Life — February 14, 1918 — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

to the likelihood of a good time being enjoyed by one and all. “Girl o' Mine” is pretty obviously de- pendent on talent transported from the vaudeville stage, but as the coarseness which sometimes attends that process is here almost entirely cut out the general result is pleasing. The fun is slow in getting started, but the second act de- velops something of a story and distills cause for a considerable amount of laughter. It seems a pity that the dis- covery here shown, that a bar may be made aesthetic as well as cheer-dispens- ing, comes to light only when the deadly grasp of Prohibition is closing on the country, In the company Maric Nord- strom laughably demonstrates certain dread consequences of the rule of the new woman, Edna Wallace Hopper dis- plays a few more pounds added to her diminutive attractiveness, and there is a real find in the grace and youthful vivaci- ty of Dorothy Dickson's dancing. “Girl o' Mine” also be recom- mended as a pleasant aid to digestion. more eT Ce ROM the always hot dramatic griddle of the Hattons the latest offerin, “The Indestructible Bride It is the best of their products since “Years of Dis- cretion.” In spite of the title it is largely free from the sug- gestive double-meaning lines that give an unpleasant after-taste to their other recent comedies. The heroine is one of those wives freely endowed with the super- abundant nervous and physical energy which makes many husbands emphasize that line of the classic and touching song which avers that “there's no place like home.” James Ordway, admirably played by Mr. Atwill, was one of these husbands. His wife’s activities had reduced him to the point where he was hardly strong enough to resist the sooth- ing advances of the affection-craving widow whom the authors, extending the nomenclature suggested by the “lounge lizard,” describe as a “parlor cobra.” The wife herself is made not only suf- ficiently energetic but, when it is per- mitted to her, also very charming by Minna Gombel. Mr. Clay Clement is ef- fective as an athletic builder-up whose own fine physical endowment is reduced to pulp by the superior initiative and en- durance of his friend and former pupil's wife. With this as a foundation there is the possible contrivance of a structure of mirth which the authors have realized admirably. They are expert in construc- ‘LIFE: tion and ingenious in evolving lines and situations. We may wonder in just what circle of real life their characters could live and move, but it is not well to be too exacting with the writers of up-to- the-minute comedy. We don’t do it with Astor. — “Why Marry?" by Mr. Jesse Lynch ‘Williams. An amusing and ~ well played comedy argument against the abso- jute necessity of the marriage ceremony. Betasco.—" Polly With a Past.” Diverting and clever Tight comedy, well staged and well acted. Bijou.—" Girl ot Mine,” by Messrs. Bar- tholomae and Tours. See above. Booth.—" Seventeen.” by Mr. Booth Tark- ington... The joys and sorrows of early youth shown in all their importance, fun and misery. Broadhurst.—Emily Stevens in ‘The Ma- donna of the Future,” by Mr. Alan Dale. ‘Talky, slimy and not ‘clever. _ Casino.—" Oh, Boy! Tuneful and amus- ing girl-and-music play. Century.—"* Chu Chin Chow.” Spectacle and. play based on “The Forty Thieves.” Gorgeous, Oriental and musical. Cohan and Harris.—" A Tailor-Made Man.” How to make clothes help to success shown in laughable and well played comedy. Cohan’s.—" The King” with Mr. Leo Dit- richstein. "Well acted comedy drive at social- ism with laughable but risky lines and situa- tions, _ Comedy.—The Washington Square Players in a new bill of playlets. Original and amus. ing, but not quite up to the Players’ usual standard. Cort.—" Flo Flo.” Girl-and-music show, not over-refined or overdressed, Criterion, — Laurette Taylor in" Happi- ness,” by Mr. Hartley Manners. Gives the star an opportunity to portray delightfully an amusing character from real life. Eltinge, — “ Business Before, Pleasure.” Messrs. Glass and Goodman give Messrs. Potash and Perlmutter a start in the moving picture business, with laughable results. Empire. — Ethel Barrymore in “The Of Chance,” by Mr. R. C, Carton, Notice later. Forty-fourth Street Roof. — “Over the Top.” The girland-music form of entertain- ment raised to a new height. Forty-eighth Strect.—" The Love Mill.” Notice’ later. Fulton.—Miss Margaret Anglin in“ Bil- leted."” Some cheerful aspects of the present war made into a sparkling and very well acted light comedy. Globe.—" Jack o° Lantern,” with Mr. Fred Stone. Elaborate girland-music show as the background for the star’s tireless fun-making. Greenwich Village. —“ Karen,” from the Danish of Bergstrom. “Frank discussion on the premise that marriage works injustice to woman in her sex relations. Harris. —“ Success,” by Leitzbach and Liebler. A bit old-fashioned, but, interesting and well acted play of theatrical life. Hippodrome. — “Cheer Up.” Large-scale vaudeville, bailet_ and spectacle. Hudson.—" The Indestructible Wife,” by the Hattons. See above. Kuickerbocker—Herman Bahr’s, “ Joseph: ine” with. Mr. Arnold Daly and Virginia Harned. See above. Liberty—" Going Up." Musical comedy with a lot of fun and tunefulness, Longacre.—" Yes or No.” Double-barreled drama of contrasting lives. Absorbing and novel in form, Lyceum, —" Tiger Rose.” —Picturesquely 263 writers of melodrama, and here the rules of the game are infinitely more complex. Let us be thankful that at this state of the world’s history we can find so much reason for laughter as there is in “ The Indestructible Wife.” Metcalfe, staged and interesting melodrama of the Canadian Northwest. Manhattan Opera House.—" Old Lady 31 Emma Dunn's touching portrayal of the mate of the old ladies’ home. Marine Elliott's. — Marjorie Rambeau in “The Eyes of Youth.” Curiously developed but well acted and moving drama. Morosco.—" Lombardi, Ltd.,” by, Mr. and Mrs. Hatton. The flashiness and possible sentiment back of the shop in New York's fashionable dressmaking trade. Amsterdam. —" Cohan Review of ig girl-and-music show, different from the others in the cleverness of its bur- lesques of the season's plays ‘orworth, —" Odds and Ends of 1917 Diverting little olla podrida of songs, fun, dancing and girls. Park.—" Seven Days’ Leave,” by Mr. Wal- ter Howard. Melodrama of the present wat with thrilling effects Playhouse — The Little Teacher,” by Mr. Harry James Smith. See above. Plymouth. —“ The Gipsy, Trail,” by Mr. Robert Housum. Clever arid unusually well presented comedy of the day. Princess—" Ob, Lady! Lady!" by Messrs. Bolton and Wodehouse. See above. Republic. —" Parlor, Bedroom and Rath,” by Messrs. Bell and’ Swan. Unmistakably laughable, but rather rough-house farcical comedy. Shubert.—" Maytime.” Musical play, un- usually well done and with unusual charm. Thirty-ninth Street.—* Blind Youth” with Mr. Lou Tellegen. Intense international sex problem, agreeably played. Views Colombier.—Changing bill of French plays by imported stock company. Winter Garden.—" Sinbad.” Notice later. Ziegfeld Midnight Frolic—Not exactly a soporine, although entertainment for the sleepless in the form of supper, caberet and dancing. ! POOR HAROLD MUST BE IN TIE SOUP—THOSE LOOK LIKE HIS GIBLETS” comicbooks.com