The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-06
A. CONAN DOYLE'S GERARD"
kYRLE BELLEW SWASHBUCkLES
~ 4 CHARACTER PART.

But Most 0f the Hum0r Is Lost In the Ncunie
"A Play Win UnrSsIized Possibilities
Pleasantly R~eceIved-The Napoleon Of
the Drama Appears I'm 4 New Light.
If silicon had been a gas" Whistler re-
marked with reference to an examination
at West Point, Il should nave been a SOL
der II Kyrle Below had been a chsrac-
ter actor. Arthur Conan Doyle's -Brigadier
Gerard" which was put on last night at
the Savoy. would have been a great sue
cess. As matters stand, il was pleasantly
received and Is not unlikely TO ave a profit
able life,
Though in many respects this Gerard
il only the latest Of a long line OF swash-
buckling Gascons dating back through
Curdno to the very musketeer D'Artdgndn,
he claims attention as being something
more than the lay figure Of the long familiar
and now vulgar type. Brave as a swords
man, and braggart withal, he has the saw
ing grace Of being by no a wit in
himself and the cause of wit in others.
Napoleon said of him that he had the
stoutest heart OF any mar he ever knew,
and the thickest head. And, as Gerard
was, according to the verdict Of his COM
panions in arms, the most oonceited ass.
as well as the best soldier in the regiment,
he took his Generals mari to apply to the
number Of swords that had dulled their
edges against his skull. II 40 happened
that in his declining years Napoleon had
need Of a strong arm mated with a brain
that should not suspect, and 80 sent Gerard
to capture certain papers from Tslleyrano.
And thereby hangs this tale Of gallant adj
venture and humorous laundering.
The gallantry In arms q in love Mr..
Bellew rendered after his familiar man
ner. With the humors Of the part he is
less able to cope. The intelligent inten-
ton was always evident. but seldom or
never the concrete effect. He acted Gerard
but he did not live the part. Maurice
Barrymore would have shone In IL and
Coquelin would have adorned it: Mr..
Bellew succeeded only in suggesting a
wealth OF possibilities unrealized.
Here was a fellow who ~gasoonaded SO adj
mirabfy that his brother officers fooled him
to the top Of his bent; and he did not recog
nize their wit until he had broken his shins
upon 1t, In his encounter with TdIeyrdnd
he gave himself AVA so completely as to
get himself gagged, bound n hut up in a
cabinet to be shipped back to Napoleon.
Then, with the luck that pursues sta ge
heroes in distress, he escaped and boxed up
TdlLeyrdnd and sent him on that comic
journey. Again. with a fortunate blunder,
he seized the very black cloak in which the
papers were concealed and 80 carried them
away in triumph, to be discovered by
lOJlC NlilClI DlubddL III hlAc ldht aSNs
IL is not a likely story. but it Is not more
preposterous than most of its kind. and
needed but the touch of rough unconscious
humor to turn out very well as such things
go. But in Mr.. Bellows Interpretation
IL was only the most obvious jocularities
that carried across the footlights. And
as there was little swordplay and less love
making the success of the evening was
qualified.
Miss Ida Conquest was the heroine.
gorgeous in her costumes, pretty and
sympathetic in her demeanor and quite
artificial is speech and demeanor. The
TdAeyTdnd OF Henry Harmon was perhaps
as convincing as it was possible 70 make
this farce comedy statesman. Menifee
tombstone threw considerable rough vigor
into the part Of the Major Otirier who
hoaxed Gerard and in consequence fought
an interrupted duel with him: But IL was
the Napoleon OF A. G. Poulton who all
Internationally carried of the honors OF
this romantic comedy.
Many and various lave been those who
have donned tbs green coat and white
b~reeches, who have crossed their hands
behind them and worn their front hair in q
plastered curl. But u his was like no other
Napoleon known TO the stage. We have
had tall Napoleons and stuSby Napoleons,
lean Napoleons and plump Napoleons, but
never a Napoleon Vith handy legs. a billowy
paunch and a double chin. We have had
English Napoleons, German Napoleons
and American Napoleons. But never have
we had a Napoleon Of Mr.. Poulton's fac al
traits. IL was a case that cried out for the
descriptive pen OF James Metcalfe, for
here at least was that hitherto mythical
character known as the Napoleon of the