The New York herald., 1921-11-15
Natures NobLeman'
Adds Nothing to
Louis Mann'S Fame
Play of Summer Resort Life
Suggests Vaudeville and
Sounds Like Dramatic Jazz.

Louis Mann in the title role OF Ma
ture's Nobleman." which William A.
Brady took under his wing at the Apollo
Theatre last night. did indeed show
magnificent endurance emitting him TO
q decoration, for this comedy drama
held almost as many incidental noises as
q good fire. Perhaps the stars decora-
tions should be earmuffs. This play by
Samuel shipman and Clara Lipman
(Mrs. Mann) probably sets a record In
going further than any other piece in
making the scenery play an audible part
in the action.
Up at Schnit=le1-s summer hotel in the
mountains, where the four acts passed
trains were constantly yawping. pumps
crealing. monographs scraping, pianos
playing, dinner bells ringing and board
ers yelling. Birds made a speciality OF
twirtling by day or night, according TO
choice. One touching scene occurred in
the early morn, when pair of feathered
songsters warbled at one side of the
stage, and the characters all gazed
sweetly in the opposite direction. The
only sound not heard was the buzz OF
mosquitoes.
Some one in the audience suggested
that possibly the original intention had
been to make this a musical comedy,
and the only remaining vestlge of this
idea had been that the authors had
picked out the piccolo notes. the flute
solos, the oboe snores, &c.
Certainly each character seemed to
have motif of cacophony. that was
played whenever ne appeared. The
piano was strlmmed for some. while for
others tho audience sniggered. John
Roche. as the innkeeper's son, seemed
likely TO turn into q Juvenile dancer az
any moment. Whenever Clarke Silver
nail, as a poseur, who did better work
in his last Broadway appearance. said
a line he looked around apparently for
the chorus to join him on the song cue
Then there was q wealthy German
cigar manufacturer, played by Hans
| Hansen, who went around constantly
announcing that his marriageable
daughter had a dowry Of $4,000, and
who might be said to sound the bank
notes OF the evening. The racket finally
got on the nerves of most or the per-
sonages in the play and they protested
only adding to the clamor. No wonder
Mann, as The German innkeeper, looked
so wild eyed most Of the time.
Compared to this clash of sound the
ordinary disturbances of the plot itseli
seemed feeble. There was the hotel
keeper, stewing in German dialect be.
cause his wife was reckless at cards
and he was going bankrupt from bad
business his son, in love with an
other mans wife; her politician hus-
| band. In love with the hotelkeeper'
daughter; the daughter. In love with g
young man so backward she had tc
propose to him, and every one in love
with his own voice. One suspects thai
the authors spent an unquiet vacation
once in the mountains, and wrote this
play to get even. After seeing 1t one
wouldn't be surprised in the Catskills
to find the bluebells turning in a fire
alarm.
Mos. Of the acting was done by the
stage hands behind the scenes. Mr.
Mann had sincere moments, and Mis-:
Sue McManamy and Morgan Wallace
made game fight to be heard above
/ the resounding scenery. Maybe Rich
ard Strauss could make an acceptable
and characteristic symphony out of thi:
crudely vaudevillian piece. But as 4
stands 1t sounds too much like drama
tic Jazz.