The Washington herald., 1919-02-22
ACTORS FUND
SHOW ENJOYED
Cowan and Bailey Score
Biggest Applause on
the Bill.
BY EARL DORSEY.

A couple of wise lads from the Pa
cific Coast almost stopped Mr.. Daniel
Frohman's subllmated vaudeville
show for the benefit of the Actors
Fund OF America, at the National
Theater yesterday afternoon.
Mr.. Frohman has assigned the sec.
ondsry position on his vaudeville bin
TO these two West Coast gentlemen
Bill Bailey, a banjoker. and one Lynn
Cowan, a piano player and songster.
They broke into the performance with
whoop at the end Of the first If
teen minutes Of play and all that
saved Mr.. Frohmap's program from
utter disruption was the simple lit
tie fact that another audience await
ed the pair at Keith's.
Cowan and Bailey, or Bailey and
Cowan (you have to be careful how
you arrange these actors names),
were the pair who put the perform
ance on the ice in the second stanza.
as we baseball writers say. The rest
OF the performance was thoroughly
par. but the Bailey-Cowan act loomed
above the rest OF the bill like a sky
scraper on the Chesapeake Beach
horizon.
Quarter Peck of Laughs.
Fred Whitfield and Marie ireland.
with LEW MURDOCH Cwe're sticking
close 10 the program). opened the fes-
tivities with a vaudeville sketch called
The Belle of Bingvillc." This intro
duced a bit Of eccentric dancing and q
Quarter-peck OF laughs, and gave way
TO the Bailey-Cowan act. As Of Doc
Bell remarked from his niche in G l0G,
there was no reason why they
shouldn't have stayed all afternoon,
barring their date at Keith's
Miss Ethel Forde and Ralph O'Brien
came next with a pretty vaudeville
dancing act from ''Oh, Boy" and
subsided in favor OF Mr.. Daniel Froh-
man. who explained the reason for
the beneft-the replenishing OF the
Golfers Of the Actors Fund, 10 care
for INDECENT thcspiaus.
George Ade $ act, "Nettie." which
came next. might have registered had
it not been for the loose memory OF
Harold Howard. who appeared "a
have forgotten the words Of his part.
Orrin johnson. Ben +. Graham, Harry
NAN0AE aA4A DdAA AAfl III AD4lNA NHAA
gently 70 overcome the handicap but
with only Indifferent success.
Frank Gaby, a ventroliquist of moro
than ordinary attainments. presented
his act, Original Impressions" with
excellent and telling effect. Mr.. Gaby
appears to be a ventriloqulst with an
unusual endowment of intellect.
Miss Florence Nash, who appeared
d. o
the part Washington had failed 70
play in supporting tho benefit, though
considering. an opening thirty minutes
in advance Of the regular show. and
a rainy afternoon, We thought the at
tendance at least good.
Gives PantOmime sketch.
Austin Strong. the writer appeared
as the central figure in a pantomime
sketch called - Day in the Life OF
u Young Man About Town" that was
almost classic in its conception and
presentation. He was ably assisted
by Theodore Steinway. Henry Clapp
Smith and Harry Bennett.
Beatrice Herford in a mono
logUe. Olga and Mishka, Tumble In"
dancers, in a specially dancing num-
Der. and Anne Wheaton and Hal
FoHde, from ''Oh, Boy" filled in the
program up TO the time OF what was
expected TO prove the piece de resis-
tance-the personal appearance OF ten
famous composers playing selections
from their own works. The composers.
however. failed 10 steal top honoTS
from the Bailey-Cowan troupe. though
the audience greatly appreciated the
opportunity 10 sec Raymond HUbbeU
Gus kcrRor. \. Baldwin Sloane, Je-
rome Kern. Hugo Felix. Louis
Hirsch. Si-mund Eomberg. Silvio
Helm. I;uaoIrh Friml and Lieut.
Gitz-Ricc al Ut the piano in one aft
CrnoOu.