The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-01-03
''Girls of Gutenberg and
Great Divide" Were
Real Hits.
"a HOUSE OF CARDS"
DISTINCTLY WAS NOT
Mrs. Garter, Mr.. Warheld, and
Waltz Dream" Offer Wide
Range for Everybody.
BY ALLEN D. ALBERT, IT,.

BY ALLEN D. ALBERT, j.
The FIRST musical comedy, according
80 OUT present standards, was called
1.-THE Passing Show" Nobody was the
author, and nobody composed the mu-
kic. A dozen sources were drawn upon
by an euterprising roof garden man
agemeut in New York TO fill In a gap in
its bookings. This man was 20 furnish
Two or three songs. this one was TO
work up some burlesque sketches this
one to plan some scenic sensaU ons-and
That was all. But the result-a con
IiuuousIy laughabIe mixture of popular
songs, costumes. and comedy-uot only
filled the hiatus in the program OF the
roof garden, but made profitable a long
tour of the country.
Among the latest musical comedies is
''The Girls of Gutenberg Like THE
Passing Show il Is not. There is no
hodge-Podee about it. no iumbIng to-
gether OF songs ana comedy with
finding of Jinsel. 1t Is as true 10 its
plot and as nearly an art unit as most
Ot the classic comic operas There
. IS an explanation for this change i'm
the course OF twelve or fifteen years
What is it,
Keeping Within the Plot.
II is the same as the explanation OF
vaudeviIIe's inability to rout ordered
drama from the stage No vaudeville
manager known to Washington would
accomplish this if he could. But none
of them could. For vaudeville is chiefly
a. relaxation, a relish, while the drama
Is entertainment and substantial food.
Both have distinct places: both are
uecessaries; neither can take the place
OF the other
Musical comedy of '.The Passing
Show" type is mixture OF the Two, but
the appetite fit satisfies is the appetite
for vaudeville as we of this decade have
come to know g.. So there was no more
Likelihood of having light music, COM
posed round an acceptable plot. driven
from the theatef by such an 0uapodIida
as The Passing Show than there was
OF having Henry Irving routed by AL
bert CheValier.
BY this very element If continuity.
Of nationality, ''The Girls of Gotten
berg lives. For there was not a sim
gle star feature in it. Miss Dresser
has not appeared 10 so little advantage
for hve years. Save for two or three
songs she has practically nothing TO
DO. She does not even wear clothes
Wutah display her feminine lOveliness
as i'm the old 'TSWirIv yVhirIv'' DAYS
Indeed. she hardly held her own against
Miss Naudaln. Mr.. Blakeley recalls
that A4r- Huutleys who gave so much
IKE 70 Inree Little Maids. His is
comedy within the scope of an as
sumed character, not an effort 70 get
e. laugh at any cost. Compare him
for moment with Eddy F0y! The sue
cess or THE Girls Of GOtteuberg" would
seem 20 indicate that America was de-
EelOping q keeuer taste for comedy and
oullins It's old hunger for clowns.
On the Arctic Seas.
"a House Of Cards" it was at the
Felasco, for a truth Before the first
act ended IL began 90 tumble, and at
The end Of the third # was i'm a heap.
Miss Mauuering and her company
should not be held accountable if it
fails. If il succeeds, those intrepid
actors should rank with NaVsen, Frank
jim. and De Long Tor surrounding the
Arctic seas.
The reviews of Tuesday took gener-
fly this view. But none Of them rec
btnized fully the handicap which such
play imposes on the actor, How
could any woman even the great Sid
uouf or Charlotte CuElmau give the
euee Of verify to scene Ike that OF
me llird actt Tt IS not conceivable
Ellng Men and women do not adopt
such means Of clearing away a diff
tHltE and no amount OF pTetense can
make seem that they do
To 5ptclry-4Iiss Wentworth has gone
20 the rooms OF client VI her lawyer
stealing some bonds and her beloved
from the csCTedlJ of having them stolen
while they were practically under his
charge She Is come upon there by the
solicitor. What would a normal Amer
SCAN girl do under such circumstances %
Either tel the whole truth or be Who'll
fE overcome and unable 20 tell any
raluE coherent. HHa- does Miss Went
worth uDt Conceive q purpose 10 auC|
the dTan, call herself unpleasant names
deny her connection with any effort
40 serve honor and righteousness. and
~ her life with this WTetched and
shameful cloud upon her name
No wonder pldyE0erF are uurouvluC-
ed no wonder, either, that the actors
themselves arc uuConviueed.
Which VIII Mr.. Miller Be?
AR Miller presented AT the Columbia
an impersouatLCu Enthusiastically
straightforward earnest, beautifully.
wrought. i'm certain field ne has.
hardly an equal Ola our stage. and
until 'TIe Great Divide" was produced
here about a year ago, it was not
thought the field was broad enough TO
luclgde such a role az that of stephen
Client Whatever le does ue does as.
sertjvelv. lie could NOT fan weakly
Even iu his misses, infTpUucut and
modified as they are he makes a great
splash. In his successes He rings the
bell
The dangers which seem now 60 lie
before him have not % do with his
rather a reflex demeriL Mr. Eackett
preceded him as an actor who under
took 20 Dee also "a manager AS the lat
ter occupation expanded lu Mr. Hack
etIs ease, the former contracted. Is
Mr. Miller willing % run the same