Under
Fire
(1915) became Roi Cooper Megrue’s (1882-1927) fourth play produced on Broadway
in less than four years. He was becoming a very successful American playwright.
The topic for Under Fire was unlike
his earlier plays since it dramatized many of the headlines and stories from 1914
newspapers.
Under
Fire--A Play of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow in Three Acts
is a melodrama that dramatizes World War One through a story about spies. Since
the United States was not involved in the war when the play opened, a spy story
was an entertaining and seemingly neutral avenue for approaching a hot
political topic. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle
reported on August 16, 1915: “In order to discourage the audiences at the
Hudson Theater from taking sides during the performances of Roi Cooper Megrue’s
‘Under Fire,’ Selwyn and company (Producer) have inserted a notice in the
program requesting that no member in the audience indulge in any unpleasant
demonstrations which might be offensive to others in the audience, or to those
on the stage.”
The Samuel French 1918 edition
of the play included a separate page titled “A REQUEST.” In the first paragraph
it states: “Under Fire while dealing
with certain phases of the Great War, attempts to be neutral, although its
characters being English, Belgian, French and German, are naturally partisan.”
The second paragraph resembles the one noted in the theatre program at the
Hudson Theater.
Act One is set in the
living room of Sir George Wagstaff’s home in London. It is a summer afternoon in August of 1914.
The suspense of uncertainty is evident since war seems imminent. Sir George is
a member of the British Admiralty so he knows when the British Fleet will
change its position to a defensive one.
This is information that the Germans want to know. The Butler, named
Brewster, is a German spy as is Henry Streetman, whose real name is Heinrich
Strassman. Streetman visits the Wagstaff
household on the pretext that he is in love with Ethel Willoughby. Ethel is the
governess/companion for Georgy Wagstaff, Sir George’s outspoken adult daughter.
Violet Heming as Ethel Willoughby
The discussion in this
act is focused on the possibilities of war.
The German spies are under orders to deliver the current information
about the location and movement of the British fleet. Captain Larry Redmond of the Irish Guards, who
truly loves Ethel Willoughby, visits the household to say good-by to her before
he leaves England for Belgium. There is also an American newsman named Charlie
Brown, who visits the household. As the act concludes, it is revealed that, under secret orders, the
great British Fleet has sailed.
Act Two is an afternoon
in August several days later. The location is the interior of a Belgian Inn.
This act illustrates the arrival of the German soldiers in this town and their
treatment of the Belgian citizens. However, the major focus is on the spies and
their various missions—Larry Redmond is a spy for the British and Ethel has
joined him as his wife and co-spy. Charlie Brown arrives to report on what is
happening for his New York newspaper. The German spy Henry Streetman also
arrives at the Inn. This act is filled with intrigue, action and the sense of
the early days of war.
Act Three, Scene One is a
section of an English trench in France. The time is 11:30 P.M. on a clear
August night. The wall of the trench is about seven feet from the curtain line.
The audience experiences the feeling of being in the trench with the soldiers.
This is the section of the play filled with the action of battle and the
intrigue of the games played by spies. The fear is that the Germans will
overrun this area of France and easily proceed to take Paris. The trench is
bombed during the scene and nearly everyone is killed including the spy Henry
Streetman. The only exception to instant death is Larry Redmond, who is wounded.
Act Three, Scene Two is
set in a damaged French church being used as a field station for wounded
English soldiers. It is about three or
four in the morning. Larry has his head bandaged and he is lying on the floor.
There are other wounded soldiers, attendants to the wounded and a Priest. Larry
and Ethel are reunited in this scene and they learn that the German plan to
take Paris failed.
Under
Fire
opened in August of 1915 at the Hudson Theatre in New York City. The New York Times review on August 13, 1915
begins with the headline “Stirring War Play by Roi C. Megrue.” The review lauds
Megrue for writing about the two most dramatic turning points in the history of
those momentous months—"the entry of England into the war, and he has used
the turning of the German hosts at the battle of the Marne.” It also states: “It is like turning back the
files of the newspapers to that week a year and a fortnight ago.”
The review is also
favorable for two of the leading actors.
William Courtenay (1875-1933) played Captain Redmond of the Irish
Guards. “He is satisfyingly romantic” and his Irish accent was successful.
Violet Heming (1895-1981) “is beautiful and adequate” as Ethel Willoughby. A
young actor making his Broadway debut was also mention—Edward G. Robinson
(1893-1973) who played four different roles—a Frenchman, a Belgian, a German
and a Cockney. Robinson played in thirty-nine more Broadway plays and starred
in one hundred Hollywood films during his fifty-year acting career.
Many reviews ignored the
work of Felix Krembs, who played Henry Streetman. Krembs (1882-1970) worked diligently to
perfect his British and German accents. The other actor frequently mentioned
was Frank Craven (1875-1945) who played the New York reporter named Charlie
Brown.
The trench scene in Under Fire was also mentioned in several
reviews. The Austin American Statement
ran a review of the Broadway production written by Brett Page, who thought the
most powerful and striking scene is the one in the trench. He states: it “is a
masterpiece of the stage architect. As one critic put it, ‘A sky brilliant with
stars, a soldiers’ game of cards, the sentries on watch, the bursting of bombs
and signal lights, and finally the aerial mine that ends all—Belasco never
created anything more perfect.’” This is high praise for the creator of the sets
and lighting. I do not know who designed the sets and lighting for Under Fire. It certainly was not David
Belasco (1853-1931) who did not care for Megrue’s style of drama. However, Belasco
was one of the most significant talents on Broadway whose career stretched over
forty years. Among many of Belasco’s achievements was his development of
naturalistic stage sets and authentic lighting effects.
After the Broadway
production of Under Fire ran for 129
performances, it went on tour with its stars playing their original roles. I
have found references to Under Fire
playing in Boston and other cities in the northeast, but I did not find any
references to it touring to the rest of the United States. There was a silent
film made of it in 1915, but the movie seems to no longer exist.
Under
Fire
appeared as a novel published in June,1916. The book version was created by
Megrue and Richard Parker. It was published by The Macaulay Company. Then
Parker serialized the book for newspapers. It was distributed to cities across
the United States. The installment I read was dated October 13, 1916 and it
appeared in the Brandon Union. This
was the newspaper for the city of Brandon, Vermont.
Under
Fire
illustrates the start of World War One in a convincing and vivid manner even
though it is melodramatic. It is a play
that I believe will continue to portray in my mind that time in the history of
the war.
PHOTO of Violet Heming: Ira Hill of New York Portrait Photograph. This photo may have been taken for the 1915 film of "Under Fire" since it appears on Silent Hollywood.com.
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