Various

“ IF a play jury induced a dirty play to leave a theatre, that wouldn't be news; but if a dirty play induced a play jury to leave a theatre, that would be news. *⁠*⁠* Burning witches at the stake was a grand sport in its day and much more sportsmanlike in some respects than the modern game of censorship. In the old days, when you accused a witch of causing boils, you not only had to produce the witch in court, but you had also to produce the boils. Nowadays, when you accuse a play of being "degrading," all you have to show the jury is the play. ”

“ Baker's Drama Class at Yale will give a special tea in her honor, What price drama at Harvard now?
At the rate the newer fiction has been making illicit love (as Mister Hearst's bright young editors used to call it) the conventional thing, those old stories at the ends of which He and She start off on a wedding trip, seem almost too shocking to read. ”

“ In the nature of affairs, there must be many theatregoers who do not read the World's editorials. But at any rate, capacity audiences have been the rule at the Lyceum Theatre since the denunciation was printed.
"A Good Bad Woman" opened and, with derisive and unstimulating comments from the critics, was well on its way to the storehouse. The Comedy Theatre, where it was shown, has a small seating capacity, and yet on the second night of the play's run tickets were to be found in large numbers in the cut-rate offices. ”

“ At any rate, he presides over the Criminal Courts Building, courteous, kindly disposed toward all and grave as a backwoods teacher, with the shrewd horse sense of the class as to commonplace concerns, but with its native incapacity for comprehending the stirrings of any larger and freer life in the world outside. ”

“ We never tire of looking at the things done by Henry Varnum Poor. The two times we found our- selves ten dollars ahead we bought pieces of his pot- Pa and Ma were having a fine time at the Willard tery. At the Montross Galleries, where his things are Metcalf show at the Milch Galleries. They had always on view, they are now holding a special ex- bought a Metcalf last year and were debating whether hibition of Poor's paintings and drawings as well as it would be another Metcalf this year or a new car. ”

“ George Jean Nathan and be a surprise to a great many people to learn that I others from time to time have lots of fun comment- was the first white child born in Hollywood, and in- ing on the raffishness of the assemblage at the premiere deed it was a surprise to me at the time and even more of a play—so many bulging stockbrokers, so many of a surprise to my parents who had come overland in extremely protected ladies, so many Broadwayish actors a covered wagon to see the Grand Canyon but had and actresses, playwrights, ticket speculators, etc. ”

“ It is just as well, at these times, for the passenger to be I wonder how many of you have ever attended- or even heard of the Yorkville Theatre. It is situ- acquainted with the law, ated on Eighty-sixth Street, just east of Lexington Avenue, and through the medium of a stock company, known as the Blaney Players, presents former Broad- The return of Patricia Collinge to New York in “The Dark Angel” exhumes out of the past a story way successes and failures. ”

“ It is pre- cuse them of not doing the hand- sented by a group of actors and some thing. Why, the cloth-of- actresses who succeed admirably in gold flows like water. The New Plays keeping their faces straight. And now it must be time to get talking about the play itself. Now THE WILD Duck. At the Forty- we are not just the boy to give the Eighth Street Ibsen's play once The Theatre Guild, after the Biblical drama any too honest a again providing a nourishing night curious, confused magnificence of in the theatre. ”

“ Raymond Ber- nard, the director of "The Miracle of the Wolves," has adulterated the whole element of humor. Only the other day, The art of the motion picture has its thing with conventional movie glucose. The film offers nothing new in technique a certain film producer hurried to New York. anywhere, but it has a genuine feeling of He had been low in spirits for a long time and place. time. He felt ill and was worried. Someone had suggested a pyscho-analyist and the producer mustered up courage for "The Thundering Herd," on the other a consultation. hand, is obviously theatric stuff. ”

“ THE first major casualty in the World's crusade to make the Broadway theatre a finer and innocent bystander, Heywood Broun.
As a direct result of the World's unwillingness to tolerate plays it recently discovered to be surfeited with shame, Mr. Broun will leave the paper at the end of the current theatrical season, of Herbert Bayard Swope, the Executive Editor. ”

