6-B THE BEE: OMAHA. SUNDAY. OCTOBER 23. 1921. English-Made Play About Divorce Hat Broadway Thinking By JAMES WHITTAKER. New Vork-(Sptetaf) An English play with a purpose hat com to the lirorge M, Cohan theater, yher it will try to prove that its treat tuc cett in London ha been due to it excellence at an entertainment quite ai mmh ai to it force at a protest aeaintt a strange medieval Hrfrrt in KniIUtl law an J CUttOIII. lU America where divorce lawt are (a . cile and fnlihtened. "A Bill of Di vorcement" will not be helped to iuc ret by violent attack by clergy and enthusiastic acclamation from Fa bun and Shavian. It happen that the divorce law ol the tate oj New York provide that a woman must remain tied for life to a diseased or insane' husband. But New York wive can grt New Jersey divorce easily and with no greater addition to the expense of the operation than a few 6-cent Hudson tube fares. In l'.ngland. totally surrounded bv water to keep foreign vice out and it own vice in, a woman is living dead if she ha the bad luck to draw a defective mate. The home she inhabits with the man he mar ried may be hit castle. It her Dane unwhite this urmilcher in her play. She might this brutally and awk wardly. A young author' greatest temptation come wnen ne qiscovci. a stench. It i so easy and thrilling to spread it. But Miss Dane has the same tact with which Isben handled the delicate problem of "Ghosts. Only a woman or a genius could ap proach the rottenness which existed in the family of the Fairfield of Kent and cleanse it as taciiuuy. nc rcntly and beautifully a it is done in "A Bill of Divorcement, and Mis Dane is a bit of both. To put lier play in motion, Miss uane louuu ..n.urv in adont a oremise. The t.rpmise is explained in the theater programs. You are asked by the au thor to imagine that it is the year 1932. that slow-moving British re formations have finally amended the list of grounds for divorce to include of body and mind and, that .t.. rnncprvative Citizens have begun to accept the benefits ot the reform. ' . - The divorce is that of the mistress of an exceedingly weu siagea e.s lish country house, an -embodiment cf fearful conservatism in cheerful, i,,.: intinnr dccorannK. - Tiuchanrf. havine' been pro nounced incurably insane in that form which includes cessation ol memory, knows nothing of the di vorce nor of the new laws which permit the divorce nor. for that mat- ' .i -l.-A-..ajae cine fhr ter. ot anytning wn"-' "'T . ". day of 1910 when a shell burst close to him in a ditch in Flanders and left him a whimpering, gigghng thing. Mrs. Fairfield and her 17-year-old daughter are in the midst of final preparations for a Christmas day remarriage of the former to the man of her second, more fortu nate choice when the first husband, escaped from the London asylum, walks through the French windows into the living room and forthwith demonstrates himself as sane as any IJriton by asking tor tea. At theaters m!.. nam. vnu see. has involved her great dramatic talent tn one ot those pro and con situations so dear to the English stage mind. Even the plays of our queer cousins are parlia mentary. Miss Dane embrace the dilemma. Her second act is full of doctor and a curate, whist and tory. who try to fight this thing out with words. But Miss Dane, with a charm ing humorous twist of her feminine mind, does a new thinar to these two straw men of the Shavian comedy. She empties .them of their straw, lit a scene so .well. contrived that it does not seem contrived at all. Dr. Allott and the Re. Christopher Pumphrey talk themselves and each other to a stalemate. With their throats still full of more talk about eugenics aiid ethics thev are gently hooked off the stage by 'the adroit Miss Dane, who resumes her play where it was with out them. The writing of these two as needless baggage of the drama may be a weakness of the play, but it is first-rate drama criticism. It might cure the English stage of them for ever It is the daughter who finds the sacrifice which will solve the problem and makes it. Since she has the taint of corrupted gray matter m her blood, she will forego marriage and constitute herself her father V nurse and attendant. Her mother, of clean blood, will be free to remarry and bear other and better children. What makes "The Bill of Divorcement a good play is the unerring instinct with which Miss Dane chooses the human rather than the biological ele ments of this story for her series of scenes. Shaw, of course, could have made such stuff as the debate be tween clergy and pulpit in the second act palatable as a debate. Miss Dahe makes it entertaining as the comedy of two old men being thor oughly and windily useless in a crisis. And of several moments in the play (I am thinking now. of the unde- monstratively tragic final scene where the daughter makes sacrifice of her life and her love without so effANDErS - OCT-;. 