New-York tribune., 1918-03-30
Drama
By Haywood Broun

Ihe Hlppodrome is perhaps the most
Characteristic American amusement
enterprise in New York. 1t illustrates
the fact that our public is not lacking
IN appreciation OF things which are
good. The only trouble is that it also
likes things which are mediocre. There
never seems to be any particular pre-
meditation ii Hippodrome show. The
management simply hires a great many
people, and every year some of them
turn out 20 be excellent.
Probably the size OF the theatre is
the factor which makes it all but i'm
possible for 1t TO do anything truly
beautiful. as it happens, beauty can
never DC purchased wholesale, and the
HlppoGloI.e IS devoted TO the theory
that Il I Certain eject can be gained
by the use Of twenty chorus girls il
pink and green, ust five times as fine az
effect can be obtained with & hundred.
:. aims, indeed. Tor dig ard Startling
effects ra,-.er than beautiful ones
.Aud Yet IN spite of al this, the Hip
podrome show IS something to be proud
o.. 1t puts no mean estimate on the
public taste. Zach year there are high
spots. The house had Pavlowa once,
and this year, though it boasts no per-
former in her class artisticaIly, it can
point with pride to Fred Walton, whose
pantomime is a distinct achievement,
to some Of the notes of Belle Story,
tothe gorgeous clowning OF Bluch and
10 Houdini, most thrilling of AN ma
gicians. Where others of his trade
are content to palm eggs and rabbits,
he makes an elephant disappear.
The acrobats. OF course, are always
with us. but not for long periods II
the Hippodrome show We used to
be interested in acrobats, but that has
abated In spite OF long years of
watchful waiting we have yet to see
one Of these somersaulters land upon
his neck However, the remark is
uncalled for. Acrobats have feelings.
| Only this week one who is called the
Gladiator writes to "Nariety" and
says: "Recently it was my misfortune
to see an act in which the alleged
comedian in putting a curse on the
orchestra leader) said, May your
children be acrobats.'
Undoubtedly there exists certain
unmerited prejudice against the aero
bats" the Gladiator continues. "also
a tendency to make them the butt of
i'll hunor. Why?'
1t remains one of the hard questions.
Another question difficult of ex-
pidNdOlCR dtOSe NHi.llS Lic COuiSc W
| the performance at the Hippodrome
! last night. One of the numbers is q
Pageant in which most OF the famous
characters OF American history appear
We see Columbus and Vespucci. and
Balboa and La Sale and John Smith
and Miles Standish and Paul Revere
and Farragut and Dewey and Samp-
son and Theodore Roosevelt and {
host of others OF all the throng the
only two to receive more than per
functory applause were Roosevelt
and John Smith Perhaps it was fam
lily pride which swelled the applause
FOR tho latter.
Houdini was more thrilling than
usual. for he accepted a challenge from
four petty officers, who anted to chair
him and bind him and iron him ant
then throw him in the tank. They did
too But he came up from the depths
like the wild duck in less than thre,
minutes. 1t was pleasant that none o
the magician's gloomy foreboding'
came true. He had spoken darkly o
destiny and of faithful servitors whC
would search for his body if he failet
to appear within the timc limit. Ii
spite of the happy ending. here was ;
ntote of sadness in the result. On'
could not help thinking of the futllit!
of human endcavor as the bubbles cam
up and then Houdini. AS somebod,
or other has said, "The best iait
schemes of petty officers gang at
a-pleV'