The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-02-07

Marchmont, who wrote the novel; Mrs.
Doremus leader in New York society, and
Leonidas Westervelt, a millionaire's heir,
who collaboratively wrote the stage YER
sion. But the book doesn't make the hero
any such Joker as he is in the play, and
don't believe that either of the dramatists
did tx. My guess is that Stuart is the re-
sponsible party, and, as he tried the exper-
iment in several Pacific coast cities before
risking it at the Atlantic seaboard, he had
time to muster courage for the crucial ven
ture in a theater close to broadway. But
it has gone right. Our blase class would
laugh at this Jack Hamilton if he took him
self seriously, but he does not, and so they
laugh with him-Nhich makes the difference
between theatrical disaster and triumph.
Jack is a marvellous adventurer in the land
of the Car, such Anthony Hopes Eng
lishman was in Zenda, for his likeness to a
native proflgate leads him to impersonate
that parsonage for the sake of lovely
maiden. In the newer fiction, however, the
absentee is the brother of the girl, not her
fiance. and no deception is practiced on her
by the pretender Plentiful comedy comes
of his transition from the counterfeit at
lection of a brother to the genuine passion
OF sutton
A duel with swords between this smiling
American and a scowling Russian adver-
sary, in forest at daybreak, is quite as
fierce an affair as the one which has not
etition in "The Corsican Brothers, The
brand new device of excitement is one with
which some Nihilists plan to wreck the
Cars travelling car. They assign a fanati-
cal scientist to the job. He instaIls an cleo
trio apparatus in an astronomical observa-
tory on hilltop overlooking sharp curve
in the railway. BY simply pushing lever
the imperial train may be plunged over
precipice. Oh, but ii is the most ingenious
of assassinating machines, and seems sure
10 do its work internally well. However,
the boss of the affair is the very devil Of
lover, too. He abducts the girl of his
wicked desire, and brings her to the lone
some observatory. The time of that exploit
is just right for the drama S third-act eli
max, but all wrong for the cause of the Nj
hilists, as the toot of the Cars locomotive
is heard at the moment that the limp cap
tive is laid on a lounge The deadly lever
is turned, and she sees IL. The American
butts into the affair simultaneously TO res
cue his sweetheart. lie whips the lustful
william. and she pulls back the electric lever
the King and the girl are saved in one tur-
bulent minute, and the curtain closes in on
a duplex situation that ought to be pat
ented.
1t is worth while 10 visit an extrava-
ganza again, after 1t has been performed
several months to see what i'm IL has been
changed. Things in these ductiIe shows
which don't please the audiences are cut
down and out, and those that do please
are amplifed This is true especially of
the material given to the comedians to be
funny with. and the competition among
those antic gentlemen is far more serious
than their behavior indicates. | had
watched four OF them. Bulger. Mozart.
Woodward and Cawthorn, as they started
out at the opening OF Mother Goose" with
just about equality OF opportunities
Last night / observed them again. One had
gained long lead over his nearest rival
who was well ahead of the third. while the
fourth was all but distanced. For every
joke that the fellow at the front had
cracked at the outset he now had a dozen
and i was told that most of them were OF
his own make. He had added verses TO his
topical songs. too, and nurtured every seed
of humor i'm his role into a thrifty growth
The second chap had done well with the
matter intrusted to him, and was striving
sturdily 10 better his place. The third was
past hope of overtaking the second. The
fourth was "A discouraged laggard. from
whom unimproved chances had been with
drawn. Why don't | tell which is which +?
Well, 1 lack both the courage and the cru
city.
Those four comedians figure Jointly and
equally in hve-minute good thing that