0-27 Gayety theater. . It is most often a disease of adolescence and quite harmless in that period. But mumps kill adults. Mr. Tarkington is in a tad crisis of bad play writing and we can tremble a bit for his talent. nmrh a. the sterile consolation - ofin running a dog farm, finds trouble knowing that those who benefit know that a sacrifice is being: made and of that other bitter scene where the weak-willed elder woman fails mis erably in her task of persuading her first husband to accept exile and in stead, bears his victorious caress with concealed loathing) of these mo ments Miss Dane makes drama which you may allow to wrinu your heart without shame. , The players of this play are . in some ways an amusing relic It con tains no less than three actors who stmt, have hooked noses, brush their hair back and intone plain English in the deeply thrilling bass which went away from the American stage with Lillian Russell's spangled trunks. Even Allen Pollock, the Englishman who act the temporarily sane vic tim of the good laws, is a bit more an actor than our taste in acting re quires. But Katherine Cornell joins the thin ranks of good American players with her fine embodiment ot the fine girl who, thanks to Miss Cornell, know how to make a sacri fice without being heard to wail on the other side 'of Broadway. & The fever for writing bad play usually racks the writing human when he is younger than Booth Tarkington, who has neverthelesi succumbed in . the writing of "The Wren," which we now he in the Helen Hayes, the delicious young ster of "Bab," is the wren of the title. She portrays a simple .-and rather annoying little Miss Fixit of a New England seascoast - village whose Occupation in the three acts is the choosing of . exact and . moral positions for all the furniture and all the characters. It is character ization which will not tank Miss Hayes for all of the delightful and simple skill which she lavishes on it. You may detect in these com ments a certain bitterness. It is mostly the bitterness of displeasure with Mr. Tarkington that he did no better for Miss. Hayes, who has right to his best. We could forgive Mr. Tarkington his windy elaborations of the "Way Down East" comedy principle, his several characters stolen from the farm rubric of Miller's compiled American humor and . the eleventh unfunny hired man seen on the dis astrous stage of this earljall, but We cannot pardon him that he did not write Helen Hayes appealing charm into Helen Hayes' part. . It would have been so easy and pleas ant to have written the play with a picture of Helen Hayes beside the typewriter. . The play about does, entitled "Beware, of Doge," composed by William Hodge and in which be and the dogs are now acting in the Broadhurst theater, is so innocent in its merriment that certain humorous references to the morals of the latter are spoken almost shudderingly by the former. This . illustrates Mr. Hodges' method, which is to furnish amusement at once uncensorable and not unbearable for some adult audiences. . , At the wrong end of every dog-leash is the owner. ... Mr.. Hodge, as an upright and affable young lawyer, temporarily engaged at both ends of the leash, Between the vices of the dogs and their owners Mr. Hodge stands, a patient object of snarls until the time comes for him to make a Hodge end to a Hodge play. Then he turns on human and canine tor mentors and lashes them into sub mission with an . old-time Hodge speech, full of the Hodge quiet, facile and nasal irony.. Enfolding the Hodge girl in his arms, he speaks the moral of his essay on dog-rearing: "Never again." The play is. full of the peaceful bonhomie and untaxing mirth which the very electric lights