Life — February 22, 1912 — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

MESSRS. JOE WEBER AND 1 IN “BUNTY BULLS AND STRI part is called “Hokey Pokey,” with Messrs, Weber and Fields in their old roles and doing their old business as the two Germans exposed to the vicissitudes of life in Paris, Remarkable as it may seem, their fun has not grown old-fash- ioned and creates as much laughter to- day as ever. It is no news to say that Lillian Russell has not lost her beauty, the only difference being that her phy- sique enables her to display more dia- monds than formerly. Bessie Clayton's athletic dancing is still as unique and in- teresting as it used to be. “Hokey Pokey” is followed by “ Bunty Bulls and Strings,” a laughable burlesque of the Scotch comedy. The fun comes mostly from the absurdity of the substitutions in the cast headed by the Weelum of Fields—an excellent imi- tation—and the ridiculous counerfeit of Rab by Weber. Mr. William Collier manages to get some new twists on the Scotch meanness of Tammas Biggar and Ada Lewis even exceeds the plainness of the original as Susie Slimson, Fay Templeton is the Bunty in broad exag- geration and with an inspiring Scotch rag-time song. In fact the burlesque isn't as funny as the original, but it is laughable in a different way. The seven-year jubilee of Weber and Fields is noteworthy as a theatrical oc- ALP Ee currence and is amusing as entertain- ment entirely of its own kind. uu ay ay S a measure of self-defence mana- gers, stars and others who have to read the manuscripts of aspiring, un- known and inexperienced dramatists would do well to make it a condition precedent to the reading of the play that its author should file an affidavit that be- fore writing the play he had read “ The Analysis of Play Construction and Dra- matic Principle” by W. T. Price. (Pub- lished by the author, 1440 Broadway.) In these days when every one, no mat- ter what his or her calling, fitness or preparation, has written, is writing, or is going to write a play, such a safe- guard would save a lot of persons a lot of trouble. Firstly it might act as a de- terrent to a percentage of the would-be dramatists themselves. They would first have to pay the five dollars for Mr. Price's book, which would be one ob- stacle. They would next find out that not every typewritten manuscript with a title, a cast of characters and divided into acts, scenes and specches is a play. It might even dawn on their assurance that playwriting is not an amateur sport, but an art which calls for some training, experience and equipment. This is not saying that Mr. Price's work can teach anyone, no matter what his antecedents, how to write a play. It is a bulky volume intended as use for a text-book. It is intentionally repetitious and a principal ambition scems to be to establish a terminology the author has invented. To students of the stage it seems to affirm and re-state much that is obvious. The work has a value, though, if only it could be placed in the right hands. If its deterrent influence could be brought to bear on the persistent amateur drama- tists who are incited to authorship by the newspaper storics of fortunes made in the royalties of successful plays, Mr. Price would not have written in vain. Metcalfe. ocaree GUIDE [sfe! Astor—Last week of “The Red Widow.” Mr. Raymond Hitchcock as the star of a laughable musical show. Belasco—" The Return of Peter Grimm.” Study in spiritualism, making an interesting lay well acted by company headed by Mr. avid Warfield Broadway—Weber and Fields's “ jubilee.” Casino—" Sumurun.” Unique and inter- esting. wordless play drawn from “The Ara- bian Nights” and’ presented with curious scenic effects, Century" The Garden of Allah.” CONFIDENTI. aad Spee- ADA LEWIS AND MR. WILLIAM COLLIER IN “BUNTY BULLS AND STRINGS” tacular and impressive effects added to ins teresting: dramatization of Mr. Hichens's nove Cokan’s—“ The Little Millionaire.” | Mu- sical show of the George M. Cohan kind and of which he is the star. Coarse but amusing. Comedy—“ Bunty Pulls the — Strings." Scotch comedy, satirical, laughable and very well acted. Criterion—" Elevating a Husband.” Mr Louis Mann without a, dialect and a play without much dramatic interest. Empire—Last week of Ethel Barrymore. Double bill, including “Cousin Kate” and Mr, Barrie's skit, "A Slice of Life.” Fulton—Elsi¢ Ferguson in clever and well acted comedy of American history entitled “The First Lady in the, Land Goiety—* Officer 666." Laughable farce with melodramatic episodes well acted Globe—* Over the River.” Mr. Eddie Fov as the star of a diverting musical show. il- lustrating the latest discoveries in question- able dances. Horris—" The Talker.” Some American domestic questions in a well acted comedy. Herald Square—Lenten revival of “ Every- woman,” a spectacular modern morality play. Hippodrome—" Around the World,” whic! presents some elaborate pictures of foreign scenes, together with ballet and spectacle. Hudson-—""The Return from Jerusal The Jewish social question coupled up with a French triangle drama and Mme. Simone as the star. Reasonably interesting, Knickerbocker —“ Kismet.” The Orient and its gorgeousness in a fanciful setting, tu- gether with an interesting drama well acted by company headed by Mr. Otis Skinner. Lyceum—Margaret_ Anglin in" Green Stockings.” Amusing English comedy, well acted. Lyric—“ Little Boy Blue.” Paris Bohemia and the Scotch Highlands contrasted in di. verting musical show, Maxine Elliott’s—“ The Bird of Paradise.” Drama of Hawaii, Made picturesque by the I setting and well acted, F The Quaker Girl.” | Unusually dainty musical, show of the Landon type. _ Playhouse—" Bought and Paid For.” Se- rious and laughable drama of the American present, very well staged. Republic—" The Woman.” The, corruption of Washington politicians the background ot an extremely interesting and well acted play. -Thirty-ninth Street—" A Butterfly on the Wheel." English society drama with realis- tic scene in the divorce court. _ Wallack's—" Disrael Mr. George Ar- liss’s clever impersonation of the title char- acter in agreeable Victorian comedy. Winter Garden—Vaudeville, extravaganza, Russian ballet and Annette ‘Kellerman in amusing conglomeration.