“ The dam has Limerick Contest something! Hold your horses! Has he $10,000,000 a Week for Cash Prizes said something? Who can tell, and who not? It's all in the first four lines of the Limerick printed in the coupon at the left. Greenie, at the moment, seems to be standing around with an open mouth. A fellow whose name was OʻGreen Was the dumbest bird ever you seen, Two to one he can't stay that way for- But one day on Broadway A girl heard him say ever. No, Siree, Bob! So everybody get set, for the big ride to the Magic Caves! ”

“ The announcements can film men ask audiences to swallow say there are 30,000 of them extras, not the event without explanation. gestures—and, after you have watched the tribulations of Sickiewicz's Christian mar- tyrs under the bloody rule of Nero, you will well believe it. "Quo Vadis" has Actually, "The Miracle of the Wolves" one iter besides boredom. That able has intelligence and a certain interest. actor, Emil Jannings, recently the hotel Basically, it is the story of Louis XI who porter of "The Last Laugh," plays the Laid the foundations of a centralized royal fiddler. ”

“ Neighbors always held their parties on the wrong It was never difficult after this for anyone to tell the nights, and their taste in jazz records was execrable. difference between right and wrong. All one had to They slept when the New Yorkers celebrated, and do was to go to the movies and the whole problem was they celebrated when the New Yorkers slept. simplified. -Sawduse If a man was a big, two-fisted, he-American, he could be depended upon. Such a man was never small or three-fisted, and he never turned out to be a she- By Way of Introduction R. Open Spaces, men were invariably males. ”

“ If anybody finds any- thing obscene in a hook, a picture or a play, just put him in jail. *⁠*⁠* Commissioner Enright's special assignment men reported that thirteen current plays were "bad," If we were policemen and couldn't find more than thirteen plays that are not only bad but downright worthless we would turn in our badges.
Perhaps the play jury will be known as the Shock Exchange.
THE NEW YORKER refuses to jeer at the news from Kansas. We think we understand. It took years of hard effort on the part of the Kansas Y. M. C. A. to enact the law prohibiting the sale of cigarettes. ”

“ A few hours after jazz had Münz again favored the audi- received its certificate of good The spectacular nature breeding in Aeolian Hall, an- of Mr. Münz's appearances in other tribute was paid the New York may savor of the fan- ble art in the Times Square tastic, but the young Polish pian- Theatre by the League of Com- ist is a good artist and an able posers. Before the audience that pinch hitter usually becomes a gathers only at the soirées of this major league regular. ”

“ For obviously he has burned with In the twenty-one years since an inner impulse to do it all him- then, the Times, for all its stub- self, to go out on every murder, born orthodoxy and for all the to meet every ship, to write every perils of its rich complacency, has story and every headline and to gradually become and still indis- read all the proof. putably remains the finest speci- Any Times reporter knows men of its craft in the world. ”

“ Bore them to death, probably. *⁠*⁠* New York has recently seen fierce conflict between Mothers Stone and Goose, renewed hostilities on the Jeritza-Gigli front and the siege of Budlong. What this town needs is an arms cut parley. *⁠*⁠* Among the many pleasant things we wish young Paulina Longworth is that by the time she reaches newspaper-reading age the affairs of W. E. D. Stokes will have been settled. *⁠*⁠* We have our More Serious Moments. At present we are working on an invention—a measure larger than a bushel—so that some of our younger geniuses may be able to hide their lights. ”

“ Then came the war, in which the Y. M. C. A. convinced all true Kansans that it was their Christian duty to furnish cigarettes for the soldiers. Kansas was never known to shirk its duty.
It has never lost its passion to prohibit things, however, but been difficult ever since to decide just what to prohibit. The Legislature has been known to stall along for weeks at a time without seriously interfering with the people's habits.
Music is front page stuff at last, for has not Signor Gigli tossed Frau Jeritza for a row of footlights? ”

“ Shroeder maintains that, inasmuch as obscenity exists in the mind of the looker, and not in the thing looked at, it is futile to pass judgment on the thing. If we really want to punish obscenity, he suggests, it is a simple problem. ”

“ We were not bothered much by In- ing, and general hysteria than I have ever seen at a first dians, however, except my grandfather, and indeed by night. the time we reached Hollywood the old gentleman Irrespective of their worthiness as individuals an had spent all his money for Indian blankets and post-opening night audience comes to the theatre prepared cards so that he had to start life all over again at the to see a play. ”

