Word: melodrama
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Dates: during 1920-1929
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Number 7. Another English thriller has visited tired Broadway. Number 7 is the address of a forsaken tenement building which, in the course of a chilling melodrama, houses Scotland Yard detectives, criminals, innocents, relief comedians, all bent upon recapturing the Duchess's stolen jewels. Weird entrances and exits are effected through skylights, windows, doors. Eden Gray, as heroine, lends a touch of beauty. The play, though strictly according to formula, is fairly exciting...
...Ghost Train. The first mystery melodrama of the year is an importation from England, and, though the locale is changed to Maine, it remains as completely British as ever. The story is of a group of stranded passengers at a country station who are terrified by tales of a mysterious train-an eerie local, Alexander Woollcott called it-that made its unearthly appearance from time to time. The mystery itself is intriguing enough, but the solution is less satisfying. On the whole, the melodrama is rather less exciting than it should...
Into this obvious melodrama have been woven some sharp moments of suspense. The second and the third acts have many moments in which the edge of the seat is necessary. But the dialog is fearful. It is full of the "Then you have been his woman" type of line and bears a woeful semblance to a mass of cinema subtitles. Carroll McComas, the principal actress, strives valliantly to bring the piece to life...
...suggested simply, that the citizenry of Pennsylvania scratch their traditionally Republican tickets and transfer their support to a Democrat. Such melodrama in Pennsylvania is unheard of, for since 1875 not one Democratic Senator has been returned from that state, and ordinarily none but a Republican has a chance even in his own opinion. But Mr. Norris sensibly pointed out that the cheapest and least embarrassing way for the old party to save itself the awkward task of removing Mr. Vare (who won the $3,000,000 primary campaign) is not to elect him next November. Mr. Norris' plan...
...first part of Henry IV is an unwieldy play of many scenes and conflicting purposes. It is a mixture of low comedy and romantic melodrama. It has probably never played very well. It has not played at all in Manhattan for 30 years. The Players' resuscitation, exceedingly commendable in intent and reasonably efficient in effect, was restricted to a single week...