The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-12-24
LISTEN, LESTER is
A MUSICAL EARFUL
Lots of Pretty Girls and Songs
but Nothing at All About
the War.
DANCING A PLENTY TOO
Gertrude Vanderbilt, Ada
Lewis, Johnny DOoley and
Eddie Garvie in the Cast.


Any ardent student of the drama
who for the sake OF the eternal vert-
ties attempted to discover at the
Knickerbocker Theatre last night the
connection OF the title. Listen, Les
ter" with the musical entertainment
compounded-but not feloniously--by
Harry L. Cort, George Z. Stoddard and
Harold Orlob had a brain digging JOB.
His mind was too distracted by the
scenery, the music, the girls and the
thought that here he was viewing
Palm Beach at its widest from q front
seat. The show was an earful.
In presenting II for the first time
John Cort, mindful OF the armistice
seemed to have carefully instructed
his son and George l.. Stoddard in
writing the book to call a truce with
the war jokes and deal the hardest
blow conceivable to the Kaiser and
the Crown Prince by ignoring them
entirely Consequently the production
was refreshingly free from war time
quips that only a Col. Repington could
appreciate, which was one OF the rea-
sons why the young men in olive
drab, who were sprinkled through the
audience, Joined SO heartily with the
first nighters in applause and enjoyed
themselves TO the fun limit of 'the
regulations.
Trenches Are Mt Palm Beach.
The war having been ruled out, the
only other logical place to lay the
scene OF the musical comedy was Palm
Beach. Accordingly IT was SO laid.
The audience were given a view in
the first act OF the gold room at the
Ritz Hotel, spleHdent with soft
lights. elevators, telephone booths,
telephone girls and with the well
known suit prominently in evidence,
singly and in fiocks. In the second
act the show went out for air on the
supper porch. Naturally such a set
ting called for a dizzy waiter, and
Hansford Wilson supplied the demand
most acceptably, performing an aero
batic dance more entertaining and
complicated than any undertaken by n
real waiter skidding on a marble floor
with a trayful.
This reviewer endeavored to get q
good grip on the story. but finally gave
1t up because, like the themes OF most
musical comedies, It was too subtle
The most that could be learned up to
a late hour last night from n stage
hand who had seen the show in re-
hearsal and\pretended to know some
thing about II was that It concerned
the attempts of one Col. Rufus Dodge.
apparently very wealthy from the way
n VA OF
and regain the discriminating letters
he had written to her in impassioned
moments when breach of promise suits
weren't listed in his Paradise.
Miss Vanderbilt and DooIey Lead,
But who honestly cares about the
plot when Gertrude Vanderbilt is the
siren Who doesn't even need to whistle
to have all eyes turned on her? Miss
Nanderbilt's smile was enough to
make any cagy business man part
" tn his reason ana his bank roll. she
danced and sang two OF the hits OF the
evening, "a Very Good Baby in the
Daytime" and ia Love To-" the lat
ter serving to demonstrate that Johnny
Dooley is very much on the active list
Dooley, in fact. with his eccentric
dancing, trick tumbles that disregard
ed his facial beauty, and neat style
of pinning n Joke to the mat, carried
Off the hOnors OF the evening ana
scarcely rumpled his pompadour. Ed
die Garvie wheeZed about as Col
Dodge with asthmatic artistry. Ada
Lewis was overpowering as an in
variable widow, Ada Mae Weeks
danced charmingly with Clifton Webb
and presented an attractive picture of
a girl who Is even willing to go the
length Of taking dictation from man
as typewriter-in order TO dictate
to him AS a wife. Harold OrlOb' $
music was consistently pleasing and
in waiting For You" repealed a
melody that Wilfred might very well
whistle as he stands wondering what
the deuce is keeping Mary so late.