The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-02-13
MONTE CRISTO, JR.,
EMULATES DADDY
Can Truthfully Say the World
the Part That Enjoys Mus
fcal Comedy-Is His.
SHUBERT PLAY A DELIGHT
Winter Garden Offering Best
Yet, Opine Enthusiastic
First Nighters..

In reviewing a production at the
Winter Garden. such as Monte Cristo.
Jr.." which had Its premiere there last
night. It seems almost inevitable TO use
such phrases as allied with whirlins,
golden girls" "costumed like Paris and
Rome In their best days" haunted with
melting strains Of music" mounted with
stage settings like a Purton Holmes
travelogue in ultra natural colors." and
to sum II all up as n "corktng big nit.
Add up all these terms and the grand
total will almost equal the twenty
fifth entertainment which Lee and ]. ].
Shubert have put on at the Winter Gar
den out OF the consideration for city
which has nothing like the grand canyon
TO awe and delight. Such description,
however, would not quite convey the
glowing effect produced by this ex-
travaganza as staged by J. c. Human.
bewlldering even through the smoke
screen, sent up as usual by the cigar and
cigarette corps.
Takes to the Classic.
In this midwinter show the Winter
Garden takes to classic literature. How
ever the scenes designed by Watson
Barratt and p. Strahlendorff serve to
distract the mind OF any one who might
fear he would be compelled to pay too
much attention to the story.
Harold Atteridge. who hasSbeen bur
banking the book and lyrics for the Win
ter Garden productions 10. these many
years, appears to have been burning the
midnight oil lately on the masterpiece
by Alexandra Dumas. for he sends his
young hero on a musical comedy Cook
tour after he has bought 4 copy of THE
Count of Monte Cristo" al Lake George
resort
Charles Purcell as Monte drifts into
dreamland after having been sent to
sleep by Chic Sales attempts to perform
on the slip horn.
That is, Chic doesn't get as far as
perpetrating this specialty-the from
bone Is tied with red ribbons this season
though nothing can stop him from get
ting of his riddles and being ms amusing
as ever in the part OF the village cutup
who finds himself overpowering with
| the women.
Play Within n Play.
Chic is held up because Just as he's
clearing his tubes the lights go out and
| in a merciful slumber Monte sees all the
persons he knows In daily life step out
| of the pages of a book. transformed into
characters in this best seller.
This neat play within play takes
| the hero through adventures similar
to the French sailors. though the story
! doesn't stick to the original any more
than the laws OF musical comedy re-
Quire. In the course OF the two acts
and seventeen scenes Monte, changed to
Edmund Ddntes, has a chance to look
lovelorn with tenor tremolos In the har-
Dor of Marseilles, the carnival at Rome
the ballroom in the home OF Mercedes
and a scene In the ocean that with the
help OF colored motion pictures IL vivid
enough to make the thoughts of front
seat holders turn 10 rubbers,
As Mercedes Audrey Maple looked
lovely and displayed a voice to keep her
countenance company. Sam Ash. in the
role OF Ddn0lers. the villain looked and
acted as Napoleon might have done II
! he had tried TO earn an honest living on
! the stage. Murier Tindal was Nine
! CGderouse capably. Flere Revalles was
/ sinuously graceful as Hdydee, Ralph
Herr was diverting as jameson, intro
ducing an entertaining travesty on The
+ Unknown Purple" and Tom Lewis
| evoked numerous laughs as the thief who
even in escaping from Jail couldn't re.
frain from stealing the prison time clock
which he punched regularly at the end
OF the days Work.
Vaudeville Help.
| There were entertaining recruits from
vaudeville in the Watson sisters and
William and Gordon Dooley. who car
ried Off the comedy honors as two ruth
less cave men. wilbur and Clarence, and
as diminutive Partisan roughnecks wht
did an Apache dance that prostratec
themselves and the audience. Adelaide
! and Hughes 'captivated with a new YER
sion OF their toy soldiers dance and witt
a gliding military wedding that strucl
the only warlike note OF the evening.
Besides a glittering ballet in the cave
of the jewels IN which the segment'
of an ugly DRAGON were TRANSFORMED
into beauteous but harmless sirens. thu
ensemble dancing. which was one OF tn
notable features OF the production. hat
a toy chorus which will probably d.
more than all the manufacturers OF Ger
many to maintain interest in toys.
The music by Sigmund Romberg ant
Jean Schwartz assayed the standard per
centage OF catchiness and the pom!
runway through the orchestra was EN-
ployed as usual. 30 that altogether I
can be said that Monte Crtsto. Jr., cal