New Plays

She Couldn't Say No. Its chief virtue is that it returns Florence Moore to the legitimate stage. A 20th century, wisecracking Portia, she furiously "strains the milk of human kindness" to win the man she loves. With such dynamic energy does Miss Moore zoom through three acts of vaudeville farce that the entire encumbrance is drawn in by the suction and swept along to success. She impersonates a fictitious partner of the penniless lawyer she adores, wins a lawsuit for him in spite of himself, and wins him, too, after an impassioned speech set in the middle of a clownish court room scene. The audience laughed constantly--mostly on account of Miss Moore. She worked hard.

The Adorable Liar. A delicate mechanism is the young girl of romantic hallucinations. Only a kindly sheriff and a sensitive audience can really understand. When she stirs a mob to a manhunt, excites even domestic Aunt Josephine to the point of exclaiming, "I'd rather lynch than lunch," it takes all the sensible characters in the play to straighten out the situation. Suspense attains impressive proportions as bloodhounds draw near Karrie's bedroom where a knight errant is being irreproachably entertained. Unlike most other current comedies, this one strives to root its action in human nature rather than a bagful of funny lines. The role of Karith Barry is so deftly interpreted by Dorothy Burgess that an audience not too sternly realistic will follow the play with sympathy, even overlooking the too gushy spots.

If I Was Rich. Desire in the shipping room goads a clerk to seek dubious paths to sudden wealth. He forces his way into Long Island society, only to learn that the straight and narrow path is, after all, the best. The little wife will have to wait for her Rolls Royce. The show is a sort of vaudevillian crazy quilt made out of gaudy wisecracks and patches from several other farces in which New York vernacular has been employed for dramatic effect. Almost all the comedies of this season carry some echo of George Kelly's The Showoff. This one even shamelessly copies John Bartel's famed laugh. Joe Laurie, former vaudeville star, quite appropriately graduates into the leading role. The play appeals especially to the humor and tear ducts of folk who are not irritated because the title fails to attain the proper subjunctive mood.

Potash and Perlmutter--Detectives. For years they have been as Montague Glass first made them--contentious, lovable, inseparable. Their latest venture is into the dangerous private detective business. "That business is no business at all," decides Abe when he finds himself encumbered with an armful of revolvers. He would rather "sink in his liabilities than be shot by his assets." But Mawruss insists upon going through with it. In handling a Long Island jewel theft case, they flop from the distinguished station of international crime experts to the ignoble confinement of the local gaol. The cause of their downfall: softheartedness and general confusion on the part of both partners regarding the policy of the firm as a unit. Ludwig Satz, notable Jewish actor, assumes the role of Potash, once played by Barney Bernard. His is an original, shrewd Abe. As the overlording Perlmutter, Robert Leonard becomes exasperated beautifully. Of course, the audience is amused and Abe and Mawruss are released from gaol, so that they may appear before future generations in another business.

The Donovan Affair. Owen Davis, author of well over a hundred plays, is to be credited with having written what promises to be the biggest mystery play success since The Bat. The playwright has managed to put so much suspense and excitement into his three acts that you can readily forgive an occasional absudity here and there, as well as the undeniable weakness of the final unraveling of his mystery. The plot follows the formula carefully. A murder is committed at a dinner party, and one by one every member of the cast comes under suspicion. And then at the close the one you are supposed never to have suspected seriously is revealed as guilty. It is all delightfully thrilling fun, and Paul Harvey, as the detective in charge of the case, gives an exceptional performance.