New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-09-08
Girls of "Sumurun" Take
to Harem Tank at the
Palace Theatre.
WASHING AND ITS
ETHICS INVOLVED
Fannie Brice Scores a Hit in a
Vaudeville Bill. Which Has
Many Stars.
By HAYWOOD BROUN.

f First OF all it was the guaranteed
advertisement in New York Sunday
newspaper which caught our eve:
I "Harem Scene" "Georgeouslv Lovely
/ Interlude of Beauties at the Bath"
F Tank Filled with Warmed ard Per
+ fumed Water" "Prettiest Girls IN New
York" were the phrases which leaped
out from the page.
Z Later we saw the cory ~ tho press
i agent and read:
! "Iu q bathing scene that might have
+ been lifted bodily from The Arabian
I Nights Gertrude Hoffman, gave the
Palace patrons a new thrill Yesterday.
I In the harem scene she has staged a
+ sumptuous setting for the Palace swim
ming tank with a dazzling fountain in
! its centre. and into this step y dozen
T of the fairest girls in all Miss Hof-
/ mann's list Of pulchritudinous perfec-
/ ton of physique. They disport them
selves in the warmed and perrfumedt
i strewn with rose
leaves. The scene is startling in its
delicious daring
/ If the paragraph of the press agent
| has been marred by asterisks we have
sinned with Laurence Sterne and Eli
nor Glyn.
Our seat was A, and yet we were
/ disappointed. The scene reminded us
| not so much OF Arabia as of Turkey,
whence come the baths and the towels.
Anybody could tread water in the
Palace tank. and il is large enough for
sprint races among goldfish of the
meaner sort. Although we are not GER
tain. il is our impression that only
nine girls instead of the promised dozen
stepped into the old swimming hole.
and we are positive that they did not
disport themselves. One by one each
member of the clan of 'pulchritudinous
perfection" slumped into the tank. The
step was taken with all the enthusiasm
of large lady alighting from
Fifth Avenue bus. Warmed the water
may have been, but each favorite of
the sheik took the temperature with
extended toe before she hoped.
1t is quite possible that the scene
resembled wash day in a harem, yet
the thought which came Dopping into
our head was that the Johnstown
food had engulfed a corset ad.
The scene is daring enough, but the
question naturally arises, has il ethical
justification. Has a producer the right
to plunge an entire chorus into Codll-
ness, willy nilly? This is no time to
talk of precedents. Washing is privi-
! lege rather than q duty. and spectators
are not without privileges and rights as
well. Our advice TO chorus girls about
to leap into harem baths, stage swim
ming pools and theatrical oceans would
be: Wash on your own time
The swimming pool scene in "Sumu'
run" is not without interest and yet
it is hardly in artistic harmony with
the rest Of Miss Hoffmann's produc-
ton. which is one Of the best things
that has been done in vaudeville. Sew
erai cuts in Max Reinhardts wordless
play have added speed to the perform
ance. Gertrude Hoffman, continues TO
achieve success a. the beautiful slave,
end Richard Ordynski is excellent as
the hunchback.
The rest Of the bill at the Palace is
also we'll worth while. Fannie Brice
scored the hardest. Miss Briee has
distinct comedy touch and is decidedly
an actist in the brief type suggestions
/ which are introduced in her songs. All
in all. there was much song on the bill,
but il varied 20 a degree. Orviile Har-
rold pleased his audience immensely,
and so did Eddie Leonard, and yet they
rad not a selection and hardly note
in common. NJ Harold was assisted
By his wife, while Eddie Leonard had
Austin Mack. am number of banjoes
and a back drop representing the home
I Of Robert +. Lee.
Stan Stanley played up and down the
aisle and back again before he was in
duccd to take the stage and assist in
the act which was then in progress.
Comedian and tumbler, too, Stan stan
lev was a distinct success in each line
Of endeavor. Others on The bill were
the Amoras Sisters and Pirnikof and
Rose.