The Washington times., 1911-01-31
FEUD AND REPORTER
MATERIAL OF PLAY
The Cub" Provides Even
ing's Laughs With Grim
Material.
FAIRBANKS A HIT
AS CUB REPORTER
Capable Cast Supports Young Star
in Comedy of Kentucky
Mountain Life.

''Gf I could only get that fellow to
laugh 1 believe 1 could settle this
feud"
The fellow laughed. But not until
after the feud had been settled.
And the settling of this Kentucky
feud was matter of prime Importance
to Steve Oldham. Steve is the hero of
The Cub" seen at the Belasco last
night. 1t isn't often a cub reporter has
a chance to be hero. And this one
wasn't quite sure he liked it. He was
scheduled to be shot at sunrise on the
particular occasion of this fervent de-
mand for laughter and amity.
The Kentucky mountaineers of this
play haven't a sense of humor. Unre-
mitung toll leaves little time for the
cultivation of humor or other fine arts.
This was the most impressive fact to
Steve when he landed among them to
report the feud.
AL About a Pig.
In the course of settling the difference
he explained to them that If they had
an appreciation of the ridiculous this
feud never would have happened. 1t
came about over a pig. The porker
was appraised at S1.3Z- Twenty-one men
had been killed since trouble started.
so Steve reckoned the price of noun
taineer to be about six cents and
fraction. That calculation brought
chuckle from Tombstone RenIow," the
man who never laughed. and the incl
dent put the peace pact on a firm basis
This did not come about until after
Steve had run the gamut of grim noun
ID, lol 4 l. H.,
getting lin bad" with both factions
Even after the feud was settled ii
wasn't all plain sailing for Steve. for
he still stood in imminent peril of being
ground between the crunching mill
stones.
Steve was sent to the mountains by
the Louisville Courier-Journal because
"Marse'' Henry Watterson told the city
editor You don't need a reporter down
there, all you want is damn fool"
so they sent me-" explained Steve,
with customary humor.
Initiated By Whites.
The young reporter was sworn in by
the White faction and was made to act
as floor committee at the Truce dance
when the audience was introduced to
the opposing faction, the Renlows. He
arrived on a donkey that possessed a
remarkable stage presence and ears
that he used with marked histrionic
effect. While still seated on the donkey
the cub began making love TO a school
teacher of the RenlOw tribe and the
complications started from that minute.
Out of rather grim material the au-
thor. Thompson Buchanan, wove
CancoCtion subtly described as an "ori- !
Ginal farcical satire" The result was
more farcical than satiricaI, but the au-
dience hadn't time for fine distinctions |
After a rather dreary first fifteen min. |
uteS it was engaged in laughing.
Douglas Fairbanks played the Cub" |
There may be some question as to |
whether this young mans ability at |
stage reporting juStifieS his early star |
dom. But as long as newspaper plays |
hold out he seems sure of job, though |
he lost that one on the Courier-Journal |
for taking"
Good Character Acting.
There was ample opportunity for !
character acting. Some good imper- I
sonatiOns were afforded in Noah. the /
sole surviving Renlow: Judge White, /
leader of his faction; Mrs. Minerva Rem !
low, apparently borrowed from Mac /
beths witches: and Zeke King, who had |
q daughter he wanted married. These
roles were taken, in the order named, !
by Charles Macdonald, Joseph Ransome, !
Grace Fries, and James A. Marcus. Lois |
Burnett contributed a school mistress
OF conventional occurrences, and Blanche
I.atell rather overdid the part of the |
would -he-maI rIed maiden.
The play has atmosphere. Whether
the story is true portrayal of life
in the mountain regions of the Blue
Grass State may he left to the natives
and explorers of that region. But 1t is
refreshing and was near
enough to nature to pass muster with
an audience the ma jority of which prob
ably had not explored the land of feuds
and moonshinC.
J. r. HILDEBRAND.