The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-05

II. SOTHERN, who Is enact
ing Lord Dundreary" at the
Booth Theatre. is a connois-

IL Booth Theatre, is a connoIs-
seur on old and new jokes.
Having had a good deal to do with the
jokes Of the clowns IN Shakespeare
and with the jokes OF "Dundreary" he
is well qualified on the subject. Those
who have seen Mr.. Sothern as Hdp-@cf
and Macbeth would not imagine that
lie could take interest in a more or
less trifing wheeze. but Shakespeare
loved q wheeze, and why should not
Sothern? Mr.. Sothern's father was
the greatest jokesmith of his time. AS
n practical joker he gained such famG
that even n book was written abou,
hun. called Birds of a Feather FLOCK
Together"
Mr.. Sothern has been much amused
by the discussion of the "Dundreary"
Jokes and riddles. insomuch that a
good many folks have one so far As
TO contrast the humor OF 1859 with
that OF 1916. The fact Is that all of
the Jokes in 'Dundreary" were Old
Jokes in 1893. just as much of the
humor OF 1915 belongs To the lS5c |
vintage. Henry Morley did not fan
into this error when he reviewed the
elder Sothern's performance in Ion-
don in 1851, for he spoke OF the stale
Jokes" which the elder Sothern had in
corporated in the play II these jokes
were stale jokes in 1851 II is rather
curious to find people In 1915 imavin-
ing they were new jokes nifty years
ago. Sone folks seem to have over
looked that the fun OF 'Dundreary"
Hes in the fact that man OF his breed
ing should take delight in n parcel of
ancient wheezes. and yet. as Henry
Morley said of the elder Sothern. and
the same apples equally to the
younger. He contrives. in the midst
Of all extravaganza. to maintain for
his name Lord the air of a well bred
good natured gentleman Dun
dredry isn't so much n matter o.
wheezes,' stale or otherwise, hut the
fact that the part is overlaid with
ludicrous touches Of manner and by
play and is So imperturbably extrava-
CANT that shouts of laughter follow
almost every 10 and gesture. "Dur.
drelry" Is. in short. a sort of drama
tization Of our old friend. Joe Miller's
Jest Book, all of Joe Miller's jests
were hundreds OF years old when Joe
Miller made the book a hundred or
more years ago. So 10 saw thu,
tN ''N'H VI bhilIltdIy are INDlfdl
Of the humor of 1888 is sheer nom
sense. In order to give Mr.. Sothern
an opportunity To have his say on the
subject of jokes. and "Dundr. a-v"
Jokes In particular. he was bearded in
MS dressing room at the Booth Thea
re last night. As he was wearing his
weeping willuws il was an excellent
time for him To he bearded. The qtes-
ton of jokes was ~propoundcd to Dun
dr'Hr" ana he replied as follows:
Wisdom is preserved ANA handed
Gown IRON generation 10 g%entratio1.
SO WHY not the same az to humoro
All Jokes-at least all good jokes-are
old, some oder than the Pyramids.
The old JoNcs are old because They ore
good. They may be good in spite of
being old. Let US admit that III" re-
viewers ar" weary OF old Jokes. Shall
these Jokes be thrust into the ever
lasIng scrap heap ON that account:
This brings forth a momentous ques-
hoh. How about those young per-
sons VIII, V heard these jokes?
Shal coming generations, shall even
me present generation, be deJrlNed Of
ms JOY because dramatic reviewers
can laush no longer? Young people
iIIl ~ l'tNf tlu lbk't, Mnltn arc.
new to them. and old folks laugh at
old Jokes which recall their routh. It
is an inherent trait OF DUHdrcurU, "A
part and parcel of his peculiar and
hilo' nature, 10 collect old jokes and
see fun ia them. To enjoy these old
wheezes Is part of his character. one
OF my reviewer friends beWailed the
resuscitation OF that ancient wheeze.
Why does q dog a his tall and Of
Ia king ~ bunions. where's your
mother But these jokes have given
Joy TO thousands Of simple folks for
generations, and over them some
vastly wise men have laughed them
selves even into greater wisdom"
Lou-Tellegen, ~cosmopolite a citizen
Of the world, man without a country,
IL no more. Henceforth he is to be Just
Lou-Tellegen. American citizen. at
present piiting the stellar role in THE
Ware Case" NJ the Maxine E.liott
Theatre. Which metamorphoeis war
recently effected by Mr.. Lou-Tellegen
receiving from certain legal auihori-
lies naturalization papers. which con
fer on him the various privileges Of
borrowing money from "a United States
Consul when abroad, voting for woman
suffrage every time that question he,
comes tia political issue and standing
up in patriotic enthusiasm every time
the Star Spangled Banner" theme Is
played in Butterfly" 1t isn't an cas-,
matter TO take on the common littl,
prefix "Nr,' and divest oneself Of those
ornate II not romantic afixes above