Life — August 23, 1928 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

They’re Off! Tuere may be things about Mr. Earl Carroll’s revues that you do not like, but he has always been one of the few pro- ducers who know where to go for plenty of comedy. Of course, there may also be things about his comedy that you do not like, but it is there, nevertheless, and somewhere in its abundance you ought to find a little sunshine, unless you are just an old crachity. From certain complaints that have been filed by members of the audience on the opening night of Mr. Carroll’s new “Vaniues,” we gather that we got to laughing pretty loudly ourself. But that is a way we have when W. C. Fields is up there. We have been doing it ever since he used to play pool in pantomime, years ago in his juggling days, and we don’t see any way of stopping it at this late date. And if people don’t like the way we laugh they can leave the theater. We won't. ASBESTOS q In addition to Mr. Fields (pardon us while we laugh again) there is that natural comic, Mr. Joe Frisco, who has practically cured himself of stuttering without the slightest injury to his humor and who gives an imitation of Helen Morgan riding her piano which could go as it stands right into the “Grand Sweet Follies.” The famous pyrotechnic cigar is also in good working order, as are the twinkling toes. There didn’t seem to be quite enough of the Dooleys, although Miss Ray was there as the uneasy child and Gordon as an occasional man with a beard. Probably what we really wanted was to have Miss Dooley and Mr. Fields come on in an automobile, accompanied by Fannie Brice and the mysterious little man in a long linen duster. If we were ever to see that hallowed sight again we should probably swoon. The human system can stand just so much ecstasy. This will perhaps give you some idea of why we got to laughing at the “Vanities.” The reasons why we didn’t get more excited about some of the other features are less easy to enumerate. Mr. Carroll has evidently spent a great deal of money on his production, but perhaps he doesn’t know how to shop as well as Mr. Ziegfeld or Mr. White. Aside from one highly effective Machinery Ballet which opens the second act (don’t miss it by hanging around smoking too long on the side- walk), the effects are of the Christmas tree school and designed to impress the infant eye. One curtain actually came down with fireworks shooting out from it, probably the last word in décor; at any rate it should be. Ture are few tunes in the score of the “Vanities” which will give you much bother during the fall, ak Rold does very well with what he has and Miss Lillian Roth, another graduate of the Texas Guinan Finishing School, puts quite a lot of something into the numbers allotted to her. The young ladies of the ensemble have been chosen with a clear and steady eye and their featured leader, Dorothy (‘The Most Beautiful Girl in the World”) Knapp has this year extended her activities to placing both hands on her hips instead of only one, and, on another occasion, breaking into one or two of the less intricate steps of a tango. In the big scene, showing a cabin on the SS. “Paris,” she decorates a bed so effectively that one would be a fool to spend any time walking around on deck. There were no beds like that on the “Paris” last February. And, speaking of beds, several of the sketches have a distinct physical note to them; in fact, there are one or two cadenzas. But who cares? It’s only make- believe, anyway. A certain academic touch is given the proceedings at the close by the introduc- tion of a series of college songs sung by young ladies who seem to be packing through a movie-screen on which are be- ing thrown scenes typical of the colleges hough Richard | « themselves. Thus, while “Harvardiany is being sung, a pretty shot of the confett battle on Class Day is shown; for Yak there is a scene of some sort of revel; or other to the tune of what the Program calls “Bula, Bula”; Princeton seems t be rowing in the picture thrown on w the “Canon Song March,” and the big finale is allotted to the Navy with 3 song the title of which Mr. Carroll up. derstood to be “Anchor's Weight.” Hay. ing Harvard sympathies ourself, we are proud to note that the most applause from a typical “Vanities” first-night audience was for Princeton. Tuese random notes on the “Vanities” should not be taken as derogatory, for it is a generally satisfactory show, especially in the laughter department, and, aside from one or two raw moments, some. thing that you can sit very comfortably through, The other plays which we promisd to review this week have undergone tho changes in schedule which always follow an advance notice in this department, Imer Gantry” was postponed, owing to a slight disagreement between the author, Mr. Kearny, and the owner of the Play- house, Mr. Brady, over who should write the play. It will be reviewed next week, as we so often say. The other drama, “Trapped,” decided not to cone to New York at all and has opened in Chicago. As a substitute something called “Guns” opened at Wallack’s, but as it was billed as “‘a snappy story of gangdom” and our seats were not on the aisle, we haven't seen it yet. We understand that there is a great deal of artillery work involved in its production; so unul we can get seats from which we can duck at a moment's notice, we doubt very much if we do se it, We're no fool, to go and get shot at. “ep _ -_ Tus isn’t a very good beginning for our new policy of seeing everything and saying everything. But what can you do when the shows don’t open as they sy they are going to, or when a pleasant show like the “Vanities” comes along, of when you don’t get aisle seats? Maybe next week would be a better week to begin, anyway. It ought to be lots cooler by then. Robert Benchley. The Confidential Guide to current plays will be found on page 26. comicbooks.com