before the Broadhurst arranged to spell Mr. Hodge's name, promise. It is a restful form of amusement that may be heartily recommended to those who have had too much of other kinds and to those who have had too little of any kind. "Love Dreams" at the 2 Times Square theater has the names of the eight chorus girls printed in the cast and is called a "Melody Drama" in the printed program, all by way of persuading me to tell yon that it is a very unusual and meritorious musical comedy. - It is just another musical comedy. It ends unexpectedly, after Miss Vera Michelena and two comedians have worn harem clothes, on a very cad note. Miss Michelena does not EMPRESS' IttQT. 'QeVercite& .What the Theaters Offer TED SHAWN, American man dancer, and his company ot dancers from Denlshawn will appear at the Bran dels theater (or two special performances Monday and Tuesday nights. Mr. Shawn Is on his way to New York for his com ing engagement at the Metropolitan Opera house. Among the artists who assist him are Louis Horst, concert pianist, and Misses Martha Graham, Betty May and Dorothea Bowen. Mr. Shawn offers a series of religious," romantic, pictorial and barbaric dances, beginning with his Froteatant church service In dance and closing with his Astec ballet, Xochitl, for which Homer Qrunn, the composer, wrote a special musical score. Music visual izations, dance - Interpretations of well known concert numbers and a series ol French, Spanish, Oriental and- barbaric dances are included In his program. ITH a splendid cast and perfect production, "Twin Beds" will be Dresented at "the Brandels theater. matinee and night, Saturday and Sunday, October 29 and 30. W" matin Octob M' ADAMB Borgny Hammer, Norwegian actress, formerly connected witn National , theaters of Bersen and Chrlstlanla, Norway, and Rolf FJell, formerly of the Central theater. Chrlst lanla, will make their first appearance in Omaha at the Brandels theater Monday and Tuesday nights, October 31 and No vember 1, in "The Master Builder,", by Henrlk Ibsen. Madame Hammer and Mr. Fjell will be assisted by a cast including Jasper Deeter, Joseph Stanhope, Hobert Fuller, Jeanne Deioup and Florence Leslie. The plays will be given In English, which the stars speak clearly and distinctly, rtB coming of Orant Mitchell In "The Champion" to the Brandels Wednesday and Thursday with matinee Thurs day will prove oneof the important events of the theatrical season. "The Champion1' Is by Thomas Louden and A. E. Thomas. The story Is Interesting, the situations surprising and the dialogue clever. There are enough laughs. It la said, to supply a half dozen comedies of the ordinary type. Sam Harris, under whose manage ment Mr. Mitchell is being starred, has chosen an exceptionally well balanced company. There are 21 In the cast and every role is well played. Among; those in the cast are Arthur Elliott, Frank Weaterton. Gerald Hamer. Gordon Bur- ty. Robert Williamson, Robert Lee Allen, Harold Howard. Horace cooper, itooen Ayrton, Henry Warwick, A. P. Kayo, Tom Williams. Clara Verdera. Deslree Stempel, Phyllis Tillman and Adrla Hill. GLADYS CLARK and Henry Bergman are announced for the Orpheum next week. Assisted by the Dale sisters and Jack Landauer the stars are to pre sent "Tunes of the Hour," with Bobby Roth at the piano. Clark and Bergman are frequently seen In musical comedy, and on the vaudeville stage they are supreme favorites. Their offering this season. takes rank as the most entertaining thing they hva dnnn on the Ornheum circuit. The act 1 handsomely mounted and smart In Its appointments. - JOSEPH H. HOWARD, assisted by Jack King and company comes to the Or pheum this week. Theirs la to be the stellar attraction, and there are to be three feature offerings. Mr. Howard will present bits from "Time, Place "and the Girl," "Prince " of Tonight," "dlrl Ques tion," "Land of Nod" and "Flower of the Ranch." Ed Janls, with his clever as sociates, are to present a smart divertisse ment in which the chief elements are music, songs and clever dancing. William L. Oibson and Reglna Connellt are to appear In Aaron Hoffmanns new comedy, "The Honeymoon." The third - special feature will be that of Nat Nazarro, with Buck and Bubbles, In what ho calls "a variety of .varieties." The Swor brothers, John and