The Detroit times., 1912-03-26
THE STAGE
eARRIck.

On the theme that nothing succeeds
Ike success James Montgomery has
built a clever company of the get
rich-quick type In Ready Money :
which made Its first appearance in
the Garrlck theater, Monday evening,
with William Courtenay in the lead
ing role.
Mr.. Courtenay takes the part or
Stephen Baird, an ambitious young
New Yorker who has put all his mon
ey into a mining venture in Arizona.
and on New Years Eve is expert
encing all the disagreeable sensations
of being completely broke with a note
for $4,000 coming due which will
take the hopeful hole in the ground,
his only asset, from him. Among his
liabilities Is fiancee with a mother
who does not favor failures. In this
situation Jack Ives, counterfeiter
OF international character, who looks
upon Baird as likely pal, turns over
10 him $4,000 in queer" $1,000 bills.
Baird does not try TO pass them; he
merely exhibits them and his skepti-
cal friends fight for chance TO buy
stock in his mine. In twelve hours
he has sold $4,000 worth OF stock and
orders are pouring in through every
available means of quick communlca-
tiou.
Complications are introduced, how
ever, by the entrance OF secret SER
vice officers who have long been trail
ing Ives, and they arrest him and
Baird as well. After a night in the
Tombs they are released, for the eVi-
dence has been cleverly switched
while the astute detectives were not
looking. Then the clouds begin TO
lift, and the final curtain comes with
the telegram that gold has been dis
covered in the Skyrocket mine, and
the audience is left TO believe that
the vein will hold out long enough to
make everybody fabulously rich.
The outline OF the plot, does not
show the real cleverness of the play,
however, which lies chiefly in bright
dialogue, full OF epigrams and witty
turns The first act is somewha'
"talky," but there is enough actor
in the last two to make up for ii. or
course, there are a few impossible
tiles Fer instance 1t Is hardly good
business to give up note for 100000
for a check of doubtful value as Is
done, and the secret service men are
at times very negligent, but these
facts did not seem to jar the plausi-
bility.
The cast Is excellent throughout.
Mr.. Courtenay plays his part with a
convincing naturalness, and even ir
the love scene succeeds in coming
very close to reality. Ivy Troutman
as Grace Tyler assists him admirably
here, and does what little there is for
her In the rest of the play very we'll
too. Joseph Kilgour gives finished
presentation of the cool, experienced
criminal hand and shares the honors
OF the scenes with the secret service
men with Mr.. .Courtenay. Scott
Cooper as James f. Morgan the
scheming owner of the Safety mine.
who wants to get the ~Skyrocket, too,
does good bit of work. Ben John
son, j. r. Hutchinson and his asso
ciates of the secret service force are
stern minions of the law, and the rest
OF the cast lives up to its billing as
"a notable company"
Ready Money" is not a good thing
for those who have a weakness for the
get-rich-quick schemes to see, but for
those who are immune 10 The bland
ishments OF the smooth stock sales
man 1T furnishes as pleasant enter
tainment
Ready Money" will be in the Gar
rick al week with the usual matinees