New-York tribune., 1918-10-21
Drama
The Better Ole" at the
Greenwich Theatre
Scores Hit
By Haywood Broun

Although "The Better OLE is al
most a musical comedy, it probably
has caught more authentic war spirit
than any other play Of the trenches
and back areas which has come to
town 1t is concerned only with one
phase of the life of fighting man,
ana MA. a subordinate one, but the
fact that within it's scope of humor
Gus Interpretation it keeps constantly
plays of the shattered chateau school.
1nele are one or two moments in
when "lne Better Ole" seeks to
strike n more serious note. These
moments are perfupctory and abso-
lutely specious. They fall into the
manner of long handclasps and broken
"God bless yous." Fortunately the
pathetic interludes are brief and rare.
Captain Bruce Bairnsfather and Cap
tain Arthur Eliot have both seen SER
vice, but they are content 20 catch the
talk of the Tommy and let their accu-
1racy go no further. The plot might
Committee on Public Information. 1t
bears no mark of first hand observation
of the war. Of course, the interest Of
the authors was merely to get the
characters on the stage and let them
talk. That proved to be eminently
satisfactory to the first night audience
at the Greenwich Village Theatre on
Saturday night. The fact that Old Bill
captured a paper from a preposterous
spy and later went out alone on an
equally unbelievable mission to blow
up a bridge was of no moment. Old
Bills mustache and Old Bills opinions
tryr rv,t
We said that "The Better 'Ole" was
almost a musical comedy. The chief
difference lies in the fact that it is
crammed full OF humorous lines. But,
after all, the play is something more
than string of amusing soldier jokes
Bairnsfather has not on y caught with
seeming accuracy the spirit Of the brit
ish fighting men, but he has added
some srewd satiric observation Of his
own. The brief scene in which two
British otficer, discuss the case of a
missing eightpcnce and spe ,u.ate over
the three pounds of correspondence on
the matter which has just been sent
to Mesopotamia and coli back pre-
sents the whole case against depart
mentalism in four or five lines of dia
logue.
In the humor of Bairnsfather there
is also healthy tonic against the over
sentimentalized conception of the life
of the fighting man. 1t has none of the
sugar-coating of our magazine covers.
We see the Britisher going about his
fighting as a man tackles job and
leaving the catchwords and the notices
to somebody else.
All the best moments of the BARNS
father pictures find their way into the
play at one time or another. and most
of them are shrewdly employed. 1t is
unfortunate, however, that the "better
'ole" slogan should be inspired this
time by a sock and not shell crater.
Mr.. Coburn has taken full advantage
of he pictorial possibilities of Old
Bill. His makeup is masterpiece. Nor
does the worth of his rHsf""marre o,
at the end of his mustache. 1t is a
lollicking ana first Class p.ecc OF wolK.
Colin Campbell is an amusing ALT, and
Charles McNaughton an accurate but
10. always prepossessing Bert.
The three soldiers, of course, bear
the brunt of the play but Mrs. Coburn
Goes nicely with the small part of Vic
toire. Albe Kenway makes distinct
impression and Howard Taylor as a
French officer. read citation speech
with all the glow of French general.
The music is largely selected, rather
than composed, and is of a parodic
nature Most the numbers are amusing
and add to the gale of the funniest
and also the shrewdest of war plays.
The first night audience was frankly
delighted