The San Francisco call., 1909-01-11
By Walter Anthony

There's no reason to apologize for en-
joying George M. Cohan's musical play
Fifty Miles From Boston," at the
American theater this week. There is
no reason for not frankly admitting
that its merry fun and its few somber
scenes have in them the real touch of
truth, though 7 observed that some of
my neighbors last night after scream
ing their heads off al the comedy, after
dropping a furtive tear or two at the
pathos and after wildly applauding
"Harrigan. That's Me-" and the chorus
antics, said when they went out a bit
shamefacedly Not a bad show at all"
l thought when I heard the remark that
maybe they might be in the class of
play patrons that go to an Ibsen show
and sleep throughout the performance,
to wake UP at the end and swear it was
great.
1T Is A GOOD SHOW
OF course, Fifty Miles From Boston
is good show. The directness of its
appeal and its ingenious disclosure of
sentiment, however, are calculated to
make you cautious about admitting
their force. as the man who is ashamed
Of himself when he is caught in an
emotional mood with a faded flower or
somebody's picture in his hand
The story CT the play-for it is a
musical play and not musical COM
edy-is very simple and shall not here
be told. There is no music at all in the
second act, which is as near to melo-
drama as q writer with Cohan's sense
Of h1mor would incroach, but there are
plenty Of choruses and other singing
numbers in the first and last acts.
One musical feature is introduced by
the youngest George NJ. Cohan on the
stage. He is Percy Hilton, who in the
play is the boy around the barn" And
he got do not remember how many
encores for his cleverness. Suzanne
Leonard Westford. the village gossip
and all round nuisance, has another
song, Amt It Awful" which ran more
than its verses length in recalls
though personally 1 could wish the last
verse were different-it is unnecessarily
risque and mars-because it is a trife
doubtful-one Of the best bits of char
acter work have ever seen.
MISS WESTFORD MAKES HIT
Miss Westford-Lillian Russens sis
ter-will never have to bill herself in
this city on her beautiful relatives
fame. She established place for her
self and was last night one of the big
hits of the performance. Still another
musical number is supplied by Joseph
NJ. Sparks, who sang "Harrigan" Be
side this success Sparks portrayed a
belliGerent Irishman with a warm Celtic
heart without caricature. but with rich
humor and broad effectiveness.
One of the characters in the plot,
Jed Woods, steals $40O from the post
office where he is employed under his
pretty sister, who is postmistress
This throws her into the hands of
Harrigan's son, who will give Jed the
money TO make up the shortage If the
latter's sister viii discard her betrothed.
Joe Westcott, who in turn has Just
returned to Brookfeld a hero after
pitching for Harvard a winning game
NATURALISM SHOWN
There. I've told the plot. Anyway.
Jed Woods is a thankIess role TO play
and Thomas Emory, seemingly a very
young actor, succeeded admirably in
the presentation OF the furtive, fright
ened and only half bad youth. who has
done wrong against his better self
He gave himself up to no heroics and
he did not overact, but presented a fine
piece of naturalism. So did Hazel
Lowry, who, as the postmistress, looked
like Maude Adams, whom she under
studied, I'm told, and behaved herself
so agreeably that it was impossible
to escape the suspicion that her in
genuousness and girlish grace were
ality rather than stimulation and stage
study. Her little song, Jack and Jill. .
was a dainty piece, though delivered
with the merest shade of a singing
voice.
Indeed, you will find If you go that
the Cohan show at the American is
charming in its naturalness. w. Doug
las Stevenson as the hero has no blonde
curls, but rather stubborn black hair
and talks like an athletic human being:
Walter p. Richardson. who is all the
villain that the plan possesses, is the
most fantastic liar since Iago Yet he.
too, is human and not altogether dis
agreeable, and the other minor charac-
ters will strike you as real, and not
STACEY.
The play went with a vim and dash
last night to a sold out house, and will
make, believe me. excellent entertain
ment for you and your mother or sis
ter or wife or sweetheart
HONORS MEMORY OF SENATOR