South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-03-24

M Emory {
81 2 CALVERT J

- - SS%A<N E4kh 81
NEW YORK. March 24.-Two
things must be said at the begin
ming Of this review Of the THE
squad Farm" the latest Hatton
farce comedy which opened at the
Bijou last week. The first is that
IL is not as naughty as some OF the
New York critics pretend 20 believe.
And the second is that it is not at
all up TO the Hatton standard Of
cleverness in dialogue and smooth
continuity or action
THE squad Farm" is supposed 10
delineate the mobiles OF "A certain
class Of motion picture producers,
but the play is not, as some OF the
local observers seem to think, aim
cd 70 show that the movies are
produced in an atmosphere Of free
love and easy virtue In our judg-
ment the chief fault with the PLAY
lis that 10 was written with an eye
too open for box office pOssibilit es.
IL remains TO be seen whether the
Hattons have gagged correctly the
eagerness OF the public 20 see a bus
mess office disrupted By the love af-
fairs and petty jeaIOusies OF "A lot Of
girl employees who. If it hadn't been
for the movies would probably
have been earning their daily bread
as stenographers. or. possibly. as
=. y. T.. conductorettes
The story is that the director of
a large finn factory has decided to
present a modern Garden Of Eden
i'm a spectacular way. and has ar
ranged all the details Of his cast eX-
cept the important part Of Eve. I'm
fortunately the regular leading
woman Of the company does not
"hI" the bill. and as the director
has been rather ardent in a love at
fair with the aforesaid leading
woman there - something stirring
when she finds out that she is 70
be supplanted.
The morals OF the director are not
az all nice His ideals OF women
are principally noted for their non
existence. He goes through "A scene
I'M which he selects his new eve
with a brutal passionateness that is
not inviting and possibly is even
shocking.
But as the action progresses IL de-
"a fall. and that virtue is 10 triumph
lust as IL used 10 i'm the good old
days of Bertha, the Beautiful sew
ing Machine Girl" Therefore. the
rather broad delineatioR OF the
moral obtuseness might be excused
and everybody Is glad when the
new Eve triumphantly resists the
pad directors advances. and does II
So charmingly that ne falls honest
Ir i'm love with her
Well. as il happens. she falls in
love with some one else. and after
our friend, the director. has lost his
real wife and his former leading
woman and all the ingenues, and
then loses his one true love into the
bargain. he has 10 go TO work If
that isn't "a triumph for the ,sOod
old-fashiOned virtue. what is 1t is
AN Offering which must be left open
To- discussion.
As Bruce Sanford. the wicked di-
rector. Lowell sherman was splen-
did Alma Tell was equally charm
ing as the new Eve. while Julia
Bruins played the movie adventures
with am authority that made many
q
"a personal Chaperon for her tired
business man of a husband. Harry
Davenport. as Gloomy Gus, an as
sistant director with "A conscience.
and Susanna villa. cast as a char
acter woman rather painfully con
-cious of her respectabuity. addec
"a lot To the enjoyment OF tie even
ing. The latest of the Old farce
comedy successes to be rechristian-
"a and given "a musical setting is
loot loot" which was given its
premiere on March II at the GEORGE
A. Conan theater This is an adapt
tltion OF the Rupert Hughes farce.
Excuse Me" in which Ann Muir
dock and Willis =. Sweatnam APP
reared SO successfully five or six
Years ago The new version rs UNI
der the guidance of Henry W. say
age. who also produced Excuse
Me- The book for 'Toot-Toot'
was produced by Edgar Allan
WooIn. the lyrics 10y Berton Braley,
and the musical numbers by Jerome
Kern.
Prominent i'm the cast are Flora
ZabeHe. Louise Allen. Louis Groody.
Eddie Garvie. Billie Kent, Donald
Macdonald. Harry Fern. Ben Hen
bricks, Greek Evans. Earl Bannum.
"a real Indian chief named Oskenaro-
tan. and more than half hundred
others.
Especially interesting is the work
OF Miss ZsbelIe as AIRS. James Wei
linSton. and Edward Garvis as her