Life — September 26, 1912 — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

THE HARE AND THE TORTOISE « Y Best Girl” is an amusing trifle in the way of a girl-and-music show, with Mr. Clifton Crawford's pleas ing way of doing unimportant things as the distinctive attraction. The star and Mr. Augustus Barratt are responsible for a score with some rather pretty music of the popular kind, and Messrs. Chan- ning Pollock and Rennold Wolf supply a book with a novel plot, but which, con- sidering their combined ability, is rather deficient in humor and telling lines. The settings are good and the company com- petent, especially in the case of Rita Stanwood, the leading young woman. “My Best Girl” will suffice to bright- en up the long winter evenings for many a tired business man ANNY’S First Play” still ades on the programme as being anonymous, presumably to save Mr George Bernard Shaw, its admitted au- thor, from the shocking charge of doing anything so immodest as to advertise diffident and retiring self. In this quali- ty of self-cffacement and shy under-csti- mation Mr. Shaw has only one rival in the whole wide world, and that is a gen- tleman who has compelled himself on ac- count of the dangers which confront his country, and from which he alone can squer- save it, to take an active part in the pres ent American Presidential canvass Regardless of whether Mr. Shaw wrote “Fanny’s First Play,” an intimate ac- quaintance with that author's idios; cracies is essential to its complete enjoy- ment. Although a considerable part of its undeniably witty satire is directed at the personal weaknesses of dramatic critics not largely known outside of Lon- don, those weaknesses or similar ones are sufficiently shared by certain dra- matic critics everywhere to save the Shavian darts from being too entirely local British middle-class narrowness, snob- bishness and hypocrisy are as usual the butt of Mr. Shaw’s ridicule. If all Brit ain is populated by such persons, and that is a fair inference from most of hi writings, it is difficult to understand where he gets his audiences, for certain ly such British are too stupid and too deficient in appreciation of humor to un- derstand and enjoy his sa The author might well direct some of his shots at British enunciation. As ex- ampled by the English company which came over to act his play, it deserves quite as much ridicule as he heaps on other things British. A very large per centage of Mr. Shaw’s lines are lost even in the little Comedy Theatre. Therefore we advise every American to read th play before seeing it acted by this com- pany. Except for this serious defect the company is a competent one and gives an excellent performance. Metcalfe. 1859 d-Cenidsntiol Goad we dae Steele of Music.—" The Girl from Popular priced musical show in imitation of the Broadway brand inal week of “The Concert.” acted comedy satirizing fem. ip of the professional musician. Broadway.—" Hanky Panky." Girland. music show of the usual kin summer consumption —" The Merr: music. originally the scor rmaus,” revised libretto and an excellent company provided for Countess.” Delight of Cohan's. —“ Broadway Jones.” later. Comedy.—" Fanny's First Play.” attributed to Mr. George Bernard Shaw. See above. Criterion.—" The Girl from Montmartre.” Not especially clever musical version of the farce, “The Girl from Maxim's.” Daly's.—Mr. Lewis Waller a company in Mr. Edward Knoblau covering America.” Not brilliant perfor ~“Within the Law.” Sce above. npire.—Excellent company, headed by John Drew, in “A Perplexed Husband.” An unusually clever and very well acted com- edy with the suffrage question as a basis. Forty-cigh ttle Miss Brown.” Very amu: h Street.— ng farce. Fulton.—" June Madness.” Notice later Gaicty.—" Officer 666." The police made fun of in a very diverting farce. Gorrick.—Mr. John Mason in “The At tack,” by Bernstein. Notice late Globe-—" The Charity Girl.” Notice tater. Hippodrome." Under Many Flags.” Bal Jet and spectacle with brilliant stage pictures of foreign scenes. Hudson. —" Vonest Jim Blunt." N Tate Lyceum.—Pinero’s “ The * Mind the Paint * Girl,” with Miss Billie Burke. A rather con: fused argument based on the life and social importance of the musical comedy girl in England. Lyrie—" The Ne'er-Do-Well." Common. place melodrama based on Mr. Rex Beach's novel of that name Manhattan Opera House.—" An Aztec Ro- ance.” Notice later. Marine Elliott’'s.—" Ready Money." Di verting farcical comedy showing that as a basis of credit counterfeit moncy is as good as the genu Park.—* My Best Girl.” See above. Ployhouse.—" Bought and Paid For.” American emotional drama with amusing minor episodes. Republie.—" The Governor's Lady.” See above Thirty-ninth Street.—" The Master of the House. elementary sobby drama with a husband's infidelity for its motive Wellack’s.—"' Disraeli.” Ageceable Victo: rian play with Mr. George Arliss’s clever por trayal of the British statesman. Winter Garden.—Girls I «x and brilliant setti taste of the multitude, nd music galore. gs, all for the comicbooks.com