The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-03-17
SIR ARTHUR P|NERO
REAPS WH|RL WIND.
Features Frailties OF Musical
Comedy Girl in His Latest
Play.
He is WIDELY CRITICIZED
Even Parliament Begins to Feel
Pinch of High Cost
Of Living.
BY ED. l.. KEEN.
Especial Cable to The r.mes.pi.pa,ch


Especial Cable to The Times. Dispatchl
London, March l6.-sir Arthur Pin
GRO is reapins the whirlwind. In Il
misguided hour the other lay he
launched i new play, in which he
featured the frailties OF the averag.
musical comedy girl Not only was tho
piece numerically 'booed" on the
night OF IFS first performance, but ever
since tile author has bsen struggling
In the vortex OF storm Of letters
from English show girls who resent
particularly the implication that they
cannot make good wives.
Fincro called his comedy The Mind
the Paint Girl" 1t has to do chiefly
with tn, experiences of Lily Psrradoll,
leading lady OF the Pandora Theatre
The fact that Lilly wac good girl, de-
spite her uneavory surroundings as
painted by the author. and In the end
married the young lord who had been
dangling at her heels through thr &c
acts-and presumably made a good
wife-only served 10 accentuate the
criticisms, for Pinero apparently re-
garded her as a noteworthy exception
TO tina general rule. The name or the
play came from the topical song by
which Lily won her way to favor with
the public and the stage door john
MES. 1t strikes the keynote OF Lily's
creed of life. Here is ono verse:
Mind tho paint! Mind the paint!
y girl is not a sinner just because she's
not saint.
I'm possessed OF all the graces;
Oh. a perfect dream my face is
Ut may owe to art tritic. or It
rnayn'D;
And I'll cry out for assistance
should YOU fail TO keep your distance;
Goodness gracious, mind the paint!
one of the characters is made to say
that chorus girls are menace TO So
ciety.' and Lily harsclf, at one point.
tells Lord Frnncombc---she changes her
mind afterwards--"rcmem that how
ever straight l have managed TO keep
myself ] am only Pandora girl and
will always be thought of as such by
your friends. You mustn't handicap
yourself by hanging me around your
neck" The play abounds with episodes
depicting the sordid side of stage life
-riotous joy rides. 4 a. NJ. wine sup
pers, bondined beauties working in
sipid old gentlemen and rcceding-
chinned youths for jewels and auto.
mobiles Whether Pinero himself in
tended It or not, the producers made
the blunder of endowing one OF his
show girls with thu expression and
manners of highlands best known and
most highly respected musical comedy
actress That helped along the whirl-
wind very nicely.
This is what some of the musical
comedy stars OF London say abont 1t:
Miss Connie Ediss.-"Sir Arthur Pin
gro has formed very wrong impress
Gin IN, lN- nd
domesticated lot when off the stage.
And we make splendid wives. I know
X, for I am one myself ] think I'll
have to form class of playwrights
who hold these unfavorable viewa of
the musical comedy stage. I'd put sir
Arthur at the head of the class and 1
would teach them the real truth.
| Then. am sure we would have no
more Mind the Paint girls"
Miss Ruth Vincent.-'I can aesure
Sir Arthur that we do not spend out
time when at home singing amorous
duets with heroes. We are, In fact.
just like other people. The trouble
with Sir Arthur Is that he takes the
Same view that the country curute
does when he secs his first musical
comedy. lie Judges the private lives
OF tho actors by what he sees on the
stage"
L
as many nice girls on the stage as In
any other walk OF life. and they make
,, Just as good wives. But. because our
professional dameanor is one OF the
ght-hearted gaiety, ignorant people
are convinced that we must be unstable
iiirts in private life"
The actors themselves have rushad
into the fray Not only do the girls
make good wives. said Edmund Payne,
. all Il,
! thnr also forgcts that nearly all the
| chief actresses of the London stage be-
gan their careers IN musical comedy"
Sir Arthur's accusation about the
paint Is very cruel and unjust" re-
! marked George Grossmith, Jr. The
actress. or actor, living In a house
gl'stcning with new paint, as tn. au-
! thor seems to think we do. would
probably soon become physical and
/ moral wreck. know lot of musical
comedy people who live in sombre, al
| most drcnry. residences"
Pincro's defense is that no dramatic
author who is true to life can Ignore
the fact that II contains both good
and bad clements. Those who have
attacked my play as whole he said.
have overlooked tho fact that in Lily
have attempted to portray char
aetcr full OF generous and noble i'm
pulses"
Even Parliament is beginning TO fee:
the pinch Of the high cost OF living.
The report OF the kitchen committee
shows loss OF $500 in the past year,
largely on account OF the shilling din
ners supplied 10 the members.
Inc shilling dinner was introduced
some years ago for the benefit cspe-
, cIally OF the Labor members, whose
private incomes prevented their paying
as much !or their meals as the more
| wealthy legislators. 1t meant a loss Of
] or cents on each meal from the
start. In the pas1 year. however, the
loss has bcen-s cents. owing to the In
| creased. prices of foodstufts. That the
cheap meal has grown In popularity
| IL shown from the report that out Of