The Washington herald., 1910-01-16
THE THEATER IN NEW YORK
Light and FrOthy Plays Are New BrOadway-"Olive
LatimerS Husband Is Serious.

sentence isn't as foolish as it looks at
a glance. For we have had a month Of
puzzling problems in profound dramas.
You might get a heartache though, If you
are callow TO stage shows OF pretty girls.
Or stitch in your side If you laugh both
hard and easy at clown comedians. Three
Of these nonsensical entertainments cost
more In mounting and salaries than any
six serious plays OF the season thus far.
That is to say, the cash risk of the
theatrical foolery is much greater, and
the undertakings more laborious. than
the exploitation of dramatic arts.
The finest original sight in THE jolly
Bachelors" is a military parade. made
strange 10 American eyes by tho absurd
gait with which German soldiers pass
their king IN review. The forward knee
is lifted high at each step, much Ike
spring-halt in a horse. and the move
ment, as I once saw It In Berlin, was
more absurd than grand. The mimic
company in the play, although dressed
for West Point cadets. gives it with
German army precision the mems knees
being brought up exactly TO a level with
their rumps; but only a few Of the spec
tators know Il is a copy Of what Willie
the Kaiser makes his soldiers DO when
passing him. and the majority laugh at
It as a stunt for fun, although applaud
ing It's uniformity. Behind the West
Pointers come an equal number Of girls
with heads up. chests out, and similarly
high knee acuon-whIch losses their
fluffy short skirts before them like the
foam of surf running in on nimble legs.
Another peculiar effect IS made at the
plays single intermission. There has
been a song and chorus by twenty
couples, asking of one another in the re-
frain. What can do 70 make you love
me?' The curtain falls; and in obedience
TO applause it is lifted only enough 10
show the feet and shins Of the singers
turned into jig dancers. There is barely
time 10 see that every pair Of pedals is
femininely smaller, shapeller more grace
full than those next 81 either side. That
doesn't satisfy the demand. The curtain
has 10 go up again. This time It ex-
poses the 1iggers to their middles with
the girls again sightlier than the fellows.
At a third lift the girls faces make a
row of smiles as they thrust their heads
out under the curtains edge. while their
comrades leave their vizages behind il.
DOings of "The jolly Bachelors"
Lew Fields is the director of The
Jolly Bachelors" and. although its au-
thors are Glen Marlborough and Ray
mond HubbeH. Fields and Ned Wayburn
are the devisers of such incidents as
those described. or the bachelors mem
toned IN the title, the leading three make
no Roadway al all against the maidens
opposed TO them. The male trio shakes
hands, crosses hearts, and hopes TO die
II ever it breaks its anti-wediock VOW;
but the stage hasn't had its first filing
Of singing and dancing temptresses ere
they race one another in a sprint for
first choice, They pick out Miss Aston
gould, the biggest he.ress at a charity
fair, pursue her TO a drug store where
she tries as d cashier TO hide her Identity.
and there the plot is merged into a rapid
cOmicality, to be transferred in a second
act to the dOrmit0ry Of a college
The starred actress Of the company is
Nora Bayes, with JUNCTION in humOr, like
May Twins and a lInack at ballad sing
ing like Blanche Rings; but Stella May
hew completes with her as a negress, and
Josie Sadler as a fraulein, both fat cooks
and Stella darkey songsress, too. Al
Leech IS IN the show also. I would
have to count The fingers and thumbs or
both hands twice over for the years since
first saw Leech dance and go upstairs
with tipsy legs. He does those clowning
things now again and the laughter makes
them quite as valuable as any Of the
many new ones that Ill out a long
evening.
The action in these carousals Of the
stage looks disorderly to a casual OBJ
server. and lots Of people imagine that
some of it is impromptu. A privileged
comedian may gag once in a while, OF
put in an antic without warning but hC
is careful 10 keep such interpretations
from disturbing others cues or business
and, as a rule. musical farces are re
hearsed more thoroughly than tragedies
The Jolly Bachelors" producer, Fields
delayed the opening to drill the company
arduously four days and nights more
and this extra practice wasn't restricted
TO new things put IN.
"The Old Town.
I suppose that Fred a Stone, tht
mainstay Of 1.-THE Old Town" e. NOR,
highly paid in salary and - profits
than any other actor y actress
Just now prosperous Q American
stage. I am assuming. o. course. thai
he gets twice as much as David Mont
gomery, his partner. Here we have &
chap who not so long ago. was a clowr
and a wire walker in q circus; also {
Jester IN the dime concert after thu
arenic entertainment. So il IS beIievabI,
that. when the dumb role Of the scare
crow in THE Wizard Of OF" was offered
10 him, he took It ct a loss Of income
Edwin Forrest received less pay for hi.
first tragic acting than he had com.
manded as a circus equestrian None o,
Forests acquaintances dares mentor
his treading Of the sawdust before h,
strobe the boards. In THE Old Town
Stones cOngenial role is that Of a circu!
mana stranded manager thOugh-and a
the outset he doesn't hesitate to remind
folks OF his past by taking the place Of
a striking wire walker and burlesqulng
his own former feats.
The Hengler sisters. May and Flo
sugar and honey, no older than wher
they stopped aging long ago at twenty
are pretty dolls again in The Ole
Town" Folks smoker when they speak
with their piping voices, but applaud
when they dance. especially for theil
reproduction Of the lOng-ago song ant
dance OF Delehanty and their papa
Hengler. That sends my memory back
To the Tina when mfrs of Nnuncr r,ar