Mary the Third

Mary the Third (1923), a comedy by Rachel Crothers. [39th Street Theatre, 163 perf.] In a double prologue, brief glimpses are seen of the first and second Marys ( Louise Huff), mother and daughter, as they are courted by their future husbands, William and Robert ( Ben Lyon). Now the granddaughter and daughter of those girls, who is also named Mary (Huff), is courted by Lynn (Lyon). However, this third Mary is an ardent flapper who is dismayed to learn that her parents are contemplating divorce and that her grandparents' marriage was not all it seemed to be. She determines to “live in sin” rather than repeat their mistakes, but in the end bows to social pressures and her own feelings for her suitor. Mary can only ask lamely, “It is one of those great eternal passions that will last through the ages—isn't it, dear?” Another of Crothers's woman's‐eye views of mores and relationships, the Lee Shubert production was welcomed for its wit and shrewd observation, although many critics were uncertain about the precise nature of its philosophic bent.