New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-09-14
Nv HAYWOOD BROUN.

out In the second act with an eight
column head, Booze Expert Turns
Temperance Preacher" we realized
that George Cohan had chosen to write
a farce rather than to mirror manners.
The realization came as a shock, for
the first act Of "Hit-the-Trail-Holil-
day" was a remarkably true, deft and
interesting picture Of the barber shop
in small town. Save for the fact
that the hero was shaved In two min
utes and thirty seconds. there was
hardly a touch which did not turn
men under wigs and grease paint into
folks.
With Billy Sunday, only slightly dis
guised as Billy Holiday, for a hero.
it seemed as If George Cohan ives
about to 20 right on and suddenly
shoot into the world, If not the grea,,
at least a nightly good American
comedy. But one act did not commit
this versatile playwright. Comedy
was abandoned after the first act for
farce, and this medium, although well
handled on the whole, was not nearly
so well suited for the adequate por'
trayal Of Billy Sunday as more
serious play would have been.
George Conan is dramatically liberal
handed in Observation-Disclosures.
There are ever so many good situa-
tions. an abundance Of fun, good lines
galore and a liberal supply of well
drawn characters. But for all thai
the author has been wofully niggardy
in two respects. He failed to give the
last three acts Of the comedy which
the first act promised. but more than
that, and worse, he left out the big
scene of the farce.
The entire play is built on the fact
that Billy Holiday, bartender, Is
forced by series of plausible happen
ines TO make a temperance speech. IL
is the first time he has ever faced an
audience, and one hundred persons In
the crowd have come to break up the
meeting. Yet by the force of his per
sonality and by his happy trick OF selz'
ing an American flag and waving, II
Billy captures his audience and makes
such a tremendous impression that ne
is on the front page of every paper II
the country next day.
This is indeed a thrilling scene, ou
il is not played. 1t happens some time
between the first and second acts, ah'
the audience learns what occurred IRON
an obliging character who is gafrulou'
enough to keep it posted "
The author evidently realized tina
his audience would want to know o.
their own eyes and ears how HollldaA
did this remarkable thing, and so M
gives his hero just the brietest sort o.
a speech in the second act. But thl'
does not suffice.
Unfortunately the bit here provided
for Holiday is not eloquent, nor IS i M
delivery as indicated by Fred NiolC
more than passably engaging.
Perhaps It would be on. y fair t'
digress at this point in order to say
that "Hit-the -Trail-HO!iday' Is eXcei
lent entertainments The audience gave
overv manifestation of delight las
night. even though it was cheated o.
certain rights. The piece may run
season or two seasons, but II 1t runs
hundred seasons that does not alter
the fact that having a splendid play
NJ least in sight, George Conan wen
down a side road and turned out gooC
show.
In our opinion the sudden switch
from comedv TO farce at the beginning
of the second act is a technical oluh
der. The advice not TO swap horse'
while crossing stream is broad enough
TO include playwrghts. And the swltcl
is more than technical blunder. i
causes a soft spot in the action wnlcf
for n period of about five minutes en-
dangers the play even from show
STANDPOINT. out of this slough the
Cohan energy and exuberance serve &c
nut the piece on four wheels again anC
from then on until the end the pace l:
the rapid gait required OF farce.
The third act is almost as good {
farce act as the first is of comedy anC
the curtain IS brought about with one
Of those happy Cohan touches which
fall little short of genius. The last ac'
is short and serves TO do little more
than marry off the heroine. Usually
an audience is willing 70 accept kis:
and hug as the equivalent Of n mar
riage for hero and heroine, but Conan
the moralst, insists on parson and q
service which begins just as the play
ends.
Billy Holiday, bartender the hero
Of the play comes TO the barber shop
of THE American House" and there
runs foul of a middle-aged brewer and
Lis son, who dominate the town. He
has come 10 act as bartender in their
new hotel, but, disgusted with the man
ners Of his employer. he balks at the
lob and instead tenders his services
for a temperance meeting which the
brewer is trying TO break Up.
Holidays success as lecturer
arouses the town and the country. anc
the publicity which he gains is Sc
great that he is enabled 10 make q
fortune for the business rival Of the
brewers by indorsing a temperance
drink OF his making. called nearly beer
The villianous brewer and his son hav.
ing been forced to their knees, Billy
through his new found wealth, brings
success 70 all the estimable charac.
tiers and marries the daughter Of tho
minister who took his part against the
brewers.
Fred Niblo. back after long alb.
sence in Australia, is Billy Holiday
and although he was pleasing he
failed to convey the magnetism which
the character requires. That was not
altogether the fault of the actor
Cohan has chosen TO make his Billy
Sunday man who does not take him.
self seriously. which is a fearful han.
dlcap TO a character who is supposed
to be stirring up enthusiasm wherever
he goes.
Joseph Allen, in a character part
was tremendously successful in win.
ming laughter and Katherine Ia SallC
Pratt had a good part as the cowardly
young son Of the brewer and he made
the most of il. Grant Stewart was a
sincere and straightforward minister