The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-11-01
THE BELASCO.
weldon Grossmith in "Mr. Preedy
and the Countess

weldon GFossmith in "Mr. Preedy
and the Countess
Eor the first time on the American
stage there was presented at the Belaseo
Theater last night a new and clever
farce by Mr. r. C. Carton. very well
known 10 Americans by his Lord and
Lady AIgy, in which William Faversham
made his first big hit and by Lady
Huntworth's Experiment The occasion
was a notable one in many ways. This
farce had proved one of the most sue
cessful plays brought out in London for
many a long day 1t was presented by
Mr. Weldon Grossmith, Englands leading
exponent of comedy, assisted by his entire
London company. and the occasion was
graced By the presence of President Taft
and his family. together with several
members Of the Cabinet and the Supreme
bench, In addition. there was a packed
house, that, by its frequent applause and
hearty laughter aptly testified to the en-
joyment the clever acting of a clever play
gave.
Mr.. Preedy and the Countess" is typi-
cally English: not alone in it's setting and
in its characters. but in the quality of
It's humor. which rarely becomes so obvf-
Gus as In our native farce, relying far
more on the intelligence of its auditors
10 make its subtle points and gentle sar-
caSm potent.
Mr.. Hamilton Preedy is a perfectly re-
spectacle gentleman OF middle axe. part
neT in good wholesale business; the
possessor of respectable fiat and an
eminently respectable man servant. lie
IS prosperous-and good. In the first act
all three OF the acts take place In Mr..
Preedy's flat-we see him become en-
saged 10 charming girl and everything
looks rosy for him But Mr. Preedv
has partner-it is like Spenlow and
Jorkins-whO. having achieved fortune,
is anxious 10 be a sport. Like so many
middle-class Englishmen he dearly loves
title and he comes 10 Preedy's fiat 10
conlde IN him that he has eloped with
Lady Joanna, Countess of Rushmere.
whose noble husband has gone off on a
Nile trip witt another lady II must be
said for Preedy's partner, Mr. BOunsall,
that his attentions 20 Lady Rushmere
are strictly honorable; he wants 20 take
the lady 20 his aunt's house there 10
waH while divorce proceedings are in
stituted, after which he hopes to marry
her. But Bounsall is called away 10 the
bedside OF a dying relative and Lady
Rushmere has 10 stay at Mr. Preedy' s
fiat, while poor Preedy. only too willing
TO be Of service. and as guileless as "A
schoOlbOy. gets out In the rain and
tramps 10 a hotel The complications
that ensue are endless and they seem AT
one time 10 threaten ruin 10 Mr.. Preedy's
happiness. but though he Is simple and
Id
don sportsmens standard. a bit OF an
ass-he is true blue all the way through,
sticks TO his guns, stands by Lady Rush
mere Ike trump and In the end, when
he plucks up courage enougth 10 tell
BOunsall what he thinks of him, Lady
Rushmere and Ter husband are reunited,
Preedy explains everything 20 his hancee,
and everything ends happily.
In a farce in which the definite action
on the stage is restricted as it is in this
one II is obvious than much of it's sue
cess-if II wins success, as this farce I'M
dOubtedly has, and which II Is most
likely 10 repeat in this country-much de-
ponds on the acting. The greater burden
of this falls upon the shoulders OF Mr..
Weldon Grossmith. His methods are
unique. his style OF comedy distinctly
original. Ii one We're to compare him 10
any American actor. il would probably
be Willie Collier that would come read
lest 10 mind. Always sure OF himself.
ne delivers his lines with a peculiar nc-
ton all his own. and if-as was often
the case last night-he is interrupted by
Il laugh. he makes the necessary pause
seem an integral part Of the stage bust
ness He uses few gesticulations. but
these are eloquent. and serve always 10
emphasize the point Of his comedy, and
he helps out the authors lines, also, with
wonderful facial expression and with eye
brows as eloquent and comic as the
famous ones Of Frank Daniels. He had
not been on the stage five minutes before
it was plain that Nj. Grossmith was a
consummate actor, and this impression
grow clear 10 the final curtain. II was a
great performance.
Mr.. Grossmith is ably seconded by a
capable company. Of which Miss Gran
vile stood head and shoulders above the
rest. and / done mean any pun here,
though there is a good deal OF her. as she
herself admits. Indeed, one might not
have noticed her size at all. so grace
fully proportional is it, had it not been
for her own reference to il. She is an
actress of great charm Of manner, OF
wonderful self-pOssessiOn and magnetism,
and she played a difficult part for all
there was In it, Every member OF the
cast leaves a pleasant remembrance.
with perhaps, the possible exception OF
John Clulow as Bounsan whose dOmi-
neering manner meant by the author.
evidently, entirely TO crush poor Mr.
Preedy. was at times hardly convincing
Mr.. Hewetson as the Earl Of Rushmere,
Fir BOntield as Jennerway. Mr.. Maule as
Nj. Sidgrave, and Arthur Murray as
Preedy's mauseTvant. were all very good
Miss Lynn Fontanne as Budgeon and
Miss Constance hirkham in a little
French bit made their work stand out
And with the fine company. to which
much praise is due. the work OF Mr.
Carton must not be forgotten, for not a
little Of the success of this farce is due
10 the cleverness of its lines. OF course,
IL is hard 20 get the full value of some
OF these without the context, but here
are "a few samples that Will give a taste
Of the humOr.
Lady's maid-I've seen a good bit Of the world
here and there. When girls been a ladys maid
in the hest families she bound 10. Other people,
! c0uldnt take less than forty
Prsedy-And, now-er-the egg OF course. we're
not in the country, and If you should lind the egg
the least bit too-too metropoHan-dout hesitate 10
say 50
saunders shall continue 10 hope.
ileeiy-lTe no objection 70 that - long a. You