New York Clipper (Jun 1923)

2 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER June 27, 1923 FOMEiGM NMWS "LILIES OF FIELD" DULL iSecond Reutte) London, Jane 25.—Lilies o{ the Field," a comedy in three acts J. Hastings Tomer, bearing no resemblance in plot, intent or action to William J. Hurlbut's play, "Lilies of the JHeld," was iircidaced in America two years ago, was presented by the Reandean company at the Ambassadors recently. The p\ay, which is bright and entertaining in spots, except some very bad portions of the second act, will hardly measure tip to the success of the American production, which though dissimilar in alt' respects .ixom this play, proved .to >e a access ■ from' the bosc office standpoint, which this production does not give evidence of doing. The story deals with the life of a family of a provincial parson, who is of a gen- erally weak personality .and who is re- garded as "quite hopdess" and as three ports a fool even his sweet natored wife, who finds that his tmbusiness-like ways rendered it bard for her to make bo& ends meet. He is regarded also iu the same lizht by his two modem daugb- ters and his mother-in-law. The parson becomes extravagant and ^chases two Ucydes for die twentieth iurtliday of his two "Lilies of the Field," while the grand- mother annomices sbe_ will give them presents etjoally as daring. To one she tti^mAm to give material for a dress and to the other a month in town during the seasoo. The parson is expecting the visit of a blameless and supposedly inane anti- quarian, interested in old omrches, and the mother-in-law rashly proposes that whichever of the girb made the greater Ut iwith this man should have the month - in X^oodon, The father, while talking, lets the cat out oi the bag to one of the twins, and she being a true twin informs her sister of the testing arrangements that had been made. Tbe girb then agree to play each for her own hand. The one who heard of the plot begins by whisking the guest off to show him around the garden, while tbe subtler sister is much more ingenious. To snk the taste of tiie lover of the antique, sbe astoni^es her parents and grandiDodier I7 the' assumpBon of the ahyness, deimireness and <)uick, half frightened movements of the bashful inno- cent maidens of the sixties. She imposes upon the rest, but not upon the guest, who cangfat her dancing wiui much elatement in fte company of her sister,, and who al- lows her to fool him—and herself—to the top of her bent. As a result the ingenious one goes to London and makes &e sensation of the season with some smart society folks by donniis the ^rb as well as the aits in vogue m the Mid-Victorian era. She has not intended to keep up Ae deception long, bat is afraid to disckise the fact that she bas been shamming, partly because she is ashamed and partly because de loves the antiquarian, who proposes to the not im- responsive girL The parents, who have bronght her twin to town at the end of her stay, are amazed at the fuss made over her by two posing leaders of society. One of the society clan fall in love with die oAer sister, when the subtler and in- C'ous one confesses her deception and d. At the end it develops that neither the parson or antiquarian were quite the fools they were thought to be, and all ends •well. In the cast are: J. H. Roberts, Hilda Broce-Potter, Gwynne Whitby, Gertrude Engstoo, Edna Best, Meggie Albanesi, Austin Trevor. John Garside. Clifford Moltis<Hi. Ruth Taylor, Margaret Carter and Nancie Parsons. COULDNT* SAVE "NED KEAN" IjONDon, June 25.—Despite the ^lant effort to save "Ned Kean" from closing at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, tlK play was withdrawn on Saturday, June 16, after playing two weeks longer than it was sdiednlcd. When the original dosing date was announced, a man in the audience jumped out of his seat between acts and told the audience that he thought it a shame that sudi a fine play had to close for want.of public support, and that he would volunteer to finance it for two weeks kxiger in order to give it a chance. He did this, but the play didn't take and' is now closed. GUITRY AGAINST SUNDAY SHOWS London, June 25.—Sascha Guitry, the famous French actor-dramatist, thorough- ly approves of the custom practiced in England and the United States of having all legitimate theatres closed on Sunday. Guitry has just opened his season here, and die practice pf having houses dark on Simday bas meant a day's vacation for him every week for the first time in years, as in France they hold matinee and evening performances on Sunday. NEW SHOW FOR AMBASSADOR London, June 25.