New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-11-14
THE CAST

Captain Kidd, Jr.," is jolly enter
tainment For two acts it is certain
to keep you highly amused, and by
that time you will be sufficiently in
terested to overlook somewhat I'M
potent conclusion. II is a gay story OF
treasure hunt, which begins in
bookshop and leads to the New Eng
land coast-treated sometimes as COM
edy and at other times as farce-a
story written with humor and insight
by Mrs. /Rida Johnson Young and quite
apparently titled by George NJ. Cohan
himself.
Captain Kidd, Jr.," is put down on
the programme as "a farcical advent
ure," but it is not so easy to dispose
of it. A treasure hunt, Of course, may
be almost anything that you choose to
make it, and Captain Kidd, Jr.," does
not submit 10 arbitrary classification.
The theme is comedy theme. most of
the action is well within the pale OF
comedy, several of the characters are
frankly farcical and at intervals the
play shows a tendency to shoot of at
sentimental angle. II is not like any
other play in town, but it is twice as
entertaining as most of them, so 1t is
foolish to probe too deeply.
Into the New York bookshop OF An
drew McTavish comes volume entitled
Buried Treasure" and fast upon its
heels come several persons who are
willing to pay almost any amount Tor
il. But Jim Anderson, whose presence
is explained after a fashion, finds In
it a chart which describes the location
of. fabulous treasure, and presently
most of the cast go traipsing to Cape
Cod. In addition TO McTavish and An
derson there are the daughter of Nc
lavish and the grandson OF the man
who buried the treasure, and there Is
the certainty that the rival seekers VIII
also arrive on the scene.
The first act, which is by far the best
of the piece, quite captured last nights
audience. The scene of the discovery
of the CHARTS capitally acted, particu-
larly by Otto Kruger, who succeeded in
working the audience up to fine
frenzy of enthusiasm. The second act,
which gives the management an oppor-
tunity to spread real dirt upon the
stage, is Just as entertaining, although
here Mrs. Young has not always been
successful in concealing the hand OF
the playwright. With pardonable Ii
cense she contrives an. effective, albeit
anticipated, climax, when a note found
in the supposed treasure chest sets
forth that the greatest treasure on
earth is the ability to work.
1t is not the easiest matter to con-
struct a convincing final act after a
situation of this sort, and Mrs. Young
may be pardoned the slight et-down.
For the purposes OF happy ending II
is necessary to run railroad through
the Cape Cod property, and McTavish,
his daughter and Anderson are left to
be happy with the resultant $4,000.
One or two other loose ends are also
gathered up before the final curtain,
and there is a bit of arbitrary happi-
ness for everybody.
The amount of real humor which
Mrs. Young manages to inject into this
story is astonishing. 1t is true that
she is greatly aided by the work of
generally excellent cast, but one de-
parts with the feeling that Mrs. Young
should be severely spoken to for vast.
ing so much time in the writing or
average musical comedies. In Gap
tain Kidd. Jr.," she has succeeded in
almost entirely losing her musical com
rdy viewpoint, it being recognizable
only in an infrequent line and the ten
dency of the constable TO fall over
the grinding stone.
Otto Kruger, who has already been
seen here this season in Seven
Chances gives the best performance
of his career as the principal treasure
seeker. 1t is a performance vibrant
with humanness and sincerity, and
probably goes far toward creating the
impression that much Of the piece IS
not farcical at all, but true. comedy.
Edith Taliaferro, absent this long time
in the pictures, lends sweet assistance
as Edith McTavish. Miss Taliaferro
refuses to grow up. There is still. the
suggestion of Sunnybrook about her;
it was almost impossible to imagine her
capable of driving bargain in books
or selling so much as copy OF Gin
derella."
Charles Dow Clark scored strongly
in one of the comic constable roles TO
which he falls heir at intervals, but
Zelda Sears was quite thrown away on
a second act bit. Ernest Stallard did
we'll enough with the old bookseller,
and further competent assistance was
rendered by Edward Snader and Lin
roIr plumer