The Washington times., 1919-11-24
THE CAST:


Edward Early ........... Frank Morgan
James Smith ........... Clifton Crawford
Tom Irainor .....-....- Robert fiske
Moran .................... Edith King
Gwendolyn ...Jane Warrington
Juha ..'.I.... -. --...... .Jessie Nagie
Say what you will, the French have
a decided advantage over us. For
instance, their farces do not require
impeccable characters. Could My
Lady Friends" go on to a third acr
of riotous fun and ENHANCEMENT, as
would be the case in Paris, instead OF
amid platitudes Of hymn
book tfnge, what a glorious farce IL
would be. AS 1t now stands. this
newest vehicle for Clifton Craw-
ford is certain of success. for it will
not be shown in Paris. There II
would be. insane. so lively Is the
French Imagination m everything.
Clifton Crawford, as James Smith,
a successful publisher Of bibles. has
an economical wife and desire to
spread a little sunshine" wherever
he goes He spreads 1t in three
places, Boston, Washington, and San
francisco, assisting a deserving
young woman, in each city to attain
to greater things. He is well on his
way to spread little more at At
lantic City when his wife, led on by
Mrs. Early, wife of his attorney, In
terferes. and clouds obscure the brill
liancy of the Smith sunlight.
AS James Smith, Clifton Crawford
is well nigh perfect. He is delight
fully unworthy and trustful In his re-
lations wit hthree vamps. His han
ding of those scenes in which he Is
struggling in the tray set by Mrs.
Early is ludiciously funny. He does
escape finally. only to fall into a new
net spread by his wife. With the
final curtain, Uncle Jimmy" faces
years of increased bible-selling in
order to satisfy his wife's financial
requirements.
Frank Morgan was generally i'm
he seemed rather green for q lawyer.
As Lucille. his wife. Theresa Max
well Conover displayed exceedingly
good taste in her dresses. She carries
the brunt of several scenes in good
style.
June Walker. especially in that
fetching bathing suit, made many
friends. She is a most bewitching
baby vamp and few men in the house
blamed "Uncie Jimmy" unless It was
on account OF his poor eyesight.
Rae Bowdin, Mona Kingsley, Rob-
ert Fiske, Edith King. Jane Warning
ton and Jessie Nagle make up the
company of skillful performers. Some
of them have little more than walk
ing parts, but they walk well.
My Lady Friends started off sue
cessfully. 1t should continue to meet
with smiles, especially from the
ladies. But what q riproaring farce
1t would have been in the French!
CRANDALEs
One of the best pictures ever shown
in Washington Is on view at Gran
dalfs Theater the first three days of
this week, where the major offering
Is Mrs. Sidney Drew's film adaptation
'of Enda Ferber's widely read short
story Of THE Gay Old Dog" starring
John Cumberland, one of Broadway's
favorite comedians.
The gay dog business was q late
phase In the life Of Jimmy Dodd. It
was only recently that walters had
fought over Jimmy-only recently
that he had ordered things under
glass and mixed his own salad dress
ing. To know the real Jimmy one
must go back twenty-three years,
when he was young and handsome
and tweEty-seven. The sole support
OF widowed mother and two un-
married sisters, he promised his
nhothcr di ncT uylnS DeOslue tnat ne
would never desert the sisters. SO
he gave up Emily Harrison and let
her marry another. He gave up
everything else also, to keep his
pledge. Then the sisters married,
the war came on and made Jimmy's
harness business prosper and the
drudge threw off the habits OF a life-
time and cut loose. The various ways
in which he shocked his still watch-
full sisters and the decisiveness with
which he took command of his own
destiny, form the basis of one of the
most delightful photodramatic SUBJ
jects Of the year.
COLUMBIA.
In Tho Invisible Bond" which
opened a four-day run at Loew's Co
lumbia yesterday, Irene Castle dis
plays an ability to portray a tense and
powerful dramatic role with a skill
and an ability that are totally sur