Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-01-10
PLENTY OF LAUGHS
IN LADIES NIGHT"
New Farce at Lyric Keeps
Audience in Uproar and
Scores Decided Success

I,yric-If there were any more scream
,ny farce I'm the second act, 'Ladics
Nieht' couldn't 20 on. The actors nay
10 fence with the audience to get thel
lines in between the whirlwlnds, am
there IS scarcely moment or rea
silence in the house. The widely ad
vrrtised fact that much of the play i
staged in Turkish bath on ladies'
night probably attracted a big perCSShl
age of the crowded house from dlIier
ent angle than the farcical ono ou
they remained to enjoy Thoroughly
snappy show that gets under way a
cnce and that doesn't slow up until the
final curtain. Of course II rlsquc' bu,
there isn't anything in it to cause u
serious shock on that account TO any
one who has fol owed the average muSl'
cal comedies of recent years. It's genu
inc fun so overshndowS everything else
and Ia so altogether pleasant that there
are no disagreeabe after effects. 'ur
grandmothers would probably have been
Mortified at its frankness. But we arcn
producing shows today for our grand
mothers.
The action is strung on very thin
thread of story which can be told IN a
few Sentences. Jimmy Walters and his
dear little wife Dulrv arc almost at the
breaking point because Jimmy will never
70 out to parties with her. Jimmy pre-
tends he is too busy with his Inventions
but confidcS to his two boon Comn0n-
ions that he is really 50 old-taNhioncd
and super sensitive that he doesn't know
how to act when he Is talking IN ~tranG"
women in the dCcollctC evening gowns
of today His friends recommend home
opathic treatment: they take him 10 an
extremely shady dancing hall with the
idea Of getting him So accustomed TO
LACK of gowns that the dresses Of his
wife's friends will seem tame and alto
gether modest in c"muariSon. lhev 60
disguised as women while their wives
20 to a Turkish hath for the night. The
dance is raided and in fleeing over the
roof and iumDing in through an opcn
window. the three mon unintcnt!onaIly
invade the bath And the fun becomes
cyclonic as they try 70 escape. especially
from discovery wv their wives. Jimmy
IS cured. DccOlCtc means nothing in
his young 'ifc after thHt night.
John Arthur as Jimmy was idPnlly
cast. His assumption Of welI-mcanng
stupidity could scarcely be surpassed
and was along the same lines with
which he brought success to n similar
play, "Up in Nlahol'S Room two
seasons ago. Edward Douglas and
Domer Barton as mis- Two friends car
ried lot of the fun. which might have
been improved by less of the burlcsQuc
in Barton's methods.
Few plays have brought such n COL
lection of charming young women 10 one
stage and most of them are sufficiently
clever condolences to put their parts
across successfully. Grace Kabcr and
Florence Reilly get most of the laughs
by their chorus girl views Of life in the
bath scene. Allyn King. formerly
familiar in the "Follies'; Josephine
Sake and Evelyn Goenoll arc three very
personable foils to the three men. and
Mrs. Stuart Robson as the fat woman
who is trying ia reduce started Il great
deal of the fun. Minor parts were
well handled by Madclon lie Varrc,
Pearl Jardinere. Edna Spence. Symona
Boniface, Nellie Fillmore and Helen
Barnes.