The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-07-28

Hospital Benefit Proved Unqual-
ified Success
BIG HIT BY LOCAL TALENT
Community Generously Responds
to Efforts of Mr.. and
Mrs. Elliot

AN tAtcpllOHdly Boou dIHuttuI pIO'
duction with complete professional
finish would perhaps describe the
farce, "What Happened to JONES' as
presented at the opera house, Wednes.
day evening by Mr. and Mrs. Arthur
Elliot for the benefit Of the Putnam
Memorial hospital and under the man
agement of the Womens Hospital
League.
In the last few years Bennington
has been developing considerable
talent among its young people. and
some OF them not so young. at that,
due in a large measure to the fact
that Mr.. and Mrs. Elliot have been
making bennington their summer
home. This unusual development
was largely in evidence Wednesday
evening when the result was an enter
tanment that would have been con.
sidered credtable in any theatre. As
one delighted member of the audience
remarked when the curtain descend
ed at the close OF the last act, THAT
bunch has the road company that
gave the same show here few years
ago skinned mile"
II the production were character
lied by any one predominating fea-
ture 1t would seem that IL was the
elimination OF the little faults OF
mannerism which always distinguish
home talent theatricals when com
pared with the work OF professionals.
''What Happened to Jones' Wednes-
day evening was smooth piece of
work. There were none Of the
wrinkles one expects when he pur-
chases a theatre ticket to see his
friends and nelghbors Appear upon
the stage" A fine touch, too, was
the evident effort of the two profess
sionals that their parts and their
work should not stand out and away
from that OF other members or the
company hut should blend into the
production harmoniously.
what Happened to Jones' is SER
les of complications that arise when
a professor of anatomy Is caioied by
prospective son;in-law into attend
ing a prize fight The police raid, they
fight and while making his escape
the professor Is compelled to handle
an officer rather roughly. Professor
and prospective son-in-law even ilally
land at home where Zones. who
travels for q hymn book house, also
finds refuge The professor and his
family. consisting of a wife. two
daughters and a ward. are expecting
visit from his brother, the bishop OF
Ballarat. Australia. A suit of clothes
has been made for the bishop. accord
ing to instructions received by letter,
and to avoid detection by officers who
are besieging the house the hymn
book salesman dones the clerical gar
ments and become an impostor. Here
is where the things that Happen to
Jones' begin.
II one did not know better he might
imagine that the part of Jones" we're
we're written for Luther X. Graves,
I'd. At any rate ne fitted the role
like a new glove. The possibilities of
a travelling salesman masQuerading as
a bishop were utilized to their full
est extent.
Two OF the more difficult parts fell
to the lots Of Leonard 0uthwaite as
Prof. Ebenezer Goodly and to Mrs.
Lillian Won Dette as his wife, If
memory serves correctly, this was
Mr.. Outhwaite's first appearance in a
Remington local talent company and
the excellence OF his work was some
thing of surprise. A young man
amateur In an old mans part is ever
at a disadvantage but Mr.. Outhwates
portrayal left nothing undone.
Mrs. Won Dette has already demon
strated the possession of ability in a
part like that assigned her in What
Happened to Jones'" and the audience
was prepared for an excellent rem
ditlon. Although she was off and on
the stage from the opening OF the
first act unit, the last drop she was
ever the loving wife Of distracted
husband who had gotten into a scrape
and was trying to pull himself out.
Mr.. Elliot made real bishop or
Ballarat and he also was the real
comedian, the part necessitating a
difficult tranposition.
Edward Lane. as Thomas Holden,
the policeman, was as thick, stupid
and conceited as professional COM
edy cop is supposed to be. His exit
near the close Of the last act was one
OF the features of the entertainment.
Joseph McDermott as william
Bigbee, the escaped inmate Of the
sanatorium next door who was per
fectly harmless but imagined himself
an Indian in search of squaw," gave
the audience something out of his
usual line. If Joe had only added Il
verse from cheyenne to his war
dance he would have had fairly
good impersonation of Jefferson De
Angels as he appeared here a mum.
ber OF years ago
DR.. Lucretus II. Ross, as Henry
Fuller, superintendent of the sana-
torium. was 'real cruel" something
entirely out of the doctors line and
therefore all the more appreciated.
In farce comedy there Is always
one character who Is supposed To