The Washington herald., 1909-11-09
THE NATIONAL.
Francis Wilson in 'NThe Bachelor
Haby.v

Baby"
The cordial attitude of the large audi
ence at the National Theater last night
signifed not only the long-enjoyed pop-
ularity Of Francis Wilson as one of the
leading comedians Of our stage, but also
TO the delight which Il took in the new
farce. Of which he is author. The dual
honors rested gracefully upon Mr.. VIII
son, end he made a charming little speech
in response to the demands at the sec
ond curtain, and in a 6w happily chosen
sentences declared as his aim a desire
in his play primarily to amuse, and sec
ondarily 10 deliver a short sermon on the
evils Of selhshness.
The Bachelors Baby" is an old theme
IN a new guise. That Wilson, who is
merely an amateur at playwriting,
should have succeeded IN presenting the
familiar matter with entirely new angles
is IN Itself an achievement The bache-
Tor. played by Mr.. Wilson, IS Tom Beach.
a grouchy individual, whose especial an
tipathy is children He has been eX-
traordinarily unfortunate in his conduct
with juveniles. and has always been
worsted in the encounters. His idea is
that children we're invented purely for
the purpose OF destroying the happiness
OF man.
He is represented in the first act in his
most rabid periods as a child-hater His
sweetheart, Winifred West. Will have
none Of him until he promises to reform
in this particular. SO pronounced are his
views that a marriage between him and
Winifred seems an imposslbility. Then
he receives a bombshell I'm the shape of
the viii Of a deceased twin brother, leav-
ing him the care and guardianship OF a
five-year-old baby girl
No use TO tear the hair and refuse 20
accept the charge. Relatives. friends,
lawyers. sweetheart, all gather 20 urge
him and TO beat down his prejudices.
No power seems able to accomplish this.
All are in despair, but the child IS yet
10 DO reckoned with. She appears and
runs to her uncle at once. calling him
Papa" She Is too young 10 realize that
the resemblance is merely that of a
twin brother. To her, Tom Beach is
Papa"
And so he remains 10 the end OF the
chapter The net OF a child's love en-
folds the bachelor, struggle as he will.
His protests grow more and more feeble.
The little baby ways win him over, the
love Of the child takes root in his heart,
and his transformation is complete. The
selfish bachelor becomes a dotinE foster
father.
The farcical complications are numer-
Gus. a maternal uncle of the baby puts
in counter-claim TO Tom Beach, and he
is high-principled enough TO relinquish his
claim on the child, though IL costs him a
severe wrench. In the end, however, the
bachelor gets both the baby and his
sweetheart, and thu ending IS as. merry as
the beginning although in a different
way.
Mr.. Wilson gives evidence OF having
made no mistake when he forsook the
tights and the gew-gawS of musical com
edy to assume the more dignfed habui-
ments of straight comedy. In THE Noun
tain Climber and Cousin Billy his
work was more OF a purely farciUaI ma
ture than it is in The Bachelors Baby"
The serious vein runs a very close second
10 the comic one in this latest play.
though not so closely as TO overshadOw.
Each period Of seriousness is followed
Immediately by a laughable incident. and
the balance does not suffer. II IS no dis
credit, however. 20 the real comedian
which Francis Wilson undoubtedly is-to
say that his audiences prefer him to be
funny. He has educated them TO this
point. and they expect to laugh until
their sides ache.
In comedy which won so completely
the good will OF a large hOuseful of peo-
pie, It would be hypercritical to point
out technical flaws in the play, which
undeniably exist. II has at least, the
merit of being unexpected in many
places, an excellent feature for q com
edy. 1t has also the merit Of lacking
suggestiveness. Mr.. Wilson evidently
worked under the determination 20 win
his laugh and his tears legitimately. and
he succeeded in that without question
Taken as q whole THE Bachelors
Baby Is a credit 10 MIR. Wilson, both
as author and actor. and his admirers
viii find three hours solid enjoyment IN
his company. and will. during that Pc
Rod, not only know him as they have
best known him I'm the past, but will
have revealed TO them some new phases
Of his personality.
The company is a capable one. Our
own Lillian Lawrence has a somewhat
homogeneous role-a sort OF prospective
mOther-in-law in which that much-ma-
ligned relation shows her claws before
becoming mOther-in-law in fact, but
makes up with son-in-law-to-be in good
time beforehand. Miss Lawrence seemed
at first out Of place in such a part, but
soon showed that she had complete grasp
Of its possibilities. One or two of her
scenes were very amusing.
Clarence Handyside. as Martin Dale;
Robert CONFESS. as Theodore Harjes, and
+. SOldene Powell. as Forbes. were the
best among the men. while Helen Strick-
land. as the bachelors elderly aunt, and
Edna Burns. as Winifred. were also
above criticism. so naturally cid they in
terpret their parts. A clever and pretty
Juvenile. Baby Davis. was The Bauch-
elor's Baby" and gave evidence Of much
talent.
The single stage setting was especially
notable. 1t looked like real room, In
which real people might find comfort and
ease. The doors opened into other rooms,
not on to blank walls. and the win
dOws revealed snow-cOvered vistas Of
Gramercy Park. New York The whole
performance is worth while the attention
OF those whose best enjoyment is in nat
ural scenes and emotions.
WILLIAM OSBORN