—^In spite of the lack of patronage which "The Piccadilly Puri- tan suffered from at the Ambassadors Theatre Miss Dorothy Minto is not dis- couraged and will shortljr reenter the pro- ducing field in conjunction with Donald Calthrop, the play chosen being H. V. Esmond's "Eliza Comes to Stay." "INSECT PLAY" WITHDRAWN London, June 25.—"The Insect Play," which received wonderful notices and a tremendous amount of good publicity, closed last week at the He^ent Theatre, as it didn't draw enough busmess to make it pay. The play was also a "flop" in the United States, under the name of "Tbe World We Live In." "NINE O'CLOCK" IN THIRD EIHTION London. June 25.—^The third edition of "The Nine o'Qock Revue" was presented at the Little Theatre last week. New scenes include a fantastic sketch by Con- stance Duchess, a duet called "Marriage" by Ardiur Weigall, with music by Muriel Ijllie, and sevoal very funny Imrlesques and pantomimes. ■>i PEGGY O'NEILL FOR "ZANDER" London, June 25.—Gilbert Miller will produce "Zander The Great" here shortly. The play has been having a very suc- cessful run in New York with Alice Brady in the leading role. Peggy O'Neill is<^cheduled to appear in the feature part here. FLEMING PLAY TO BE SEEN London, June 25.—^Leonard Fleming, a South African writer, is now negotiating for the production of a play called "The Heart of the Weld" which he wrote in collatnration with the late George R. Sims. MUSICAUZINC "LITTLE DAMOZEL" London, June 25.—Monokton Hoffe's play, "The lAtle Damozel" will be pro- duced shortly in the West-End as a musi- cal comedy. The book and lyrics are be- ing prepared by Reginald Arkel. and the music by Robert Cox. Sir Charles Haw- trey will produce the play, in the cast of whidi will be Joseph Coyne. CHARLOT TO HAVE REVUE London, June 28.—^Andre Chariot will produce a new revue in the autumn. It is being written by Ronald Jeans and Noel Coward, and the music is being done by Philip Braham. "JOHN AND MARV NEW PIECE London. June 25.—Edward Laurillard will produce a new musical play in the fall called "John and Mary." The book is by .\rthur Wimperis, and the music by Kunneke. "ULAC TIME" DOING CAPACITY London, June 25.—"Lilac Time." the American musical comedy formerly called "Blossom Time." has ^rcady done 225 performances. It is playing to capacity houses. LITTLE GOOD MUSIC London. June 25.—Sir Thomas Beach- am, wealthy grand opera patron who went into bankruptcy trying to restore the opera here to its pre-war basis, ran Ae local critics one better at the annual dinner of the critics' drcle, and made a long speech in whidi he deplored the sad state of modern music, v^ich, like the drama, he declared to be in a very bad wa^. Tbe former opera backer said that if there was some common music policy that cculd be maintained for about two or three seasons, he might seriously consider going in for musical productions again. "Never in the history of music has there been so little good music written, and so icuch bad music written and performed," said Sir Thonias. "We have never before struck such a really rotten patch of music Composers—^there arc none; singers—very few; instrumentalists—a few. Orchestras are almost non-existent" "BEGGAR'S OPERA" TO CLOSE ■London, June 25.—'TTBe Beggar's Opera," which has been playing for over three years at the Lyric and has fiassed its .1,240th performance, is to be withdrawn in order to make way for a new play by John Drinkwater, with music by Fred- eric Austin. Nigel Playfair is i>roducing it. London already has had and is having "Abraham linoohi," "Mary Stuart," "Oliver Cromwell" and "Robert E. Le^" creating quite a v(mie for Drinkwater. "The Beggar's Opera" was originally produced for six wedcs at the Lyric, but was retained for three years. DROPS DEAD ON STAGE London, June' 25.—^William Rokeby, an actor 65 years old, dropped dead on the stage of die Brighton Palace Theatre on Saturday, June 9th, while appearing in "A Week-End." Rokeby suddenly ex- claimed in the midst of hb lines, "I am suffering, I am suffering," which the au- dience took as a joke: He then said, "I am going to the Garden of Eden," and started to walk off stage, but dropped dead before he reached tne door. In prirate life he was known as Wil- liam Henry Dowdswell. He leaves a widow and a son. ROSEVERE FINDS RELATIVES London, June 25.—Ethel Rosevere, of Cook and Rosevere, the American team who have scored a big hit in "You'd Be Surprised," discovered an uncle and aunt of hers through 'the publicity which she has been given. Her relatives arerliving here, her uncle being the manager'^Sf the London branch of an American bank, to which Miss Rosevere went daily on busi- CHAS. CHERRY IN "SUCCESS" London. June 25.