The Washington times., 1919-04-28

Seieby "a butleTD ....-. j dIneS hedEney
Some Washingtonians and nearly
all OF Broadway witnessed the pre-
miere at the Belasco Theater las:
night Of the new Shipman-WiIds com
edy, Dark Horses"
FAMINE Hurst was there, for in
stance, and S. J. Kaufman; the authors
and William Harris, jr., Fay Banter,
Louis Mainland, we'll, just about
everybody who's interested in theatri'
Gals up New York way had come down
for the opening. Which was very
pleasant for the local audience, be-
cause, no matter whether they liked
the show or not. it was worth the
price of admission just to rub elbows
with so many celebrities.
The story Of Dark Horses" is q
rather improbable affair, that appears
on its face to be better adapted to
farce purposes than comedy.
It opens on commencement night Al
Columbia College, in a fraternity
room, where the five graduates, Doug,
Harvey, Lowell, Phil, and Steve, have
foregathered to celebrate their last
night together.
For some reason or other they de-
eide it's necessary for them all to
propose before the evening is over,
and they do it with clockwOrk pre-
cision and varying results. Lowell is
accepted by Annabelle, the heiress,
and Ethel, the vamp, takes Steve.
Madge turns down Harvey. because
he's too successful, and promises to
marry Doug, the class poet, juEt be
cause he's such a sure-fire failure.
Helen fails to get a proposal, Phi
having decided not to marry.
After this. they all get to talking
about prospects, until they decide tC
form a pool, each to share in the
profits on a sliding scale basis, agreed
upon according to their estimated
earning powers
Harvey, who means to be a J. p.
Morgan, and Lowell. who has his eye
on the Presidency, of course, get the
biggest percentages, but only per
cent apiece is allowed the girls, and
Doug gets but ].
The second act is in the home Of
Lowell and Annabelle, now unhappily
married, three years later. Nothing
has come out as had been expected.
Annabelle's fortune has been involved
in so many suits that Lowell hasn't
had time TO do anything but attend
to that; Harvey is on Wall Street
at $12 a week; Steve is driving a taxi
to support the "vamp" and their
three children, and Phil. who was to
have become Americas Beethoven, is
tuning pianos. OF the girls. Madge
has been moderately successful. Then
in comes Doug, whom Madge had
loved because he was such a romantic
tells them that he's
worth half a million-made out of
garbage. He's called the garbage
ling now. The rest demand a division
Of the profits-with 1 per cent for
him-but he puts them of for two
years. In the meantime, AIadge has
become thoroughly digusted with
cept Harvey, who's nearly enough OF
B failure to attract her
In the third act. two years after
ward. Doug has managed to convey
his fortune to Madge-without her be-
ing aware Of where it came from
and she is the only one Of the pool /
who has anything really worth diV;d-
ing. Steve and Harvey have succeed
ed in a very modest way, but every ]
body else is broke. Still, nobody VIII
take his or her share from MadeEe. |
who becomes very unhappy, until she
learns what Doug has done just for
her-and there's the obvious ending.
As a matter Of fact, it's pretty Oh
vious all the way through. Long be-
fore the first act is over everyone is
sure just how everybody'u turn ouG |
The idea is unique, however, even II
rather improbable, and is a pleasant !
relief from the bedroom situations
which form the basis of most modern
There are a number of |
clever lines, and the players are uni
fOrmIy painstaking.