Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-01-16

NNE OF the astonishingly good things
~ about Mr.. Cohan's Miracle Man" is
the stage management. 1t is about every
thing that popular superstition has not
attributed to the productions of Messrs.
Cohan and Harris. A play that Mr..
Cohan staged has always been supposed
to be one long howl-from the actors as
well as the audience. His drama at the
Garrick on the contrary, is n model in
aubtlety and restraint so far as the
spoken word and the movements of the
players 60
Mr.. Cohan unquestionably began life as
the prophet of the yociferous. He
screeched himself into fame with Little
Johnny Jones'" The comedies that he put
on later were notable for the raucous
roaring tones in which conversation was
carried on. Mr.. Cohan's method was
what might be called the New Ranting,
He applied II to farce and comedy, in
stead of tragedy, and got just the result
he wanted. The audience usually made
as much noise as the actors before the
evening was done.
The New Cohan
Here is 1.-THE Miracle Man" however.
staged as effectively and yet as restrain
stage it. The effect of almost every mo-
ment of the piece is exactly the effect OF
life. Talk and movement are carried on
in Just the key Of every day. Nothing out
OF tune. nothing forced. everything as
natural as those two excellent country in
teriors that set the first and last acts.
Is IL contradiction, this difference be-
tween the old Cohan and the newH Moth
ing of the kind; at most, a development.
When he was producing farce he used
what seemed the most effective method.
When he came to serious play by which
he set much store, he took the right
course to get the best results. The next
time Mr. Cohan does a comedy we may
nnd that he has learned something from
"The Miracle Man" Comedy can profit
Just as much from absolute naturallsm.
Pity the Poor Librettist
THE Girl OF Girls" has not lived-and
perhaps died-in vain II 1t rubbed into its
scanty audiences at the Forrest this
week some realization OF how poverty
stricken the American stage is in the
matter OF librsttists Mr.. Paulton's drlv-
slings may have been worse than some,
but not much worse. Almost all our mu-
sical comedy books" are the nearest
thing to madhouse maunderings that in
telhgent mon produce. The only excep-
tions seem to be the cases where the
hbrettist has a irst-class farce TO work
upon-"The Pink Lady and "Oh oh, Del
shine," for instance.
Aside from the absence OF witty lines
khe trouble with American librettos ia
,=lEht there; they lack any sort OF real
dramatic construction. 1.-THE Girl Of
Girls" for instance, has all the mate
rlals for a comic narrative. But they are
arranged with no sense of the theatre and
no sense OF fun. Every little while, when
the chorus has been cleared on the stage,
something happens. But the incidents lack
ali logical dramatic connection There Is
no building up Of interest, no suspense
and climax
1t takes just as good a playwright to
turn out good musical comedy book"
as a good farce. The fact that there is
more money in writing pieces without a
chorus on the salary list rs probably the
basic reason for such things as The
Girl OF Girls, :"
Comedian VS.. Author
of course the American librettist Is
pulled out OF most OF his holes by the
comedian. Our Merry Andrews are moth
ing II not inventive, Otherwise their en-
Eagements would be brief, indeed Where,
Tor instance would THE Peasant girl"
have been without Clifton Crawford 10
put across such lines as They keep
liquor IN the cabinet. They don't IN the
nayy''7' Even Anglo American combina-
items ike The Belle OF Bond Street"
require first aid. That's Sam Bernard's
Business IN life.
The comedian often gets his laugh with