The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-11-15
Cbe CbeatreS


NIT. D00iGlA m ~SeEBGoMt DA0Ss
 There is too much English humor in Sergeant Brue'' for 1t ever to become a screaming success in America, but Frank Daniels, Sallie Fisher, Clara Belle Jerome and the large and capable company which supported them at the Montgomery Theatre last night would be worth while in dramatization or "Casabianca."
 The English mind. with all Of It's respect for the law. views prisoner Tn the dock as something desperately funny and one imagines that London fairly roared and tickled itself over that first scene of the third act or Sergeant Brue'' which presents Frank Daniels as the police sergeant on trial before A magistrate for laying in walt under folding bed that he might ar rest his confederate for burglary ana thereby attain promotion to the rank of an in nspector. The situation IS com monplace farce to American audiences and might we'll be spared from this musical comedy. It is talky. uninter- esting and is saved merely by the re- markable ability of MT. Daniels to pro- yoke laughter.
 The plain truth is Mir. Daniels Is one of our best American comedians. we have seen him as the opera boune ruier, as the modern office boy and in many roles and we have invariapiy ,ausneS with him. We laughed heartily with hin, last night, but we came away from inc theatre convinced that MT. Daniels has been seen to better advantage than in Sergeant Brue.
 The theme of this English musical comedy, or farce, deals with the enort of the absurd little police sergeant u comply with the last will and tesu- ment of his brother. who has dieo m tnf hn Is fn come into i 0 900 pounds when he is promoted to he an inspector. He goes through three acts of trials and at last earns his reward by raiding his own nome ,vhare a uartS of ladies and gentlemen are engaged at baccarat.
 The audience, which was surprising lv small considering the popularity oI MT. Daniels in Montgomery. was more than well pleased with MT Daniels put if was Mr' Daniels who pleased rather than the police sergeant. One imag- insI that the comedian took liberties with his book because some or the clover things he said were very pun gent Americanisms. It never occurred 10 any London police sergeant. Tor ex- ample. to express his discomfture in tight boots as having quarts ior lee' and pints for shoes.
 No one expected anything else than that Mir. Daniels would have to sing simself hoarse. His audiences require that of him wherever he goes. He seems to get more out of topical song than almost any other comedian who comes to us. His best song in Ser reant Brue" is 'I Was Born on Fri day," although the audience took nightly to "Old Man Shea" His "business" with these songs was so uproariously funny that MT. Daniels would have been singing and cutting capers there yet if the audience had had it's way.
 When Mir. Daniels permits sallie Fisher to sing Saturday After Two" in the first act, before his entrance, he is doing a dangerous thing if he treas ures his popularity. This young wo- man is one of the rarest jewels of our modern stage life, which Is merely a repetition of what has been said of her in the past by this writer. This early impression of her in Sergeant Brue" established her so firmly with the au- dience that when MT. Daniels came on the stage the people were not ready to yield their admiration for his leading woman to even MT. Daniels. Miss Fisher sang the song with vivacity and she got the heartiest applause.
 The fine impression of Miss Fisher
 was heightened in the third act when l she sang "Dearie" Here she had bet ter opportunity to show off her culti- yated voice. She thrilled the audience and answered four or five encores. Clare Bell Jerome, than whom there are not many more finished soubrettes was not far behind MT. Daniels and Miss Fisher in captivating the audi ence Her solo, "A Cup of Tea" with MT Meakins was one of the many good morsels of the entertainment and her Irish song with chorus. My Irish Molly O." was sung with the proper spirit and expression.
 The supporting company was excel ! lent, just such a company of players as we usually find with Mir. Daniels.