The sun., 1918-10-21
BETTER OLE PLAY
BUILT ON CARTOONS
War Comedy at Greenwich VII
lage Theatre Promises
Big Success.
ATTRACTION Is VARIED
Plot Is Pared to the Quick and
Filled Up With "Hokum"
and Song.

In choosing 1.-THE Better ole" 10 open
the season at the Greenwich Village
Theatre Saturday evening. Mr.. and Mrs
Coburn showed excellent judgment This
oartoonist's view OF life with the British
Tommies by Capts- Bruce Bairnsfather
and Arthur Eliot. In its light. loose
jointed. Pubbiy prepostsrousness. is hap
PLY different from the ruck Of Broadway
productions.
The first quota OF spectators could
hardly have been more enthusiastic had
they all been personal friends Of the
players. II the fact is reliably barome-
trio. The Better ole" is likely to create
a demand that will upset the repertory
plan. and even teach people Of the upper
East Side that they can reach Sheridan
Square with despatch by Drawing the
Forty-second street shuttle.
All this comes Of dramatizine book
Of cartoons. To attempt such a feat
might seem bold nj least, not because
Of any want OF story or character. but
because OF the difficulties that attend
making grotesque characters the central
figures OF a play in eight scenes, instead
of employing them merely as comic re-
lief or as the proponents of a sketch.
The answer Is that '"rhe Better Ole" II
not a play. nor yet is Il n musical COM
edy. although II comes closer to that
category, Tho authors discreetly pared
the plot to the quick. and filled MP with
''hokum" and song. Variety of charac-
ter. incident and scenery was sufficient
insurance against monotony.
stupid But Real Hero.
Old Bli. the hero. is n delightfully."-
eccentric and stupid old thing with n
mustache like the tusks OF a walrus and
a singing voice that might be the envy
Of a sea lion. II must be said In his
favor that he is a very humane man. for
after piodding around for weeks in the
trench mud he will never he guilty aga in
of the cruelty Of killing fiies with sticky
paper. He doesn't know a German spy
when he In sharing the blood money
with him. but he isn't afraid to 70 over
the top all by himself and save two bat
talions from n death trap by blowing mp
the mined bridge before they have
crossed II and been cut OH. Strategtcally
speaking. this Was muddling way OF
retrieving the situation. but II served
as well as another to get Old Bill the
bodment of the cartoonists conception.
Charles McNaughton got lot of fun
out OF the role OF Bert, the susceptible
Tommy who had rapid fire love making
down 20 a science. II was touch and
go with Bert mid the shifting scenes
OF an adventurous life. but parting
! with one sweetheart to find another
at the next billet had compensatfons
and he carried on without any impair
ment of technique.
Just One Cir: after Another.
There was Angelo, vino dwet near
| the base, and Rachel, at the Cafe dsi
Oiseau1, and Victoire, nearer the front
| and the Captain OF the Women Wal
| Workers, and Bertha and Kate and
| doubtless others He helped Vicfotrt
hang out the clothes In the courtyard
and won her heart by singing wash
me in the water that you washed y'oui
4 dirty daughter" but she didn't under.
stand English.
There is certain eyewitness verac-
| ity about The Better Ole" in spite Of
| its burlesque mode. that makes som,
of the more pretentious war plays seen
4 artificial in comparison. Patiently, Il
| was inspired by the war itself til
trench scene is the most iifelike OF an,
that has come TO the stage Factor,
that help to make II different" per
hans are the suggestion Of an amates,
affair. due partly to performance in .
community playhouse. and the favol
| of Ene'ish music ban humor. This =,
a peculiarly incongruous brand. TIL,
lyrics have clever lines and perfe"t''
~ood tones. the same having beer
"composed. selected and arranged" b,
Herman Darewski and Perciva
KNIGHT. 1t was Mr.. knight who e,