WORTH THE MONEY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11593, 11 January 1916, Page 5

WORTH THE MONEY.

"BOUGHT AND PAID FOE,"

POINTS ABOUT A GOOD PLAY.

If Charles Milhvnrd gets drunk and returns home to his wife, Muriel Starr, insulting her and telling her that he bought and paid for her with his millions, should Muriel go back to the millinery store at seven dollars per, or should she stay on in luxury, losing her self-respect whenever Millward abandons sobriety? This is a long personal question, but it is a wool clip to a war loan that, for the majority of the audience. "Bought and Paid li'ov" is translated, into these very terms. Authors create characters, but very often when the play reaches the hands of the modern popular artist the original personage disappears, enveloped by the dominating personality of the p.a. This is not always condemned. It is eulogised by many people, who urge that unless the audience knows that Muriel Stanis the much tried wife they can't enjoy the play. This, considered from the point of view of art, is nonsense, though most of the talk about art is just that—but from the viewpoint of it is undoubtedly the solemn, unblinking truth. " Bought and Paid For" treats of American conditions, but its theme can be translated into the terms of any nationality whoso husbands have the questionable privilege of getting intoxicated, with a convenient absence of recollection to shelter behind when the morning headache is going its round's. If you see diaries Mill ward (the programmes call the part Stafford) come in merrily drunk and gradually descend in moral force but ascend in power you will realise that this play can be made to grip pretty tightly. _ Stafford, or Millward, as you please, is. never repulsive in his drunkenness, but, although he is undoubtedly funny, the picture of Mrs Virginia, or Muriel Starr, as you will having her nerves strung out and broken one by one makes you her ally. When she puts her own self-respect first, and puts marriage on the extremely old-fashioned basis of love as against marriage certificates, the audience finds itself with her. Then there is another inhabitant of the play who attracts even more attention. This is James Gilley, who may be known by his stage name, because Hobart Cavanaugh, who plays the part, is a newcomer, and as yet cannot hope to have his own name on everybody's tongue. Gilley is the most important personage in the He is the basis of the comedy and his influence never wavers. This little fellow, full of conceit, cheek and keenness for his own interests, goes jauntily through the drama and work? off a lot of shrewd jibes at modern "wallah-wallah." A chorus of t " Hear, hears" mis-lit have followed his statement that " the opera in Dago is bunkum." With all Jimmv's 1 failings, he never loses the symnathy of the_ audience, and if the audience were given the choice of guests, paying or dead loss, rt would be for James that the fancy pillow slip and the newest towel would be brought out of hiding. Fanny Blaine, James's wife, is a type different again. Homely, slightlvmore common than her sister, but full of sympathy, and a lot_ of commonsense, safeguarded by well-insulated nerves. Miss Gertrude. 80-swell, with her rich voice, gets this little character sketch right over the footlights and under the left-hand pocket. Ohu, the Jap servant, is so well done that he, is not the joke that most Japs played by Europeans are. Coming back to Muriel Starr and Virginia Bbnue, the little jabber in French to the unid in the second act is the author's little bit of snobbery, especially as he has to bring Virginia back into English so that the audience can understand her when iht>. phrasebook or " How to Ask for Things in French "has gone dry. If ynur maid speaks English you usually telk to her in that tongue, and keen French for visitors, but to put it over on an audience, and then abandon it, doesn't help one to sympathise with Virginia. Another point is the last act. BeahVm which falls short is a joke. Virginia has been out in the rain. She is '-opnintr wet, and so rainproof has j w be dampened. Why, why should the rani have fallen in two big splotches and' those wh°rr> Virgo's umbrella pro-'-octed her? T>'d someone deliberately throw water on her? That's all it looks like. Miss Starr is an actress who gets the pubh'c attention without fail. She can suggest wracked nerves, and when she sobs everybody wants to swallow hard, but somehow there is never anv mental power behind. You feel Virginia's nerves but never her brain. Mi*s Starr has a huskv voice which is a rich as c et, her methods are those -f "Within the Law," hut she suits Virgin ,- a Blaine admirably, and fitting it, well she carrier r-flf + nP honours. "Bought and Paid For" will be repeated at the Theatre Royal to-night.