Evening star., 1925-01-04
PRINCETON PLAY
/ E,zAL MEL0DRAMA
"ScarIet Coat" Features
Murder on Lavish Scale
Before Big Crowd.

Princeton University's versatile TIL
angle Club dashed into washington
last night and transformed the stage
Of the President Theater into one or
the most dastardly, blood -curdl1ng
frontier outposts Of the great North
west that a troupe OF leering villains,
half breed trappers, mounted police,
dance hall girls and what-not could
conjure up.
THE Scarlet Coat" q musical ro-
nance in two acts, they called It, and
1t was all of that. Featured by ac-
ton of the two-fisted, Alaskan movie
melodrama sort - lots of shooting
heh-hehing, man hunting and all
around villainy-the capacity audi
ence of grads, relatives and friends
forgot all about the realistically cold
theater in the heat of the excitement
1t was a thoroughly Princetonian
production, from the tuneful lyrics
and orchestra to that chilI-producing
snowstorm on the Koyukuk River.
And you fellows who long for
wimyun as is wimyun, we'll, those
trading post gals didn't even exempt
Secretary of the Navy Wilbur and
Speaker Gillett from those vampish
glances, despite the presence of the
ladies accompanying them. If any
thing, those chorus girls were too
effeminate.
Has Regular Plot.
Yes, there's a plot to the thing.
It seems that somebody around the
trading post, seeking variety in mur-
ders, had popped off one of the scar
let coats" those brave-hearted mem
bers of the Royal Mounted. Some
thing had to be done about II, go the
villain, curling his moustache, directs
suspicion at Pierre, carefree trapper
of the woods, and courts meanwhile
Charline. daughter Of the dance hall
proprietor. OF course, Pierre also
falls in love with the innocent, heart
tingling little Charline, and the
mortal feud between these two men
serves as the basis for a liberal sup
ply of six-shooting and rioting.
Just as the police of the first pre-
cfnct were about TO step in and
prevent the hanging of several per-
fectly innocent men accused Of the
murder of the carlet coat, what did
the resourcefuI Pierre do but expose
the real culprit, who, gosh dang It.
was none other, exclusively and
solely the cringing accuser himself.
It was most thrilling. or. as Secret
w. Service, the anemic poet, whose
visit to the trading post for color
furnished the basis for many of the
laughs, would have it-"perfectly
priceless"
Casting Is Excellent.
The work of Irwin Thompson in the
role of the poet, let us say in pass
ing, won well merited applause. To
single out any particular performer
for praise, however, would be a diff
cult task. Avery Sherry made a much
better saloonkeepers daughter than
the daughter herself would have
made, and Lawrence Braman, as
Maybelle, the dance hall queen, had
even the rough voice Of an uncouth
lady.
Robert Crawford made an excel
lently romantic trapper, aided and
abetted by a good voice. The char
acter acting of Jack Hamlin in the
role of pleptomaniac, is worth spe-
cial mention. There never was a
villain with more sneers and ahas per
act than William Brenton portrayed
last night. Broke-Again-Bill, a pros
pector. as conceived by Day Edgar,
should have rosy prospects, and
Scotch of several kinds was spilled
around during the evening by James
Macintosh, as MacGregor, the dance
hall owner.
Others in the cast were Julian Street
jr, as mounted man-hunter: Hugo
Bell as a Squaw, Adolph Schmidt as
another mounted policeman and
Waller Booth, jr., and Jack Evans as
gamblers.
In addition to the creditable rnusi-
cal score rendered by the orchestra,
the production boasts some real jazz,
as played by the Triangle Jazz Band.
There were many high lights, such as
the illustrated ballad There's
No Place Like Nome with heart
rending stereoptican accompaniment
and some lively stepping, both by
the choruses and individual stars.
The book is by Day Edgar and Ju-
lian Street, jr., and the music by Rob
ert Crawford. Lyrics are by Ernest
Heyn, Day Edgar and Julian Street,
jr. The handiwork of Ned Wayburn
was easily discernible in the work of
the chorus.
At the conclusion of the show the
ensemble and audience Joined in
singing "Old Nassau winding up with
three cheers for their alma mater and
an ensemble cheer for Washington.
So everybody left happy.
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