeded in throwing cloak of her
oism around the criminal In tha
: it was bad. We wonder what effec
!. it would have on the minds of the
: very small children and some 0.
{ the adolescents who were there.
The picture had one redeemins
J feature It did not have the "livee
happily forever after" ending II
Y the end the gangsters ran amocl
+ in great killing spree that wipec
out most of them. AS Johnny Eager
u died his educated friend and stoogt
y exclaimed that Eager was mar
d who could have led men into grea
\ things had he only got started ir
: the right direction when a youth
! Probably most of the audience
would miss the lesson touched OF
80 in that short line.
Such pictures are depressing il