Judge — July 10, 1926 — page 19: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

JUDGE JUDGING *. SHOWS: 5 MUCH as it may disturb a lot A of sensitive and artistic folk, the fact remains that George White has put on a better revue this year than the Neighborhood Play- house. This news, of course, must come as a great shock to all such per- sons as are firmly convinced that any revue that costs $200,000 must neces- sarily and inevitably be inferior to one that is produced for a couple of hundred. It is a tradition that the less money there is spent on a revue the more wit and originality it con- tains, and that, to the contrary, the moment you see a show full of diamond nightgowns or Urban scen- ery you may rest morally certain that the producer in question is utterly without ideas. Ideas, it appears, are solely the gift of people who haven't gota nickel. Last year, the Neighborhood Pla: house put on a revue that was in many respects the best thing of its kind that has been seen hereabouts in years. It was produced for the approximate outlay for a case of decent Scotch, yet it had enough wit, enough inventiveness and enough humor to build it into excellent en- tertainment. And from this cir- cumstance the presently widespread tradition of which I have spoken took wing. We thereupon began to read innumerable eritiques—of which I myself had the honor to confect one wherein White, the Shuberts and all the other Broadway produce were bidden to jump into a_ taxi without delay and go down to Grand street to learn how it should be done. ‘This year, White, the Shuberts and the other Broadway producers may § the fare. For the current “Grand Street Follies,” single amusing episode showing “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” as it would be done by the Moscow Art Theater <cept for a ° by Geonpe Jeam Nathan. q ‘ongo” (Biltmore)—Blood and thunder with the scenery painted up to represent South Arica. “The Vagabond Kin version £1 Were King, “A Night in Paris” (Century R spot to spend a summer evening. theater in New York. The coolest arbage—and very odorif- “Square Crooks" (Elliott)—If are old: fashioned enough still to like rook plays, ny busines * (44th St.) An ambi- Is to come off, he Palm Beach Girl” (Globe)—A Ziegleld exhibit. To be reviewed anon. * (Apollo) “The Merry World’ tion English and Ame (Imperial jean revue. ‘Combina “Is Lat Sot” old stand, (46th St.)—Still going at the he Last of Mr: Claire as a Cheyney” (Fulton) —Ina ly jewel cabbager. “Garrick Gaicties” (Garrick) —Son using moments and more that are not amusing. Bobbie Perkins the best item, “Alias the Deacon (Hudson) —L have pro- ainst this one for months and yet it t stop. “The Great God B * (Klaw)—O'Neill’s | worthwhile dramatic 5 hypocrisy “The Wisdom Tooth (Littl of depo has been silent about this o1 Maybe he his changed his mind. “Pomeroy's Past” (Langacre)—A light little comedy with a number of diverting moments. “The Coconuts” Brothers’ antics and wi (Lyric) — The cracks. Marx “Bride of the Lamb” low the belt, (Miller) Religion be- “Grand Street. Follies” Reviewed herein. (Neighborhood) — “Craig's Wife Moroseo)—Inte dra wut the self-centered married wor “Abies Trish there left to s: “Cradle funny stuff, Snatchers (N The best h “Sunny (New ck D Amsterdam) —Sper nt with Marilyn Mill 1 {Kitty's Kisses” (Playhouse) —Poor music “Tolanthe” (Plymouth) tion, thoroughly te “The Patsy (Booth) but Cliborne Foster. Admirable produe- recommended. Nothing in this one “The Shanghai Gesture” Girl Friend” show. (Shubert)—Punk. (Vanderbilt) — Cheap f That Of” (Wallack’s)—A very weak "he Great Temptations” (Winter G Lively and amusing revue, lavishly anities” (Carroll)—Joe Cook and Julius re the star features, Musical Studio, sprightly stuff, is anything but ‘True enough, it has been put on with a minimum of ex- penditure, but this time, strangely, that doesn’t seem to have helped matters much, White’s “Scandals,” on the other hand, has cost a tidy sum—and it is well. Alot of money had to be spent to make one forget some of the head- liners that White has gathered to- gether this s There may be persons who still get a great kick out of the Howard Brothers and there may be others who think that Harry Richman, the Broadway night club man, isa magnificent card, but in this direction son, seems to be eminently wrong with me. I could go for without seeing the Howard Brothers and still manage to bear life, and so far as the M. Richman is concerned, might actu- ally contrive to exist forawholeweek. White, however, has seen to it that enough distractions are provided to make one forget such troubles after a hard day at the office. Just.as things are getting bad, he brings on pretty girls, beautiful costumes and the like and his headliners are soon forgotten. Down at the Neighborhood Play- house, there are no such antidotes to tide one over the dull spots. In the first place, the Neighborhood people have this year made the mistake of trying to inject a thread of theme into their revue, Our newsp: boys have for the last’ half de years been observing that what is wrong with our revues is that. they have no continuity of interest. and that what they need is a thread of plot to hold them together. The Neighborhood people prove the had effects of reading newspapers. They have injected a North Pole motif into their show and it succeeds in being something days (Continued on page 9) comicbooks.com