New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-11-25

7 o.
Dawson ............................P ercval Young
Virginia Bullvant.........Miss Margery Maude
| Mrs Maclarcn.. Miss Lena Halliday
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. Miss Maud Andrew
. Mr.. cyril Maude showed more OF his
versatility at Wallacks last evening. lie
has appeared during his engagement here
as a young man and as a middle-aged
man. Last evening. in Grumpy a
greatly amusing detective play Of British
origin and rather Victorian flavor .he APP
/ peared as a very old man-"dear old
Grumpy" the armchair detective.
The lmpersonation was clever. and even
more II even made the audience forget
at times the obviously STACY elements of
which the role as constructed by its au-
| thors-Mr. Horace Hodges and Mr.. I.
, Wigney Percyval-and think Of Grumpy
as real old gentleman. And even when
they didn't think so Mr.. Maude's acting
was sufficiently engaging to permit them
to enjoy themselves just the same.
| Here again the English actor showed
the art. rarely enough exhibited by our
own light comedians, OF sinking his own
! individuality almost completely in the
part he was playing. No one who knew
Mr.. Maude only from having seen nm
on the street would have suspected thd'
| he and the grumpy old Mr.. Bulll'ah'
were the same man. Any one can as
| euise himself by clever makeup oil
course. but Mr. Maude's disguise Is more
than that 10 be put on with chalk WIGS
and prncillcd lines. IL Is in his voice MS
manner Of breathing and moving about
/ the whole sum and substance Of the man
Grumpy" as the name of the play
would imply. is "A testy old man. with
| lust that kind Of garrulous irasc"ilty
mingled with kindness which genera
| tons Of theatrcgoers have laughed al
| and liked This saves trouble, because
| every one knows just what TO do the
minute ne opens his mouth. He Is
vastly clever old man. too. in spite oil ms
wears. and the authors have guilelessly
mixed these qualities I'm equal doses, CIV
| ing the audience first a little of the one
and then a little OF the other.
So dear old Grumpy shows for a
/ few moments his surprising brlllian''
as the carpet slipper detective, untll a
lmld thriu has pcrcolated through 'h'
audience. and then finds out that ms COZ
! Zoe is too hot or that the chimney -
smoking. or that Susan. the maid. IS
fddIing with her apron strings or thaI
-"Bamu IL all. Huddock. how can /
drink thisc"-his coffee Is now too cola
Then he beratcs Susan. the maid OF
Ruddock. his valet. and everybody
Laughs BY that time II rs time TOT
some more Of Grumpy the grandia'herly
detective.
| on this simple plan the play IS buiit
| with young nephew just back from
| South Africa with a diamond Of enormous
value 10 deliver to his employers IN Lon
don. a gentlcmanly villain 10 break INTO
the house at night overpower the nephe"
and steal the diamond. and pretty
Young granddaughter FOR both the nephew
and the villain to be in love with-the
pepbev in earnest. and the villain just
because he is villain and thinks II VIII
help him get the diamond
lie does get II for "A time but Grumpy
| is too much for him and gets IT back
again. and there are some rather IN
| renious complications over teItale
camellia with a hair wrapped around the
storn i'm between. Mr. Montagu Love. a
remarkably fine figure of man, with q
| pleasantly finished way of using II TO
! best advantage. was the polished villain
and even something more. one even be
Iicycd I'm him now and then. so thor
ourhgoing was his performance, although
I'm the case Of "A character of this kind one
| 10 scarcely meant To. Mr. LennoX Pa|le
| oIeo aid an excellent bit as crooked
dealer in antiqucs-'double dealer as oiu
! Grumpy hopefully wheezed. And MISS
| Margery Maude was pleasantly simple
and natural as the daughter \. X