The Washington herald., 1919-09-30
Last Night at Theaters
Belasco-HA Little Blue Devil"
By EARLE DORSEY.

Belasee-AA Little Blue Devil"
By EARLE DORSEY.
1t is dinicult to get an accurate
analysis Of q musical show at the
midnight hour. but 1t IL questionable
whether ''The Little Blue Devil" the
eallicized version OF "The Blue
Mouse" that Harold Atteridge and
Harry Carroll have set to girls and
music win assay much above the ATS
per cent mark In entertainment quail
ity. For a moment or two. during the
second act, It appeared as though one
Of the characters had reviewed the
play as well as acted in 1t. when she
remarked, anent q play Of her own:
Il have a manager friend who says
he don't care how bad It IL; SO long
as 1t has a bed, he'll invest SIS 5000''
The cumulative effect of three acts
Of The Little Blue Devil" arouses a
feeling q bit more charitable than
that, for It has a revision Of one
eminent authority credited to Bernard
Granville and Mariiynn Miller in a
dead and gone Passing Show. and It
succeeds in stopping the present
production: 1t has one tune of the
matte properties that u pleasing II
incidental; II airs another song called
Peter Pan" that was decidedly re-
freshing. and It does have o good
looking outfit Of bare-kneed ensemble
mSidens. s.-~
The plot. which Il were folly to
attempt to follow. IL one of those
preposterous comedies Of errors that
might beguile the intelligence of a
sanitorium inmate and what humor
the play affords is gained by a tu-
multuous bursting in and out Of
doors by persons who by no stretch
OF the proprietfes had any business
In someone's else apartment, and by
lines like TN feeling SO synony-
NOUS" 'here's a real Oriental Louis
Fourteenth street clock" and zone
Of them fellers Is trying to call me
blondie."
Harry Carroll, the composer, fur
nished the chief disappointment OF
the evening. The music does not COM
pare favorably with the music OF
''Oh, Look" and the best song Of
The Little Blue Devir'-'Peter Pan"
is barely up to the standard Of Car
rolls most puny effort in the former
play. Bernard Granville and Lillian
Lorraine, both late Of vaudeville, head
line the cast Mr.. Granville's dancing
was just as good as ever, but It is
rare that one sees q man work SO
hard to make effective material SO
lifeless. Miss Lorraine, whose sing
ing voice is hardly seamless. relied on
the shock inherent in q number of
gowns. Louise Kelley. as q philand-
er's wife who pined for sympathy.
added a touch Of vitality to her part.
Wildred Clarke, in a character
comedy role. was frequently anus
ing. which is not such poor praise,
either. Edward Martinde1 was the
usual stormy. irate father Of the
abused heroine. Jack MCGOWAN,
who upheld the solo honors of the
evening, has a pleasing tenor voice
and a fine personality that con-
tributed materially to the effective
| ress of tho two song numbers
above mentioned. Anne Sands was
sweet young thing of conven-
tional type who would probably
grace a real role with dignity. Miss
Katherine Hatfield must have at
tention for the brilliant manner in
which she danced with Mr.. Gran
willie in a second-act number which
caused a temporary hiatus in the
performance.
Keith's-vaudeville.
Anna Wheaton. the Washington
girl who twinkled erstwhile in
"Oh! Boy" and other musical COM
edies. has Joined with Harry Car
roll. the composer. for a taunt over
the. vaudeville circuit and tops the
bill at Keith's this week.
Miss Wheaton is fitted with q
number Of special lyrics that At her
voice and talents as smoothly as the
exquisite gowns which drape her
act. Carroll Is hardly a Caruso,
but he gets into the spotlight with
medley OF the tinkling melodies
he has turned out for musical COM
edy and assists the winsome Anna
in putting over a new one. THE
Quakers Are Shakers" The au-
dience liked their entertainment and
some florist shop was well patron
ized by Miss wheaton's admirers
from the floral offerings that ac-
companied the finale.
The laughing and applause hit of
the show went to Phil Baker, a mu-
sical monologist with much original
chatter. An unprogramed partner
who worked from a balconI; box
registered enough comedy to be
worthy Of mention.
Mile. Diena, a French chanteuse,
with Dan Rubini. O violin virtuoso.
offered a program Of instrumental
and vocal numbers that pleased.
There was a little Of every kind
Of dancing the act Of Mile. Rhea,
assisted by Joe Mach. 1r.. and Frank
K. Erwin. Mile. Rhea is a finished
artist Of Terpsichore and her reper-
toire ranged from ballet movements
to plain jazz. Mach is an accom-
plished violinist, and Erwin a pleas
ing singer. and the trio filled in for
an enjoyable twenty minutes.
The Swor Brothers have a pan
tomime poker game that opens
their act to real laughter and they