The sun., 1918-07-23
Sam Bernard and Louis Mann
in Rival Roles Make New
Play at Hudson Success.
HAS PATRIOTIC MESSAGE
A. II. Woods Again Wins
Honor of First Presenta-
ton of the Season.
ENEMIEs'--At the
Hudson Theatre.


III Karl Prefer .,............ MI ha'n
Henry Block. .....-...... MI. bernard
William Pfeifer. ....... Richard Barpee !
When all others tremble and quake
at the prospect of opening the legiti-
mate theatrical season A. II. Woods
rushes In and blazes the way. A pro-
Queer Of dauntless courage is Mr..
Woods, who proceeds on the maxim
that one must enlarge on ones attempts.
Mr.. Woods won the honor last year or
producing the first play of the season
by the narrow margin of one night; he
enlarged on his victory this season
by presenting Friendly Enemies" at
the Hudson Theatre last night full
two weeks in advance of other dramatic
pieces scheduled for presentation.
The smile Of the honors of being the
first on the field may not be continued
further, for whereas the farce Mr..
Woods presented last year fingered but
a short while ere taking the thorny path
TO the provinces. his contribution last
night seems destined for run In New
York. The vitalitysof Friendly Enc
niles" was 80 rugged as to neutralize
the heat which is full praise, In view
OF the fact that those who attended the
premiere had rather been elsewhere
than at n first night.
Friendly Enemies" brought together
again Sam Bernard and Lodis Mann in
what proved to be one OF the artistic
bits Of the present season. which Mr..
Woods opened last night. and the season
past. Mr.. Bernard and Mr.. Mann are
seen in roles Of erman-Americans Mr.
Mann being loath TO forget the ties or
blood that bind him to the Fatherland
and Mr. Bernard Just as strongly loyal
to the land OF his adoption.
Thread of Love interviewer.
OF course, there Is a thread of love in
| the piece, the son of Karl Pfeifer. Mr..
Mann being in love with the daughter
! Of Henry Block, Mr.. Bernard. The son
! enlists, a fact Of which his father Is
| ignorant. although the girl, his mother
| and his future father-in-law know and
| approve. The denouement comes when
| he arrives home in his uniform with the
| information that he is to sail overseas
| the next day and when the news Is
| broken TO his father. there results q
| scene that Is melodramatic but genuine.
The boy gets married and sails. while
| his father stays at home and grieves
| to himself. secure IN the belief that a
check he gave a German agent to end
! the war and alleviate suffering will &C
| complsh the purpose for which 1t was
given
The bridal party returns. minus the
| husband and son. and the German agent
calls up with good news which is
| 10 the effect that the ship on which the
| boy has been sailing has been sunk
| The change in the views OF Karl Pfep6T
is rapid but conclusive and he Joins
the ranks OF those who seek TO extermi-
| No NJ f,nr IN ' Z
| OF course in the last act the soldier
| son husband returns, as Is inevitable
but II IL Just as well that he does
| There's little use IN causing n wretched
feeling on days like this.
| sincerity Adds TO Realism.
| Although the skeletonized plot OF
Friendly Enemies may seem a trihe
melodramatic and drawn with an eve &c
popularity rather than TO realism. yet
| that is not the case. The characters in
the play are sketched with a knowl'
| edge of human nature that Is not ire
Quently noticed either on the stage or
| in contemporary literature. The play is
| built on solid rock. II is sincere. and
the psychological changes in the person
OF Karl PJciJer seem convincing; II is
clever and human and the success that
| III won laSl llRul WAS ulSllll'N u'iu Nv
served II could hardly he called propa-
ganda by any acrobatic feat Of the i'm
| agination. yet there was a message. and
| n very clear and urgent one, too. In
| the lines so capably prepared by Samuel
| Shipman and Aaron Hoffman. 1t is
bcleverly patriotic. in that Its patriotism
| is neither obvious nor obstrusive. and
for that reason II goes deep down In the
| heart To be brief 1t has genuine
! humor and pathos. and to be both briei
and sangy, IL Is knockout
/ The success Of the play was dependent
| to a very large part on the fine acting
| of both Mr.. Mann and Mr.. Bernard
which was to be expected, Mr. Manr
never allowed his art to overrun lesiti'
mate bounds and in so doing achieved
! another personal triumph. In the end
! of both scenes OF the second act his act
| ing was go restrained and so excellent
| that there were preceptibe sntfies
throughout the audience.
| Comic Touches Not Omitted.
Mr. bernard supplied comic touches
necessary to offset the more dramatic
moments in his own inmitable fashion
| and although his methods were to some
| extent a blend of burlesque and weber
| fields slapstick, as might be expected
yet he made OF Henry Block very
| lovable chap whose loyalty was adj
mirable.
In fact so pleased were the perspir-
| ing first nighters that they called both
! Mr.. Bernard and Mr.. Mann before the
! curtain at the end OF the second act
| in which both had excelled themselves
and heard from Mr.. Mann how pleased
/ he was to have Mr.. Bernard with him
| and from Mr. Bernard how pleased he