Evening Star Newspaper, September 30, 1924, Page 18

[ AMUSE | P i “The Far Cry.” which regaled ashington theatergoers last week exented u type of mother that irri- ated even placid souls, and perhaps tirred some to indignation. “The ake” the new play by Frederick .onsdale, author of “Spring Clean- ng” and “Aren’t We Ali,” which ap- cared at the Shubert Belasco last ight, under the fostering protection fiA. H. Woods, presents a type of afher the suppression of which would arrant the commiss! of murder, Athough the wuthor seeks justifica- at crime for the annihilation ¢ la psychiatric subject about whom he plot of the play is woven ronstrosity without a redeeming vir- r\lr xave the and polished performance unusually eapable company headed by Godfrey Tearle. a distinguished FEnglish actor. And it is confidently believed that the enthusiasm and applause of a large and representative audience last eve- Bing was rather a form of tribute to the histrionic efforts of the company than testimony (o the worth of the play trnest Stanton, M. P evertowering vanity wrge him to sy effort to gain position in society, Mavis Stanton. whom forces into mariage with the Hon Gerrard Pillick the latter is the son of an earl and also. probably. Bbecause Pillick is aware of Stanton’, sex derelictions. Pillick is abnormal. From his early youth he has been inexpressibly cruel to everybody and everything he chose for his subject Yet withal with a cunning that clear- 1y denoted & mind diseased. Added to this he is an addict to drink and to drugs, which serve to sink his degen- eracy to the lowest level. The girl, upon the pretext of edu- cating and polishing her for the sta- tion she is to adorn. for years has been denied close association with her mother. She enters upon marriage tremulously and with a vague fear of its conzequences, a fear that is fully shared by her mother, who. however, by the lordly pomposity and cunning of the father, is waved aside at this most important crisis of her life. Geoftrey Sands, a quiet and rather philosophic Lnglishman, who has rep- resented Stanton in business matters abroad. appears at this time and seeks to learn why Stanton had not con- sulted him about Piliick’s character before accepting him smooth given by an an whose and egotism nothing in his | recognition and is the father of he ruthlessly because 19 JEW MENTS inasmuch as he had had a two-year experience with Pilllck abroad. A lapse of six years occurs, and with it the full development of the char- acter of Pillick. The girl seeks the counsel of a distinguished physician and of her father. The physician's scientific opinion is sought by Stan- ton and his advic a friend, which is most needed, Is suppressed. Then Stanton, in cold blood, with full knowledge of the almost maniacal cruelty of Pillick to his daughter, and even to her little kon of three, urges her to give Pillick another chance and to go with him on a six-month voyage in the hope, by distracting his attention with change of scene, of bringing about a cure. Reluctantly she conxents. But Sands, Erasping the situation, lures Pillick away for a “bachelor's frolic,” and on the eve of their return to his home denounces him in bitter terms, and then coolly mixes a deadly drug with whisky and forces him to commit suicide. This, briefly, is the story. The padding, in- cident to all pl for the sake of counter romance, doesn't much mat- ter Mr. Tearle presents a strong, smooth, but suppressed characteriza tion that makes hix role superficially attractive. Orlando Daly is excep- tionally fine in the presentation of the type of character assigned him as the father. There are likely to be two opinions as to the characterization of the weakling by Herbert Ransom At times it seems overdus. In the main it presents a pitiable spectacle of a creature unmistakably affiicted with insanity. Irieda Inescort is ad- mirable as Mavis, especially in her emotional work. An outstanding fig ure in the cast is Marion Allen, as & parlor maid, who offers a bit of deli- cious comedy—the only light spot in - the third act eville, Reynolds Denniston, lyn Walsh Hall, in a finely drawn picture of Mrs. Stanton, mother of Mavis; Boyd Davis and Una O'Con- nor arc others of a cast whose bal- ance and accomplishments cannot be questioned. Ten Com- National—"The mandments. “The Ten Commandments”—a screen John Wiliams, Pauline Whitson, Eve- | adaptation of the Mosaic law in its relation to modern life—was shown | for the first time in Washington at | the National Theater last night. it is presumable that the large audience that defied an insistent storm knew, to begin with, how muct | . G the picture cost in raw money, but it is doubtful if any Biblical reading could have prepared the mind for the realism conveved by a vistoning of the theme. As for the given thou- sands of people in the cast, it must be admitted that armies, mobs and “pop- ulations” are o much a part of su- per-productions that mere numbers no longer giye cause for gasping won- derment. Kor that reaxon, nothing too good can be xald of last night's showing of Oriental humanity in its contrasts between the legions of Pharoah and the ragged Israelites tolling under the Egyptian lash. Harnessed 10 Yopes, countless slaves dragged a heavy idol across-the sand —a work of slow agony that accounts for the mystery of the Sphinx in a desert that knows no stone—and later, the flight of the children of Isracl led by Moses, put dramatic in- spiration into the crossing by this chosen people through the parted waves of the Red Sea, and the roll- ing together of the waters over Pharoah and his charioteers. The mechanical simulation of the Bible miracle was so true to nature as to clicit applause of spectators, who otherwise were tensely quiet throughout the action of the story Theadore Roberts presents a com- manding revelation of Moses, and his roception of the