The Washington times., 1909-01-24
Apparently Not in France,
But Almost Surely in
America.
LESSON OF WEEK is
IN RAGGED ROBIN"
Lew Fields Offering Nothing Ex-
tra-"The Virginia Judge" a Hit.
Miss Galland.
By ALLEN D. ALBERT, Jr.


cies were working in cahoots for fact
And for the week which begins to-
morrow there are Miss Galland, in
modern play, Montgomery and stone
in a musical comedy, and THE Old
Homestead" So it would appear that
variety is not TO end with one week.
French audiences. and as a matter
OF course. French playwrights and
plays. differ notably from their Ameri-
can counter-relatives At bottom the
variance is that between things COntin-
entail and things OF the New World.
But France rather well typihes modern
European tendencies and the difference
is thus brought clearly into view, when
ever a French play is translated into
English and acted on our stage.
This unlikeIiness is most marked
dramatically in the freedom with which
subjects taoooed in America are dis
cussed openly on the stage in French.
The Thief is an indication Of this.
The Marriage of Kitty" had to be re-
made for presentation on this side Of
the water because of it. THE Yoke,
which is impossible here, is q fun rev.
citation of il.
er than theft 20 invade a home and at
tempt 70 enmesh a good wife. In France
IL is apparently so iuconsequenual that
none of the Paris critics have made
any stir because NJ. Bernstein blithely
overlooks the one onense in the discov-
cry that the young man of the play
IS Euiltless of the other. To be a thief
that IS an ine9acible stain on the hon
or OF the house To have adultery in
the heart-that is a matter Of jest.
The Thief might have succeeded in
this country as an American play If
produced here without the prestige OF its
rather remarkable Paris and London
success. But it would have been an
extremely doubtful venture We AmeTi-
cans are not given to sighting the Sew
enth Commandment, even when the dis
regard Of fl is only an incident as i'm
this composition by NJ. Bernstein and
even in spite of the favor we have given
such plays as "Hagda" and "A Modern
Magdalen."
Be Bold, Be Bold, But Not Too Bold.
A disregard of rigid restriction II is
that marks good musical comedy, not
immortality or vulgarity. We all en-
joyed Mr.. Hamlet of Broadway not
Withstanding SIS incidental revelations
of good form. Mighty few Of us en-
ioyed The Queen Of the Moulin Rouge"
notwithstanding that its costumes were
not so sCaut as those of Mr. Toys as
Eociates. BY the same gauge, THE Man
Behind the Counter" was only doubt
fuI success here in Washington.
Mr. Fields is one Of the most laugh
able knock bout comedians OF our time
Miss Ediss is a worthy coordinate. The
company was not without unusual abili-
ties But all of them put together did
not eradicate the impression, sown in
the course of the first act and ripened
into fun growth. as the THE Man Be
hind the Counter came to be better
known, that the whole effort was to be
bold, not delicate, and that the fruit
was something akin to vulgarity and
not so nearly related to fun.
Ragged Robins" Crowded Houses.
or singing actors like Chauncey oil
colt, Andrew Mack, and Al Wilson there
IS temptation for the critic 90 say moth
Ing serious. The theory is that they 1T
into a costume part fairly well, have
little talent as comedians surround
themselves with q group Of youngsters
as the ostensibIe target Of their songs
and ere ahead. The product is usually
a NfllG ana 4lAolLtlaelAT llltl ID lli4iE-llAf
much to be- commended as unobjection-
able morally and harmless otherwise.
But Ragged Robin is not subject TO
this classification at ALL It is better
than an average play. 1t Is we'll ahead.
Mr.. Olcotts songs are not only sweet
but well sung He has plainly grown
with experience and not shriveled.
Incidentally, the crowded houses az the
Columbia this past week ought to teach
e Lesson 10 various ambitious producing
managers The country over. u Is that
the American people want entertainment. /
not dazzle, or a crowded stage. or the
last step in bold immortality, or any
thing else. They want as much art
as they can get and yet be entertained. /
The diet must be varied. When the re-
turns are all counted at The box Office
it IS the offering which entcrtaius with I
out too much strain where all comes
right i'm the end where the good iu as
and not the bad is emphasized. which /
has hope written through IT. and not
dismay, that makes the profits Maybe I
there is a manifestation of Providence /
IN the fact.
This Judge Has a Full Docket