The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-08-25
DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS, BURGLAR
RRGR
THAT'S HIS ROLE ~ "a GEN
TLENAN or LEISCRE."
This New Production At VIM. A. Brady's
Playhouse Good Farce u Little I'm.
maturc--GeOrEe Fawcctt In the Cast
Ruth Shcply Lovely to Look CpOn.

Playhouse Good Farce u Little 1ms
mature --GeOrGe Fawcctt In the Cast
Ruth Shcply Lovely TO Look CpOn.
The eprghtly Douglas Fairbanks re-
turned to the view of the metropolis last
night at the Playhouse. appearing in
farce called a Gentleman of Leisure"
To those unfamiliar with New York's
Punch and Judy zone it may be useful to
say that this theatre is situated in West
Forty-eighth street near Broadw ay and
was last spring opened to the public by
William A Brady. who intends that it
shall be occupied ultimately by Grace
George. Mr Fairbanks is appearing in
what Ia described al n preliminary season,
"A Gentleman of Leisure" deals with
theme which has recently been more or
less in the air. 1mposture is the motive,
for instance, OF "Le Danseur 1nconnu.
which Tristan Bernard wrote for the
American stage although it's arrival here
has been unexpectedly delayed and the
author has so far had to be satisfied with
his year of SUCCESS at the Theatre de
l. Athenee The hero of last nights farce
differs from the involuntary impostor of
the French drama in that his disguise Is
deliberate and undertaken recklessly as
a means of relieving the tedium Of life as
a young man Of society
That he will enter home on Fifth
avenue and as evidence of his visit bring
along something that he found there. is
the essence of the wager he makes with
some friends II happens that one Of the
professionals he is striving to initiate
visits his apartment on business just as
the young man is Starting out on his
errand. The hero does not call the police
but insists that the intruder shall accom-
panv him on his own amateur burglary.
So the two start out. That they land in
the house Of high police official that
they are discovered at work by his daugh.
ter. who is by way Of being in love with
| the rash. intruding young man of societv-
these are incidents of the action which
keep the play in the realm OF farce where
its starting point securely poses II.
Good farce ia a blessing for which all
thea atregoers should he sincerely gra ateful.
but "A Gentleman of Leisure" is a bit
naive. even for August. II would take a
| thea atrical authority to decide when farces
ripen. But there could be no two opinions
as TO the premature plucking of this
product. Had ii been allowed to mature
| various results which were not noticea ble
last night might have been admired.
II might have been possible. for in
stance. to have some more plausible un-
derstanding between the real burg lar and
| the young social adventurer who de-
| scribed himself as an experienced London
crook. The mixed international society
which confronted the audience at the
| beginning of the second act might have
been made comprehensive instead of con-
| fusing The discovery Of the young man
by the girl who had begun to be in love
with him-certainly these episodes would
have gained theatric value had the play
been submitted to n longer course of
tultiva ton. But il is not novel phe-
nom~non in the theatre. this apparition
of the half made play. "A Gentleman Of
Leisure" is typical of many that will
probably find n hearing in the coming
season. 1t is based on a valuable farcical
| idea: its charac ton in the case OF
| the retired police official is not without
n certain vraisemblance, and its ideas are
in the abstract admirable enough for
the stage. But they are presented with
no knowledge Of the medium through
which they must make their appeal or
| that this medium has its own ineXorable
laws of expression. which cannot be
| ignored.
| the task Of the theatrical reporter would
be altogether different He would be
able to attune his monotonous com
plant to a note Of uplifting praise,
Douglas Fairbanks is az youthful as
ever in figure and older than ever in
visage. He has the physique Of Romeo
and the face of the Apo'hecnry. But
luckily his vivacity follows his bodily
| outlines and he is diverting member
of n farcical cast. George fawcett gave
touch of genuine characterization
and the actors who predominate, in the
audience seemed to enjoy him immensely.
Yot /, must he added for the sake of a
veracious record Of the proceedings at
the Playhouse last night that the profile
of Ruth Sheply marked the aesthetic
zenith of the evening. Such modelled
loveliness as this young woman revealed
is altogether out of the ordinary. Beauty
like hers is genius. A. there was no other
type Of genius observable on the premises
there seems no reason why the honors
should not go to her without dispute.