The sun., 1917-08-28
TAILOR MADE MAN"
GROOMED ON STAGE
New COhan l. Harris Offering
Finds Welcome Audience
to Appraise the Fit.
GRANT MITCHELL AS STAR
RefashiOning Of the Tale Of a
Coat the HandiwOrk Of
Harry James Smith.


What Cohan & Harris as producers
can do in their own theatre was the
attraction at the Cohan & Harris The
atre last night In some way the word
had gone forth that "The Tailor Made
Man." which was the new play seen
here for the first time. was worth while
Such intimations do travel by wireless
or some unknown or sub<erranean
teIeeraphy through the artistic ether OF
West Forty-second street. so the lobby
Of the Cohan & Harris Theatre was
electric with expectation. The entering
SPECTATORS did not as usual pause there
to case OIL their fellow men. but hurried
70 their places. Indeed the audience
was willing TO seat itself promptly and
watch the stage instead Of its nsigfsboss (;
end this vas q decided departure from
hrst night etiquette.
The play which found IT'S public for
one reason or another 20 6nGulariy pre-
disposed In its favor was formerly at
tributed at least in its original form to
Gabriel Dregely. who wrote In Hun
earian '-The Well Fitting Dress Suit"
which travelled to other countries.
Harry James Smith, however. has
worked 1t over with 90 much original
matter that he might we'll claim II rs all
his own But the audience last night
was concerned with the play before II
whatever may have been Its genesis.
shows Literary skAM.
In this case the mysterious intima-
ton Of SUCCESS had not been at fault.
"a Tailor Made Man opened. to be
sure, slowly. The first act was inevi-
tably devoted to the laying Of pipes and
almost led to some suspicion OF those ad-
vance reports. The opening Of the Sec
ond act was in it's way conventional.
But from that point on there was no
occasion for doubt.
There had been no excess Of confidence
h calling Harry James Smiths play
we'll worth while. The drama h tahen
from the original Of Gabriel Dregley. .
Hungarian playwright, who called his
work The Well Fitting Dress Coat"
Much of the work. however, u obviously
original and there are signs OF Mr..
Smiths own observation Of American
social life more than once In the text.
But to whatever extent he may have
been indebted to the European author,
there Is his own we'll written text to
testify to the literary skill he has al
ready shown In other pieces. In a year
which has produced SO many illNerate
compositions on the stage it is a rare
pleasure to find farce and education not
In the least incompatible.
A knight Of Old.
The play is a modern variation on a
good old theme which has served play
wrights often in the past and assuredly
will be capable Of the same good service
In the future. 1t is the story. Of a
prodigious and audacious liar. whose
mendacity overcame every obstacle
Cool as a Cucumber" is the classic type
OF this kind of farce, which used to
delight our grandfathers.
In this case the hero OF SO much
bubbling falsehood Is employed ~ q
tailor. He has picked some phrase
and some ideas of social philosophy
from the book written by an enthusi.
At, which Is In the shop. His am
oition knows no end. He aspires ever
to do the things that Napoleon left un
done. But there Is no opportunity I'M
I'll by chance he gains possession Of q
. dress suit belonging to q customer. who
Is going to wear It to ball. The tailsI
wears 1t In his place. and hts fortunes
With the aid Of his msndacity, arr
made
He wins the captain Of industry HI
had set out to meet he makes friends
with all he comes into contact with and
when he fades from the sight Of thu
audience as the hero Of the ballroom. II
TO appear nearly . year later - the
associate OF the great shtpbuilder. h
reconciles by his tao: the public 70 the
great enterprise sad even settles an I'm.
pending strike.
Story Il Well Told.
But the jealousy Of the old companion
whose book had supplied him with his
hrst stock OF we'll sounding phrases, who
10 In love with the tailors daughter, who
IN turn loves only .he adventurous hero
this brings drama into the farce. And