The New York herald., 1922-11-05
- Stories uDd e9ketcbes of The Stage
The Talk of Broadway
By FRANK VREELAND

Evanston, H., recently, but so far
Bacon has been proof against the
usual filial Establishments.
However, Bacon is said TO be
growing a trifies weary OF playing in
'Lightnin'," for it seems that on the
stage az elsewhere YOU can have too
much of a good thing. lie recently
insisted on a short vacation, and that
is why when his comedy quits in
Chicago on December 9. it will not
resume in Boston until Christmas
week by which time it is expected
that Bacon will be in form again for
his customary curtain speech. The
play has been breaking all records in
Chicago. being scheduled to close with
600 performances to its credit. which
puts even The Bat" into the also ran
class.
The piece has also been breaking
records in Australia, where John Col
den turned it out to grass on rental
basis. John OHara. who has been
playing character parts here for
years, has just returned after having
completed the unprecedented engage
ment in the piece Of eighteen months
solid in Australia and New Zealand,
where long runs are as rare as the
duck billed platypus. The comedy was
kept going for five months in Sydney
and four months in Melbourne, where
any engagement over eight or ten
weeks might almost be considered
subject for hysteria.
Guy Bolton is to be heard from
again as a. dramatist, though it will
be so far out of town that it may be
hardly more than an echo. His latest
play, Polly Preferred" which sounds
like further developments in the case
of Polly With a Past" will be tried
out in Cleveland on November at
the Metropolitan Theater Patricia
COLLEGE will play the leading role, un-
der the visiting star" stock system,
whereby Robert Mclaughlin main
tains a sort of exchange professor
ship in actresses at that house. Win
chell Smith is to stage it, and the
company will begin plowing through
rehearsals tomorrow.
At the same house the coming
month the stock company will try nut
the adaptation of the French play, lie
Retour," which Avery Hopwood has
made at the instigation of A. IL
Woods. McLaughlins play "Decam-
eron Nights" which is reported to
have been one of the outstanding hits
Of London, will probably not be done
by William A. Brady until next sea-
son, after he has brushed the last in
sect from the stage.
Another work in which Guy Bolton
| will be represented Is the musical
comedy with which the Duncan Sis
\ ters are figuring. conservauvely
speaking. TO startle Broadway. With
| Bottoms help on the dialogue they
wrote book, lyrics and music for 1t
themselves, SO they ought TO know.
This will be the next production on
Sam H. Harris's list, after which will
come Secrets" by Rudolf Besier and
May Edginton, as soon as Margaret
Lawrence can be enticed back from
her favorite holiday resort, Europe.
| one of the interesting sidelights on
! the theatrical district IS the fact that
Harry p. Smith well known IS lib
rettist OF n score of musical comedies,
received such acetylene treatment for
the books he wrote for shows in the
past few years that he took refuge
behind the name of Frank Dalton"
AZ a form of asbestos That's why
some Of the Broadway habitues have
/ been isking lately whats become
of Harry 3. Smith" To which the
answer can now be made. Hes been
writing for old Frank Dalton"
His name has appeared in this form
on several programs. of which the lat
est is "Springtme Of Youth" He was
thus billed in the out Of town tryout
but as soon as the piece romped into
New York IL lost its Smith identity and
appeared simply IS an adaptation
from the German. though probably
Smith isn't worrying about the loss
of Dalton's name from the program as
long as he is enjoying Franks royal
ties.
A. L. Erlanger has been proceeding
unobtrusively with the erection Of his
new musical hall on Forty fourth
street. near Eighth avenue. in which
t l.. Ziegfeld, Jr.. is said 10 have more
than a fraternal interest. II Is ex-
pectcd that It will be completed ir
four or five months. and that IL VIII
be ready for opening next season as
a regular music hall. run along the
lines of the music hall which made
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