The New York herald., 1921-05-20

The Three Musketeers," done at the
Manhattan Opera House last night by
the Southern Light Opera Company,
turned out to be Alexandra Dumas dis
guised as Gilbert ana Sullivan. Richard
w. Temple. who not only adapted one
OF the best known episodes of this ro-
nance TO the stage ard wrote music Into
it but also played the leading role. had
been the secretary. 1t seems. OF Sir Ar
thur Sullivan. and had evidently studied
his master closely while answering his
correspondence.
With so much OF these mentors in
jected into the musical paraphraee OF
the novel, much of II had the elements
for pleasing in It, and some OF the music
was quite enhancing. so much so that
Tin Pan Alley Is likely to attend tho
next few performances to get good
ideas. Such numbers as "oh. Friend
ship you'll Have to Find Another
Girl" and "Now Drink Glass With
Me, My Friends" would by themselves
be sufficient TO make any ordinary
musical comedy successful II hitched 10
rhymes about the moon and June and
apple blossom time In Saugerties, y. X.
There were charming little turns and
uuirks to the musical phrases that We're
agreeably redolent OF the spirit of Sui
| INSH anu, dpFTOpIlalelN tlObbBs IL Nf'S
sprinkled with duets. trios, quartcts
and quintete quite in the classic Savoy
ard manner.
In fact, 1t was so reminiscent Of that
famous theatre that IL is matter for
surprise that Temple did not alter the
original so as TO have his hero, DIR
fdOadr. come from Savoy instead OF
Gascony in France. The librettist-con-
poser-star In that role was very busy
man. and might be called temple of
the arts. His voice was not always as
keen and bright as his sword. but pos
sibly that was due to his being almost
consistently out Of breath, which was
to be expected of a man who had to be
all over the stage fighting duels one
minute and tine next making fowery and
rather plethoric speeches to q lady But
he managed to keep the performance
lively when he was on, even II he did
wear out n powerful lot OF boot leather.
He swashbuckled IN such robust style
that he frequently had difficulty keep
ing on his cloak and was busy tying
knots IN It's neck cord half the time he
was singing.
Mr.. Temple has taken the episode Of
the secret gift token of string OF dia-
ulonds given by the Queen Of France TO
her lover, the Duke OF Buckingham, and
the story revolves about D'Artrgrdn's
wild Journey to London 10 recover II
from buckingham before Louis XIII.
suspected and pulled the Queens hair.
The play Huctuates in interest consid-
erably, but every once in while duel
pops up and perks up the attention. In
cramming Dumas into two acts Temple
has made the writer somewhat atten-
uated, hut there are occasional streaks
OF humor as fat in the lean narrative.
The settings range from the some
what odd and crude, such as the boudoir
Of Queen Arne, to the stately and I'm
pressive scene OF the ballroom In the
Hotel de yille. and perhaps the author
did these, too, in his leisure moments.
Some silhouette scenes OF DATtd0-
MANS ride to Calais were suggestive or
the movies and perhaps for that reason
hard 10 understand, but they were ex-
, citing. anyhow. John Parsons looked
the part OF Porthos and sang with
pleasant, sonorous baritone. and Miss
Paula Temple. daughter OF the librettist-
couposer-star, filled the Qneer'8 robes
satisfactorily. while Edward Emery ne
Cardinal RjcheHcu made hts name OF
Armand jean DuptcsSts stand for duplic-
NV Charles Angelo as the King had
hts amusing moments OF royal futility,
but the rest OF the company, while pic
turesauely garbed. had no stage per
sonality and makeup that gave them
bilious appearance. Despite these
occasional flaws. THE Three Muske-
teers" carries itself bravely.
Among the spectators was Admiral
Andrew Duplessls dc Richelieu or Den
mark, who, In spite OF the striking
similarity In name, does not claim de-
scent from the family 10 which the
famous minister OF Louis Mi. be-
longed.