Evening star., 1926-09-26
Wide Range of Material,
Both Smooth and Rough
BY PHILANDER JOHNSON.

mental impressions the name Marx
is introduced prominently to atten-
ton. The Marx brothers relieve
enormously severe stress hereto
fore arising from the philosophical
No more complete antidote for that
sociological brain twister, Karl
Marx. could be desired. In fact, it
does not need all four Marxes to
keep Karl from getting the upper
hand in this gloom-dispelling enter
prise known at the National The
alter as The Cocoanuts." One of
the foursome could have managed
it single handed with his gifts of
comedy. rather Chaplne sque, and the
assistance of lines which proved
mirth-provoking in speech. though
hardly OF the literary caiber that
would warrant their embaiming
even in an encyclopedia of the
worlds greatest humor. four dollars
down and one dollar a week indeh-
nitely.
There is mirthful magic in a num-
Der four. Many a musical show has
been built around a quartet which
burdened gentlemen who had mas
tered the technique of what was
known as the barber shop chord
with all sorts of acting responsible
ties. They were usually singers. not
actors. AS a result. the quartet
comedy" was classified as one Of the
theater hoodoos along with the
comic opera king" and the play
with the happy ending. As mat
ter Of fact. some Of these much de
rided productions were first rate. and
successful. in spite Of the Broadway
hammer, which resounds so vocifer-
ously, but never made a real dent
when the 'old stuff" had a reason
able share OF merit We have had
the four Cohans and the saxophone
quartet and innumerable other fours.
not to mention that ancient and
comparatively innocent institution
4-ll-44; all of them more or less
lucky for somebody.
INC Marx brothers do not depend
on vocalization. but entirely on COM
edy. and in doing SO their author
brings up another derelict. in the
estimation Of those o! the Rialto
know alls. the pun. Since it was
first discovered that the sound Of
the letter B represented both verb
and an insect the pun has -four
ished without hindrance And a
good pun has frequently made a
place in the highest circles of
taste Shakespeare uses the pun
frequently. John Brougham. one Of
the early American comic authors.
who held himself in line with the
taste established by tine standard
writers of the English language
used it in rhyming mrth without
stint in the extravaganza "Pocahon-
tas.' In the interesting develop
ment of American revue. now very
different from the European type of
entertainment similarly titled. which
undertakes to throw sidelights of
satirical fancy on current events. the
pun is used unsparingly. dehantly
atrocious'y. Yet every one of these
little popguns Of rhetoric seems to
land on all brows alike, high or low.
and sink in The Cocoanuts" pro-
vides a complete demonstration Of
the fact that the personality of the
player has everything to do with the
transmission Of a line where the
mental receiving station is attuned
for laughter. regardless of idea.
**
The fact that audiences thronged
the theater to enjoy this abundance
Of beauty and buffoonery proves
thai the underlying idea has no I'M
portant effect on the appreciation
Of an entertainment swiftly moving
through br liant and bewidering
varie cations of colors. The basic idea
OF The Cocoanuts" is not furiously
funny. even when interpreted as a
jestfuI contemplation of the crook
detective drama. Its more obvious
burlesque has to do with the Florida
land boom. portrayed in hilarious ex-
tfavagance of caricature. It seemed
dangerously near the topical quality
which distinguished the revue in its
original form and which has been
abandoned because the news picture
changes so often and suddenly.
While enjoying the fun Of the mo-
mcnt the Imagination of delighted
audiences did not hark even so far
back as the latest news from the
scene Of sorrow and devastation
The best relaxation is that which
enables us to forget. and here is re-
taxation efectual. indeed. able even
10 smother the reminders Of imme-
diate misfortune, which in plot it
necessarily carries.
X
The optimism Of the playgoing
public is limitless. and the long dis
cipline il has had in thrusting aside
what is incidentally repellent for the
sake of strong idea or a merry
demonstration has made possible a
series OF plays whose ooarseness of
expression can he tolerated only on
the theory that drama has right to
represent people as they are and
that a vulgar type must not be arti-