FIVE CROOKS AND A LADY OR GO STRAIGHT

The play in question can hardly be said to be the "melodrama of New York's under world" which the program sets it forth as being. It does deal with crooks, and in this case the efforts of a group of them to go straight, but it is considerably removed from the realism which surrounded such pieces as "Crime". But in the one feature which makes so many mystery and "crook" plays unendurable, "Tenth Avenue" redeems the faults of all the others. The comedy stretches are funny. The wisecracks inserted from time to time to relieve suposed tension, are exceptionally good, in addition to which they are put across in excellent fashion.

The cast is good. It brings to us once more Edna Hibbard, in our midst a few weeks ago as Dorothy in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes". To be frank, Miss Hibbard is not so pleasing as she was in her other vehicle, but this is largely because she is left out of the wisecracking mentioned above. The part assigned her rives her by no means the opportunities she had when exchanging bon mots with June Walker. Love has come into the life of Elzy Everetts, played by William Boyd, and apparently this has disastrous effects on ex-gunmen. He and Harry C. Bannister divide the male honors in the cast, while Miss Hibbard as the sole feminine entrant is entitled to the wreath on her side.