Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-03-16
AMUsEM ENTs.
"Hit the Trail Holiday" Proves the
scream" Of the Season at Odeon.


Billy Sundays sermon on booze"
slang and all, was re- enacted in part
at the Odeon Thursday night when the
Cohan & Harris farce comedy, Hit
the Trail Holiday came to the local
playhouse for the first time. The
farce proved the scream" Of the sea-
| son. It was CT the always to- bo-
expected Conan & Harris quality in
| every respect, and Conan & Harris
have as yet for the first time to dis
appoint a local audience. The only
disappointing thing last night was the
size Of the audience, which should have
filed the house.
"IIit-t the Trail Holiday" does not
have to show in BILLY" Sunday towns
in order to present its appeal. The
appeal is there from the time the cur
tain opens on the barber shop scene in
| the American House, until it closes on
"Billy's wedding in the last act. The
interest never lags, and the clean hui
NOR is apparent in the many different
| lines and situations thruout the action
Of the play
Billy" Holiday, a high-prced and
Broadway sophisticated bartender, goes
to Johnsburg, q "Reub" New England
town to take employment at 500 per
week in hotel promoted by Rex
Granger, millionaire brewer Of the VII
llage. The hotel is started because
the only other hotel man in the town
refuses to run a bar. Billy drops
into the American House and meets
different local celebrities, including
Dean Granger, the bully son of the
wealthest citizen and brewer and
Edith Holden, the minister's daughter.
A temperance meeting is scheduled for
the night Billy arrives, and Granger
| tries to stop it, Because of the bully
! ing actions of both Granger and h!s
son. BILLY decides to have some run
and take charge of the temperance
meeting. He gives some first hand IN
formation on the booze business, with
result that the publicity that fol-
lows in the New York papers puts
Billy" in great demand as a speaker.
He recommends to the public that II
drink "Nearly Beer" a temperance
drink manufactured by the temperance
proprietor of the American House. with
a. result that that individual Is COM
PEELED to build factory. The brewery
IS closed up, all bartenders strike and
are put to work at soda fountains. ana
the brewery employees are all given
work IN the Nearly Beer factory
BILLY" is booked for temperance adj
dresses two years ahead, and cheek
for $4,000 for motion picture rights
is given to the minister to build new
church. Johnsburg Is soon transformed
from a dead brewery village to a thriV-
ing dry" town. Quite naturally all
ends happily for all, and BILLY" claims
the minister's daughter as his bride.
Frank Otto, who is doing his first
work on the legitimate stage In sixteen
years was decidedly clever in his In
terpretation of the leading role O.
billy" Holiday. His naturalness both
in speech and mannerlsms, won his
audience from the very beginning.
Playing opposite him was Lola Mer-
ril, as Edith Holden, q vaudeville
teammate of Mr.. Otto, and in private
life Mrs. Otto. Incidentally, too, she IS
q sister of Mrs. George M. Conan. Like
most Conan plays strength OF acting
devolves largely on the male portion OF
i the cast, aitho Miss Merrill was
acceptable. Standing out prominently IN
the character roles was the work OF
Chnuncey Causeland as Jed" Cusick,
local expressman and "champeen
checker player OF Johnsburs. and that
of Howard Hull Gibson as Dean Gran
ger. Young Granger is a son Of Arthur
v Gibson, who played the part Of Rev.
Mr.. Holden. Mr.. Causeland does some
remarkably artistic character work IN
his Jed Cusick, as he did when last
seen here as the hermit In Seven Keys
to Baldpate." Daniel A. Anderson, who
appeared as Chief Crandall, was seen
here last season as the stern old Cyrus
Martin in 1T Pays to Advertise"
Local interest also attached to the
appearance of Louis Eagan, as sam
stallings. the head barber whose wife,
lAugusta Gardner, was ivrHivsiy uf t!,is
city, and known here as Gussie b UNI