Albert, are to offer their di verting Impersonations of the southern negro. The act is enlivened by songs and soft shoe dancing. The comedians are two of the cleverest blackface comedians on the American stage. Frank Farron. dealer In laughs, ranks as one of the Orpheum circuit's most capable funmak ers. Cliff Nazarro, who Is to appear with the Darling eisters, sings cleverly, dances cleverly and is a very clever comedian. The trio offer an act called "Juvenile Frlvoltles." Once again the cartoon comic, Aesop's Fables, will be a screen feature. Topics of the Day and the Paths News will also be shown upon the silver sheet, HE' Bird of Paradise," the Tully romance of far-away Hawaii, Is again scheduled for presentation at the Brandels theater for one week, commencing: Sunday evening, November 6. f.rpi EXQUISITE portraits In a golden frame of music, song and dance, la a fitting description of the stellar act which comes to the Empress today, to be pre sented by Dorothy Sherman's Cameo Girls, s 11 talented musicians, singers and dancers. A featured act Is to be offered by the four. Cameron McNutts, a mixed quartet of versatile artists. - Their offering con sists ot singing, talking, remarkable acro batic stunts and a routine of sensational bicycle feats. "The Song Booth" Is the title of the act to be presented by Mort Infield and Venza Noblet. Billy Aloha and Oirlle. a duo of Hawaiian entertainers, are to offer instrumental melodies and dancing. Miss Vailea's rendition of the hula-hula dance is her own conception. 01 ,VE of the best shows on the Columbia circuit is booked to appear at the Gayety theater all week, with a mati nee performance dally. This is Dave Mar ion's own company which broke all records for business last season. Heading the list of entertainers Is Emit (Jazz) Casper, a blackface comedian who has gained for himself an enviable reputation in the theatrical field. After him comes Win H. Ward. Ines De Verdier, George Mack, Rose Bernard, Myrtle Franks, Albert Dwlnell. Jack Spellman, Jimmy Hazzard and Jack Honeywell who complete a cast of talented entertainers that can scarcely be equalled by some of the so-called "high class" musical production on Broadway. A typical Marlon chorus rounds out a well spent afternoon or evening's entertainment. Today's matinee begins at J. fall into a lover's arms. The cur tain drops on her, righteous but de jectea. waving her little sister bon voyage as she departs with Miss Michelena' tenor. Mr. Morosco, the producer and part author, makes a gallant attempt to prove that happy endings to musical comedies are not inevitable. I still think they are inevitable. But you will refuse to be decived at 11 p. m. by this trick, grand opera finish. You will look back over the extensive evening and recollect that 'it was a musical comedy. And then you will be disappointed that you do Hot re member any of the tunes. If any of them are memorable, the 'shock of a finale with tears knocked them out ot my mind. - I am unable to record the song hit of the piece, if there was-ne. Peters an Englishman. ' House Peters, whp plays the lead ing male role in The Man from Lost . River," at the Moon theater this week, was born in Ireland, South Africa, Australia, Canada, Cincinnati and New York City, ac cording to various reports. The truth is ' Mr. Peters was born in Bristol, England, and at a very early age minted to Australia, thence to the United States. As a young man he went on the stage and was starred in many great plays. Later he came west and entered pictures. He is one of the screen's highest salaried leading men. ' Wage cuts of $1 to $4 a week have been decreed for members of the Shoe Workers' Protective union by an arbitration committee in Boston. I j T .. ... . III rTV J 'J AH Hk- . M i A Pv V :h i - i i ' J KouriXnwstc Visualization - ) V FFin vatea ; v-o law Lost a Light When Mitchell Took Acting for Career Grant Mitchell, who i scoring a great ucre in "The Champion" coming to the Brandei next Wednesday and Thurdav with muinre Thursday, had no intention of gaining fame and fortune on the Htge when he went to Yale. In stead it wa all rut and dried that he should become a lawyer, o alter graduating from Yale he went to the Harvard law school and took hi degree. Mr. Mitchell found the practice of law in hi home