"THE LUCK OF THE NAVY"

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 139, 8 March 1920, Page 8

"THE LUCK OF THE NAVY"

A ROUSING SPY MELODRAMA

"The Luck of lhe»Navy," a njelodrama iiuthree acts, by Clifford Mill 6. Cast of characters:Lieut. Olive Stanton, Y.O. ... Allan Wilkie Sub-Lieut. Louis Fed ... Augustus Seville Engineer Commander l'errin Kingston Hewitt Midshipman Wing Eden Henri Doro Admiral Maybridso T tc l' v " d Landor Schaffer J, .Castle Francois ■- f® l '* Bricgn •• Fred llU , cy A. Police Inspector Vincent ScuHy An Airman Walter- Plmca Jlrs. Gordon Peel ... Hiss Helen Fergus Dora Green Vera St. John » nn „ Lorna, Forbes Maid Servant •■• i [on f ®? va ] Newspaper Boy Bernard Bngga Cjutliia. ® c^jj.. 69 Frctiißvryde Hunter-Watts War themes die hard in the theatre. Only last week"a Williamson company submitted a spy play with arj American locale. This was followed on Satuiday evening by a much better, play (if to same genre entitled Ihe' Luc* of the Navy," a straightforward melodrama by Clifford Mills, which the lues of Mr. Allan Wilkic has secured from Messrs J. and N. Tait. Although there 'been plays and pictures here with tue daring intrigues of war-time 6Pies as i' basis, there has been none whichi excited., an audience more than did The luck. of the Navy" on Saturday. There hjtvo been more subtle examples perhaps, but tho very simplicity and obviousness oi every incident in the play found a ready rcspon.se in the audience, aiul despite the transparency with which tho author shows his intentions the bnglw action and "netvy" situations of the play Kepi those present jumping with excitement. Tho spy talk, the grandiloquent speeches about patriotism of various orders . * lish, German; and Belgian-all-a little war-worn,. came with a suggestion ol stalencss, but, given that in, the melodrama is very well written. There s a well-sustained interest throughout tho three nets, due to stirring action ai»l breezy acting; and the glamour of naval uniforms is of value in every scene, -ino Wilkie players do the play iustice. Hiera is a fine degree of fitness m the east which should help to secure success lor tho piny throughout the Dominion. It might not be quite fair for anjono to relate in detail the full story, as tho great'charm of a play of this order t the audienco is "what is coming next.:, •Suffice,.then, to tell that the story revolves round the virile personality oi Lieutenant Olive Stanton, Y.C., commander of submarine sa, ' 110 is sue l ! an expert at his business that the Ail Highest" has put a price' on his head. Stanton is tho hero of the honr, wlien he is invited by Mrs.'Peel (the mother of Sub-Lieutenant Louis Peel, also of the Sa) to dine, an invitation he is glad to accept because Miss Cythia Eden is staying with Mrs.. Peel. Slanton is to Bail early the next morning in connection with a big "stunt," and it is Mrs. Peel's aim to get the codo of the secret orders for the German agent Schaffer, who is posing in tho house as a wound- • cd Belgian officer. Sub-Lieutenant Peel is also in tho pay of Germany, and ho it is who endeavours to get hold of tho code bv suggesting to Stanton the picklo they would bo in if anything went wron" with him. Stanton laughingly tells him that if ench a contingency should arise they would find the key to the code next his heart, and scribbles it on the back of ft photograph, of his sweetheart. Mrs. Peel and Schaffer have arranged that a desnerato attempt must bo made to settle Stanton and get the codo after dinner that evening, but Stanton's suspicions aro aroused by the report of Admiral Maybridge (retired) that signalling had been seen fvonj tho Peel windows. These are confirmed on his seeing Schaffer skipping round without his crutch when unobserved, and by catching a word or two of German spoken by the servants. Dashing behind a screen he is horrified to find that his own sub-lieutenant is one of tho spies—, he is in a perfect network of them. Realising that an. attack is to be made on him, lie amazes Cynthia by returning her photograph, knowing that, temporarily,, her trust in him has to be shattered in order that the key to the code shall not he found on him'. The third act sees the attack and its sequel. Stanton, surrounded by his now revealed enemies, preserves his sang froid, until chloto; formed and bound by Schaffer and his agents. The plan is not to kill the Englishman—the "ill Highest" has forLydden that—but to convey him to Berlin per aeroplan?, which is in waiting. This plan wquld have worked well,' but for a temporary scare tho German gang gets. That time is sufficient for Midshipman Eden to arrive on the scene, 'help his senior out of his bonds, and then for Stanton to chloroform, bind and gag Peel in his stead. So when tho signal is given, and the liefpless man is carried . out and '•' tha, whirr of an engino suggests' the departuro of a 6otba, it is plainly not Stanton who has been consigned to Berlin. Tho latter still has the German to contend with, but young Eden calls on tho admiral, who arrives with a draft of bluejackets to complete the round-up. The gallant lieutenant, of course, lias the'photograph incident to explain to the fair Cynthia, and that is also satisfactorily managed.

If Mr. Wilkie had many such parts to play as Lieutenant Stanton, his popularity, would soon become immeasurable. He imparted manly virility and strength into the .role, and .carried the house with him all tho way- Miss.P. Hunter-Watts had' little to do as Cynthia, oxcept to be li. nice, refined English girl and wear pretty clothes in both of which shj. succeeded. Mr. J. C. Morris was quite effective as the Machiavellian German spy, Sehaifer, liis smiling oiliness and self-de-preciation beins; in strong contrast to liis fierce' outbursts of bitter haired when with 'his own. One of the most genuinely convincing bits was the Mrs. Peel of Miss Helen Fergus, who completely compnssed tho engrossing character of the clever all-sacrificing Hun spy. Her wild outbreak of rage when caught was one of /the verbal high-lights of the play. Mr.Augustus Neville's calm, still: methods ,and . sonorous voico were well-suited to thtf.Vole of Sub-Lieu-tenant Peel; Mr. Henri Dore made a whimsical study of Midshipman Eden, and.Mr. Edward Landor was tho crusty old Admiral (who resents being shelved at 70) to the life. The real flapper is not easy to portray, but the exuberant gush <\ud .chatter of Miss Vera St. John as Dora Green faithfully represented tho type. Other good pcformnnces Wero those of Mr. Felix B'md as Francois, and Mr. .Kingston Hewitt as Eng.-Com'-mandor Pervin, Thts melodrama was well moiinted, and the action went.with a swing from curtain to curtain. • "The Luck of the Navy" will run at the Grand Opera House for the next few niffhts.