Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-12-14
LDLERS IN MUSICAL COMEDY AT GARRICK-WAR
THE PLAYGOER'S
WEEKLY TALK
Observations on Plays and
Phoiopiays Of Interest to
Philadelphia

4. {3bns. At this writing only three OF the
r Il 14-catled Legitimate" houses VIII be
& = sxruced up for the holidays with changes
q = ~ their, bills although u, must. be. SAID
8 tj1is speaks well for the drawing powers
{. h of the. four shows which are. scheduled
= to remain.
s eThe4 newcomer at the Broad will be
sCvril Maude in c. Haddon Chambers's
( = latest comedy, THE Saving Grace,'
: which play reveals Mr.. Maude in type
9lof character different from the testv.
but lovable, Grumpy As Blinn Cor
bett. In his new vehicle. he VIII char-
) II acferize ful-blooded. genial optimls-
Z tic Britisher, who covers under a cheer
4 fvff-exterior- an almost religious deNo-
tion 20 England and Dor tra ditions
4 Once again a Philadelphia irst-night
. audience will sit In judgment at the
4 : premiere OF a Klaw Erlanger produc-
tton when the new musical comedy.
.Fhe Velvet Lady" has Its opening at
- the Forrest Theatre December 90. The
n play, is admittedly a musical version
3 OF the farce by Fred Jackson. which
8 played in New York last season under
( 3the title of "a Full House, which has
been dressed up in new clothes for the
S1e1s season.
al the Garrick the holiday attraction
! viii be the David Belasco comedy
,Boliy with Past" in which Ina
Il Claire who Is one of the latest ac-
q auisitions to the Bclasco personnel will
play the role of Polly.
STE, AS Is planned, Charles Dillingham;
u sends the new William LIE Baron
2 whimsical comedy. Back to Earth 10
13i london early in the spring. It will be
one more irstarce of the remarkable
dependence OF EnElands theatre unon
- America eyer since the world war began.
Since the fall of 1914. when Miss
y sI.aurette Taylor fist delighted London
: ers with peg o Ny Hear" n steady
4 stream OF playe from his country has
d spoured not only into 1.o"doN but into
y Paris as we'll In the latter city there
: are now no fewer than four theatres
: 7presenting Ame-ica~ plays by English
I : speaking companies.
Any prejudice against the American
drama per Sc that might have existed
In England has hcen swept aside by the
Ilast four years mighty unheaval. while
= In It's place there has been established
for all time. II is hoped. an artistic
~lunderstandihE between England and
America. A good deal OF such prejudice
sjarose through difficulties in understa nd
1lfnE local idioms and poin $ of view but
stf,kse probably have heen overcome
1,since aour millions Of soldiers began to
Sr1te across the Atlantic.
III One OF the no. "h ac'"essos on
4 "a young American. who. when she ar
3,rived there three years ago with Ed
Z ward Sheldon's play. Romance" was
asiltterly unknown. Other almost equally
9popuIar London 'favo"i,es from this
9lcountry are Elsie Janis, Gertrude FL
lott. a sister OF Maxine: Helen Ray
-fnohd. Philadelphia girl 10 'eph Coyne,
z Raymond Hitchcock and Shirley Kel-
3logg. most Of whom ventured into Lon
5idor and won popularity during the
n aDfeRress of the war.
~ sNo less than three successful Ameri-
Bt6n musical comedies. viz: Going Up"
1.-THE Lilac Domino" Shanghai" are
! :, }nnning in London and are distinct hits,
SIS also are such plays as Fair and
q Warmer, Eyes OF Youth" "Nobody's
:. KidoT. Twin Beds" Daddy Long
.xhes.' "No hing But the Truth" and
s1},trfhe Naughty Wife All Of them are
slf1liQnlng simultaneously to well-filled
q Noises IN London today and duplicate
Si3ompan'e are touring the English
4urpvlnces.
81 4 One American manager. Gilbert Mil
= sler. son Of Henry Miller. firmly estab-
iished hinistlf over there during the
= var. 1t has been due largely to his
1inersonal activities and instrumcntaliiy
Hlt1hht the eyes of our English cousins
7'have been opened TO the always widen
&thx potentalities of the American
-
4 & slsack to Earth will roi he the first
z Gf William lie Baron's plays in London,
Z becnuse next weel; Albert de Courvllle
Will produce Al he ew Shi!ley Theatre
there the lie Baron eugenic satire. The
Very Idea
3TT is said there arc a thousand or more
Al plays written for each one produced
4lsnd Of those which get their chance
LIZ ct -
3Nievery mail brings to the offices OF the
3Itheatrical managers patches of manu-
djpcripts to say nothing of those .lugged
Y ~ 4by the aspiring authors in person.
&4A11d the reason for this flood OF drannn- =
4 liturgy, that Is to say the real motive
E 4'behind the efforts of 800 out of every
9li4ec bf the playwrights. may be CLEANED
Slfrpm. some facts and figures brought
Sto light IN the trial recently of J.. Hart
. a,ley MRnners's suit against Oliver Moros-
r Zoo. in which the former UNNECESSARILY
Esouglnt toSeetablish hts ownership to the
9Iynotion-picfhre rights of Peg Or Ny
Y y Heart During the testimony It was
Sidisclused that the receipts of the play
z In the United States alone since II was
-{frSt produced in New York In Decem-
3 1bsr. 1919. totaled s3,50O,00e, of which
\ = SUN Manners received S51455O29 in
5r<xalties. When one considers the in
I1e4Hle from performances outside this
'cqHntry and the fact that they are still
*.ff6wing in, one readily sees that it is
quite worth while 10 be the author of a
e S.sdocessfur play.
H ! 3t4PEAKING of successful plays, let it
al be said that when a theatrical pro-
1,duction which has received ''panning'
-,Ion It's initial presentation and after.
L ward becomes popular and a drawinf
*Droposition in the same or some Other
I 8cdty. the Judgment of the critics, or pub
4lic, has not always been at fault. Nor,
1offen than not the producer has taker
rfhe tip and has put a play-d 1ctor tc
work on this diagnosis and the piec,
ss, later seen Is far different from tn,
q original, the title sometimes being tn,
RTly part not rewritten.S Let us illus
E4r3fRte with two recent offerings here
k'X Prince There Was" presented at tn,
(~<<4rrick with Robert Hilliard In the lead
+ {ftpx role and also accredited as being ,
>63-author of the piece. was faintl,
~ &ised and mildly condemned. Tn
T1ay had possibilities. What happened
We kre told that the hints given her
LED 70 the placing of the manuscript Il
f1!ft(16 hands OF George M. Cohan for re
I <fsion when the production was take
wi New York. Another case IL that a
%rhe Big Chance" numerically faye
~ snosf Of the reviewers despite its ex
liant cast Cyril Kelghtley. the lead
3'< man. left the company because.
said. he couldn't stand the show