New-York tribune., 1918-04-17
.rIiIi CAST
By Haywood Broun

onauncey Olcott has been appearing
IN a certain type Of drama for so many
years that the faults of this school
OK playwriting have come to be asso-
GATED with him as his own personal
laults. In measure, this is fair.
Otcott does allow his voice to quaver
Just as his plays quaver now and again.
Something of the sickness of the un-
| hooverlzcd drama has seeped into ms
soul. and yet, in "Once Upon a Time"
at the Fulton Theatre, Olcott proves
( himself to be a light comedian of high
ability. In fact. there are few Ameri-
can actors who handle comedy with as
Gcit or as humorous a touch
Rachel Crothers has provided him
many opportunities for pleasant and
delightful playing. Almost without ex-
ception thesa are scenes in which SEN
I timenJ is held at arms length. OF
course. it is not kept away forever.
BY and by, sweetness gets a deadlock
on the little play and sGueezes it most
fearsomely. Olcott is ever so much
more effective in the early scenes Of
the play. whom he is trying TO get rid
of child which has been thrust upon
him. than in the later ones, when he
gets to dandling her.
1t is true that the child cries, but
Dr.. Holt and good many others adj
wise scundly when they say Let en-
holer." Once mother, nurse OF
father begins picking up a child or
such slight preteXt all sorts Of trou
BILE is in store Let EN- holler' is 8
good rule for dramatists also. When 9
child in a play gets taken up on some
body's lap you can be sure that the
iullabics and all that sort OF thing
There vas less excuse for ChaunceS
Olcott than usual After all he was
/ only the uncle Of the young person. bu'
! he proved that avuncular affection car
! be Just as heavy and cloying as the
more familiar mother love- Of The
drama. At that, the child as played bJ
young miss named Bonnie Marie
added not a little to the suspense o.
"Once Upon 4 Time" We could no
even consider the thought Of leaving
/ before the end because we wanted tC
see if she wouldn't get spanked a
/ lease once before the Hnal curtain
She didn't.
Rachel Crothers can write bette
plays than "Once Upon Time an,
1 has written them, but il is a good jot
under the circumstances. Olcott's audi
ences make certain demands which
DO not help the playwright much. 1t Is
not the easiest thing in the world tt
/ provide that the star shall sing three
or four times in the course of 3
comedy. Miss crotherS has arrange
this deftly. OF Mr.. Olcotts voice il
may be said that it is we'll in characte.
and not unpleasant. 1t is also probabl y
true that the playwright Must give
the Irish actor character who is
sentimental, carefree and soft IN head
and heart Irish American audiences
! would not accept him as a typical
! lrishman if he did not possess all these
characteristics. This time the hero
is an inventor and here at least the
playwright has introduced a new twist
AS in all other plays about inven-
tions nobody believes in the contriv-
ance in the first act Likewise, accord
ing to formula, the invention turns
out to be marvellous affair in the
second act, and, still true to tradi
/ ton, the inventor gets skinned in the
third act. Then the author takes {
stand. A new epoch in American
drama begins. The hero stays skinned
right up to the final curtain. 1t is
true that he gets $40 900, but that is
a considerable discount even for be
ing an Irishman. since the audience ha:
been informed that the little tin thing
with wheels and valves and piston!
is worth between one and two mil
lion dollars.
Fortunately, the hero does not care
He takes the attitude that money ism
everything, and, indeed, he has no rea
son to complain. The girl who wouldn
marry HIM ten years before the play
began says that she will, and the little
niece who was so i'll just before the
final curtain but one turns out to have
been suffering from nothing more tina.
one of those harmless third act com
plants which arc always followed b,
quick convaescence.
Olcott receives expert assistance
from Jessie Ralph, and Thomas Will
iams is also amusing. Anybody VIII,
can stand the sentimental gaff will fine
"Once Upon Time" amusing
After all, Olcott doesn't have t,
worry much what professional theatre
goers may think of his play or his per
formance. His hold upon his publi
is sure. A large policeman sat behnt
us during the greater part of the play
He seemed to be- we hasten to add, de
tached on no special mission, and whe,
he was of mind Olcott made th
policeman laugh very loudly. That i