The Washington herald., 1919-09-09
BeIasco-"DoubIe Harness,

BeIasco-"DoubIe Harness"
new comedy In three acts by Maurice f.
Marks and Edward \. PaultOn. staged by Fred
eTlCk Stanhope
THE CAST
Zachariah Jones. Sheriff OF TNckertown and
Porter at Hotel Pocahontas. Charles Dow Clark
Fanny. hired girl at fuckers. Minnie Milne
Wsldemar Timms Manager Of Tuckertown
Tigers. Edgar Nelson
Ephraim Tucker, Proprietor Of fuckers Big
I Saddle Compsny.......-......Sa sam Edwards
Marion. daughtcd Of Tucker. r.......... Betty Alden
Jack harrington, Of New York. John Junior
Tommy Lee, Clerk. Pocahontas Hotel........
.HOward Slost
Mabel Blaney, Telephone operator ..........
Ruth Donrelly
Chick Williams, A. baseball scout...........
John Hendricks
Tobias Timms. Proprietor Of Tmms' Double
I T Saddle COMPANY. .......... Frank McGlynn
Nan IN Room l5................... Robert McCleary
Helen Currie
Scencs-ACt l. at fuckers home Act 2 The
PocahOntas Hotel-Nr1t day; Act ,. hack at
fuckers same at Act 1.-Two days later; time.
June, 1873; locale, TuckeTtown. Ohio.
BY EARLE DORSEY.
The business of play-acting was
largely laid aside at the BelasCo
last night for the business Of eulo-
giving the dear departed rum. The
rest of the two hours and some odd
minutes necessary to develop the
thematic proportions of Double
Harness" was largely devoted to
6etween-scene appearances of John
Henry HOkum. the well-known
life-guard. Neither eulogy nor
John Henry managed, however, to
stimulate Double Harness" into
enough energy to make the evening
safe for playgoing. 1t is altogether
evident that Authors Marks and
Paulton will have to go way back
and start over.
1t was a difficult business with
the material in hand. Double
Harness" is hardly more than a
trite presentation of the story of
the snappy youngster who invades
small town, does some high har-
ness factory financing that would
not deceive a Dupont Circle nurse
girl. and joins together in the bonds
OF holy profiteering two souls with
but a single thought to hate Each
other. What romance the plot con-
tsins has been forced in with a
pump and sounds like II.
It's hard to say how Double Har-
ness" might have looked with a
cast less familiar with its business.
With the exception of one or two
of the principals. Double Harness"
has been invested with an outfit of
players that accomplish miracles at
lending veracity and sincerity to
tale that lacks both. The cast man
ages, somehow, to plaster on, here
and there. a wheeze or a gag that
ought to be wearing service stripes
and which seem as out of place as a
fly in the buttermilk
The advocates OF prohibition are
held up to large ridicule-a business
which draws no censure here had
there been any reason for it-withOut
regard to the demands of the action
or the atmosphere. In looking around
for comparisons, i, is difficult to see
how Double Harness" can possibly
claim greater distinction than Mr..
George V. Hobarts late-lamented
"Come-On-Charley." or Mr.. Fred Jack
sons manifest flop. "One-a- Minute. 1"
Certainly Messrs. Marks and Paulton
have given the Columbia University
pundits small encouragement in their
search for the emerging American
comedy.
Charles Dow Clark, famous as an
Interpreter of the willy -li2k," topped
the cast with a characterization Of a
village he-gossip. whose enCa cement
for big league pitching career was