The New York herald., 1922-03-14
Frances White Has
Boy and Girl Part
IN Bedroom Comedy
ing Hotel Mouse at Shubert
/Theater Reveals Actress
in New Light.

n One problem was cleared up last night
BY The Hotel Mouse which crept into
fhe Shubert Theater. That was the moot
question whether Frances Whites hair
can be unfurled. or whether 1t has been
permanently glued back in her own par
ficular coiffure. 1t can now be said au-
thoritatively that her hair can be un-
furled.
This is really an important point that
has hitherto been unsettled in Miss
Whites previous vehicles, wherein her
childlike brow seemed forever cleaving
through waves of slickly combed locks.
IL for nothing else this musical comedy
presented by Lee. and J. j. Shubert is
notable for setting at rest the argument
as to whether there is any known COM
bination that can open up Miss Whites
tTesses.
You see. there happened to be a bed
a. this plot, so Miss White had to let
down her back hair Oh. It was really
quite proper bed, as well trained as
Miss Whites hair And Miss White
hoped into it for a quite valid musical
comedy reason, concerned principally
with giving nice young man a chance
to fall in love with her. She happened
1ots of things just happened-to be
poor little innocent girl. who was corr
PEELED by an elderly Fagin to earn a
dishonest living by robbing hotel guests.
When she seeks to steal the inevita-
ple pearl of great price from a wealthy
young American in a Monte Carlo hotel
ne discovers her, sympathizes with her
and decides to protect her. after the en-
gaging habit Of young Americans in
nuscal comedy. who always extend the
Monroe Doctrine TO young women
abroad. When the aroused house detec-
tive raps on his door to search his room
for the thief, she, it seems. isn't dressed
70 be arrested, or something like that.
You catch the idea? So OF course she
skins into his bed and pretends to be
the Americans guest, overcome by some
thing at the little supper they had been
having.
This gives scope for touching good
might scene in which Miss White.
swarped in suit OF pajamas three
sizes too large. tucks quilt over her
gallant cavalier, sleeping on a couch as
Ear away from the bedroom as the stage
will permit. Likewise il gives scope for
Miss White. after being thus harbored
all hight. to look very hoyish in boys
clothes and to masquerade as her own
xwina brother for libretto purposes
Finally the way Is paved for the hero
10 believe she has broken her promise
mot to steal, and for the second act TO
erd lin a dreadful to-da, with all the
male principals extending their straw
hats in the air and revealing their hat
Ter s. name TO the audience. II is really
quite interesting.
Whenever Miss White danced. as she
did a great deal during the second act.
her instructive grace and petite in
soucfance seemed to make Monte Carlo
more as advertised. Her loosened hair
looked quite pretty, while when it was
combed back one wondered IL she had
10 anchor her hats on with skid chains.
Her moments OF gaminerie were her
best and her saucness in her songs with
Taylor Holmes carried them beyond the
passing mark.
Holmes, exposed to the spotlight as
n co-star, seemed to have suppressed
his sense of humor very sternly Most
of the comedy was drawn from Barnett
Parker as a butler and not always
drawn with the ease with which he ex-
fracted corks. In fact. Guy Bolton. in
ADAPTING this French farce by Gerbidon
and Armont, seems to have decided that
Gallo humor cost too much to import.
But there was no tariff on the music,
and Oscar Radin led the orchestra
through numbers by Armand Vecsey
and the late Ivan Caryll that made
friends easily with cordial audience.