Life — January 7, 1909 — page 32: what you’re looking at

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

Among Those Present When an Automobile Breaks Down O* 5 obnoxious onlooker offering officious observations. Two troublesome tourists tampering with the tank. Three thick-headed thinkers thundering out theories. Four fat, fussy females, finding fault. Five foolish fops Ainging fun. Six saucy soubrettes slinging slang. Seven solemn sages shifting the self-starter. Eight experts cagerly examining everything. Nine nimble noodles nudging their neighbors. Ten tinkers trying to tend to the tires. Eleven eloquent electricians elucidating elusive elements. Twelve toddling tattered tots timidly talking twaddle. Carolyn Wells Last Year's Final Offerings ‘OR some time there have been rumors that Mr. Eddie Foy, known the country over as an eccentric comedian, had serious designs on the character of Hamlet. The comedian’s am- bition to shine in tragedy is no new trait Perhaps Mr. Foy really had it, and perhaps it was only a press-agent creation, but fortunately he was well-advised, and has made his Hamlet a burlesque, serious only in the admirable make-up here pictured. Whatever were Mr. Foy intentions, they were made the centre of “ Mr. Hamlet of Broadway,"’ now playing at the Casino. It is a musical piece, of the usual Casino type, not much above or much below the regular standard. Mr. Foy’s honors are shared by Maude Raymond, in an espe- clever musical and saltatorial satire of the “Salome” craze. The costume chorus girls, book, score and other f tures of “ Mr. Hamlet of Broadway" are very much the same as in the other musical pieces that come and go, and are shortly forgotten. * 8 HE seif-conceit of the Scotchman might well be ranked the eighth wonder of the world, so stupendous is it. Those who have never en- beg countered it may think that Mr. Barrie is ex- aggerating this wonderful quality in his por- trayal of John Shand and the three Wiley brothers, in “ What Every Woman Knows.” But as Mr. Barrie is picturing his own folk, and faithful artist, even those unfamiliar with Scotch character may safely take his word for it. Without their thrift and this supreme self-confidence, the Scotch—including Mr. Barrie himself, perhaps—would long ago have perished from the face isa 32 -LIFE- of the earth, instead of flourishing at home and making them- selves felt the world over. John Shand is a delightful addition to the collection of character portraits Mr. Barrie has given to literature and the stage. We laugh at the cock-sure young Shand and his diffi- culties, and laugh without shame, because the ego of Mr. Barrie's hero is so enormous that combined with his lack of humor it renders him indifferent and impervious to ridicule. It even saves him in our minds from the imputation of being a cad in his indifference to the charm of Maggie and her help- fulness in making for him the career that his conceit makes him assume to be all his own. Mr. Richard Bennett's inter- pretation of the part is admirable. It again draws attention to the fact that American actors are better in character work than in roles that call for simplicity or elegance. In Maggie Mr. Barrie has gone more to his fancy than to real life. She is born of his brain more than from his Uplifters of the Drama WEmiccoe THE BURLESQUE QUEEN "Aw, soft pedal kid, cut the comedy there— Get the hook,—you look phoney to me!” Though the programme asserts she’s from Folies Bergeres, Ner talk docsn't sound like Paree. comicbooks.com