The New York herald., 1921-06-03
Three Stars Appear in Snap
shots of 1922 at the Sell
wyn Theatre.

Miss Nora Bayes, who is always CIV
ing parties. and the Selwyns. who are
always paying for parties, and Lew
Fields, who Is always having good
time. and De Wolf Hopper. who is al
ways making speeches, did so last night
in Snapshots of 1921" This was pre-
sented by the Selwyns and Fields at the
Selwyn Theatre as the first of series
OF annual revues to run around In cir
cles in that theatre. and the triumvirate
Of stars carried on while burlesquing
current Broadway successes as no
triumvirate in Roman history was ever
known to do.
come Is likely to be bad place for
man susceptible to apoplexy, for it Is
decidedly possible that he will exit
laughing into his grave. Snapshots Of
1921" Is the laughing, roaring. chortling.
wheeling and chuck!ing event of the
summer. 1t is one OF those romping
party affairs at which every one gets
up and mimics a general acquaintance
and the fat man gets red in the face
from laughing and spills his lemonade.
Here for once in a way is revue
that actually fulfils the purpose for
which such productions were originally
designed and, instead Of depending on
bathing costumes and dimpled knees for
It's principal theme. 'reviews' or bur-
lesques other theatrical productions,
though why It should depart from COM
mon practice so daringly is hard TO ex-
plain. Starting tepidly enough with q
skit on "Deburau," written by Frances
Nordstrom. II rose by leaps and bounds
of fun until Il reached it's peak in CLARA
da Loon" the merriest and brightest
burlesque of the evening.
The parody OF the Barrymore play.
written by Fl. I. Phillips. had some very
racy lines and moments. but 1t moved
at such a headlong, hilarious pace that
one forgot the splciness of one line in
wondering what the next would be.
Nora Bayes as the Queen made
striking picture in white gown sug-
gestive OF Ethel Barrymore's. and while
she had only a slight bit-she was fed
only slight bits throughout the evening.
IN fact--she did II in a manner to
satisfy a packed house clear UP TO the
ceiling In this piece Miss Bayes ap-
pears to be resting from her exertions
with her own recent Offering, but resting
W
spotlight.
Lulu Mcconnell, II occasionally some
what noisy In vaudevilllan fashion.
made herself very favorably known as
Cidro, the cI-DucISess Of Worcestershire,
who got the thrill she craved only after
an affectionate wrestling match between
herself and De Wolf Hopper as SYM
plane.
Fields. as the blind girl. who IN this
I. stance must have lost her sight after
catching a glimpse of herself in the mir
ror. brought the audience almost to their
last gasp.
II was Fields who lifted the pro-
duction 10 the point OF saturation with
laughs when he appeared In the hat
shop travesty. by Glen MacDonough. and
In q typical knockabout scene OF re-
bustious comedy tried various ghastiy
hats on Miss Mcconnell till IL was q
wonder she had any hair left. Again,
after Miss Bayes, Hopper and Ernest
Lambart had amusingly exemplified the
American conception OF the English
triangle play, as written by JOHN
Hastings Turner, Fields was the MAIN
stay OF James Montgomery Flagg's
version OF the English conception OF tho
American triangle, with every one wear
ing six shooters in q Fifth avenue
In MacDonough's "Children's Hour In
n Modern Nursery" with youngsters
lifting TASKS Off pas hip as part of their
early training. Fields was again n Joy
in the part OF the dear little boy dragged
to the party in Lord Fauntleroy costume
by his sister.
"Who Done TT" Miss Nordstrom's
skit on the detective drama, was not go
well done. because it was hefogged with
rhymed couplets. This was atoned for
soon afterward by Miss Bayes in a spe-
cial little act wherein she sang her
songs.
All the fifteen scenes In the two acts
have been elaborately mounted. and cos
tunes OF the nth power have been heaped
on the exceptionally pretty chorus. while
Leon Enrol in staging II has made the
Snapshots" move with the celerity of a
motion picture machine.
In The Bamboula," sort OF Argen-
tine dance that is one of tho many
novelties In the production, there Is re-
vealed tho most striking musical comedy
effect of the season, and II is only on the
musical side. done by Mel Franklin
and George Gershwin. that II is weak.
Ruth Hale and George Mckay wero
others deserving OF notice.