The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1924-07-12
CRITIC FINDS A
SHOCKING SHOW
Hard-BoiIed Broadway Is
Stunned by Scandals
BY THE NEA PLAY JURY

BY THE NEA PLAY JURY
NEW YORK, July 12-"The Scan
dals Of 1924 staged and produced
by George White, will succeed in New
York mainly because the audience
that attends a high-priced musical
revue here is vulgar in every sense
of the word. 1t is composed largely
of night-fyers, the kind who relish
dirty joke, people who have more
money than brains and who think it
is smart to sacrifice their finer ma
lures and delicacy to be in the thick
of the so-called white lights.
This juror has attended many
shows of all kinds, but never has he
heard an alleged joke as smutty, as
dirty, as filthy, as hopelessly indie
cent as one he heard in the Scandals
third night performance. 1t is i'm
possible to repeat it here because of
postal regulations. This remarkable
bit Of wit provoked a gale of laugh
ter. despite the fact that the Joke"
was as old as the hills. 1t was one
of those kind that some men tell
each other when women aren't pres
emit
But that isn't all The show opens
with a song by the Williams Sisters
called Just Missed the Opening
Chorus" 1t is a clever device to
fool some of the late corners, but in
reality it is intended only to occupy
such time as required to seat all
First Shock
Then the real opening chorus
comes on and the audience is in for
its first shock. New York critics are
used to seeing thinly-clad choruses
in revues, but the first chorus in the
Scandals outshocked any previous
efforts. The girls wore white cos
tunes with the skirts slit from the
hips. 1t is a bald attempt to APP
peal to the physical. Decent WON
en- in the audience hid their faces
until they could get used to the
spectacle. One couple left the the
alter, though the curtain had been
up but a few minutes and the seats
cost $4.40 each, excluding specula
tors rake-off.
The Scandals would do well, if ii
takes the road, TO revise the show
somewhat, or stay away from such
cities where the morals Of the com
munity are on a higher level than
those in New York If the show
&c 4 V,fl ~
some communities, il would be closed
speedily and run out Of town. AS
it is, this juror predicts the New
York police. If they ever get wise,
viii force the management to tone
down some Of the lines and put more
clothes on the girls.
Some Fun Here
The sad thing about the Scandals
is the undeniable fact that the cast
must contain some girls whose ma
lures revolt against the orders Of
George White. White knows his
New York audience And apparent
ly he has no scruples against appeal
ing to their hcentious appetites. But
what would the mothers and fathers
of some Of the girls say IL they were
to see their daughters in such a
disgusting display?
The show isn't all vulgar. It has
some really funny and clean skits.
1t has a world of beautiful girls. the
music tuneful and the dancing. espe.
cially by the De Marcos. is excellent.
One girl particularly seems out OF
place. She is Winnie Lightner,
a winsome, clean-cut. wholesome
young woman who knows how to
put a song over.
But all Of this can't cover up nor
blot out its disgusting, vulgar and
licentious features.