Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-05-16
| THIS WEEK
AT THE FORREST
Nnt It's a Little Too Thin in "His
Wedding Night for Very
Good Skating

The Bureau OF Public Parlks--or what
setf ths proper authority may be--ought
10 ret out q skating bulletin on the For
rest There is Ice there. But It ought to
sd that the ice is very thin, even for May.
Il 4 wanted to usurp tho function Of the
naWnpaDer critic It might run bit Of ad-
vice 10 the effect that skating on thin ice
= seldom go hilarious business as It's
cracked up to be-
s'Ifls wedding Night" with the Dolly Sis
eefs--as the program has it-may or may
not be any icier or any warmer chow
strange the English languageO in plot
than Twin Beds" or Baby Nine" All
three are tales not ordinarily discussed in
mixed crowds Of thousand or so Pos
aiby His wedding Night" has the edge
on itn rivals, because It deals in thwarted
emotions rather than fractured conven-
ttonn. At any rate good many of the
linee which accompany the plot are far
from discreet. Mr.. Rising hasn't handled
delicate matter delicately. He hasn't
given sex, a subject of many humorous as
reefc. that Innocent treatment with which
Mlsa Mayo managed to make its many
nffnuaivo angles at the worst merely
1fuunnt and delightful.
Every one who has ever heard of the
marriage of a twin has mentally con-
structed the plot of His Wedding Night"
ing complicates it with husband who is
good deal too bossy and an extra gentle
man who thinks he loves the bride and
really loves the unmarried sister The sister
passes herself off as the bride and they all
spond q very sleepless night trying to figure
cut Just who is who It may be remarked
that the plot complicates itself quite skill
fully IN the second and third acts. though II
fails 20 develop a genuine climax for the
oud Of the second. And II must also be
admitted that the identifying process is
genuinely and cleanly amusing.
BUT IL His Wedding Night is not so
satisfying as II might De. the answer is
worry obvious. Skating on thin ice is seldom
hilarious job for an Anglo-Saxon. 1t is
too self-conscious. And that, of course, is
because we haven't acquired, whether for
better or for worse, the trick of talking sex
frankly when ladies are present. In smok-
tnE room, yes But not in the theatre
unless some Margaret Mayo magics us and
ms subject into land of innocent II some
what piuuant humor
A very competent company worked over
ssBia Wedding Night" John Westley-
doubtless from his experience with Irwin
Beds'--was drafted for the husband. He
got over all his points in his familiar man.
ner, some too far over A little modera-
tion would improve his work. 4 Frank NJ
Thomas played the other man with some
skill. Jessie Ralph filed in acceptably as
q maid Harry Lilford got a good deal of
fun out Of poor butler who tried to figure
out the mixup. Lucille Watson put all
her genuine command of rare sort of
hunor into the part of married friend
As for the twins-the Dolly twins-they
were quite their old adorable selves, and
Just as much when they acted aslwhen they
danced. Roszilka was petite and charming,
fansci seemed Just a bit taller and thinner
and certainly a bit more amusing. They
did their best with the ice. But we are
mono of us Charlottes. K. NJ.