The Washington herald., 1918-08-04

teresting when a placid. still person
ality sort Of chugs underneath like =
Pierce-Arrow? Being q Ford myself
all noise and rattle-I admire tre-
mendously the other thing.
Pittsburgh. June 1-Mr. Moore.
who married Lillian Russell, took
some of US for a ride to see the beau
ties of Pittsburgh. Personally, shut
my eyes and thought of Lillian Rus
sell. Have you ever seen her-as a
closeup? Oh. Lady, Lady! Sea-
green. blue, or were they grey eyes?
Soft, baby blond hair. A mouth with
a sort of faculty for uncurling. A
sweet voice. 1 wish God had let Him
self run wild like that when He made
my face - 1t was so warm that
Mrs. Fiske found sufficient excuse to
push her desire for solitude to extreme
limits. We searched the theater for
her without results. but at last dis
covered her on the roof. She was
dressing on the roof. She Is. a most
feminine. darling person. and why shs
withdraws her gentle self from US 10
a Sam Lloyd puzzle. Good-by, Mrs.
Fiske. / know now how Dante felt
a. hCNCA hhO"lhB oCalrlCc.
From dancer to playwright is the
rather unusual metamorphosis of
Martin Brown. Whether or not Mr..
Brown will continue a playwright re-
mains to be seen, for his first con-
tribution to the literature of the stage
has not yet been acted, but it is
certain he will not revert to dancing.
But that Is another part of the story.
Before it is told 1t should be stated
in the introduction that the real test
as to whether he should continue to
write plays will come a week from
next Monday night when "A Very
Good Man" will be disclosed for the
first time on the stage of the Belasco
Theater.
Three years ago Mr.. Brown was one
of the best known dancers on the
musical comedy stage of Broadway
From the time of his first appear
ance in rThe Girl Behind the Coun-
ter" when as an understudy his
chance to take a principals part
finally came, until his latest appear
ance in one Of the Cohan revues, there
was never a season that did not see
Martin Brown on Broadway. In 1913
he danced In Mr.. Ziegfeld's "Follies"
and again he was the principal dancer
In one of those colorful ballets with
out which no Winter Garden show Is
complete. In other seasons, from the
Winter Garden to the Casino at the
other end Of Broadway, where he ap-
peared in '"The Merry Countess"
there was not a stage that knew musi-
cal comedy that did not know Martin
Brown.
Then during the run of the cohan
Revue at the Astor Theater, Mr..
Brown withdrew from the cast and
never returned to the stage. The rea-
son was that the physical exertion
was too much for him and his health
broke down.
He retired to the country to rest,
and quite naturally his interest In the
theater still being keen, he began
trying to write plays. Apparently he
succeeded pretty well for not only
did Mr.. Hopkins accept "A Very
Good Young Man" the day he I'm
ished reading it. but two other New
York managers have acquired the
rights to two other plays. Not only
that but both are planning early pro-
ductions without waiting to see how
the first play turns out. The other
two plays from the prolific Mr..
Browns pen are The Prodigous
Son" and Penny" In the latter
Harrison Grey Fiske intends to pre-
sent Mrs. Fiske.
II Mr.. Hopkins selection proves
half as good as the young man Of
the title, Mr.. Brown may find him
self in the enviable position Of very
good young dramatist with three
plays. running synchronously. on
Broadway.
Robert Housum, author of "The
GYPSY Trail" and Arthur Hopkins.
success OF last season, assisted in the
preparation Of "A Very Good Young
MahL- So -