The Washington herald., 1919-09-29
PoIi's-AThe Girl In the Limousine. !,

Poli's-a'The Girl In the Limousine. !,
Truly the bedroom atmosphere
with the accompanying pajamas ap-
peals to Avery Hopwood as the ideal
source for comedy plots and purely
farcical situations.
Previous dramatic vehicles fash
ioned around the boudoir having
spelt success in a financial way he
has gone a bit further in collabora-
ton with Wilson Collision along the
same path and The Girl in the
Limousine" represents progress to-
ward the censorial limit.
The title suggests girls and music
but the curtain rolls UP on Betty's
bedroom where the action of two
acts occurs with the male enacted
on the veranda just outside.
Betty Neville is a happily mated
woman. calmly slumbering when
two highwaymen drag in the un-
conscious form OF their victim and
proceed to strip him OF valuables
and incidentally of all raiment ex-
cept his underclothing. Then they
push him under the bed and exit.
1t seems like dragging in the plot
by the heels and that's frankly what
1t is for plausibility is sacrificed for
situations.
The unconscious victim of the
highwaymen happens to be an old
flame of Betty's and his fancee hap
pens to be Betty's guest at a house,
warming party. and there you are.
Tony Hamilton, the victim, recov-
ers consciousness just in time to
crawl out and grab the first thing
to cover his semi-nakedness which
happens to be Betty's dressing gown.
DR.. Jimmie Galen, who is treat
ing Betty for a severe cold. appears
to administer to her ALPHABETICALLY
and gets fleeting glimpse of Tony
disappearing under the bed. That's
situation number one. In desper-
alton Tony climbs into bed after
the doctors departure where he Is
reposing when Betty's Aunt Cicely
arrives for a visit. Never having
seen Betty's husband she assumed
his intimacy with the bed implies
he is Betty's husband and implying
further they are suffering from the
grip and the necessity for old
fashioned remedies. She proceeds
accordingly after insisting they
both get under the covers.
The doctor. the iancee. the but
Ter and others appear at opportune
and inopportune moments until
situations arise which are frankly
embarrassing all round with the bed
playing an all important part.
With this brief skeleton of the
plot one may gather that the
situations can readily become broad
and tread dangerously close to the
bounds of propriety. The complica-
tions themselves are intricate and
farcical enouh to cause merriment
and the accompanying lines are as
a rule trite although tinged with
suggestiveness. Some indeed-but
they are few-are decidedly raw. il
not vulgar. A liNle blue pencilling
would help.
While the plot is thrust in alb
ruptly, it is unravelled with quite as
much celebrity The chauffeur dis
covers the crooks who caused all the
trouble asleep in the garage, over
powers them, and, when they con-
fess. all is supposed to be explained.
There had to be an end to it all. and
perhaps that is the easiest way.
The merit of the cast may take the
edge of those who are inclined to be
sensitive. John Cumberland plays
the perturbed Tony Hamilton with a
subdued touch and no inclination to
overdo moments where a less finished
performer might become risque. Doris
Kenyon, more or less famed as a
movie star. handles the role of Betty
in a captivating and cabable manner.
The role of DR.. Jimmy Galen, in the
hands of Charles Ruggles, was splen-
didly treated. While he hardly
looked the modern medico. he carried
the comedy scenes placed on his
shoulders with no effort. Zelda Sears
is an artist and her Aunt Cicely
stood out notably as a finished per-
formance, while Barnett Parker, as
Riggs, the butler. earned his apprecia-
tion by sheer merit. Frank NJ. Thom-
as. Vivian Rushmore. Claiborne Fos-
ter and Harold ]. Mann were salts
factory in less important parts.
Broadway seems to like bedroom
farces. so that THE Girl n the
Lipnousine'' may eventually enjoy one
of those prolonged runs. provided the
censor doesn't step in and remove
much of the seasoning which the
program labeled spice"