New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-01-12
By Rebecca Drucker

One ceases to marvel with what in
evitabeness the name Of Guy Bolton
is followed by that Of P. G. Wodehouse
on musical comedy programme. One
takes a good breath and reads it like
this - Observation-Disclosures. II
ever Mr.. Bolton should write libretto
alone what a lot of people would be
left gasping in the middle Of long
breath. interviewing them felt would
be little like going to see Tweedleduni
and Tweedledee. The precision and
unison Of their work might extend to
duettcd replies
1t was a little startling to find Mr.
Wodehouse alone keeping the appoint
ment. Mr.. Bolton had gone on to Chi
cago to supervise the putting on of
their latest piece, "See You Later" !
had somehow visualized them as in
separable, and quite alike-rather like 4
Slamese twin. Mr.. Wodehouse rea-
soned with me against this impression
when l told him of it. Mr.. Bolton and
he were quite different, he assured me-
MI Bolton is thin and dark and quite
intellectual, with repressed inclina-
ton for writing sombre plays.
This description quite obviously does
not fit Nh. Wodehouse, who is large of
frame, fresh in color and quite ire
pressibly cheerful. Mr.. Warehouses;
humor is no gibc at the world lie
really enjoys it. He doesn't banker to
write problem play; he does confess
to wanting to write a farce that shall
stand up without music.
Mr.. Wodehouse is English. He was
at work on newspaper in London
when he met Guy Bolton there in 1906.
Bolton introduced him to jerome Kern.
who was visiting London then and who
suggested that Wodehouse should try
his hand at some lyrics for which he
had written the music. The lyrics
w Dollhouse wrote were not great sue
cess. He needed the spark of a central
idea to set him off, and the next season.
when he came to New York. he and
Bolton and Lern all met again and
collaborated on "Have a Heart" This
was the first Of the several Bolton
Wodehouse-k Kern collaborations which
eliminated in ooh. Boy!" With a plot
to hang them on, Wodehouse found no
in writing lyrics. In between
writing lyrics and librettos Wodehouse
was producing large quantity of fic-
ton and articles which from being
looked at askance began to be toll
Grated and finally were avidly demand
ed by that dispenser of fortune to
authors, "The Saturday
Evening Post"
The third partner of the Bolton
Wodehouse combination has variously
oeen Kern, Caryll and Hrsch. But the
lbrettist firm of Boltoa and Wodehouge
las held through many vcissitudes.
And through these vicissitudes thew
have formulated a theory of what a mu-
steal comedy should be. The deliber-
ate Indebtedness of musical comedy
lid not seem to them reasonable.
the ineptness Of the usual
musical comedy plot in gorgeous cos
tunes and effects" and bolstering it
up with "specialties" seemed poor
economy and unsatisfactory in the end.
Why, you had TO spend 100000 at least
before your curtain could go up. and
then you had to saddle yourself with
several expensive stars-all because
every manager refused to believe that
4 tired business man could be hardened
With remembering reasonably coher-
INT plot How could you have anything
but gag-linc comedy if you had no