New-York tribune., 1910-05-22
MINISTERS LAUGH
They See ''The Fortune Hunter"
and Stamp 1t With Approval.

1.-THE Fortune Hunter has proved itself
TO be a. play that clergyman can safely
take his wife to. That fact was certainly
demonstrated last Thursday afternoon
when. accepting the invitation Of Messrs-
Cohan and Harris. more than two hundred
ministers. accompanied by more than four
hundred wives and daughters-very few
ministers sOns-attended a special perform
ance of the play. given exclusively for men
and women of the cloth
It seems that very many appreCiative SER
mons have lately been delivered from New
York and Chicago pulpits to the effect that
here was one play with no sting in IT, no
salt, no dfrt-people call 'it'' by such dif-
ferent kinds of names And instead OF
accepting this sentence in proper humility
and with bowed heads, as many would
have done under similar circumstances.
especially in these days, when the race in
plays goes to the "swtftest,'' the managers
of the production greeted the ministerial
approval with delight Proud Of the ab-
sence Of any symptoms OF whooping cough
from this. their leading production. they
invited the clergy of all creeds to come and
stamp the play with the final seal of cler-
ical sanction.
II was one OF tHe ulOSL TeI1dTkdOIS UCCIL-
rences of all the theatrical oddities which
are served like bonbons or cordials at the
end of a heavy dramatic season
With the orchestra ripping Off the music
of the Jolly Robbers as an overture. the
soberly clad figures came in by twos and
threes and were shown to their seats.
Many figures from Dickens and Oliver
Goldsmith, or drawn from our own child
7S= - Tf.e ar~I aIre
parties at ''the parish house." were there
The color-hungry eye roved in vain for the
glimpse of a red necktie or glittering scarf
pin, and the feminine heads were chiefly
as hopelessly devoid of architectural effort
as are the rows Of flats dear to the Harlem
builder. Indeed. it was an audience as
respectable as a London Sunday. What
more can one say?
A Time of Tension.
So that when the Jolly Robbers faded
away. the footligEts f1ared and the curtain
went UP on two bottles of champagne car
ried by as many dapper young fellows"
one felt unaccountably nervous In fact, inc
could almost fancy he heard the faint notes
of a distant war horn coming up from be-
Meath the horizon. And when the cham
pagne was followed by the slow approach
of a whiskey highbaH on the tray of stately
Robbins and the appearance of two cock
tails as a novel form of announcing dinner.
a quick glance at the red flags waving in
rows of cheeks suggested that flight was
the better part Of both discretion and valor.
But no one fed. They sat there IN the sort
of cold tension that some self-restraining
people take on In the midst OF a sudden
shock
The first act is short. and the curtain
went down with a nervous speed that some
how suggested a sigh Of relief. No one had
decamped so far.
During the intermission the orchestra
took up the meandering themes of Three
Twins" Meantime Jack Barrymore was
saying behind tho scenes to a circle Of
his anxious company that, yes. 1t was sort
of hard to warm them up out there, but
there was nothing to worry about; he'd
have them all right before Ions. And he
did. too.
When Nat Duncan. alias Barrymore. said
in the second act. I've got to work now.
got to go TO church," there was a quick
round of applause that banished all pre-
vious gloom. and started the spirit that
made the afternoon roll up a record OF
more laughs than at any other perform
ance."
1t was delightful to hear the buzz OF male
voices at the end OF each one OF the sly
spots in the play. explaining the double
meaning TO their wives IN loud stage whis-
pers. Ii was "a pretty little touch" as the
tourist abroad says when he sees q color
full peasant walking down a European lane.
And there were other touches" There
was a continuous chuckle from such wives
as Were there without their ''worser''
halves, obviously enjoying the chance TO
laugh at a number OF things that they had
TO take seriously at home. But when the
rich village girl floored the rather bashful
young churchman by actually proposing to
him. there was a sudden and spontaneous
cry OF mirth from many OF the women
present that seemed almost reminiscent.