New Britain herald., 1916-04-11
"0FF|CER 666",
 HE'S IN AGAIN
Police Farce Opens at Lyce'lm
 With Enough Laughs to Arrest Attention

Just the mere fact that policeman figures so prominently in the play at the LyccNm this week is enoughsto guarantee the extreme .funniness of the performance. When a policeman begins to do things his own way, without having anyone to guide hhn. the chances arc, ifs bs is a real policeman, he will do them wrong. It is part of the game. Mere little matters like choosing the wrong man. giving protection to thief in preference to the man whose house is being robbed, are nothing in tho eyes of the policeman. Officer 6et'' proves all this conclusively. sThere is a supera bundance of laughs per- meating every line and situation in. this play, which is by far the best thing the Alfred Cross players have attempted in some months
 The entire company is good rhis week. so good, in fact, that it is.do:fi- cult to place a finger 7at any onet a1em- Der and point out who carries off the honors. J. Irving White has first control of the situation in the char acter of "Ofticer Phelan" whose num- Der on the force is "666.' Alfred Cross, in the role of a young million are, next steps into the place of "Officer 666" and leaves a whirl- wind of comedy ever in his tracks. Then comes Eugene Weber who takes tho coat, badge, and baton away from the leading man and parades for . time as "Officer 666." Looking back over the performance, this is about as far as "Officer 666" got in changing personality.
 But there was never change of pace in the entire performance. 1t. was straight comedy from the mo- ment the curtain went up shortly after eight until it fell some two hours later And during all this time there was nothing to do but laugh, "Officer 666"is farce, pure and simple. It is practically a mans play, as there are but three female charac- ters, portrayed by Miss Julie Herne, Mrs Adelaide Hubbard, and Miss Win fired Wellington. They have little to do but what they are expected to do is well done.
 William Ennis who has been pro nounced one of the best men who ever portrayed "Whip" Fogarty, tho plain clothes man in Willard Macl's play, "Kick-Tn" has been given a part this week that is as well adapted to him as "Whip." He plays the police captain and although his ap- pearancc is for a short time only, dur ing that brief period he lends some real atmosphere to the play Anyone who has written a play that calls for the impersonation of a police captain should get in touch with MT. Ennis.
 Phillip Sheffield this week plays the part of a bally Englishman. although, why he should essay this part, why it was even put in the play is difficult to see. It may be that he has just stepped over from dear ole Lunnon'' to see his friend Gladden., the million are, in whose mansion the entire ac- tion of the comedy takes place The scene is the art gallery of TraverS Gladden.. After a globe-trotting cN- perience the young millionaire art lover returns home unexpectedly to find that very capable light-tingered gentleman who is also a connoisseur of art has made arrangements to take away some of the most valuable of a very expensive collection of pic. lures. Not only that. this clever thief is parading under the name of Ihe millionaire, is using his mansion, and, on the strength Of his new social position, has won the hand of young society girl. The elopement is to take place the very night the millionare returns. Comes then "Omccr 666' on the scene. A five hundred dollar bill persuades him to loan his coat and helmet to the young millionare who wants to catch the thief himself Then follows the comedy. For two hours, it is kept going, fast and furious.
 There being but one scene in this play, Kendall Weston, the producer. and Maurice Futile, the scenic artist. have expended their every effort in making it one of the most pronounced scenic effects of the season. The room is wonderfully well appointed, but the feature Of the entire setting is the great array of oil paintings be-
 decking the walls. Some of these paintings, copies of old masterpieces, are from the brush of Mir. Futile, while others have been loaned by prominent members of the commun- ity. Some of these paintings are val ued at enormous prices.
 "Oficer 666" in it's first calling, IS a sure cure for anything that ap- breaches the very unpopular and justly despsed "blues."