The New York herald., 1921-05-04
Fairbanks 7'winS
in a Seagoing
Musical Comedy
sTwo Little Girls i'm Blue Pic
turesquely Staged on
Shipboard.

Two Little Girls In Blue." a musical
play which A. L. Erlanger presented a.
George M. Cohan's Theatre last night,
might have been renamed Twenty
ladies' OF the ensemble-pardon. they
we're more than that. being denoted "the
personality contingent" on the pro-
gramme-wore costumes OF a simmer
Ing sumptuousness that might easily be
melted down into part Of the German
indemnity. The gowns were Of
dazzling brilliance to arouse the envy OF
even a movie queen.
The girls themselves formed the pret-
test chorus now to be seen on Broad
way. with a comeliness that approached
the Ziegfeldian standard. The steamer
on which the whole fracas took place
during the three acts. especially the
main saloon In the second act, might
very we'll have been composed OF the
ornate fittings torn out Of the Lewis
than. Travelling ia certainly q great
pleasure-on the stage.
This transatlantic piece ties up here
inst after Just Married." another
marine farce. but 1t Is not seagoing
bedroom farce like the latter. while at
the same time being far from watery.
The only bedroom episode occurred
when the stateroom of two young women
was searched In the belief that they
we're robbers. and that was as pink with
nropriety as their negligees Moreover.
it presently became striking novelty.
with the staterooms on each side sud-
denly turned transparent and revealing
a prma donna at her evening calls
themes Of bending twenty times to the
floor and a young man at his evening
calisthenics OF drinking the hard stuff.
On the realistic deck above them the rest
Of the company Is shown draped over the
rail with the towering tunnels behind,
and the audience cheers just as though
they had friends aboard whom they
hoped not to see in some time.
The book by Fred Jackson is the prin-
c.pal part Of the production that isn't
Gilt edged. 1t has some original ideas,
not developed as fully as they might
he, and not as amusing as one might
expect from this author, perhaps be-
cause he wrote II while enjoying him.
self at week end party. 1t has Its
inception In the difficulty in telling
apart pair Of twins which must have
Bothered the movie directors when the
Fairbanks Twins were playing in the
movies and probably upset several
'Folies" rehearsals They carry the
curls OF the Sdrtoris Ttotns, who must
get TO India to gain an inheritance, but
having only enough money for one pas
sage decide that the other shall be
slowed aboard and impersonnte her sis
ter whenever she needs little air and
few meals.
They kept changing places, TO the
infinite and sometimes divertirg bewil-
derment Of two young men who believed
they were in love with only one girl.
while things were made easy for the
spectators in a careful explanation that
one always wore blue. the other pink.
or course, with two pairs or young
women and young men, one OF whom
| was being blackmailed by an adven-
turess for an old affair. events naturally
called for dancing and singing duos
with an occasional foursome. and this
happened at as regular intervals as g
| diet. The winsome Fairbanks pail
couldn't sing ballads much better thar
| canaries could. but when they danced
they told the world something. Oscar
Shaw and Fred Santley as the friendly
rivals had some pleasant persifiage. ar
occasional good song, such as "Yot
| Started Something" and Who's Who
with You" and kept things moving with
their feet. Santley appeared much Slim
mer Whlle MS voice was no more ropusl
| 1t was Olin Howiand who furnished
| the chief amusement Of the evening as
burlesque detective. delivering a cou-
| pie of songs well and performing 9
| dance that won him an ovation foi
breaking the terpischorean broad Jumr
record. He should be on the stage more
often, even II he has to be carried on
| Miss Julia Kelety as the adventures
and Miss Emma Janvier as the prirna
| donna were others in the swim.
Ned Weyburn has been as n father
| to the piece, staging 1t with smart nov-
elites. The music by Paul Lanning and
| Vincent Youmans isn't always strong
enough to stand a sea voyage. but Tive
Little Girls In Blue" is a good summer
excursion trim.