“ You all hear about just when to stop the gossip of the when the lights change. Agora. I stand here before you to-day to ask for volunteers. The attention I have a list of the of the city authori- most offensive plays ties should be now being produced called to the curb- at the theatres of stone at 34 1st street and Athens. Who Onderdonk Avenue. It among you will risk needs fixing. his good standing in the community by attending these re- A player named Ruth volting exhibitions will be given a trial by the and bringing back a New York American League detailed report? ”

“ Google In Our Midst
Bee Lillie, the popular actress and Lady Friends and others of George Jean Na- Peel, arrived Monday on No. 7 from Chi- than are expecting to hear the wedding bells cago, where she spent the Christmas sea- ring out any day now. George has been son and last few weeks. Welcome home, scen around the cafes a whole lot with one Bee, and accept credit for the swell piece of our most proininent film actresses lately. you had in the Times Sunday before last. Good luck, George. America is proud of you. ”

“ You lose a great to make a volume as beautiful as it is convenient--limp cov- opportunity by not doing so. Tear it out now, before turning ers, heavily grained: gold title and decorations; silk headband the page and mail to: and footband; sepia frontispiece. Truly, a book to grace the finest library THE PLYMOUTH PUBLISHING CO., bet The New "Midnight Edition" 7 WEST 42ad STREET, NEW YORK CITY But what richness of binding could compare with the treasures THE PLYMOUTH PUBLISHING CO., DEPT. 422 within-the priceless treasures of Poe's immortal genius! ”

“ It is said that many women even powder O Na stuffy afternoon shortly after the close of the , their noses in the public street nowadays. zens, already bored with the monotony of peace, formed themselves into a jury to investigate the drama, Many are wondering who the next Mayor will be "I need not," to blame the subway crowd- said the aged proed- ing on. ros, addressing the assembly, "dwell upon the lewdness The light system for traf- and filth and pro- fic appears to be very con- fanity which at fusing to taxicab drivers. present pervades our Several seem to be puzzled drama. ”

“ Curiously, the big scenes of both films "A college graduate, yes?” asked the are identical. In the Gallic effort, the mogul. beautiful heroine, carrying a paper which "Yes," answered the collegian respecte will save the life of King Louis XI, is fully, pursued by bloodthirsty scoundrels, Just The magnate paused and then de- as they are about to overtake her, a dozen manded, "You can spell, yes!” wolves dash upon the scurvy knaves and "Of course," said the astonished new. kill them while the maiden escapes. ”

“ He is not in New the shell of his own fastidious privacy. York at all. He has gone West Of course one excellent reason on a long, lazy vacation and left why the initials V.A. have no no certain word as to when he magic outside the walls of the will come back. Times Annex is because the Probably he is the most illus- owner of them has himself spent trious' unknown man in America little time outside those Carr Vatell Van Anda who walls. ”

“ George S. Kauf- visit to New York from Washington, D. man) stayed in the theatre to the end of C., where he is located in the diplomatic the second act of "The Virgin of Bethulia" business. the other day, that being the longest she has watched a play for some time. David M. Mitton, Jr., Columbia Law School boy, is going to marry John D. Richard ("Dick") Bird is contemplating Rockefeller, Jr.'s daughter, Abby, in May. a hurried trip back to England during the The romance is the outcome of Miss Abby's Spring, it is said. Hurry back, "Dick." learning to drive an auto. ”

“ Banton with a copy of the New York World in his hand, It is our suggestion to the Citizens' Jury that, since ready to hurl it at the first actor who said "Goddam!” heroes are apparently inevitable, they have an amendment Those who remained in their seats discovered that it was to the Federal Constitution enacted compelling all play- only a Kaffir witch doctor with a thunderbolt. wrights and producers so to arrange and time their heroes' As there is not a Goddam in the play, it looked as if entrances and exits that Mr. ”

“ It is an open secret that last week's backstage glimpses of Jobyna that play has earned for them about $900 Howland constituted an intrusion into weekly ($900 apiece, that is) since it what is sometimes laughably described as opened at the Plymouth six months ago. private life, it might be pointed out that But that is the merest beginning. Stall- Arthur Springer began it. ings, for example, has gone to the Coast In the last number of Hearst's Interna- to work on a film version of his novel, tional, before it was sopped up by the "Plumes." For that labor he will be paid Cosmopolitan, Mr. ”