The Washington herald., 1907-03-12
"Forty-Rve Minutes from Broadway
at the National.

at the National.
"Forty-fve Minutes from Broadway"
heraided as "a musical play by George
NJ Cohan, drew large audience. TO the
National Theater last night. the majority
Of whom were, no doubt attracted by
the expectation Of seeing characteristic
Cohan production. In this. however, they
We're disappointed; for the piece is to all
intents and purposes broad comedy,
with such meager quantity Of musical
Interpolation as hardly to merit the ap-
pellatiou Of musical comedy" The plot
is woven around the time-wOru expedient
Of missing viii. and the play has for
its hero sort of beatincd Bowery boy.
Kid Burns by name. with a choice col
lection OF language and an idea that ali
things mundane have their origin and
attain the acme OF perfection at some
vague point situated on Broadway.
One Castleton. a crusty and thrifty
bachelor Of New Rochelle, dies suddenly
without making a viii in favor Of Mary
Jane Jenkins his hOusekeeper. rs was
expected by the inhabitants Of the town
thus leaving his nephew, Tom Bennett,
who seems TO have been living a fast
life In the metropolis. as the sole heir 70
his millions. The young man arrives in
New Rochelle with the ex-chorus girl
who is 20 be his wife. her scheming
mother. and Kid Burns. a boon COM
pauion, now acting as his private secre-
tary, and proceeds To entertain the citi-
zens Of the burg with a grand ball and
banquet
Kid Burns meets and instantly loves
Mary. the aforesaid hOusemaid who has
been -sf--Vd by crook called Dan Cronin
and later. upon making an examination
OF a Goa; which had been given To the
butler by the misery Croesus, AMI which
comes into his possession by purchase
be discovers the missing will duly at
tested. and made out in favor Of the
buXom Mary. After Cronin executes d
safe V0bbery and the characters OF the
actress and her mother are fully venti-
lated. the truth in regard 20 the real heir
is disclosed. and all ends haDDilv.
The interest centers almost entirely in
Mary. as impeTS0nated by Fav Temple
ton. and the Kid. as presented by Victor
Moore. The former was entirely pleas
ing as the simple-minded domestic, draw
iiS iANtu StAailleiA amusing 4laUkF from
the part and making great hits with her
two songs. Mary Is "a Grand Old Name"
and 80 Long. Mary" the latter being
especially effective as an evoker Of re-
calls, and is a readily whistIeable tune.
Mr.. Moore was also able To grasp the
comedy attributes of his role. and deals
out the slangy epigrams and quaint phi
losophy with quiet unctuOusues~. OF
course, the whole thing is an up-to-date
edition Of Chuck Conners. but Mr Moore
makes his Interpretation distinctly mod
ern, and was pleasing in the one song
assigned to him, "Forty-iive Minutes
from Broadway"
Other and lesser lights of the produc-
tion are Emma Littledeld as Flora Dora
Dean. Julia Ralph as Mrs. Dean, Marion
Singer as Mrs. Purdy, Robert Ober as
Tom Bennett. Charles Prince as James
Blake, and James Manning as Daniel
CrOnin- other vocal numbers introduced
We're Popular Millionaire. by Robert
Ober. and Gentleman OF the Press" by
the male chorus
The piece is well staged. the passage
Of a flying express train. viewed through
wide box window, being executed with
exceptionally realistic effect.