The sun., 1918-09-08
PHOEBE FOSTER EILEEN uUBAN j. 81
IL me RARNLAf "O@z :: ~ x51oeS md C0o0pEHS~ ~

cabaret life. Mr. Brown thus allows
his play the aid and comfort of, music
but does not violate the conventions or
probability. Mr.. Harrigan ignored
these same conventions with naive in-
difference. But there was no reason
why he should not so long as his audi
ences did not care a rap about them.
Montague Glass and Jules Ecliert
Goodman have been equally careful of
this particular phase of the develop
ment OF Fannie Brice's stellar chariot.
In it's second act there is music which
is made an integral Fart Of the play.
The four walters have come to play as
n jazz band. Miss Lrice sings because
she is supplying home made cabaret
to the family restaurant. So the musi-
cal interludes here are equally part
of the authors dramatic scheme. Far
as they may be behind the departed
Harrigan in some respects--notably In
his power to strike deep into the heart
or the public and retain his place
there--the modern writers do not v!o-
late the dramatic proprieties as ariiy
as he did.
So successfully has Montague Glass
been playing on the theme Of Potash
and Perlmutter" that there seems no
reason why he should not have been
equally fortunate In transferring the
humors Of that pair of partners TO the
distaff side Of the house. When Fan
ME Brice and May Boley are associated
in the conduct Of a restaurant which
brings to the surface the inevitable
differences OF business policy, sudden
irritation and recrimination followed
| by warm and reciprocal affectionmight
have been Just as amusing as II was
in the case of the distinguished bust
ness associates who gave their names
to the dramatic serial.
The probabilities seemed in favor OF
this event. since Montague Glass is n
| first rate talent far above the average
mind that works in the theatre to-day.
Mr.. Goodman is expert in the carpen-
| try so the combination appeared in
vincible. But II did fail of the ex-
pected effect and the feminine part
ners, equally in their spats and their
affection, were by way OF being more
or less of bore.
| Perhaps the Potash and Perlmut-
ter idea is growing stale or il may be
that Yiddish humor has been supplied
for several years in such liberal al
lowances that the public is fed up. Or
the quarrelling and forgiving of the
1 ~ ~ in, no on
es sentially feminine that it was anus
ing by its transfer to the other sex.
Other ideas in Mr.. GLASS; work did
not impress the spectator with the
force that seemed inherent in them.
The scheme OF the real estate broker
who filled UP restaurant with hungry
confederates before he brought around
n possible purchaser seemed In an
ticipation certain to amuse. But 1t
flashed in the pan: and other promis-
ing expedients proved just as ineffec-
tive. Maybe this Is further ground for
the suspicion that there has been too
much Of the humor OF this school al
ready. Certainly the variety that Mar
tin Brown has put into "A Very Good
Young Man" Is more entertaining.
The public's failure to respond to
the generosity Of the managers in pro-
vidlng a new play or two every night
but Sunday was strikingly exhibited
recently. A play by a well known au-
thor was offered at one OF the most
popular city playhouses. The drama.
lists name rarely II ever has any effect
in drawing the public. But there
were reasons why this dramatic YER
sion of a work by one OF the most ad-
mired OF native writers should have