New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-10-15
Much Activity, but None
of 1t Mental, in "WOrId
of Pleasure"
SMASHING SPECTACLES
ARE SAVING GRACE
Smut of Dialogue Mars a Book
Which Is Otherwise Dull,
but innocuOus.
BY HAYWOOD BROUN.


The new production Mt the Winter
Garden is called "A World Of Pleas
ure. Funk and Wagnalls assure us that
pleasure is ANY particular sensation.
emotion or other mental activity or
state that has an agreeable tone" The
WINTER Garden show has activity, but
" IS not mental. A thought might
girdle "a World Of Pleasure" from
now until doomsday and it would
never bark its shlns against a fellow
being. However, the tired business
man need not be alarmed. There is
not even one thought in the show.
A theatrical producer. like nature.
abhors a vacuum. and into the thought
less world of pleasure there have been
/ flung girls. gowns. dances and spec
tacles
As for the costumng, il may be said
that never, save in the cuticular catas-
trophe forced upon the Colonel's Lady
and Judy O'Grady, have characters
been laid so bare. However, bare legs
are better than none, and much of the
Costuming is pretty, while the soldier
uniforms in a number called the Melt
ing Pot are excellent The spectacle
in this same number, which brings the
first act to a close, is a big. smashing,
well-desi gned effect. SaharyDjeli, the
Arabian dancer, contributes an extraor-
binary muscle dance. 1t is frankly
sensual and beautiful.
So much may be pardoned in the eff
fort TO conceal the absence of thought,
but there is at least one factor in the
show which We resent. The dialogue
is fiat and stupid. which is not extraor-
binary, but, more than that, it is
blatantly indecent.
1t is 10 honest smut which mars the
lines. Old jokes of the bar and smok-
ing room are logged out in new set
of clothes and set marching through
the book in a winking, Sinking pa
rade We wish TO insist that we are
not in the least fnicky. We knew
those jokes, every one of them, before
they took on a shame pretence OF re-
spectability. At some of them we have
laughed. But the story which may be
told when a handful of men are gath
cred together in quiet corner was
never meant to be shouted in a public
place by paid entertainers. II is
neither fair TO the audience nor 10 the
jokes.
Jack Wilson. who appears in "A
World OF Pleasure" is the most con-
summately and repellently vulgar actor
we have ever seen. A show in which
the word woman" is never uttered
without a grimace. smirk, wink, or
a stupid tag of talk is show which
has been allowed to get in an IN
healthy condition.
Let it be said to the credit OF the
first night audience that most Of the
smut did not get over.
Stella Mayhew was 70 us the bright
est sort of a spot in the show. one
ut least was jolly and healthy in her
humor, even If it is not Of the most
subtle order. For the humorous PROV
ess of Collins and Hart we also con.
TESS fondness, and the dancing OF
Theodor Kosoff and Rosie Quinn was
attractive. Kitty Gordon sings mod
erately well, but Clifton Crawford un-
fortunately is by no means up to his
best =,
"A World Of Pleasure" WAS staged
by J. {. Huffman. The dialogue ana
lyrics are by Harold Atteridge, the
music by Sigmund Romberg and the
dances by Jack Mason.
If a Turk could be suddenly set down
In the middle of the Winter Garden
during a performance of "A World
of Pleasure" he would undoubtedly
think he was In the heaven predicted
bv the Prophet. but it must be remem-
bered that the Turk would be unable
y, understand the dialogue.