The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-09
'Fren Leave War
Comedy, Pleases
With the COburnS
Private of 'The Better ole
Deservedly Becomes a GEN
eral in New Play.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS "rRENcH LEAVE"

BELMoNTTHEATRE- "FRENCH LEAVE"
new comedy by Reginald Berkeley
Riflcman jerks ........ Harry McNaughton
Mile Juliette. ......'''...'''''M rS C %,,nI
Capt. Harry Glenister. Alexander Ons!ow
Brig. Ger. Archibald Root. Mr.. Coburn
Lieut.. George Graham. ......,... Noel Tearie
NJ. Jules Mariner ............' Arthur hleih
Charles Coburn. who was a private In
THE Better Ole" has shot up into a
General in French Leave" and de-
serves the promotion, with a few Lee
gions OF Honor and d. s. O.'s thrown in.
His hair e whittier and his walrus mus
tache pped, but he can roar as
beautifully as ever. Mrs. Coburn Is
more charming than ever, and this time
in the comedy which opened at the Bel
mont Theatre last night. she is able not
only to speak English with French
variations. but to weep real English
tears into Irish linen and thereby dis
solve British army regulations.
One can find some pleasure in looking
back on a war which made possible such
CHEEKY little comedy as Reginald
Berkeley's The firm of Marc Klaw.
Inc. composed of father and the boys,
attained their detectives with their first
venture and New York can forget its
numerous soldier shows and realize
that one can still enjoy a war play,
even if one Is still paying the war tax
on the tickets For. best of all. the war
serves scarcely for backdrop to this
play. for not even the roosters In the
French barnyard have a fight.
The three acts pass in the dining
room of a French farm house, where
Brig Gen. Root and his staff are rest
ing before taking the brigade back to
the big show. To this billet comes the
wife of staff officer, Capt. Harry
GIenister. disappointed because she has
not met him on leave in Paris and brav-
ing the army regulations forbidding the
presence of wives at the front just to
make sure the Germans have not mussed
him, up. She brides the French house
wife to let her pose as a daughter. and
her assumed French piquancy proves
too much for the susceptible BriOddier
General and his staff. who promptly
carry on filtration with her, while her
jealous husband fixes like a bomb fuse.
Her clandestine meetings with him
led to the suspicion that she is German
spy. but everything is slaughtered out
by the General, who proves that the roast
of a gallant heart. Coburn was highly
enjoyable as the bluff, rudy General,
even when counting in pajamas and an
overcoat Mrs. Coburn played varisty
Of moods with skill as the impulsive wife.
and Alexander Onslow did not let his
good looks prevent him from being prop
erIy explosive as the Captain Dallas
Wexford, as an old mess corporal.
stretched out thin material with business
till II was as solidly agreeable as Some
Of his dishes. Noel Tearle, Arthur Klein
and Harry McNaughton were equally
diverting in their parts.
Though the play drops down to mild
ness at times, it is not long enough to
suggest boredom. and several of the
critics who were veterans of the A. +.
+. were seen to smile often. So French
Leave" isn't likely to desert New York
for a considerable whi'c.