The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-07
"The Man of the Hour"

. Theatregoers of this city are to see George Broadhursts interesting play, "The Man of the Hour" which comes to the Jefferson theatre on Tuesday and Wednesday nights of this week, with matinee Wednesday. "The Man of the Hour was seen in this theatre last sea-
 son, when both the play and the com pany scored d tremendous success. The company which will be seen here includes many of the principals of last season. Louis Hendricks as Horrigan, "The Boss," James Bevens as Alderman Phelan; Ruby Bridges, Alexander G. Carleton
 Murdock J. MacQuairie, Wm. Lloyd and
 Ethel Brandon. Among the new mem
 bers such well known people as John S..
 Robertson, who will be seen as The Mayor" Nell Moran, Homer Barton, &.
 F. Cairns, Albert Latscha. Wm. Lloyd and Miss Evelyn Moore. No other play
 produced in many years has been tho
 subject of so much favorable criticism
 Theodore Roosevelt is quoted as saying
 ''The very best play have ever seen. Vim Jennings Bryan says: Its really d
 great play"
 One of the remarkable things about
 this play has been its appeal to women.
 The gentler sex is generally supposed to
 take no interest whatever in the things that have formed the subject matter of
 the campaign of muck raking to which
 the American public has been subjected
 in the last five years; yet ''The Man of
 the Hour" cften described as "dra-
 matic political document" has made as
 big a success with woman as With
 the sex who do the voting at the polls.
 While MT. Broadhurst has taken as his
 central theme the political situation as it exists in nearly every city in the country
 where there are machine" politics, ana
 graft he has also interwoven de- lightful love story.
 The particular graft that MT. Broad
 hurst has utilized is a scheme on the part
 of the machine boss and a shrewd if
 nancler to put bill through the council
 of the city in which the action takes
 place, giving to a certain street railway
 perpetual franchise. The passage of this bill will be great pecuniary gain to both parties. Election is near at hand
 and in casting about for possible can ddate for mayor who can be handled" :" young Alwyn Bennett young man whose father has left him a large for tune. is selected as the most likely The young man Is in love with the niece of the fnancier and she has told him that before she can promise to become his wife. he must prove himself worthy and "do something" The mayoralty is his op- portunity He accepts the nomination and after a strong fight wins the election. The franchise bill in the course of time masses the council and comes to- the mayor for his signature.
 Rut Bennett, realizing that it is a sssteal." steadfastly refuses to sign it. All kinds of pressure is brought to bear and for A time it would appear that his course will not only cost his sweetheart her entire fortune, but take her away from him. In the end strict honesty proves the best policy, and despite ob- l! stacles which at the time seem almost insu-.aountable Bennett wins his sweet heart, saves her fortune and his own honor.
 | The story of the play is told in a straight-f forward manner, with plenty of comedy interspersed to relieve any tes- sity in the dramatic action. There are