—Charles Cherry, who returned from America recently, made his re-appearance to the English stage in A. A. Milne's new play. Success, whidi was produced last "Thursday, June 21st, at the Haymarket Theatre by Frederick Harrison. Moyna MacGill supports him. "CABARET GIRL" DOES WELL London, June 25.—"The Cabaret Girl" is having a sensational run at the Winter Garden Theatre here, and has already passed its 300th performance. It has been seen by over 600,000 people, and judging from business and the advance sale, is good for 300 more performances. CURTAIN-RAISER WITH REVIVAL London, June 25.—"Eliza Comes To Stay" has been revived by Dorothy Minto, in conjunction with Donald Calthorp, at the Duke of York's theatre. The play is preceded bv "Ha-Ha," a comedy play- let by Hugh "E. Wright "THE OUTSIDER" IS A SMASH London, June 25.—"The Outsider," a drama in three acts by Dorothy Brandon, a cripple, shows promise of becoming one of the outstanding "smashes" of the sum- mer season at the St James Theatre, where it was recently produced by Curzon and Lion. This play, which had its pre- liminary season in the provinces was highly approved by the .audiences in the hinterland and this approbation was more than confirmed on the opening night, when the players had to respond to so many curtain calls that they could not be kept track of and the author received a recep- tion which will long be remembered in the London theatre. The story discloses a batde royal be- tween fully qualified surgery on the one hand and unqualiiied surgery on the other, and a pungent factor in the intensely dramatic and, at times, pathetic story is that the quack is represented as having been successful in cases in which his fully qualified opponents have failed. There is also a personal element to intensify matters. The daughter of a prominent surgeon has suffered from birth from a bad hip, which her father cannot cure. Her father, bound to professional ethics, debates with himself as to whether or not he should deliver her for one year into the hands of an "outsider," a surgeon whose successes and qualifications have been achieved by m^hods in opposition to all the precepts and ordinances of the Royal College of Surgeons. Should diis man succeed it would mean the - profes- sional ruin of the father, but it is not that consideration, but concern for his daughter's physical welfare that is upper- most in his mind as he has had distressing experiences of the bungling of quacks. He Anally says no, but die daughter, how- ever, goes against him on account of her lover, for whose sake she places herself in the hands of "The Outsider" for a whole year. This poignant scene between father and daughter takes place in the second act, and the dauj^ter is almost painfully frank about her desire to become physically normal and to marry. At the end of a year's treatment the patient, in an attempt to walk, faints and the assembled surgeons are for regarding "The Outsider" as an incompetent imposter, >wfien the father steps forth and admits that there is some- thing great about the man, and that he has commenced a cure of the g^rl, which he, the father, can bring to a triumpliant con- dusion. Leslie Farber gave an unvarn- ished interpretation of the role of "The Outsider," with Isobel Elsom doing most meritoriously as tlie crippled girl. Others in the cast who created a favorable im- pression are Dawson Milward, E. Lyall Swete. Randolph McLeod, Charles Ken- yon, Stella Rho and Ruth Maitland. DORIS KEANE SERIOUSLY ILL London, June 25.—Doris Keane, the American actress who scored a great suc- cess here in "Romance" a few years ago, and who quickly established herself as one of the' stage's great actresses, is se- riously ill_ in Park-Lane, the nursing home of Sir Douglas Shields, the famous surgeon. Miss Keane was operated on several weeks ago and is no said to be out of danger and' is slowly recuperating. NEW SHOW FOR ADELPHI London. June 25.—"Sweetheart of the Ring" is the name of a nc\v musical play which is being prepared for presentation at the Adelphi theatre in August. Sey- mour Hicks is writing the play, the music being composed by H. Fraser Simpson. It will star W. H. Berry. TOM DOUGLAS IN VAUDEVILLE London, June 23.—Tom Douglas, who made a very good impression in the ill- fated production of "Merton of the Movies" here, is entering vaudeville. He will do a comedy playlet in which he ap- peared in America.