The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-18
THREE WISE FOOLS" ADMIRABLE COMEDY
 SUPERBLY ACTED

Patrons of the Jefferson theatre have seldom seen better acted or better written play than Three Wise Fools, company of actors who gave a perform ance that approached perfection. Love, laughter and thrills in abundance are the clements of this intensely Interesting drama by Austin Strong. which com pines with admirable comedy the TO- nance of youth old age that cannot for get lost love and dash of melodrama
 Three old bachelors, wealthy busi- ness man, a judge and successful phy- scan, were drawn together into indis- soluble bonds of friendship by their love for the same girl. They are the modern embodiment of The Three Musketeers" :" They are keeping bachelors hall, and as men who lead that kind of life often do, they have fallen into ruts, each set iii his ways and intolerant of change.
 pr. Richard Gaunt, one of the friends is expoanding his theory that what they need is some kind of emotion that will lift them out of themselves when they learn that the girl who disappeared when they were young has died in ab ject poverty and willed to them her daughter, who comes to make her home with them.
 The transformation wrought in their lsvaa and in their characters as well, $ both amusing and pathetic but just vshsn their happiness has reached cit alaN n a celebration of the first month sne Nas spent under their roof, the shadow of crime and revenge Is cast over the household and involves the adopted daughter. There are moments wien even veteran theatregoer forgets fhat he is merely witnessing play l tribute to the art of the actors and the si.li of the playwright who achieves a striking climax.
 Cf course the girl is quickly cleared or hlame and her apparent connection with crooks is found due to her devotion for wronged father, but the meiodrama is genuine and there is a feeling of relief when the sudden snarl in the lives of the characters is straightened out.
 Claude Gillingwater as Theodore Find ley. Harry Davenport as Dr. Richard Gaunt and Howard Gould as Judge Trumbull are the three friends Each gives fine inpersonation of the role assigned to him and it would be hard to imagine trio of actors better suited to these parts.
 The humor, irascbility and profanity of Findley are qualities which do moi conceal the warmth of his heart, MT G;llingwater played this role with all tie relish of man who enjoyed his work It is one of the truest portrayals of an amusing and exceptionally we'll draw type that has been seen on the ioca stage in years. But there is no room for dspara cement of his two associates whd are both actors of unusual ability
 Gordon Schuyler. nephew of Findley ; with whom he has more than one wordy battle, was played by Donald Foster with the vitality and aggressiveness o' youth MT, Foster invested the charac' ter with juvenile freshness and the trails we associate with young America at its best Miss Helen Menken was the girl in the case.'' and wonderful gir she proved to be, by her charm anc beauty laying the susceptible bachelors at her feet
 The minor parts were almost without exception well acted and added realism to the play Three Wise FoolsN will be at the Jefferson this afternoon and to- night It is the kind of play that nc one can afford to miss seeing