Some scenes from The Big Drum (A Comedy in Four Acts) wirtten by the English playwright Sir Arthur Wing Pinero (1855 – 1934), and performed at the St. James's Theatre, London, in 1915.
The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, September 25th, 1915, "The Big Drum," Sir Arthur Pinero's New Comedy at the St. James's Theatre."
a- The former lovers, Ottoline, the Comtess de Chaumie (Miss Irene Vanbrugh) and Philip Mackworth (Sir George Alexander), about to embrace on meeting after an absence of ten years, during which time, Ottoline has married and become a widow.
b- Ottoline's parents and brother, Sir Randle and Lady Filson, and Bertram Filson (Miss Helen Ferrers, Mr. Allan Aynesworth, and Mr. Nigel Playfair) having their morning hate at the hideous pretension of Philip Mackworth, an unsuccessful author, to an alliance with the Filson family.
c- Ottoline confesses to having secretly bought up the whole edition of Philio's new novel, "The Big Drum," so that his supposed success as an author should break down the only obstacle to their marriage.
d- The Filson parents putting philip through his paces when Ottoline brings him home s her "young man." The absence of his name from "Who's Who" weighs heavily with Filson pere against the suitor.
e- Sir George Alexander as Philip Mackworth, an author who refuses to court populatirt by beating 'the Big Drum."
