The Washington times., 1928-11-27

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Once was time when Eddie
Cantor developed 100000 case
of pleurisy and Mr.. ziegfeld paid
everybody but the specialists.
That was sad. IN "Whoopec" the
pop.eyed comedian suffers from
gas cn the stomach, stop-go
heart, chronic nervousness. feeble
lungs and couple Of operations.
And it Is all very funny. Indeed
the ,musicalized version of Owen
Davis Nervous Wreck clicks
off more laughs to the minute
than the original farce. You may
blame Eddie Cantor alone for the
hysterical condition In which he
managed TO fling g BuIging pre-
miere audience at the National
Theater last night.
such happenings as we're set In
the lands Of the original Amer
leans offered the supreme glorifier
his great moment of colorful
sDlendor. without which a Zieg-
field show would hardly be ZOE
per cent. While score OF
dazzling beauties bedecked In the
vivid blankets, moccasins and gay
feathers Of the POcOhOntas de-
scendants filled the stage with a
spectacular blend OF color down
the winding mountain path came
six handsome stations. Perched
on each was a Lady Godiva--or
were they Hiawathas-each a
vision of Ioveliness and adorned,
unless the eyes deceive, with half
an ounce of beads or something.
A superbIy conceived picture Of
gorgeousness in the vastness OF
nature that not even Reming-
ton could imagine. 1t left the
audience gasping with astonish-
ment and marveling at the J.
tency OF Western whoopee.
. Every now and then some rela.
lively obscure performer has the
good fortune to seize opportunity
and give 1t a hearty welcome.
Mary Jane, nominated to fill the
spot vacated by the well-exploited
Ruby Keller, stopped the show
cold last night. A youthful fresh
ness, topped by waving goldie
locks and a pair Of dancing shoes,
tapped their way to thunderous
encores.
Perhaps you know the story OF
"Whoopee." About the hypocon-
driac. who goes to the higher al
titudes for his many ailments, be-
comes involved in a hold-up, kid
naping, is adopted by the squaw
men and cures his iigh blood pres
sure and sleeplessness by steady
doses of pills and plain excitement.
Eddie Cantor is the patient. From
the minute he appeared leading a
sad-eyed calf until he spreads the
news that "Whoopee" will be $7.70
at the New Amsterdam, he was
generating fun. In one hilarious
moment he was blown into a
black-face makeup by a gas ex-
plosion and offered some of the
typical Cantor songs. Making
Whoopee." "Since the Movies
Learned to Talk" and Hungry
Women" are all strictly Cantorian.
The operate baritone, of Chief
Caupolican doomed out to open
the second act In Love is the
Mountain" most imposing of the
Walter Donaldson tunes. Ethel
lShutta was a capital foil for
many OF the comedians nuips:
Frances Upton an aIluring Sally
who caused most of the trouble
by her elopement from wedding
bells; Ruth Etting was on and
off to sing pleasingly and SyI.
via Adam made strikingly fair
squaw with a. rich contralto. The
rotund VIII Philbrick is first COW.
boy of comedy and brackets of
merit adorned the work of John
Rutherford, Pietro Gentle and
Spencer Charters In the straight
roles.
Tamara Geva, a graduate OF
Boris Raliefrs troupe, was en-.
Joyed in speciality dances. and not
since the original Tiller Girls
flashed in Good Morning, Dea ="
have seen group of dancers
arouse such enthusiasm as the
"a pretty misses trained by Sey-
mour Felix. Their work is per-
fection in the art of precision,
with the originality and novelty
injected In such numbers as the
Stetson, a tribute to the In.
structor and his ninable pupils.
ThA