New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-10-21
WaI,ncis's The.tcr.

remarkable succoss. OF ia origin We cannot speak
with reci,ion; bat if, as we have heard, IL is Of
French birth, it cerisinly has undergone n trans
formation IN the Erngng-up. Il hae, in lis present
form, a pefvadlug element of farce which plainly
bsspeaks All English haudicran. On this side OF the
Atlantic It has received at least one improvement
The tile. "Bosom Friends" is much more opt
than that BY when it was known ut
the London Olympic" Friends or Fees. IL IL
smoo,hly.wri,ion piece, with here aud there ioHcn
OF spark ing-pgram TO point the dialogue. iiinlro-
duces a great number Of Characters, Which, though
in rome respects an advantage, il not altogether
artistcally SO, since when more than laf score oil
rersons are crowded together into four acts there II
great difficulty in finding enough for them al to do.
In the present case the expecient ie taken OF giving
some OF them so little do that they might as well,
if not better, be dispensed with altogether.
The plot is fragile, and We handle 1t with care.
4 husband not oppressiyely young, nor yet IN
tolerably old, Mr.. Union, who is peTsonaed by Mr..
Lester WaIlaek, and whom we may coucisely de-
scribe AZ Il noble-heared ninny is deceived by tie
dearest Of a number of bosom frients Mr.. Fed
erek Fervd, who fixing bis eye upon Mrs.
Union has, ike Melancholy, marked her for
bis own. His dissgreeable purpose is at first
unsuspected except by DIR. Bland, general
and genuine) friend Of the family, and a
narticular friend of Mr.. Unions daughter, Amy
whom he, for bis part, has also marked for bis own,
though With the pratswo5tby difference that his in
ten,ons are honorable But Sire. Union being inirm
of resolution, the affair ia presently discovered by n
number Of her husbands afsociaies with whom in
fure-s of biz simple heart, lie has crowded bis house
from top TO bottom. They endeavor to unval bis
eyes; but by succession OF incidents which
SAVIOR somew what OF the ntrigues Of Sill Waters
Run Deep" in which Mr.. Bland is the lea iing
figure, the lady is rescued uniainied from Ter
perilous position and the husband, who never
seriously doubted her faith, lives on aud loves
ON without the fainiest flavor Of a suspicion
Hero the plot naturally terminates, but there
is an awkward anli-clmax which we regret
I for a double reason, by which Mr.. Union
il made TO appear sensible Of his degradation to be-
come frenzied, and finally to rush tregicAlly forth
with firearms, producing CONSERVATION among the
company which ia only aliayed by bis return with Il
predatory fox the sole oec. OF his murderous exit.
The underplot Of the affections Of The Doctor aud
Miss Amy s Of conrsc brought 10 lis naiural Issue.
Tie subordinate characters serve 10 make fun by
showi the worihlossness OF Mr. nious judgment
rs Iel ards bosom fri-udsAp. They are, without
ce;tion "a set " Inbred vagabonds that would not
pass curon; an r,tpec.,be among iourh-clas csnni
bal.. They are, therefore, outside tie palc Oi
legitimate comedy, but for oyerlsswn farce ,toy
are indescribaby droll. The best performance Of all
those pafts was tha; Of Mr. Yielding, by SIR. John
Gilbert, which wGs ato the best Performance e tie
] a. 81 40 IA.
and bat for his forboanuoe in occasionaly sbaing
the twist, we doubt If Tho action could have pro-
oeeled with due gravity. Mr.. and Mrs. Mcsuley, by
Mr.. Young and Mn. Vernon, were nlfo cleTerly re
presented. Neither they, however, Tor hr. Bonow-
well b. M. Seton, Lor Captain DonoLuc, by ST..
Norton, nor Theodore, by Mics Reeves are Of any
eseoial service 10 tie development Of the piece. On
tho nirary their presenc, j. at times burden, as
in the opening Of the second act which dragged per-
CO. tbly.
Tie action generally, however, was fpiiied
enough. Up 10 the fourth net. it Was AS perfect a
performance rs we have seen, even a. Wallaok's
Tbeaier. Mr.. Letter Wallsot WIS amiablo and
true-heartod after the mos, charming style; Mr.
IIosy was devoted, lut devious, to match; Mis-
HenIioucs Was arch and winning, W all daughter,
IN 8llle ITOcnb anu luftI FtIs AlfAtfA 10 Ict
Mr.. Reynolds Was infamous ard repcntant In the
True, orthodox fashion, and Mr. Fisher regulated tie
virtue Of the establishment with the ,sIlc eQuaDim-
i,y rs If no were exercising hs medical functions in
Il moral hospital. Nothing could have been better.
But aferward, when all was reasonably settled,
came the uniucky anti-ClinsX Of which we hayo be-
fore spoken. Mr Union Wallacl vul pcidal purposes
being misunderstood By Mrs. Union Hocy and the
rest and the blunder being intensified by the Juggling
in Of al impairment story from magazine concerning
conjugrl pidetics and their catssiropher II seemed
fiji TO Mr.. Wslack to ip.ensfy tie artistic error of
the playwright by assuming bearing aud manner
Of jealousy unmistakablo AMI oi the greenes, hue.
Oihslio's wrath and agony could not exceed those
which were indicated by Mr.. Wallacks action. Now
it would be quite possible for simple lilly honest
h say,cd fellow like Union to go raving distracted
over the roal or supposed discovery Of bis wfes in-
fanny; but the notion Of lis assuming demoniac airs
over roostTob5ing qardruped il too absurd. The
mountain labors and brlLgs foHh-a fox. The result
Of this is to reduce the level oftc piece ON pls-ar,
farce to that OF unconditional bure6quee result Tor
which the author is in some degree responsible, but
Dy no means 10 the extent manifested last niolt
Per contra, we should say that Mr.. Lester Wallaeks
acting ia the other WIS admirable; and the
little action Of giving away his laughter showed
exquisite feeling.
We find a little error Of taste in the naming of
ts.s characters. The practice Of heFaldng tho m.
turs or disposition OF the individuals concerned by
descriptive arpelletivoe like Meanlcy, Borrowwoll
Bh.i, Fervid, etc, has o1ilyed il, effectiveness.
There are plenty Of roasons why il has nowadays
no busin ON the stage But thin 10 a slight mat
TEL. TIA success of the play with the audience Ms
NC have ssid, was unqualified. After the first
net which inirodueea ell tie chnrnctcru very