New-York tribune., 1909-12-28
CAST OF "KNnw rHYsrnr..
CRITERION THEATRE.
The Bachelors s Baby. "

Those who have known Francis Wilson
for so many years as a fareical actor
scarcely recognized him at the Criterion
Theatre last night in a new play, written
and staged by himself and called The
Bachelors Baby" This new Wilson play
is a comedy, far from unmixed with
farce, yet a comedy that was filed with
a note of unselfishness of human SYM
pathy and love that struck home to the
heart.
The play concerned an orphan baby girl,
Martha Beech, whose guardianship had
been left to Thomas Beech (Francis Will
SOM by Beech's brother Thomas Beech
had natural dislike for children and at
first refused to accept the charge but
after the little girl had been brought into
his household he became so fond of her
that he refused to give her up to Colonel
John Calvert (Mr. Franklin Roberts,,
whose dead sister had been the girls
mother. Thinking, however. that the woman
whom he (Beech) wished to marry was TO
become Colonel Calvert's wife Beech de-
cided to surrender the child to the colonel
The woman of his choice however. who
had refused to marry Beech because of
MS attitude toward children changed her
mind and persuaded Colonel Calvert to
give nack the child Martha. The curtain
AN'A WIN TIC lltlIS one IN BSfcl s arms
Mr. Wilson, Beech. was a combination
OF huriicr and tenderness. His legs were
as crooked ever. but he didn't emphasize
them quite much as usual He didn't
do the acrobatic stunts" that he used 10
do, and he was not so ridiculous about his
farcing. In The Bachelors Baby ne
leaves such things TO the butler Forbes (E
Soldene PowelD. He did fall over the table
land in heap on top OF baby carriage
that he had bought for little Martha col
lide with a woman and a tea cup anC
bump rather severely into another while
looking for hot brick to cure the baby of
collie. His lines were filled with clever
phrases that brought a laugh every time
He was not the Wilson whom we think OF
as falling off of elephants and that sort of
thing, but new Wilson, Wilson less
clownish and more human; Wilson in a
i,ew role of comedy, or at least farce COM
edy: a Wilson That could strike note of
tenderness and even draw a tear.
The only one who really shared honors
with Mr.. Wilson was Baby Davis" lit
tie boy, the first boy TO play the part of
baby girl upon the stage. His work was
remarkable. He was a real baby. He
laughed and cried and played and asked
questions and made love just as a baby
should. His winning of his uncle in the
second act was a delicious bit of work.
Edna Bruins, Winifred West, was for
tunate in her youthfuiness and beauty and
sincere and effective in her acting. particu-
larly after the play got under way. Lillian
Lawrence, as Mrs West. did not have
a very important role to play, but what
she had to do she did we'll Her beauty
was refreshing and her gowns were beau
tiful. Clarence Handyside as Martin Dale.
a lawyer, was a bit STACEY. and Helen
Strickland, as Mrs. Emily Streator, was
artificial
The play well received that Mr..
Wilson was forced to make a curtain
speech at the end of the second act. in
which he said that if he and his company
had succeeded in impressing note of un-
selfshness and of the Importance in this
life of the little ones that the object OF the
play would have been achieved.