commandments on Mount Sinai, and later anathemas, as he returned to- find his people worshipers of the golden calf, prompted the not meaningly irrev- erent idea that the great law giver could have done it no better himself A present-day conception of the Mosaic law as embodied by a mother who foilows it to the letter fs not a happy one: The story finds her reading the commandments to her two sons. The elder accepts it with listening re- kpect, but the younger, a lovable scamp who adores his mother but has no use, for Moses, is relentlessly turned out in a stormy night. The elder son appeals und she lets the boy return. A homeless girl drifts in from the night and is given food and shelter, but when Sunday comes and the girl coaxes the boy to put on a dance record the infringement of the Mosiac law o incenses the mother that she forces them both from her home—forever. The boy becomes a rich and dishonest contractor, and when & church he is building of rot- ten material falls in the course of erection and kills the mother who has come to view the progress of her son’s work, she lives long enough to confess her wrong in teaching the Loy to fear God rather than to love Him. In the course of breaking each of the commandments the younger son becomes infatuated with a French- Chinese leper who has escaped fromn Molakai in a bag of jute which the contractor had smuggled dishonestly from Calcutta, and the fear that he may have become tainted leads him to murder the girl and to seek escape in a boat which crashes him, life- less against a rock that shoulders it- sell above the sea. The wife, having learned of the taint and fearing it, is saved by the €lder brother, who reads her the story of the Christ who healed the woman who cried unclean. As she listens, with We Carry Simmons Products Need more sleeping give it. Just received a space ? carload. A Kroehler will See our Furni- ture Display, Stoves and Floor Coverings. THOMPSON BROS. % 1220-26 Good ope Road Anacostia, D. C. Phone Lincoln 556 NH Y EL WONDER TIME PIECE The Latest Product of the lllinois Watch Factory CHOICE OF PLAIN OR FANCY, WHITE OR GREEN GOLD CASES TLLINOIS CONGRESSIONAL 1468421 —guaran- Movement Finely adjusted and guar. Tewels. teed 25 1468432, Case N years. Can Own Our Own Liberal and Original _ Trade-In Proposition applies to the sale of these watches. Bring in your old watch and 19 No. The ILLINOIS CONGRESSIONAL without any cash outlay, just your promise walk out with a new “Illi- nois Qongressional,” without paying one Jewels. to pay 75c¢ weekly, and if you have an old watch, we will make a liberal allowance to intro- duce this famous watch. Oldest Crcdit Jewelers NTEED CHAIN AN 935 Penna. Ave. N. W, ALEXANDRIA 818 King Street TLLINOIS (‘ONGRESYO cent down. Just A 19 . 1468421—guaran- years. Movement - Finely adjusted and guar- Cas BRANCH, STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, TUESDXY, SEPTEMBER the apathy of the despairing, the words vision the Christ among the afficted, and—in all the picture—thero Is nothing more beautiful nor spiritual- 1y comforting than its lesson of for- giving love in contrast to the Mo- salc law of fear. Edythe Chapman gives natural ex- pression to a character of narrow- minded goodness, while Richard Dix and Rod la_Rocque are manly as the two sons. Estelle Taylor, as Miriam, the sister of Moses, has her love of gross pleasure reincarnated by Nita Naldi In the role of Sally Lunn. Charles de Roche makes a splendidly picturesque Pharoah. In a production like this, one can- not speak for another. It is & theme which each must consider for himself. The one great thing that can be said 30, 1924 of it with assurance is: It is spectac- ularly splendid and dramaticallg played. Gayety—nsilk Stocking Revue.” heater attraction this Silk Stockink provides two and a half hours thoroughly enjoyable entertain- ment, with a variety of talent and lavish scenic investitur. he come- dy is clean and wholesome, in strik- ing contrast with a recent production. and the comedian, Frank X. Silk, knows how to be funny without re- sorting to cheap tr 1k ranks with the best on the Columbfan bur- lesque circuit, and last night's audi- CASH OR CREDIT The Price Is the Same! ence wasx with him from start to fin- ish. Frank Martin doubles in comedy und song. Many specialties are spaced between the comedy situations, and all are Zood. Probably the neatest turn is that of the Busch Sisters, two clever ancers. who received more than their | share when good iooks were passed around. Viviana and Jackson are dancers of the I'aviowa school, and their number is a study in” grace and the poetry of motion. Bob Carney Jean Carr also offe= a dancing . but along different lines Kennedy has the greatest number of song assignments, and in addition introduces a violin number that Tecelved quite a hand. Ruth sings several rongs. Ar- mand Monte proved popular a centric musician The chorus ix costumed with facte {and the scenery unfolds many « p picture. one setting in particn ing worthy of note, that of : |bowl overflowing with water a ported by living figures Mutual—"Round the Town." “Round the attiactvom |t the Mutual Theater th r f sents the burlesq much out obvio rose in a stellar an ce- swn,” the unusua of place, Sahara the EASY TO PAY THE GRAYSON WAY 917 F St. An Opportune Sale Of 300 New, Stylish FALL COATS (See the Window Display) 75 And Up n--Credit YOUR CREDIT IS GOOD AT GRAYSON’S 1 We offer the newest effects in Fur-trimmed Coats for Autumn wear—fur collars—fur col- lars and cuffs—or fur collars, cuffs and borders. Every Coat is full silk or crepe lined. *A \WON- DERFUL OPPORTU NEEVI USE YIOUR CREDIT AT GRAYSON'S! Irrespective of our low sale prices, you may BUY ON PAYMENTS and WEAR GOOD CLOTHES while you are PAYING ON YOQUR OWN TERMS! — Just received, goes on sale tomorrow morning. 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