Escape

Escape* by John Galsworthy
Booth Theatre†, New York
Rôle: Matt Denant
Total Performances: 173††
10/26/1927 - 3/24/1928

"It's one's decent self one can't escape." Matt Denant played by Leslie Howard, Escape by John Galsworthy

"The detective was undoubtedly doing his duty. And yet, quite a question— Rather dangerous giving the police a discretion on morals. The police are very like ourselves: and—er—most of us haven't discretion, and the rest haven't got morals." The Old Gentleman played by Laurence Hanray, Escape by John Galsworthy

Synopsis:

"A young man of fine background and education—an Oxford graduate and all that—finds himself suddenly in the role of a murderer. While strolling he has been accosted by one of the scarlet profession and is engaged in a philosophic discussion with her on the subject of original sin when a plain clothes officer interferes.

"There is a struggle and the officer falls, striking his head on a rail. The young man escapes and thereafter, with the countryside searching for him meets one person and then another—a society woman, a judge, a farmer and even a minister of the gospel. They all know he is the convict and they all help him. The minister is even about to lie for him when a policeman arrives—but the convict will not allow this. He surrenders to save the parson from another criminal sin."

"We Seem to Approve Galsworthy's Ideas on Crime and Original Sin," New York Theatre Letter Column by Frank Lea Short, For NEA Service, Ogden Standard-Examiner, November 8, 1927

"The scene [John Galsworthy's Escape] in which she [Frieda Inescort] appeared was a bedroom in a hotel on the moors. The fugitive is discovered by the lady, hiding under her bed. As was bound to happen with vague Leslie, when the curtain went up one night on the bedroom, he was in his dressing room. Frightful sawing noises were heard off stage, as the carpenter cut a hole in the scenery so that he [Leslie] could crawl under the bed while Miss Inescort bravely shrieked her lines to the audience." A Quite Remarkable Father, p. 144

*OCLC WorldCat Entry Escape
*OCLC WorldCat Entry Escape
*OCLC WorldCat Entry Escape
*Escape Wikipedia
ref: Eforgan, pp. 72-3, 83, 84 and Theatre and Film Work Index
ref: Howard, L. ed. with R. Howard, pp. 65, 101
ref: Howard, L. R., pp. 133, 141-5, 154, 168, 222
ref: Howard, R., Plays Index
ref: IBDb.com Leslie Howard Page
ref: IBDb.com Escape
ref: Inafferrabile Leslie Howard, Theatre - Escape • Includes company and cast information, synopsis, reviews and photos
ref: Miscellaneous Notices
ref: Brooklyn Daily Eagle Review A. Pollock 10/27/1927
ref: Brooklyn Daily Eagle Commentary A. Pollock • "Plays and Things" 10/30/1927
ref: Brooklyn Daily Eagle Review G. Halasz • "The Curtain Rises" 11/06/1927
ref: Brooklyn Daily Eagle Review of the Drama 12/28/1927
ref: Brooklyn Life Review 11/05/1927
ref: Denton Journal Notice 04/14/1928
ref: Detroit Free Press Review B. Mantle 11/06/1927
ref: Detroit Free Press Review A. Smyth 01/22/1928
ref: Enquirer, Cincinnati Review of the Drama 11/12/1927
ref: Enquirer, Cincinnati full-page excerpt of John Galsworthy's Escape 12/04/1927
ref: Greenville News Review of local production with kind words for Leslie Howard 02/17/1928
ref: New York Times Leslie Howard's Activities 08/15/1926
ref: New York Times Review J. B. Atkinson • "The Play" 10/27/1927
ref: New York Times Commentary J. B. Atkinson • "Drama of Original Sin" 11/06/1927
ref: New York Times About Laurence Hanray • "A Galsworthy Specialist" 12/18/1927
ref: Oakland Tribune Review 11/20/1927
ref: Ogden Standard-Examiner Review F. L. Short • "New York Theatre Letter" 11/08/1927
ref: Pittsburgh Press Review P. Hammond • "The Stage from "Percy Hammond's Letter" 11/06/1927
ref: Stage and Screen Review 11/07/1927
ref: Winnipeg Evening Tribune The real story behind the drama 04/21/1928
ref: Museum of the City of New York Escape Photo Collection
ref: Program in PDF
ref: New York Magazine Souvenir Program in PDF
†Booth Theatre, 222 W. 45th St., New York, NY
††Wearing, pp. 457-458 • Lists 176 performances

When John Galsworthy finished writing Escape he made a pronouncement that this would be his last play. This created a flurry of articles. Here are those articles and others about John Galsworthy and the history of Escape:

• New York Times • "Theatrical Notes" 08/15/1926
• Brooklyn Daily Eagle • "The Artist Has No Purpose" 03/11/1928
• Courier-Journal, Louisville • "John Galsworthy Writes a Letter" 12/04/1927
• Courier Journal, Louisville • "Galsworthy Play Makes Another Actor" 12/18/1927
• Brooklyn Daily Eagle • "Something About John Galsworthy" 12/11/1927
• Indianapolis Sunday Star M. A. Miller • "Correspondent Discusses Stage Affairs of Gotham" 01/29/1928 
• New York Times • "Galsworthy's Record in America 11/06/1927
• New York Times • "Escape Not Last Play" 01/23/1928

[Leslie Howard as Matt Denant in Escape]

[Leslie Howard as Matt Denant in Escape]

[Leslie Howard as Matt Denant in Escape]

[Leslie Howard and Frieda Inescort in Escape]

[Leslie Howard and Frieda Inescort in Escape]

[Leslie Howard and Austin Trevor in Escape]
Museum of the City of New York

[Leslie Howard and Austin Trevor in Escape]
Museum of the City of New York

[Leslie Howard as Matt Denant in Escape]
Museum of the City of New York

[Leslie Howard with St. Clair Bayfield, Geraldine Kay
and Laurence Hanray in Escape]
Museum of the City of New York

[Leslie Howard with Edgar B. Kent, A. B. I. Imeson
and F. Cecil Butler in Escape]
Museum of the City of New York

[Leslie Howard and Henrietta Goodwin in Escape]
Museum of the City of New York

[Leslie Howard with St. Clair Bayfield, Geraldine Kay
and Laurence Hanray in Escape]
Museum of the City of New York

[Leslie Howard and Geraldine Kay in Escape]

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