New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-13

Johnny Get Your Gun" whatever
the title may lead you to believe, is
not another Of those pleas for pre-
paredness. The new play az the Crl-
terion has no time TO bother with mes
sages and things. On the contrary, 1t
is distinctly and exclusively for those
who "go to the theatre to De amused
a breezy and frequently highly enter
tanning farce, which is unlikely 20 be a
whit less popular merely because 10 rs
4 bit simple in spot. The original
author is Edmund Laurence Burke, a
newcomer, but .ae play was worked
over BIZ Dorothy Donnelly, who, since
performing a like service for r lora
Bell" suddenly has become dramatic
fixer of reputation.
Johnny Get Your Gun" is "The Man
from Home" played 70 jig time. 1t
bears a marked resemblance 70 that
piece-half 4 dozen characters and as
many situations are practically identl-
cal. There is the fortune hunting noble
man who would marry an American
heiress; there is his queenly accom-
plice working on percentage; there IS
the friend OF the heiress-sn aunt Ems
time, in place Of Lady Creech-who
urges the alliance; there Is the mar
rage settlement to be arranged. TO
make the parallel still closer, II was
Echlin Gayer who played the fortune
hunter last night, just as he played Tor
four season with Mr.. Hodge.
And there is also the hero. The
Burke -Donnelly hero IS not the rark-
ington-Wilson hero. Where the latter
was quiet the former is boisterors.
Where the latter drawled, the former
yips. Johnny Virgins is cowboy who
has gone into the flms-a character
not unlike Charles II. Van Loans Buck
Parvin. Persuaded to pose as the
brother and guardian Of the girl, he
comes East 10 inspect the fortune
hunter. Strangely enough. It II not the
beiress whom he weds. For there ~ a
parlor maid, and il is part or his
whirlwind visit 20 carry her back west
70 perforrn in the films. Quite natural
". he deuoraliZes the household IN
the perennial manner Of breezy stage
Westerners. and eventually he must
needs save the family fortune for god
measure.
In Western Eastern tarces there is
hound 10 be considerable that is anus
ing. and generally just as much tna'
is obvious and silly. The authors o.
Johnny Get Your Cum have not al
WAYS avoided the Stiffness, but II must
be set TO their credit that they also
have extracted a goodly quantity o.
amusement. Furthermore, although inc
outcome Of The story is never IN DOUBT
they have cOntrivcd 20 keep the inter-
est well clive until the end. they
have chosen to begin their play with. a
rather unnecessary prologue m the
Western film studio, but the fact thaL
the laughter is frequent IN the course
Of Il partly excuses its suPerfuousness
The central character virtually a
star part, is played by Louis Bennison.
He IL. Z the name be unfamiliar, the
man who gave so excellent perform
ance last season as the anarchist IN
The Unchastened Woman From thaI
mart 20 the breezy Johnny IS a long
Sen. and Mr.. Bennison does not quite
negotiate IT, His Western manner -
Dit too patiently assumed, and the I'M
pregsiou fingers that he is al actor who
does his best work in parts not requlr-
ing ouickness either OF speech OF
action.
Grace Valentine. as the heires5,
looked pretty and played WITH rerYe'
and Lorraine Frost was a winsome par
lorraid Mr. Gayer was his customary
self i'm the role Of the noblenan, and
among others who gave aid We're
Everett Butterfeld, Ralph Nairn, Ber-
ton Churchill and Kate Mayhem