city, Columbus, 0 very tedious and hi client were few find lar between. lie toon tired wirming an office chair without materially increasing hit income and o lie decided to go on the Mage not particularly because he was fitted tor the theatrical profes sion, but because he thought there was more money in it. He went to New York and took a course of training in the New York academy of dramatic arts and some time later found hinself carry ing a spear in Richard Mansfield' production of "Julius Caesar." Thii was his stage debut. His next engagement was with Clara Blood good in "The Girl With the Green Lye. Thi wa followed by two season witn rrancis wuson in Cousin Billy" and "The Mountain Climber." A tour with Lillian Rus sell in "The Butterfly" and one with ilaxine tlliott in Bettina were next in order and Mr. Mitchell dosed with the latter in time to join "Girls" and create one of the prin cipal roles. In "The Call of the North" with Robert Edeson Mr. Mitchell played the role of Rev. Archibald Crane and the next season he went' back to Miss Elliot and toured in "The Chaperone." Then Mr. Mitchell came into his own for he joined the Cohan and Harris forces and since then his. rise has been rapid. "The Fortune Hunter" was the first of several successes and this was followed by "Get-Rick-Quick Wal lingford," in which he created the humorous role of Eddie Lamb, the hotel clerk. In "It Pay to Advertise." Mr. Mitchell was cast in the role of Dobney Martin and played this for two seasons. "A Tailor-Made Man" made Mr. Mitchell famous and his role of John Paul Bart was a char acter creation long to be remem bered. Mr. Mitchell succeeded George M. Cohan in the title role of "A Prince There Was," and then last season Mr. Harris starred him in "The Chanpion." Cliff Nazarro a Snappy Lad With lilt Own Ideas Fads and Fancies Charles Ray's favorite sport is fishing any kind. . Helen Chadwick, Goldyn beauty, sings and paints in water colors. Reginald Denny is fond of boxing not as a spectator but as a par Little Rita Rogan is collecting dolls and in just one year has acquired 34. Rockcliffe Fellowes cultivates orchids and digs clams. Doris Kenyon is keen on golfing and rarely misses a collegiate foot ball match thats played within reasonable distance of wherever she may be. George Randolph and Lilian Ches ter are interested in antiques. William Nigh is a character stu dent and spends most of his time be tween pictures studying types. R. William Neill's hobby is his two and a half year old daughter. Has a Real Poker Face. , Billy Elmer, the former prize fighter, ' who retired from the ring to become a movie actor, and who, incidentally, has been very success ful at it, is playing the role of Poker Face in the Pauline Frederick production-, "Judith of Blue Lake Ranch." Elmer has a poker face all right, but if he ever sat in a game he'd probably bluff all the other players to a standstill. . i C'lilf Nazarro, peppy and versatile I Juvenile, jio U appearing; lliu week at the Orpheum theater in association with the Darling sisters, began hit stage career at the tender age of 6. He had heard AI JoUon sing and, in tn unbelievable Hvle, he imitated him to cleverly that he w.it given hit first job iniperionatinu the blackface musical comedy Mar. He ha never allowed hit admiration of lolkon to wane, because it was "AI lolyn U" that he always wanted to be, and Mill doe. Yet in h 'urn. thi snappy little entertainer ha made a reputation for hinntrlf a a singer and dancer of tmiMcal comedy ex-, perinice. He has an extraordinary voice, pleasing and sympathetic in style and nualitv. Laughable a it may seem, it it neverthclex a fart (hat this "kid" has developed temperament. And thi attribute, which usually i to be tound among Brand opera star and is hated among manager, caused cult to have a tilt with one ol Broad way's most successful musical comedy producer. It is now past history, but humorously recalled hiw this youngster told the impresario he would not take the- character in a forthcoming production unless it was made a principal role. "I've passed the stage where I amto be 'among those present.'" he told the manager. "You can find some one, most Kfcely, who will he contented with that part but not I." And this youthful 'star" walked out of the manager orhce