New-York tribune., 1918-07-28
Those Friendly Enemies
By Harriette Underhill

A week ago they got out some new
programmes over at the Hudson The
atre. For reasons known only to the
management and few newspaper peo-
pie who promised to be secret as the
grave, the fall season had opened
couple of weeks ahead of itself
The front cover of the programme ar
rests ones attention. 1t shows a lady
with hennaed hair, clad in a green
girdle and a yellow skirt literally
sprinkled with chrysanthemums She
is holding a tambourine, leaning on
the Sphinx and burning incense in an
ash receiver set on top of a card table
But this has nothing to do with the
play.
Skipping the advertisements of per-
fumes, tires, and equestrian instruc-
tion and without stopping to learn
what either men or women will wear
one turns to the fifth page, which says
in large capitals, "Sam Bernard"
"Louis Mann" Friendly Enemies"
This doesn't mean what it says
though there are those who insisted
that the title could have but one mean
ing. We were rather inclined to agree
with these misanthropes when we
called up the office and said that we
should like to interview one of the
stars and the answer came back over
the wire, Better make it joint inter
view"
Samuel Shipman and Aaron Hoffman
have carefully divided the honors in
the show. When the final curtain falls
you don't know whether you love Karl
Pfelfer or Henry Block better.
The night after the show opened we
were summoned backstage and into
the living room of the Pfeifers, where
rehearsal was going on. Natalie
Manning, who is Ncra in the play and
Mr.. Mann's niece in real life, had been
guilty of a heinous ~Msrnce She had
said Eyes, sir" :.sAeead of Eyes, Mr..
Pfeifer," in the last act. "You see,"
said Mr.. Mann, "she is only seventeen
and this is her first part, but it will
come all right" And here we caught
sight of the good natured countenance
of Sam Bernard. He had removed his
gray wig and was mopping the burrows
from his brow
Out in the front of the theatre
where one may wear Georgette crepe
and sit under an electric fan the heat
had been almost unbearable. On the
stage one worked under immense arc
lights and wore dinner clothes, so we
didn't fancy that Mr.. Mann and Mr..
Bernard would care much about talk
ing to newspaper person. Mr.. Ber-
nard We know quite we'll. Once before
we have interviewed him, when he was
up at the Century, and then we were
backing Roamer the same as he was
the day Old Koenig won. So we feel
quite we'll acquainted.
The friendly enemies sat on the
table, the one where the battle of the
Marine is fought with Mrs. Pfeifer's
best china. They had theix arms
around each other, or rather Louis
Mann had his left arm across Sam
Bernard's shoulder. Mr.. Bernard in
troduced us to Mr.. Mann and the in
terview was on.
Just as had been predicted, all the
way through the interview they kept
interrqpting each other. But not tc
talk about themselves. No indeed.
Each insisted on talking about the
other.
do you like the show?" asked Mr.
Mann, "and isn't Mr.. Bernard great %
Zach, Louis" interrupted Sam
chow you talk. Why, this is almost a
new game for me and it is your terri.
tory. l have always been in musical
shows or in vaudeville, so I have much
to learn. 1t is wonderful to work with
a man like Mr.. Mann"