The Washington times., 1911-11-21
PEGGY THE MAGNET
DRAWING A LARGE
BELASCO AUDIENCE
The Fortune Hunter" Re.
peats Former Success At
I the Columbia.

Thomas w. Ryley's production, Peg
gy'' drew a brilliant audience, almost a
capacity one, in fact, to the Belasco last
night at its initial performance in the
capital. In presenting this current
London success, Mr. Ryley has spared
no expense. and from a spectacular
standpoint nothing prettier could be de.
sired.
stage settings in gorgeous colorings,
stunning costumes, and good-lookinS
girls so numerous there Is hardly room
Tor all on the stage at the same time.
make Kaleidoscope picture that is al
ways pleasing. Little fault can be
fopnd with the music, and half dozen
OF the numbers were enthusiastically
encored last night despite the fact that
almost without exception the songs are
catchy. -
Americanizing Peggy" but no remark
able results have been attained. In the
hrst act particularly there are times
when even the performers themselves
seem hardly to know just what they are
doing. The comedy is not of the hilari-
GUS brand, and the production moves
along monotonously until enllvened un-
expectedly by a musical number.
IN the cast are several particularly
bright lights. Charles Blow, so kind
ly remembered here for his work in
the ill-fated Marriage a la Carte"
Blow. with the same English accent and
droll speech. Miss Ethel Green is
charming as Peggy. Miss Alva York,
as Lady Snoop, electrified the audience
with one Of her numbers the naughti-
ness of which was almost overlooked.
coming as it did at a time when a
shock OF some sort was necessary, and
tractive Polly Pollno Miss Esther Bis
sell, as Doris; Farren Soutar. as Cap
tain Bendoyle. and Sam Collins, whose
broad comedy was not always amusing,
In the main did excellent work. One
Of the real hits was the eccentric dance
done by Tom Dingle in blackface.
Welcomed by the sort of laughter
end applause that has marked its long
runs in New York, Boston. and Chicago,
THE Fortune Hunter" Winchell
Smiths company, returned to the Co
lumbia last evening. An entirely ca
pable cast headed by Will Deming and
Edith Luckett, the latter Washing
ton girl, present the play in it's old.
time attractiveness.
The plot of "The fortune Hunter
Is familiar to the average theatergoer
1t Is the story OF young man who has
failed at every hing in New York, and
saint and goes to a small town to have
an heiress catch him. With the little
town as a setting there is woven a
story Of alternating pathos and comedy.
There are the village characters; the
tight-fisted banker; the sheriff: the liv-
cry man, and truest to life Of ALA
struggling druggist whose business has
gone to ruin because the old man is al
ways trying to invent something.
Nathaniel Duncan, the fortune hun
ter, as played by VIII Deming, forgets
his mission to the town after awhile
helps put the old drug store on it's feet
and in the end forgets the heiress and
marries the druggists daughter.
A breezy, fun-making Nathaniel Dun.
can is Mr. Deming, who was forced tc
respond to curtain call at the end OF
the third act. other members of the
cast also were brought before the cur.
tain. Miss Edith Luckett was recog'
nized the moment she stepped upon the
stage last evening" and she was warm,
ly greeted. Her acting deserved 1t, too
for she makes an appealing Betsy Gra
ham, the druggists daughter. Forrest
Robinson is cast in the part of San
Graham, the druggist-inventor, and hi
gave an excellent character portrayal
His discerning and conscientious work
in the part gave the play the little pa.
thetic touches needed to relieve tht
sparkling comedy lines.
John c. Brownwell and Edgar Mel