New-York tribune., 1919-07-08
Dram a a
chubert Geiaties of 1919
Are Seen at Forty-fourth
Street
By HEYwOoD BROUN

The Shubert Gaieties of 1919" is
evidently rebuilt show, but an excel
lent job has been made of the revision
Like practically all the big American
revues there is no central idea to hold
she piece together, but the specialties
are good and decidedly varied Thus.
Immediately after Miss Llora Hoffman
mad sung an aria from ~Traviata"
rather well, Miss Gilda Gray did q
baroary Coast song and dance superb
~ Ed Wynn contributed largely to
the fun OF the performance, although
there arc still evidences Of haste in
the material which ne uses. However,
there was enough OF his excellent best
to make has appearance pleasing. After
all, Wynn depends rather more on
method than material and his process
OF lntiatlng a joke only to let it ex-
plode with dull and sickening thud
seems to be invariably successful. He
was at his best in a monologue in
which he explained the plot to the
1lrst-night audience.
George Hassell was effective in a
short burlesqIe skit in which he played
the part OF Confederate officer. The
conventional revue idea of timeliness
in satire may be judged by the fact
that the skit poke6 fun at the Civil
War drama. 1t was we'll done, how
ever, and amusing. For the first time
IN couple Of seasons Hassell had &
chance to show that he is an actor and
not clown; for in order to make fun
OF acting you must know how to act
Later IN the evening, while attired in q
wonlan's nightgown, HasSell made a
mock protest against the task assigned
RI 4 lr.ato II -.
was too much to ask a man who had
played so many legitimate parts sue
cessfully to dabble in such trihes. The
hoax was we'll maintained for several
minutes, but the joke wasN somewhat
impaired by the fSct that it really is
shocking waste of material to employ
Hassell solely in buffoonery when his
capabilities in character acting are
so high and so rare. Almost every
thing he said in his mock protest was
literally true.
,William Kent, who first gained fame
last season in the Nora Bayes show,
was successful in his amazing trembling
| stunts, but he hardly kept up to the
pace set by Wynn and Hassell But OF
che Whole company we liked best Miss
Gilda Gray, OF the Barbar Coast or
thereabout. We can't remember any
lhilG So SlHcerely ana cOmpleCel
tough as her shimmy song 1t was not
without its suht!eties either, but they
all tended in the same direction. This
is altogether a remarkable and, to us
very fascinating performance Most
Of N Tilt OF all the dead and gone anc
reformed dance halls is in her singing
There is an abundance of good dane.
ing in the Gaieties, with White and
Clayton doing the best Of it. Others
Who served with distinction were Ins
| Williams, who put over song called
Crazy Quilt" with we'll sustained ami
nation, Ed Lorraine and Gladys Wal
ton and the Glorias. The show is vel
mounted and the costuming unusually
fine. 1t is tasteful, although expensive
The book has enlisted the services
Of Edgar Smith. Harold Atteridge ane
Ed Wynn, while Alfred Bryan has
done nicely with the lyrics. Jear
Schwartz has provided good song IL
'Vamp a Little Lady, and the rest O.
his score is jazzy if noA distinguished
1t was a full and pleasant evening
at the Forty fourth Street Theatre.