New Britain herald., 1915-10-01
EVERY KEY OPENS A LAUGH IN 'BALDPATE'
Capacity Audience Greets Clever
 Comedy at Lyceum

When William Howell Magee, the
 novelist, sat in the Forty-Fourth
 Street club with his millionaire com
 panion, the man who owned Baldpate
 Inn, and made a wager he could write
 book within twenty-four hours, he
 reckoned without his host. For he
 did not know Baldpate Inn. It was
 agreed that the versatile young
 novelist should go to Baldpate, the
 most lonesome place in the world, and,
 there, write his hook, or lose 5000.
 The old caretaker and his wife had
 been instructed to open the inn and
 make ready for the arrival of Magee,
 then to turn over to him the only
 Key to Baldpate. Up that long noun
 tain climb came Magee, got the key
 from the keeper and retired to work
 on his book. He was not at his task
 long. however, when he discovered his
 was not the only key to Ba1dpate
 Enter John Bland, the right hand man
 of old5 Thomas Hayden, the million aire president of railroad. Bland
 deposits two hundred thousand dol lars in the safe in the lobby of Bald
 pate Inn for bribe purposes. No sooner has Magee taken care, of the possessor of Key No. 2, than the door opens and in comes pretty little Mary Norton, a young newspaper woman, with the most wonderful eyes in all the world, and Key No. 8. "Ye Gods," cries Magee, there are more Keys to Baldpate than there are on a Stein way With Miss Norton is Mrs. Rhodes a charming widow, engaged to be married to Jim Cargan, the crooked mayor of Reuton. Having entertained the ladies, Magee is startled by the intrusion of Peter, the Hermit, the Ghost of Baldpate noun tain, possessor of Key No. 4, who de- clares his key is the only and original opener of the inn. Next arrives Myra Thornhill, a charming blackmailer; oh, such a wonderful blackmailer. Any one would be willing to De black mailed by Myra. She has Key No. 5. Her mission is to get the money de- posted in the safe. With Key No. 6, Jim Cargan, accompanied by his man Friday" in the person of Lou Max, admits himself into Baldpate Inn, os- for the purpose of getting the money in the safe He is surprised to see such a host. This many assembled, the fun begins Tn such short space it is impossible to tell all the happen ings at Baldpatc Inn ,on Baldpatc mountain last night. Suffice it to say, however, that things were kept nov ing in lively shape. There was a getaway with the $200,000, made by Miss Norton, for the purpose of ex- posing. the, grating politicians x and railroad men. And then she was robbed by her friend, Mrs. Rhodes, who wanted to save her fiancee. Jim Cargan, from disgrace. Lou Max kills his sweetheart, the blackmailing Miss Thornhill; Jim Cargan gets gun away from ,Magee and takes charge of af- fairs, and the chief of police, trying to queil the disturbance, gets hold of the and plans to take his wife and family on an extended trip to Canada. He is overpowered, and the Hermit throws the money in the fire. This is the tumble that is interrupted when Key No. 2 turns in the front door of Baldpate and in comes the owner, the man who bet Magee. What has taken place in the lobby, all the shooting and scheming, and 1ove-making, and witticisms, is in reality only the enac- tion of the book as it was being writ ten by Magee.
 Seven Keys to Baldpate is one of the cleverest plays on the American stage t6CRA The cast that appeared at l m Jest night was one of >.IfU pest that could be gotten together. Led by Edwin Walter, than whom none could be better as the Novelist, every man and woman measured up to metropolitan standard Everyone was good, consequently the entire show was great. Special mention should be made of Meta Green, as the newspaper woman; Eugenie Campbell as the fair blackmailer, Forest Cum ,mings as the crooked mayor. Annette Berger as the widow, Stuart Johnson as the hermit, Harry L. Barker as chief of police, and Edward Romaine as the railroad president. Others in the cast were Archie Allen, Amelia Myers, Olaf Skavlan, Lawrence, Lee wood, and Justin McNabb.
 Best coffee 32c lb Russell Bros