The Daily Worker Newspaper, October 1, 1927, Page 12

Somerset Maugham ee a Sore Katherine Cornell Proves Great Tragic Actress in “The Letter” at Morosco The wife (played by Katherine Cor- nell) of a plantation manager (J. W. Austin) in the Malay Peninsula kills a man. She offers a defense: that he tried to rape her. The defendant’s story is almost perfect. The fact that the slain man is living with a Chinese woman prejudices the entire community of imperialists against him—he has broken caste—he has disgraced the conquering class. But you feel that murder among the group of rulers is a dangerous thing; everybody is very serious, most of all, Joyce, the attor- ney for the defense, played by Allan Jeayes. Still, Leslie Crosby, the killer, has a per- fect case, until Ong Chi Seng (James Vin- eent), Atty. Joyce’s confidential “clerk,” delicately breaks the news to his employer that “there is-In ex- istence” a letter, written in impas- sioned tones by Leslie to the dead man, inviting him to come to see her on the night of the murder, “because Mr. Crosbie” will be in Singapore.” The Chinese women, or Ong, or his friend, some one among them, has the The whole play is a cross section of imperialist life—a kind of Kipling- esque self criticism; to be sure, all the villains and buffons are con- quered natives and Chinese, but de- spite that injustice—it is merciless self-criticism nevertheless —V. 8. ANTONIO MORENO better, and Joyce finally stifles his| , Co-starred with 2 Garbo moralistic prejudices and buys it with $10,000 of Crosby’s money. upon Leslie is duly acquitted. Crosby, when he hears of the high priced letter, insists that it must be worth reading since it cost him the last cent he has in the world, and Les- lie’s resulting confession that she was the dead man’s lover for seven years, until he deserted her for the Chinese girl, shatters the fool’s paradise the poor trusting and over-kind husband has been inhabiting. You will see that this is a sordid tale, which must be handled with as much high art as is the theme in “The Ring and the Book,” or it will merely mess around like another Snyder case. It is supremely to Somerset Maugham’s credit that it is sa managed. Between Maugham’s| powerful restraint and sense of deco- rum, and Katherine Cornell’s fine dramatic ability, the plain and simple tale of adultery, murder, blackmail and perjury, such an everyday occur- rence, is made to gather around it a halo of omnipotent and fearful fate, as impressive as that which hangs over Oedipus, in the matchless stage- craft of the Greeks. The entire production, Maugham’s ;duled to come first. The -‘Temptress,” Ibanez’ fash film story. of life in South America, ~ | which will be shown for the benefit of S==>=AiLY WORKER at the Wal- dorf Theatre tomorrow. N. Y. Symphony Plans Five Great Conductors The New York Symphony’s plans for the season, which opens October 21 and which will mark out its first half century, will include no less than five guest conductors. Fritz Busch of the Dresden Opera House is sche- The others in- clude: Ossip Gabrilowitsch; Walter Damroseh, who retired as regular conductor at the close of last season, but who will serve as guest conduc- tor for one month; Maurice Ravel, distinguished French composer, and Fernandez Arbos of the Madrid Sym- phony Orchestra, leading conductor of Spain. Ravel is known here thru numerous compositions, notably the “Rapsodie Espagnole,” concert suites from his ballet “Daphnis et Chloe” and his one act opera “L’Heure Es- pagnole.” Ninety concerts will be given by the orchestra during the season. Six- part as playwright, Katherine Cor-|ty-one of these will be in New York. nell’s as the star, and the excellent; Among the soloists are Jascha Heif- support of four