Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-12-26

i Act III. outside thn Slup' N's 'A'''
quite aside from Its engaging comic
| ,,InIs Seven Chances" deserves the sue
| rssq-berald'' label because OF the oriskness
| OF It's bartender. couple OF bronHes are
ordered and served In about two minutes,
| the keep" thus establishing record Tor
the Atlantic coast.
,rbA prImrose potatlons are 10 cheer up
| Young Jimmie Shannon. twenty-nlne' and
makInR ffty week, who has Just lost his
as,onishinEly rich grandpa In an nutomo-
bua smash The old gentleman. devotee
of domestic ties. has left twelve tcount eml
million. all 10 go TO Jimmie If he marrles
nsysis,ent theatregoer. you've guessed II I!
Jimmie doesn't care much for the girls, ~
nIainer than original sin. and has bad
three hours making up his Wind Wnether
he'll take the lash OF hard luck and let the
money 20 or pair on with some nice maiden
who If willing 20 stand for hIn commercial
ism. Six pass him up, but the seVenth-a
eharmer-takes him
out OF that situation Mr Megrue has
made a cute little play. He evidently con-
sldeFa Il an AFFAIR OF farclcal situation. but
we might as well tell you now that u de-
pends on the authenticity or It's detail and
the natural charm Of It's dialogue rather
than on any novelty Of plotting, for It's
appsaL That appeal while slight Is legitl-
mate and. most OF the time, amusing and
sympathetic
Mr Megrue has had experience IN the
playhouse before this, and from Under
coyerp "IJnder Fire" and the rest OF his
pleasant pieces he has learned p. city we'll
how 10 make the dramatic wheels go round.
lie rings the changes on Jimm!e's chRgrln.
dsspair. remorse hope and bliss, with a
fair amount OF skill The situations intrln-
aIcally are thin. but they are presented IN
ths diseuise OF capital ''man-taik," the kind
hen IL
An IN clubs and on the street. short, broken
-rsecbes that carry the Illusion OF the
actual. even while ones reason Is revolving
az the inherent ImPFobabilisy OF the basic
idsa.
NAV a largely In the ascendant and like
Via largely IN the eeRsbie hands OF Frank
craven Mr. Craven not only reaftirrnH his
title 10 the honors OF quiet and sincere
comedy; he convinces one that no nice
people are very good-lookinE' and that
handsome chaps are usually dubs. The
srstvvhile incorporate clerk OF Bought and
PAD For" and the star OF '-roo Many
Cooke (which never reached PHILADELPHIA
has here a role written, line and infection.
FOR his subdued and subtle talents He
h vague. bashful. hssiiant, blurting. kindly,
subconsclousiy anectionate, without pre-
tense Even seeing the play the second
time. one doesn't quite set under the skin
~ his method. 80 apparently everyday ana
easy are the cragen eheets.
fhs chaFmer who becomes Mrs, shannon
4. charmlngly enacted by Miss Mccomas.
Who Is just as pretty and as eompetsnt As
she is la musical comedy, Mr.. Belaseo.
Win his customary deceney toward The
road" has kept his cast-~a good one
intact. save for the part OF Jimmies pard,
John Butler very efficiently replaces Otto
kruger in II. The girls Al are well within
theft separate picture-frames. and the men
more o. less real too. The clubhouse with
its wandering s0use ana other casual types.
has bean staged without Affected detail II
Il just Z eomfortanls, hazg room. with ila
drinks ana smokes. and rs llmmie har-
ring the colneideness and crises 10 WhieA
~ lands. yeu can ana him anE day =
Walaai atf=sf of = h'iisaaoaee ezeefe
~.