The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-10-04
Iheaters
DEWOLF HOPPER WINS
OVATION IN 1T11E BETTER OH

.,r,,,o,. 81"
Bairnsfather's very own "Old B1
came to life on the stage at ~
Academy last night. with Bert A.
"AIf'', his inseparable friends, 90
! faithfully portrayed in line and spirH
that the scenery 2as not needed.
| Dewolf Hopper not only had the
role of "Old BILL, the central figure
in 'srhe Better ole" Hooper was
"Old Bill of the, ~alrus mustache
and propugnacular nose. Harry NC
Naughton and Victor Dyer were
Bert" and All" respectively. All
at his best.
! The large audience. contained an
extraordinary number of persons past
the first flush of rosy youth; the folks
| who simply will not take a chance on
! an unknown star or a show OF un-
| tested reputation---folks who like. the
best and won't be bothered about any
other kind. They took their enjoy
ment sedately at first. but by the end
/ of the third splinter of the first
explosion" they were SO full of en-
thusiasm that they demanded a
speech. Hopper was gracious. and in
a five-minute talk, from the open
stage gave n new. exhibition OF his
versatility and his genius for saying
clever things exceedingly well.
Edythe Mason. Louise Davidson
! and large supporting cast had
nothing serious to do and they at
tended to that duty acceptably. sing
ing. dancing. with line now and
! then.
THE Better 'OIe~ is of the war,
with background of war In its less
t picturesque aspects; but its main
/ theme is something bigger and finer
than the war itself--the fndomitahle,
| logged, checrfully- complaining
| courage of the British private SOL
der. to whom soldering was a job OF
| work to be done before he could
think OF going back to Blighty.
The pals "Oid Bill" and the others
| hungri1y while mail orderly goes
! through his pouch without producing
| anything for any OF them. They are
! TOO homesick for words-utterly mis-
cradle with disappointm The long
silence Is not broken until "Old BIZ
/ finds a fragment OF lie Petit Jour-
nal" which none of them can read.
| and carefully divides IL with his COM
rades, they all staff smoking and the
| days work goes ahead.
| There are other 'tehse moments IN
| the play---when odd Bilr' goes out
on a little enterprise Of his own into
| No-Man's-Land. when .he comes back.
wounded. only to re arrested charged
with being spy: when his hearing In
summary court-Tnartial Is interrupted
by French officer bearing a decora-
ton intended to indicate Frances ap-
probation OF odd Bifi's' services in
doing what the court was trying him
for. The soldiers three always have
plenty TO say until those high mo-
ments arrive. Then they are all but
speechless, though "Old Bili'' manages
! 10 utter his one word when the colonel
tells him he Is recommended for the
! v c.
! Another high moment comes when
! old Bill and his comrades get home
/ to "Bilfs" wife, whom he calls af-
! deliberately his ''eld woman" He
/ finds that he has become the owner
| OF the little public house which has
/ been his favorite haunt and TO which
| he turns affecticnately when arrives
! at the little village. His wife awaits
/ him there. All his dreams have come
| true. Garrulousn esS gives way to in
articulate rapture. AL he can manags
to- say is "tTllo"
] Tiger t6se."
! Tiger Rose" said to be David Be-
/ lasco's most excelfeTf play. portrayfng
! what Ia probably the last frontier be-
/ tween primitiveness and civilization II
Ito have fits Initial presentation In this
: city at the Academy of Music on Mon
! day, October 9Th when il begins what
will be a record breaking engagement
{ OF two days. We are told that II Is
/ the best thing of frs' kind since that
! other great Beiasco success, The Girl
I 81 the csoGtfen West IT Is Il humping
melodrama, frank, full-bodied and
full-blocded theatric tale OF the Ca
! madam woods, in which unstressed
emotion. widness and gentleness, pas
sion and sweetness are the main at
tributes
/. MIR. Belasco promises the original
New York and Chicago production
and 81 cast at convincing players 10
give TO Tiger RoSe's' swiftly running
story. the true ferrs and life of thu
great wild, where in its theme is laid.
| Tiger Rose" comes to the Academy
Monday and Tuesday nights.