The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-12-16
ELEANOR ROBSON
WINS NEW HONORS
Making Great Success of Clyde
Fitch's New Play in
New York.
THINGS DOING IN METROPOLIS
Interesting Comment on Plays
Now Running There-Grand
Opera Singers.

NEW YORK, December l5.-Clyde
Fitch makes Eleanor Robson hold
out her hand to a boy. and order him TO
strike It with long papercutter. be-
cause he has lied to her. He gives a
ginserly stroke Harder" she says. and
he puts a little more force into second
blow. Harder. she insists; much
harder" Third stroke falls with loud
spat. More of them-faster-harder yet ~
she commands. Il must be punished for
not teaching you not 10 lie" The lad
obeys vigorously. and then, filnging his
arms around her neck, begs hcr 10 use
the rod on him as hitherto.
TO my mind that is the best incident
in the play which Fitch has written for
Miss Robson. To be sure. il relates
10 but one of her mimic troubles-the
tender care OF her dead sisters spoil
children and for bigger distresses sne
loses "a fortune through the infamy OF
her brother-in-law. and is grieved by
what seems like sordid perfidy in her
sNeetheart; but nothing else affects tho
audience like her odd punishment of that
urchin and his inability TO stand IL.
There is not "a laugh. nor even "a smile.
bun a-plenty of tears.
The girl who has nothing but love has
everything. That may he nonsensical as
applied To the affairs Of real life. but
as declared in The Girl Who Has Every
thing IT does not seem illogical. The
author does NOT argue for il explicitly.
but enables the actress to Hlustrat. il
charmingly. The new comedy has little
OF dramatic pote ncy. but plenty OF humor.
both jocose and pathetic clyde Fitch
is unriva-ed in transferring New York
phases Of domesticity TO the stage. In
this example of his stage work. he be-
gins i'm the heroine's Murray Hill draw
ing-room. where two chudren's pranks. an
Old maiden aunt's Juvenile fripperies. and
a visiting smart bellies cynical wit. ac-
company Miss Robsons matter of heart.
PRESENTLY ne sends her to her lovers
home in "A Harlem flat. with its typically
ciuhed adaptation Of "a New England
sitting-room's outfit for an appreciative
New York audience 10 laugh at. but also
with the heros mother so lovaoly un-
fashionable that IL seemed natural that
the society gin Rugged and kissed her
upon ten minutes acquaintance.
Clyde Fitch rs usually on hand M the
introductions OF his plays. not only TO
direct the performance. but also to be
called out and compelled TO make a
speech The bin said he had supervised
The Girl Who Has Everything" but he
was absent on the opening night. Few Of
his personal friends We're there. and none
or them started the cry OF Author" It
was said that he had fallen out with the
management because Miss Robson had de-
cided TO travel with "a repertorv OF PLAYS
after the napncr of Mansfield, not using
Els play any more than her new ones
10y jerome and Zangwill. OF course. that
means slower earning Of royalties for
each piece. which leads me to fear that
our authors. like our managers. are inn
hued with the prevailing spirit OF com
mercialism.
Broadhurst's Political Drama.
The principal characters IN The Man
Of the Hour" stand for New York's Mayor
Mcclellan. Boss Murphy. and Next-to-
Boss sullivan. and when the play Is over
the orchestra sends the audience out 70
the tune OF 'Tammany;' yet the author
George II. BrOadhurst. won't quite own
up TO the Identities. He blandly rema rls
that they are the chief magistrate and
the political bosses Of many an Ameri-
can city. But Broadhurst is the humorist
who wrote Why Smith Left Home" and
The Wrong Mr.. Wright" However. THE
Man OF the Hour is in earnest. even
when IT is facetous. and it demonstrates
that We are. at least willing 10 let a dra-
matist entertain US with such a problema-
tic subject as political corruption But
Broadhurst knows the stage game. stacks
his cards before ne deals. and wins by
playing them trickily. His Mayor Nc
Clellan is a young man OF wealth and
social position who takes nomination
for Office because the girl OF his heart
taunts him as an idler and lets him
know that he must become a man OF
some account ere she Will marry him
That engrosses the women at the outset.
and when his way to fame as an honest
Mayor makes him incur the girls disdain
as seemingly dishonest lover. the wo-
men take him 20 their sympathetic hearts.