The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-05
FRENZED FINANCE FARCE.
4 NEW PATH BLAEED OUT At
THE SAVOH.

Like Abigail" Kellett ChaImerS's second
Play IL Uneven, but u Aboundt In
Novel Character and satire. and In
the Main II IL Admirably Acted.
Il is the hardest Of all tasks Rellett
Chalmers has undertaken in his 'FTenzied
Finance farce at the Savoy; but judging
hv the mood Of the second night audience
and in the theatre II Ia the second step
that counts-he has, in spite OF many minor
shortcomings, landed a success.
The nearer playwright gets to the actual
life n the day the harder Il h even In farce,
10 satisfy tho critical sense. But by the
same token the new path Il the true path
n fortune. and when II Il once blazed out
II speedily becomes a beaten highway.
In the first act the hilarity was restrained.
eycept for the forced and obvious rlistlings
II Paper applause; but in the second and
third acts the play got a jugllar grip on the
audience and sent Il away in a broad grin.
and with ordinations Of genuine delight
eohcing up and down the aisle.
Of Lawson and "the system there are
cnv The faintest echoes. Tho central
figure is bellboy at the Hotel Yanbillion.
who has a noble craving 10 become fnan-
Cial highlander. When the play opens he
is engaged in selling fake souvenirs OF the
latest and most splendid Of metropolitan
hotels But he has fallen in love with n
fair unknown and, sublimed by his passion,
al Tres % a nObler game Of fim-fam.
lie mistakes a Yonkers undertaken on a
rat for the Copper King Of Arizona; and
rr0ftng 10y a tip he has overheard, launches
he funereal repository OF cocktails on a
career Of speculation. The Joy Of the hum
he coffin TANNER at the honors thrust upon
hun is quite in the vein Of Mascarille paTad-
irg in his masters hnery; and az embodied
b. W. j Ferguson is the most unctious
ald compelling hit Of character comedy
seau on Broadway in many day
The real Copper King, when he registers
q the hotel is taken for the impostoT and
prsoned in a cupboard. When he escapes
and appears on the scene In his ire, the
belooy's speculation has already netted a
million
His encounter with the mellow under.
taker and with one Bat Scranton Of Tomb
stone, his quondam pal and present deadly
rival in the West admirably played by
Frank Hatch are conceived In a very
original vein and worked out with a seem
ingly ineXhaustible resource in comic
device.
The great scene Of the play is that in
which Bat Scranton constitutes himself
court Of arbitration to decide TO whom
the certified check for the million really
belongs. Legally il il quite evident that
the loot is the property OF the broker but
this Is a circumstance Of small moment to
the man who carries in his expansive waist
coat pocket the entire judiciary OF Arizona.
II j. certain that the copper king, who
was no party TO the deal is without claim.
The process Of wild Western Justice awards
the prize to the enterprising bell boy.
ENtTayagant prep osterous as the scene
T. il never misses the plausibility OF farce,
and ahounds with strokes Of satire on the
current methods a high finance
To give any idea Of the quality OF Mr.,
Chalmers fun Is quite impossible. II all
depends on the characters and on the sue
cessive situations. No greater praise could
he spoken, for il Is only stcrcotyPed wit
that can be retailed in tho small currency
Il conversation.
Much Of the laughter is to be credited
10 the excellent work Of the actors As a
New York broker who makes Interested
but mistaken love to the suburban daugh-
ter Of the lonkers undertaken. John Flood
j. unfaiingly effective in an admirably
quiet manner As the aspiring belltOy,
full Of noble, il frenzied, ideals, Douglas
Fairbanks Is lorcible and convincing
There is some danger, in fact Of his be-
coming matinee hero.
The weakness Of the play lies in the fimsi-
ness OF certain parts OF the machinery,
in tendency to Ineffective talk, in several
gratutOus touches Of sentimentality, and
in the slightness and artihciality Of the
women parts which had the added disad-
vantage Of being rather ineifeotively played.
But Of the comic force and originality Of
the farce as a whole there is not the slightest
question. The characters Of the five prin-
cipal men were unfailingly funny. For a
hearty laugh the public win pawn it's spare
linen, and that is what Is to be had at the
Savoy
There were rumors that the manage
ment, disheartened by the judgment Of the
g. .as-l.W III
such disoouraging matter-was suffering
from what Is popularity known as cold feet.
The reputation Of the theatre and the lack
Of established favoritss in the cast are no
slight obstacles. But il Is hard to see
how any one who studied the mood Of the
house last night could fail 10 see that 4
Case Of Frenzied Finance Is, as theatrical
speculations 60 abundantly worth backing.