The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-04-23

or he would soon retire from the bust
ness. Maybe certain kinds of opinion
are always not as much opposed to
him as they were in these examples.
Yet these three dicta changed the
aspect of certain dramatic perform
ances.
In the first case the manager said:
Nobody wants to see gray haired
Jane Doe"
In the second the words. were
women like to see dresses, not uni
forms They all know dress, but few
know yachting"
In the third and last case the ig-
nored dictum was thus expressed:
"Once you act the mother of six you
will be an old woman in the eyes Of
your public forever after"
And, gosh darn it, as Chic Sales
might say, they were all three true.
The Vaudeville Third.
This is the week set aside for the
celebration all through the country of
Keith vaudevilles first third of a CEN
fury. 1t seems as IL vaudeville must
have existed much longer Indeed, it
must always have been with us. Yet
it was very different before the Keith
hall mark was indelibly stamped on
it. Vaudeville has become in this more
than thirty years one of the glories of
the American theater. What was
called vaudeville before that time was
very different.
There are many remarkable fca
lures in vaudeville's influence on other
branches OF the drama that might
profitably be discussed here. 1t hap
pens that there is only time for one.
The lighter form OF dramatic enter
tainment in the theater has for years
drawn on TIE vaudeville theatcrs.
The principal comedians in revues,
musical comedies and operetta have
come from vaudeville. Fred Stone, Al
Jolson, Eddie Cantor. Ed Wynn, Leon
Enrol. Sam Bernard. Marilynn Miller,
Charlotte Greenwood and Irene Bor-
doni, to mention only a few names,
came to the stage from vaudeville.
Success in that field is certain to be
enduring since only unusual talents
come to the top there.
1t Is OF the utmost importance to
the theater that vaudeville should
maintain its high standard, and for
that reason the celebration Of the
Keith success has a special elouuence.
There are indications that in the con-
slant effort Of the managers to in
crease the supply OF musical plays in
response to the public taste the sup
ply of stars is growing short. Two
extravaganzas now on view offer in
teresting proof of the approaching
drought of funny men and women.
really running low. Vaudeville has
on his agile young shoulders the brunt
of an entertainment? Has he attained
to the skill and resource Of AL Jolson,
for instance, not to mention so ac-
complished star as the incompatible
Fred Stone? Can he really be taken
as more. for instance, than domi-
mating figure in the ensemble? Then
how about Charlotte Greenwood? Her
physical peculiarities used to make
her an eccentric detail in the comedy
Of the big musical shows at the Win
ter Garden, and laughable enough she
was. But Miss Greenwood as the i'm
portant figure throughout whole eve
ming Is the thought that makes one
hope for the continued success Of
vaudeville. If she and Mr.. Cantor are
the only available stars the supply is
really running low. Vaudeville has
been drained, to be sure. from time to
time. But IL is fruitful, and may be
counted on to turn out more stars.