"Common Clay" now playing at the University theatre is taken from the Harvard prize play written by Cleaves Kinkead back in the happy days when Mr. Baker gave his famous English 47. Judging merely from the merits of the picture, there are several good reasons for not missing it, and one of these is the very excellent acting of Miss Constance Bennett. Playing a part once filled by Jane Cowl on the stage, Miss Bennett very ably carries off her characterization with all of the effectiveness that one associates with a stage presentation.

The general plot is not one of originality, but it is handled by the author in a fresh and stimulating way. The director, unfortunately seemed to be unable to decide whether he was photographing a stage play or making a motion picture. The result is that the possibilities of a movie are not touched, but his material was of such a high caliber that the production still remains a success.

The main virtue of "Common Clay" however, is that it belongs to what might be termed thought provocative drama. The legitimate theatre has been indulging in long laments on the fact that the talkies are seducing the public from them. In this picture the reason for that phenomenon becomes obvious. It is not that the motion picture has an insidious hold on the public, but that they are presenting better plays.