ACTOR AND EDITOR

Waipa Post, Volume 32, Issue 1928, 30 October 1926, Page 4

ACTOR AND EDITOR

NOVEL REPLY TO CRITICISM. MUSCOVITCH AND ERIC BAUME.N "V* The publicity department of J.j C. Williamson, Ltd., hit on a very neat way of replying to one of the critics who objected to “ They Knew What They Wanted ” at the Criterion Theatre, Sydney. A half-page advertisement in the critic’s paper raais as follows: Maurice Muscovitch the readers of the Guardian a porti-aiit of F.E. Baume. (Then follows a portrait.) This is the young man who, through the columns of the Guardian, tells Sydney that a play that has won recognition as the greatest real-life drama of the past year is “ a nasty bit of business ” with “ buckets of sentiment.” Mr Baume, as you see, is a young man, very much like many another young man who sits in the stalls or circle or gallery, and whose opinion you do not specially value. What special qualifications has this particular young man to sit in judgment on the work of an incomparably greater man—the author of “ They Knew What * They Wanted ” —at the Criterion Theatre, Sydney? If you lived next door to Mr Baume you would say: “Pooh! Dicb you see what that ( fool Baume, next door, wrote about ‘ They Knew What They Wanted ’?” But because you don’t live next doorto this brilliant ■ young man you read what he s*t,ys, and, in awed, shocked tones, you say: “ Did you see what the Guardian said about ‘They Knew What They Wanted ’ ? It said it’s a wicked play ? ” , Maurice Muscovitch tells you from his heart to see this . play for yourself. ' .te" ■ ; What if there are buckets of sentiment? Do tears make a play a nasty business? Women —you who will see in this beautiful play so much more than poor *Mr F. E. Baume can ever imagine—is it vulgar to hg,ve a baby? Is it vulgar to talk about having a v baby ? ' Like Tony in " They Knew What. They Wanted,” I love babies; and because I love babies from the bottom of my whole heart the tears I shed are real tears —the sort of tears, maybe, that Mr Baume .would call “ buckets of sentiment.” Mr Baume may consider this advertisement vulgar. It is my only means of reaching you. Mr Baume, fortunate young man, has the whole of the editorial space of the Guardian at his disposal to attack me and my play. I ask you to take no notice of Mr Baume, but to see this play for yourself; and, when you have seen it, write and tell me conscientiously what f you think. The play is. very near to my heart, and you may be sure, no matter what your views are, I shall be very happy to know your thoughts about it and acknowledge your letters about “They Knew What They Want- , ed.” [Mr Baume is -well known in Te Awamutu, where he was on the staff 'of the Waipa Post; he was appointed city editor of the Sydney Guardian some* six months ago,]