New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-16
BY HAYWOOD BROUN.

We saw by the papers that Willard
Mack wrote note to somebody IN
which he said that Broadway and But
termilk" was the most human Of all
his plays. Mr.. Mack may have had in
mind the fact that to err is human.
The new comedy, with songs and
Blanche Ring, has some amusing and
engaging qualities, but humanity is not
among them.
The product Is not so much butter
milk as fermillac. 1t is artificial and
bottled. Mr.. Mack's country town is
not more than an afternoons ride from
any Of the rural communities which
George Cohan has put upon the stage.
When a Broadway author grows bu-
collie his method Of popularizing coun-
try life is most peculiar He takes
care to point out during the first two
acts that the rural folk are an uncouth
lot of ninnies, but when the sun be-
gins to set or when the moon is on
the hayfelds in the last act somebody
or other is sure to remark that after all
one never really lives until he gets
close to the heart of nature.
1t may be so, but the city remains
indispensable. We noticed that when
Mr.. Mack wanted TO build up the
chorus of Miss Rings first song at the
close of Act he sent down the lane
for bevy of showgirls.
The play is filled with fippery. We
don't know the limit of Blanche Rings
capabilities, but she can make an
audience laugh very readily with lines
of no great wit, so long as they have
the impudent quality of Broadway
humor. 81 haven't had a tear in my
eye since little pal Of mine married
an actor" remarks Miss Ring, and in
an instant everybody roars with laugh
ter.
IL doesn't sound very funny now
that we set it down, but We chuckled
at the time, and We chortled when she
said: Don't make me laugh. I've got
friends in Mexico"
It's that sort of a play. Also, there
are lines about the danger OF swallow
ing ones knife at the dinner table.
And yet Miss Ring can take an ancient
Joke and hurl it over the footlghts
with such force and precision that IL
is sure to hit an audience. As much
as any woman on the stage, Miss Ring
gives the impression of having a fine
time while she is playing. She is ter
ribly glad that one Of the characters
is named Woolwine, so she can make
Jokes about the Woolworth Building,
and one can almost fancy her giving a
prayer of thanksgiving when the or
chestra leader gets up and indicates
that she is TO have an opportunity 10
sing. Many in the audience would have
Joined her in that prayer
Miss Ring can do much for joke,
but for a song she Is mother, father
and physician. Under her fostering
care the thing grows and thriyes until
il is strong enough 10 go out and
whistle its way through the world
The play is not heavily plotted.
There are three weddings during
hiatus in Act g. and it takes some little
time 10 bring them all about. 10 can
not be said that they furnish great sur
prise. William p. Carleton, who plays
Tom Burrows, is the luckiest one. He
gets Blanche Ring. Their courtship Is
amusingly devised. Fayette Perry,
very pretty ingenue, marries the rich
young man from the city. played by
Calvin Thomas. There was some little
doubt about his character. but late in
the play he proved that he was a regu-
lar fellow by referring to his automo-
bile as "a boat"
Helen Lowell was amusing as Mrs.
Mary DENLY. Miss Lowell is much
truer to the country type than any
Broadway author is ever likely 20 give
her an opportunity of proving.
Tommy Meade played the comic small
country boy in amusing but altogether
conventional manner Mr. Mack may
know more about the country than we
do. II is not our part 20 pose as an
expert on the strength OF a week end
at Long Beach, but is IL fact that in
the rural communities people habitual-
ly squeak in conversing2