New-York tribune., 1919-10-01
Drama
Avery Hopwood's "The Gold
Digger" Has First Perform.
ance at Lyceum
By Haywood Broun

After seeing Avery Hopwood's The
1oid D'egers" AZ the Lyceum Theatre
last nieht we feel a little bit "a + va
had taken & chorus girl out 70 br.o
last, lunch, dinner and supper IN
other words this new play about the
n-commissloned ladies Of the s+age
Is often the best fun in the world bnr
there is tendency for the eniovment
to pail There are times when ne
spectator feels as if he would like to
pay ms check and rush OFF to Ard some
woman OF ms acquaintance With whom
ne could discuss the prose stvle of
Walter Pater -
Though Hopwood he sentiment
talized his characters 1er, broa,;i,- -,
times and BROUGHT ;orle OF the action
IN winch they ic;pate to sheer bur-
leSqte. ms chorus Girls remain in
eGelr essential spirit and in many !ess
consequential de-ails, quite tho mos-
accurate portrayal Of the tyne. which
the american stage has known. And
TINS, IN spite Of the fact that. as soma
Dody has said, the Anne rican theatre
has always been adant in n;c,,-;r.. =.
SELF Az
But for all this the chorus girl is o
characters are placed in story Of
compelling interest the attention is
likely 70 flag. NJ. Hopwood's storT
secms to Us over slight for his nur-
poHe ana NOT very deftly llaninLl...ed
a. MS pest Wor+ is IN character DE-
Hneaton. lie Oct the most possible
ou5 of his subjects, bat there are nor
ehougn facets. even when he turns
'hem tHis va aud that to suffice for
uii evenings entertainment. Ye-
we have no hesitation in recommend
- II
lor some Of IL is so cxcruciatInpl1-
amusing that he would be a poor snort
indeed, who would complain that the
pace was not maintained throughout
the evening. After all dining WITH
chorus girls IS an experience whie<
everybody owes himself aud It can
be had at the Lyceum Theatre much
cheaper than usual
ne play concerns young man who
loves dcmure and simple chorus c;rj
no mas friend equally pure in
neAr'' nut hardly as dcmure. The
young man guardian forDids him TO
mary INTO the ranks of the chorus.
Jerry Lamar. the not so sedate o,,a in
duces the guardian TO call. and he&
they call him Uncle Stcve-naista1es
Jerry for his wards dancec. she at
once conceives the notion o. actlnc
up 70 such scanGaious pitch that
hcle Steve viii be glad 10 have his
chaige marry The demuro Viole, Fern
the resemblance to David Garrick ends
ana new Ingenious twist is intro
GuceG. Inc more Jerry carries on the
better ncle Steve likes her. Even a
ouflesque confession Of fictitious.
shameless past fails to move him. In
steau ne oiier TO marry her. We knew
tNaL some body would write rebuttai
Il l.
ADas he'd at iast. Jerry consesses that
-"e mas been SpooAng. In order to
prove her complete respectabilitv she
produces an Old mother from the ad-
joining room. This seemed 10 rs
S omething less than convincing. After
al, the possession OF a mother is no
sure indication Of character. How
ever. Cncie Steve takes umbrage at the
'rIcK which has been played upon him
ana departs N anger. only TO return the
ne%t day TO WOO and win jerry in bor
true character
me match making at The end was
a little arbitrary. Thus Uncle Stevss
friend end James Blake seemed de.
e = r,dedIN disposed toward the statuesque
',abe! MuAroe At the end Of the play. /
ne had isplayed every indi-
cation OF being bored to death by her
IN the Two preceding acts. Mabel was I
'he huge chorus girl who was always
cast TO play the Statute Of Liberty. the
battle Of the Marnc. the Spirit Of
r&ncc and oher heroic characters in
~ n'ch she was called upon 10 hold some
thing aloft in her right hand and speak
no lines. She quite won Baxter's heart
when she nalvely explained that he
need not buy her the automobile for
which she he'd been wheedine him. but
N 'ght give her the money instead
In one sense the play gives Hopwood
An opportunity to write better dialogue
man he has ever done before. Some
Of it is superb. for il is wholly in
character and yet gorgeously funny.
On the other hand. in being true to
MS types. Eopwood is compelled to
make much OF the conscious humor
II his characters formulated and 70
rake them stick pretty consistently to
ne same Jokes We are informed that
,norus girls are good deal like that.
me process Of cutting and selection
r ght be carried out to a considerable
Htent without impairing the fidelity
II the play Il needs brsker treatment.
ne story has moments when il lacs.
,or instance. Hopwood attempts the
liffcut feat OF trying to make his
Jerome remain amusing through long
cene. in which she IS pretending to
'e lntoxicated. Even persons who are
.uthentically inspired do not remain
)oJects OF merrimcnt over more than
he shortest stretches and the long