head up in the air and hied himself to the office of hi I brother, Nat Nazarro. theatrical man- j ager and vaudeville performer, and asked tor an enmcemcnt. "I can't get along with the boss about our new show," he told his brother, "and I want vou to place me in vaudeville, where I will be of some consequence and what I do will be an important part not just a part oi a picture. So the present vaudeville act was arranged, and the Darling sisters, who are under the elder Nazarro s managership, were made the other two-thirds of the act. These sisters came to vaudeville from a New York cabaret, where their dancing and singing attracted many .managers very much, but Nat Nazarro most, and he put tiiein under contract. Kind to Animals. Doris May, blithesome little star, is the main supporter of an animal hospital in Los Ancelcs. If she had the money to do it she says she would build an animal hospital in every city in the United States. Bryant Washburn has been en gaged by Goldwyn for the leading male role in "Hungry Hearts, "OMAHA'S FUN CENTER" PsWT trfTT2i Mat. and Nlte Today aiMrVtv Good Res'v'd Sest 50c Dave Marion's Own Co. Emil (Jazz) Casper B-JH " The Land of Impossible " KS . 7.". !LU Oave Mtrlss Beauty Chorus Ladies' Tickets, lSc-30c Every Week Day EftfESlIfll mssi RentsilMr, We Nave Rsduesd uur rnces NEW SHOW TODAY ViudwIlK Presran CAMEO REVUE. Dorothy Shir. Bln'i Canto Girls sreMstint tal,Soas as Pases FOUR CAMER0KS." Is "Lite Fathtr, tlo Sob" BILLY ALOHA 4 GIRLIE truest. 1st "Swwt Hiwtllsa MslooUt" INFIELD NOBLET Is "The Sees Booth' Photoplay Attraction "BEYOND PRICE" Ftaturlss Pearl Whits 5th EsImss "Hurricane Hutch" tw M IBM t H X" AV -X. ' J 1 Week Starting Sunday, October 23 Matinee Erery Day, 2:15 Every Night, 8:15 The Well Known American Composer JOSEPH E. HOWARD & CO. In Bits from His Musical Shows t "Time, Place and the Girl," "Prince of Tonight," "Girl Question," "Flower of tho Ranch." "Land of Nod." . Assisted by Mr. Jack King. John ' Albert SWOR BROTHERS Impersonators of the Southern Negro FRANK FARRON Dealer in Laughs NAT NAZARRO & CO. With Buck dr. Bubbles "In a Variety of Varieties" CLIFF NAZARRO and DARLING SISTERS In "Juvenile Frivolities" ED. JANIS & CO. A Smart Divertissement of Music. Song- and Terpsichore) William L. Regina GIBSON & CONNELLI In Aaron Hoffman's New Comedy "The Honeymoon" Topics of ths Day Aesop's Fables I Path. News Matinee 15c to SOc; some at 75c; $1 Saturday A Sunday Nights 15c to 11.00; some fl.25 Saturday and Sunday Patrons pay U S. War Tax TOMORROW tSSS OCT. 24-25 r TED AMERICAN MAN DANCER Aiiittd by LOUIS HORST Concert Piaaist and Martha Graham Betty May Dorothea Bowen 1 i .'-' fJ-s Sole Dancert in 2 cVn'et! Engagements .s T--? sWf Religiout, Pictorial, Romantic mni Barbaric Dances TICKETS SOc, $1.00, $1.50 and $2.00 (Not Boa Office open from 12 M. to 2 P. M. today.) WEDNES D AY fir- The Greatest Comedy Hit in Years DIRECT FROM CHICAGO TRIUMPH AT CORT THEATER NOTE-Mr. Mitchell and his company close in Chicago tonight and come direct to Omaha SAM M M40MS crs A KNOCKOUT staged by sv poorest TICKETS SELLING Evenings, 50c, $1.00, $1.50, $2.00 and $2.50. Thursday Matinee, Best Seals, $150. FRIDAY, MATINEE AND EVENING, OCT. 28 Tony Sarg's Marionettes Autpieet Omaha Drama League Matinee, "Rip Van Winkle" Evening, "The Rose and the Ring" Ticket Selling 75c, $1.00, $1.50 and $2.00 TWO DAYS, Oct. 29-30; Mat. DaUy ... "Tho Perennial Flower of Laughter" With Dainty Helen Saxe Price Nights, SOc to $1,50; Matinees, SOc to $1.00 TWO NIGHTS, Starting Monday, Oct. 31 Laurance Clarke Presents The Traveling Theater Featuring The Great Norwegian Start Mme. Borgny Hammer AND ROLF FJELL in Repertoire Monday, "Ghost." Tuesday, "The Master Builder" Ticket 50c, 75c, $1.00, $1.50 and $2.00 Seat Monday Week Beginning SUN. NOV. 6 Ordera Now RICHARD WALTON TULLY PRESENTS THE PERENNIAL FAVORITE Evening 50c, 75c, $1.00, $1.50 and $2.00 Sat. Mat. 50c, 75c, $1.00 and $1.50 POPULAR WEDNESDAY MATINEE SOc, 75c AND $100. DANCING Empress Rustic ' Gfurden CARL LAMP'S ORCHESTRA ' 10 Piece Formerly of Krag Park Every Evening Sunday Matinee Admission 40c Admission 25c SUNDAY AFTERNOON, Nov. 20 Mail Orders Now , SPECIAL CONCERT ENGAGEMENT Emmy Destinn World' Famou Dramatic Soprano TICKETS 50c, $1.00, $1.50 and $200 plus 10 war tax