The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-11-01


 Were they paralyzed suddenly as the curtain went up? Had stage fright deprived them of the power of motion? They were between one hundred and two; they were girls in a ratio of more than twenty to one fellow. as in all the extravaganzas of the day; and they were costumed and posed to make picture costing as much almost as any treasured masterpiece in painting: but instead of breaking into violent com motion, as the usage is, 1t stayed in q tableau. The psectators had. be- come used to wild activity, as though a film were pulled through a stereo. scope by a crank at the crank "Eh wot?" said one Moo Yawk chappie with a Lunnon accent. "Bai joye? said another, and a third saw New TurlIly "Wot? ell?" The spacious scene was full of girls as usual in the gay shows-whether in petticoats or in brooches; but, wonder of wonders, everyone stood stock still, except for her mouth. out of which came an strenuous that the lips waggled the faces: but the bodies were motionless on rigid legs, and the arms hung limp until, at the end of the vocal strain, they flew up In the gesture of high c, so familiar in grand opera. Only fortnight ago I described the action of a musical farce as the fastest yet. This moveless beginning of new one may have been due to the impossibil- ity of increasing the speed of commo-i tion; but 1t served we'll to amaze and engross spectators accustomed to hur- ry, skurry and furry at the outset.
 So melodious and pictorial, yet sta- tionary start Is an Oddity right of for Little Nemo." The gamble wins that
 | H. g.-. a...a evolve a popular theatrical show for some newspaper cartoons. And 1t makes a job for that man-baby, Ga briel. Has he begun yet to shave at 25? Does he swear at a nursematd who tickies him with a powder puff as he lies across her lap ready to be put into his nightie? or a. valet who makes his nightcap dram of Scotch whiskey instead of American? AS Little Memo in this play he is found asleep in Central Park by policeman, who cuddles him, carries him home. undresses him and puts him In his little bed. The bashfuHest maiden would hardly blush if this man in min- iature were stripped naked as Cupid, so infantile does he look; but New York knows him for an adult who stopped growing at 6, and let 1t go at that A chance to be Tenderloinish by having a nursegirl coddle him to sleep, instead of a man, was thrown away, because the scheme was to make the play childishly clean as Mother Goose Jingle. Gabriel is no babe in brain. though, but facile comedian like Franz Erbert the German dwarf, who made a dollar in America to every mark that his Faderland gave to him.
 Enthusiastically American, isn't 1t, to estimate the value of art by its cost I guess the money spent to raise the curtain on Little Memo" at $50, O00 The estate of William Shake- speare amounted at his death. to less than that. And very likely not Ham Like It" nor The Tanning of the Shrew" in comedy paid the Bard of Avon as much as Harry B. Smith gets for the wording of Little Memo" or Victor Herbert for its music How ever. food and lodging. clothes ana drink are dearer manyold in New York now than they were in London then. wouldn't wonder 1T the salary list of this modern New York play or cartoon foolery summed up more in a week than did Hamlet, with its long strong cast of charac- ters during all it's performances at the London Globe. Why, Joe Cawthorne, Billy B. Van and Harry Kelly-eut I'll stop this looking backward and merely say thdI th2y Ntt S1 = .~-a.oh Pill. the clowning Flip and the preach ing Missionary who accompany Little Memo in his trips to Dreamland. They ,,tter and antic the Smith witticistns so well that tough adults and tender cp,dren are equally tickied. This show is made up of little boys dreams, in which his tpy soldiers march at his command, the creatures of his valentines dance for him, lot ot his small and dim fireworks be. come big and bright in Fourth of ,Tnlv coIebration, and the princess or his nrirner is alive and beautiful to be his playmate. The initial flxidity gives gf ' way Immediately to activity: and the liveIiness is equal to that or the most cheekily chic or lne ,v,th them farces. but never competes "'tn 'ae''' in risky raciness.
 Franklyn Files.