New-York tribune., 1918-05-10
By Haywood Broun

Our strong suspicion that there isn't
as much justice in the world as there
ought to be was confirmed last night
when an audience at the George NJ.
Conan Theatre rapturously applauded
Fay Banter for work far below her
usual standard. The injustice lies in
the fact that nobody applauded Miss
BANTER much when she gave beauti-
ful performance in arms and the
Glrl" few seasons back, and as we
remember. New York was compara-
lively calm about her good work in
Inc Willow Tree" Perhaps there is
a rough sort of justice in it, after all.
Baseball umpires in the little leagues
nave somewhat similar practice. If
they call a good one ball. thew i'm
medlately square themselves by calling
the next delivery strike no matter
whether it comes high or low. The
practice Is known as evening up" and
1T prevails in more fields than baseball.
THE Kiss Burglar" is the piece
winch brings Miss Banter back to
New York, and we think it is her first
appearance hereabouts in musical
comedy. She has gifts for this form
or entertainment since she dances
dalntlly and sings about as we'll as
anybody with no voice to speak Of
can: Next season, it is understood,
that she will play again in straight
roles We hope that some of the srNts
which We're obvious in her work last
night have been simply assumed for
musical comedy When an actress be-
comes conscious of the fact that she
IS cute something ought to be done.
NO personable young woman has a
right to know that she has a pleasing
smile or teeth or anything like that
Least of all should she be aware of
shoulders. Self determination is a fine
principle, but it should never extend
to the kingdom of the cute.
We must confess that the first night
audience gave every indication of lik-
Ing Miss BANTER enormously and if the
audiences of the second, the third and
the hundredth nights do Likewise she
will probably keep on her erring way.
Then there will be nothing to do but to
blame the public for having spoiled
another promising coincidence
"Thc Kiss Burglar" began as if it
were going to set new mark for in
snlty, but after bit it picked up.
The piece has more plot than usual
and few amusing scenes as we'll as
several tuneful dancing ditties. The
dull spots were mostly in the roman
tic passages. Musical comedy ro-
nance is seldom stirring but those por-
tions of "The Kiss Burglar" which re-
fcrred to white vlolets and moonlight
nights in Trieste were particularly
pedestrian exercise for Pegasus.
Trieste wasn't in the piece, but it
was in the plot. A young man fleeing
from some infuriated foreigners slipped
into the first door he found handy, and
naturally it led MIN to the bedroom of
a grand duchess. He kissed her. That
was before the play began, but both OF
them thought in waltz time whenever
they remembered that night in Trieste.
1t was the white violet season, which,
we believe, is unusually early in
Trieste. Shortly after the play proper
begins press agent induces low COM
edy character to disguise himself as
burglar and kiss the grand duchess
again. Anybody can write his own COM
plications with that lead, but, of course,
it unravels, and Aline gets the right
burglar for her own. The best song in
the piece is called ~ Want to Learn to
Dance" Miss BANTER did we'll with
this. "The Little Black Sheep" was also
Miss Grace Field sang this.
Denman Maley was amusing at times,
and also Harry Clarke. In a song
about the Nile there was a small chorus
girl in yellow dress who danced we'll.