The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-08-06
SIDNEY DREW BACK
ON SPEAKING STAGE
And, What Is More, Mrs. Drew
Also Makes Her Initial
Appearance.
SEEN IN CLEVER FARCE
keep Her Smiling" a Pleas
ing Decentralization Of Henry
Tindle's Adventures.
SEEN IN CLEVER FARCE

The truth Of the Biblical maxim that
the lost sheep Is to be valued more tnan
the ninety and nine was amply vind'-
Gated last night, it seems, when Sidney
Drew returned to the stage In farce.
Keep Her Smiling" at the Astor Thea
tire The vehicle in which Mr. Drew re-
turned from the cinemas was drama
tiled by John Hunter Booth, who wrote
The Masauersder'' for Guy Bates Post.
Mr. Drew. in addition to furnishing
pleasant entertainment, was generous
in bringing with him from the films his
wife, who has starred with him In pic
lures for the past four years and who
has made her debut on the legitimate
stage as the costar in the piece. II may
be remarked prematurely that Mrs.
Drew's debut was a delight and well
come surprise.
The farce chosen by the Drews for
their joint entry to the field OF that
branch OF the arts called the drama has
TO do with the type OF man everybody
knows-a man with the outward soul
OF a clerk but with dormant genius hid
den beneath his alpaca coat This
Henry Tr1ndie, a cashier, has wife,
Polly. a motherly person, who is led to
believe that all husbands have money
with which to pay bills. The concern
for which Henry works gives him one
OF those Jobs with a title. That Is to
say. Henry still does cashiers work,
gets cashiers salary, but is called
treasurer The sole bit Of balm is
share OF stock in the concern.
II All Works Ost Well.
His wife il ignorant OF the stationary
tendencies OF his salaries, and, proceed
ing on the basis that a treasurer gets
more money than a cashier, she pre-
pares to give a party that costs $1,000.
more or less. She is naturally ignorant
Of the fact that all Henry has is $500
he received as a loan on his lone share
of stock and a IS note he received for
returning punch bowl Naturally
there are amusing complications that are
solved through one Of Henry's neighbors
he has met on the club car. and through
him he gets much money and indirectly
a lot and a S25. 900 house. and, so Polly
informs him. another and important adj
dition to toe family.
Keep Her Smiling is based on ele-
mental reactions which are nothing more
or less than he who hath shall be given
everything and from him that hath not
| shall be taken his privilege OF telling Mr..
Wilson how to run the war. Threaded
through this is the blend Of ability OF
wives to spend money and the desire OF
husbands to please them. hence the title.
II is an amusing and diverting play.
that relies not a bit on anything sala-
cious. thing that Is worthy OF note. as
Mr.. Drew pointed out in curtain
speech,
The play starts of quietly and II takes
some time for the plot to shnw ts head,
which IL does at the end OF the first act,
after which 1t picks ur continually and
steadily and ends pleasantly. There IL
nothing startling throughout the piece.
which is something 10 be thankful for. as
the quiet and restrained touches make It
convincing and realistic. 1t is a true
picture OF American life, or rather clev-
erly symbolic Of American life. even
though it relies infreaucntly on premises
that hardly could be called true,