male members of the|etz, Edward Johnson, Geraldine Far- east, combine to produce a smooth|rar, Albert Spalding, Walter Giese- and finished, and moving thing—the|king, Rudolph Laubenthal, Harold listener follows every writhing and|Bauer, Paul Kochanski, Ignaz Fried- twist of Leslie’s tortured brain asjman, Yolando Mero, Emilio de Gog- shown in Katherine Cornell’s expres-|orza, Samuel Dushkin, Rachel Mor- sive countenance while she dodges!ton and George Barrere. each swish of the gallow’s rope—un-| New works which will be given til in the end she meets what perhaps|their premiere this season will be a|- she felt as a more terrible fate. specially commissioned composition The play is pessimistic, ironic, and|by Gustav Holst,. and a symphonic full of a soft patter of sardonic hu-;poem by Cyril Scott. Mr. Damrosch mor—as when Joyce turns to Ong plans to present: the second act of Chi Seng and asks him what he is|Wagner’s “Tristan and Isolde” in con- getting out of the blackmail, only to|cert form with soloists. be met with an unctious quotation, > Signer “The Laborer is worthy of his hire,| Al Jolson will make his picture as Our Lord said.” The blackmailer,|debut in “The Jazz Singer’ at the Ong, is only a product of the culture; Warner Theatre next Thursday night. brot to him by the British school in| This is a picturization of Samson) With Robt. Halliday > Macca Buzzell Hong Kong—a Chinese who has/|Raphaelson’s comedy. Vitaphone will learned the trade of lawyer very well|play an important part in the picture ‘indeed—better than his masters thot | for Jolson will render many of his} he would. Incidentally, James Vin-'famous songs in the musical se- cent gets all the urbanity, suavity,|quences of the story. May McAvoy and cunnimg into that character that and Warner Oland are his chief sup- it will stand. port. NY} UL Wel L — es See ‘Le Temptress A Motion Picture by V. BLASCO IBANEZ Revival of Charlie Chaplin’s “THE CHAMPION” at. the WALDORF THEATRE, 50th St. East of 7th Ave. This SUNDAY, October 2, 1927 MUSIC BY MOSCOW TRIO. Major part of house bought by DAILY WORKER and FREIHEIT. Admission 65c. “s } } i i i i i j The funniest of his productions i i } AE AD CE EE RM EY) ER BN -HE DD 0 OSH D i ttneetinaeetineetinoationg eae UNITED ACTORS, Inc. present The LADDER) by J. FRANK DAVIS CORT THEATRE 4322 STREET EAST OF B’WAY Special Summer Prices—Best Seats, $2.20 (No performances Saturday) % | The NewPlaywnghts Theatre | “The Theatre Insurgent” THE ONLY HOME FOR LABOR PLAYS IN AMERICA Announces a season of productions dramatizing the class war! OPENING OCTOBER 19 with THE BELT An industrial play with an acetylene flame Q by PAUL SIFTON. : Other plays to be selected from SINGING JAILBIRDS, by Upton Sinclair THE CENTURIES, by Em Jo Basshe HOBOKEN BLUES, By Michael Gold PICNIC, by Francis Edwards Faragoh ATRWAYS, INC., by John Dos Passos and a play by John Howard) Lawson. The DAILY WORKER has purchased a special block of tickets. @ :evemcesremcecesvancennen: The Cameo Theatre, beginning to Theatre, a to- day, will show John Gilbert and Renee Adoree in “Honor First.” George Gibbs wrote the story. Also showing this week will be Charles Chaplin cinema, “The Champion.” Moss’ Broadway screen showing next week will be “The Cat and the Canary” with Laura La Plante fea- tured. “Loves of Carmen” in which Do- lores Del Rio is starred, will be held over a second week at the Roxy The- 4 B.€. MOSS’ THEATRES | “For sheer in- terest and dra- ma beats the Snyder case all hollow.” —Alan Dale, “American” ADOREE Sik: Gnot First: OT Bic The Desert Song 1ith Mo | 39 St. & B’way. Bvs. 8.30 CASINO Mats, Wed. and Sat, 2.30 ——AMTHEATRE GUILD ACTING CO. The SECOND MAN GUILD Thea., W. 52 St. Evs. 8:30 | | Mats. Thurs. & Sat., 2:30 || + ty "