New-York tribune., 1918-09-06
BY Haywood Broun

and crlnkled their dear little toes and
threw dear little arms around people.
until everybody applaudcd and dear old
David Belasco came out and made a
dear little speech. Indeed "Daddics"
is dear little show, and VIC arc not
thinking of the war tax either.
The new comedy, by John L. Hobblc,
contains much genuinely amusing da-
loguc. 1t received the heartcst laugh
ter VIC have heard all season and de-
served much OF IL. but inc show kept
slipping away from us as the evening
wore on, because the author forgot to
Keep the stun stirring, and by and by
II seemed to us just so much sticky
taffy.
The rapturous attitude toward chill
dren is wearing. Particularly if any
pody undertakes to maintain that q
cnlld is treasure and a certain source
OF JOY simply because it is a child.
AS a matter of fact, dogs and children
are good deal alike Some of them
are all right and others aren't worth
darn, and there's no telling much
about 1t as long as they are puppies.
1T IS not the fault of the dog or the
child that people deluge him with af-
lection. No cnlld demands that We
believe there is little ground for the
general belief that baby pines for
mothers love or fathers or anything
like that. 1t seems to us that his de-
slres are more nearly contained in
schedule calling for number of regu-
lar meals and substantial shoe horn
or cigarette case to chew on. Of
course, he rather enjoys having some
body play with his toes, but he is per-
fectly satisfied even if it is done quite
calmly and dspassionately
AS long as John l.. Hobble was con-
tent to play about with the subject of
some bachelors who adopted war or
phans his comedy remained amusing.
He was able to allow himself good
deal of sentiment because he could let
1t smash up against some steadfast
male cynlc and come tumbling back
again But by and by he allowed every
cynlc to be entirely captivated by
clutching baby hands, and after that
came the deluge.
"Daddies' begins with a reunion of
small club of men who banded to-
gether in college to remain bachelors
Elversary they gather at the home of
Robert Audrey, whose mother is a med
Cling and unpleasant old sentimental
lst. The old lady is irritated by the
apparent good time enjoyed by her
sons guests and resolves to change the
course of their lives. To this end she
induces them to adopt war orphans.
The one she picks for her son is seven
teen years old. This young person
comes to America in the second act and
proves perfect pest to young Audrey
BY her constant little annoying atten-
ton Audrey is driven half crazy. At
last his brain is in such condition
that he cannot even go on with story
which he is writing for "Thc Saturday
Evening Post" Then he realizes that
it is love and marries the girl
Of course, he does not reach this de-
clslon until the last act. In the mean
time the other members of the club
have their troubles. One of the men
triplets. Another who asked for a lit
tie boy gets little girl. Much Of their
tribulation is handled with rare good
humor. John Cope plays the part. Of
the most steadfast bachelor, and it is
to him the little girl child is sent
after he has very reluctantly agreed to
accept little boy. The little girl is
admirably played by a child named
Lorna Nolare. This tot chases her
adopted father from morning until
night and insists on reading him a
him distracted. The play back and
forth between the child and the man is
extremely we'll done. No actress has
ever fed the talented Cope quite so
we'll as little Miss Volarc, even though
he spent one season with Mrs. Fiskc.
But eventually the author betrays
Cope and the character which he por-
trays in the most abjcct fashion. The
mother of the little girl writes that
she is now i'll a position to support her
child and that she wants her back
Immediately Crocket, the character
played by Cope. declares that he
couldn't think of giving up the little
dear. Apparently she has pestered her
way straight into his heart, and in
the last act he marres the mother
rather than lose the little girl.
Jeanne Eagels plays the part of the
seventeen-year old orphan. who falls to
the author, and on the whole she does
we'll with the part. A brief scene,
in which she stimulates the land
sickness Of a newly arrived passenger
from across the water, would have
been admirable. if it had not been done
so slowly. or course, this was not the
fault of Miss Eagels, but of the direc-
ton, which was not above criticism.
There were several spots which could
have been made much more interesting
without changing line.
Miss Eagels has some strikingly SYM
pathetic tones in her voice, but per
sonally we were not moved by her big
scene in which she was allowed to be-
come pathetic. However, we held that
against the author. He seemed to us
to have none of the neat and surprising
little twists in his serious scenes which
he possessed in his more humorous
ones.
One of the most engaging bits of
acting in the play was done by George
Abbott. who put over kindly and
sympathetic quality before he as much
as spoke line. And later he strength
cned it. Bruce McRae was his usual
wcll-mannered self, but his diction was
worse than usual. That excellent actor,
George Giddens, had no very great op-
portunity in the part of a faithful old
retainer, who was always bursting into
smiles and song whenever one of the
dear little children came anywhere
near him.
If "Daddies" ID speeded up a little
it will be better play and consume
less time and coal That should please
Mr.. Garfield. Ii the sweetness were not
piled on SO heavily we imagine that Mr..
Hoover would be better pleased But
as it stands "Daddies' is very apt to
please large audiences, because New
Workers love to see plays about chill
dren. There is nothing which warns
the heart quite as much as vicarious
parenthood.