The Billboard 1923-09-29: Vol 35 Iss 5 (1923-09-29)

works :.nd made it into a thriving and gigantic enterprise. His whole life has been devoted to building up the plant. Everything has been sacrificed to it, even his two sons and daughter. We see him at the thirtieth anniversary of his entry into the works, having all the outside evidences of happiness and prosperity, but with his family, due to his shaping of their lives, about ready to kick over the traces and bust things loose. One son, with a longing for an artistic career, has been forced into a business career; the other son is about to be thrust into the factory against his inclination, and Weston has forbidden the marriage of his daughter to the man she loves, because he does not approve of her choice. The man she is engaged to works in her father’s plant and tells the eldést son that in going over the books he has discovered a breach of trust on his part in the administration of a trust fund. He feels compelled to bring this to the father’s notice. The boy, fearing the consequences, attempts to shoot himself, whereat the other chap, trying to wrest the revolver from him, is shot by the would-be suicide. The masterful father on the scene, and, in spite of a maid being witness to the killing, drives it into the boy’s bead that he must claim that the dead man is a suicide. This scene was extraordinarily well constructed to bring out the force of Peter Weston’s character and show him absolutely undaunted in the face of apparently insuperable obstacles. Discovering that his daughter is about to become a mother by the man his son has killed, he insists on putting her on the witness stand to swear that attentions were forced on her. He bends everyone to his iron will and fails in the end, for his boy is electrocuted. Three are taken up by the constant shaping and molding of persons and events by Weston, and the same basic theme is handled over and over again. Midway in the second act the end can be clearly foreseen, and thus practically all of the dramatic intensity is lost. The authors erected a splendid foundation, but were not able to build a firm superstructure. Peter Weston was played by Frank Keenan and some parts of it he did well. Others were marred by the wrong emphasis or attacked from the wrong angle, and the audience laughed at lines which might, with a different interpretation, have held them tense with anticipation and expectation. Mr. Keenan has an explosive and staccato style of playing, and that does not always become this particular character. It is all pitched in the same key and one has the feeling that he knows exactly what Mr. Keenan will do next. Mr. Keenan then proceéds to vindicate your judgment, but the feeling of satisfaction you have in possessing such prescience is more than offset by the fact of his doing what you. figured he would. An audience wants to be surprised by an actor, to be jolted into the unexpected and nag to trail along with him, accurately forecasting what his next move will be. Mr. Keenan directed “Peter Weston” and all the cast have acquired the Keenan method in some measure, great or small. It is a very natural result under the circumstances. Actors should be most careful when they direct plays in which they are to play the chief role. Besides the danger of the cast, consciously or unconsciously, picking up their mannerisms, there is the chance of the play being decentered in order to give the star the best of it at all times. In this particular play there little liability of the latter happening, for Peter Weston must of necessity be the center of attraction almost thruout the performance, but the possibility of the cast playing a la Keenan was constantly present, and it was not avoided to the extent it should have been. Allowing for this, Judith Anderson gave a sincere and gripping perform comes his acts is ance of the role of Weston’s daughter. She attacked her emotional scenes with surety and registered her effects every time. Jay Hanna and Clyde North were the sons of Weston and compassed their roles without difficulty. A splendid characterization of a flippant female was given by Millicent Hanley, and George W. Barnum, us an old butler, did a delightful bit of work. The other parts were not so large as those named and were competently played by Hope Drown, Fred Mosley, Wilfred Lytell, Paul Everton and A. O. Huhn. Perhaps “Peter Weston” will be a popular success. I doubt it, tho. It seems to me that the element of suspense, while sought for earnestly by cast and authors, is lacking in the piece after the first or, at the latest, the second act. If my judgment is correct, this is the one ingredient which the play needs to put it over. Aside from this there is nothing seriously wrong with the play, but that is quite serious enough. A play which starts well and finishes badly, tho it is not without its entertaining moments. GORDON WHYTE. KATHLEEN KIRKWOOD (By Arrangement With The Library Production Co., Inc.) Presents THE TRIANGLE PLAYERS —In— “THE TALKING PARROT” A Three-Act Comedy ‘ By Hutcheson Boyd Staged by Belford Forrest and C. A. de Lima. Settings and Light Plots by Kathleen Kirkwood CHARACTERS (In Order of Their Appearance) Aunt Truefitt Ruby Hallier Millie Seudder.. .. Judy Fairfield Albert Scudder.... John Parrish PE ceca eaan’ .Charles Webster Felix Barlow........ -Harry Neville GD Vand dbacbagerccccdadacecees .By Himself ACT I—The Scudder Apartment, Washington Square, New York City. Scene 1—Late afternoon. Scene 2—The following night. Act II—Eight months later, late afternoon. Act III. Scene 1—Two weeks later, early evening. Scene 2—Following evening. I must admit that I approached the apex or the Triangle Theater, where the Triangle Players were playing “The Talking Parrot”, with some trepidation. It was my first assignment to the little theater, and, altho I have reviewed thousands of shows, I nevertheless felt that I would be insufferably bored. However, down into the cellar I went, where, in a small, equilateral enclosure, there were rows of benches, low cane-seated chairs, small tables, a handful of pegple, a lack of air and a general feeling of oppression. It was dimly lighted by a semi-indirect System, and around the walls was a varied collection of prints, water colors, sketches, impressionistic studies— some good, others not se good—and a plaster or papier mache head or two. It reminded me so much of the Cafe Chat Noir and those other funny little places in the Montmartre of Paris. Altho the play was scheduled to start at 8:45, and it was advertised that no one would be seated after it had commenced, neither of these features was carried out. Well after nine the stage curtains were parted at the base of the triangle and an agreeable surprise greeted the reviewer. There was an excellent set, artistic lighting effects, tho not quite as strong center stage as might have been had there been footlights, and a company of players much above the average expected. The comedy in itself concerned the adventure of Albert Scudder, a stamp collector and a reformer of meticulous habits, who leaves Millie Scudder, his wife, to go for a Tasmanian stamp. He is advised by Aunt Truefitt, Millie's (Continued on page 73 | NEW CHICAGO PLAYS NEW BOSTON PLAYS CORT THEATER, CHICAGO Beginning Sunday Evening, September 16, 1923 OLIVER MORSCO Presents (For the Mitchell Productions, Inc.) TAYLOR HOLMES With a Typical Morosco Cast —Jn— “A BIT OF DUST” A Comedy-Drama by Willis Goodhue Staged Under the Personal Direction of Mr. Morosco THE CHARACTERS (In the Order of Their Appearance) Pe: DN su a deaendekeddvaciudaen Juliette Day ee: a oo sc ech ccesstessons Jennie Lamont RE TRAC. coc dcecwwesass James Spottswood Father John Kelly........... .-Taylor Holmes Matthew Hale....... sandamaces Jurney Gilmore NN SUN sé dvds dudedekacdaadaaes Selma Paley Se. ee SN desciancdeeeascud Douglas Wood Timothy O'’Brien........... ..-Edwin Forsberg GUNG | BONO sc cd atnndéeatunded Grace Valentine Gale WN. & 4 cwanccdcéeceadesees Doris Moore Taylor Holmes heads a talented company of actors in a rather unfortunate play, brought unexpectedly to Chicago for its metropolitan premiere. In recent weeks it was one-nighted around Eastern Pennsylvania preparatory to a New York showing, and on just a few days’ notice was rushed to Chicago. The story is another one of religion and sex, the religion emphasized by a priest role and the sex by a rich man’s embroglio with a prostitute. Into the quiet home of the priest's sister comes a workman and his ermine-coated daughter, who announces her decision to go further along the primrose path by selling herself to the rich factory owner in exchange for “chicken in her belly.” fine dresses on her back and a Rolls-Royce at her bidding. The priest remonstrates with her so effectively that she agrees to postpone the sale for three months on the chance that (Continued on page 79) COLONIAL THEATER, CHICAGO Beginning Sunday Evening, September 16, 1923 CHELSEA PRODUCING CORP. Presents “JACK AND JILL” A Musical Comedy Revue by Frederic Isham, Otto Harbach, John Murray Anderson and Augustus Barratt THE CAST Fae AMMEWS. occ. ccccccccccs Lester O'Keefe NE OR. oc cadvdwegeceeeuals Sidney Marion po ee ere ee Babette Busey Phyllis Sisson oD Pee Beth Beri Bs a oe ca thd cacdoences Lulu MeConnell Te GN hs cwiiuccavccqwavens Victors Casmore Feet Ns becacievacadecessvecdecenan Jean Holt , ge, ee ere Max Hoffman, Jr. Gloria Wayne...... Poceveceane .Ann Pennington SE PES 6d edie dncndatcecdader Lew Fields Bi Te ciccewccccctivccdédvedsas Helene Blair A Footman...............+-...-Maurice Lupue Te PN ic ane cedes ke cc caeenuues .. Allan Glen Mrs. DePeyster Fish. . ...Eleanor Grover SOLO DANCERS—Leon Barte, Beatrice Collenette, Helene Blair, Frances Stone, Maurice Lupue, Ward Fox, Claud Buchanan. Very much changed from its original presentation is this impressive musical comedy. Ann Pennington and Beth Beri remain from the principals, and Leon Barte, Beatrice Collenette, Helene Blair and Ward Fox are still listed among the solo dancers. The central idea of the slender plot is built around a magic chair, supposedly carved from wood in the original George Washington cherry tree, which makes everyone who sits in it tell the truth. Jack Andrews is to be married to the heiress, tho infatuated with another, and the poor but honest Jimmy Eustace in the third act inveigles Jack into the chair and wins the heiress himself. Comedy effects are gained thruout by means of the chair, and the chorus weaves in and out in varied formations and costumes. Lew Fields, in the role first filled by Roger Imhof, is a source of perpetual SHUBERT Reginning JOS. M THEATER, Monday, GAITES BOSTON 1923 BEURY Present— “’LL SAY SHE IS” THE FOUR MARX BROTHERS The New Musical Book and Lyrics by Will B. Johnstone Musie by Tom Johnstone Book Directed by Eugene Sanger Numbers Staged by Vaughn Godfrey Orchestra Under Direction of Ted Coleman September 3, and JAMES P. ‘omedy Revue Entire Production Under the lersonal Supervision of JOS. M. GAITES CAST In Order of First Appearance Theatrical Agent **Richmar John Thorne First Office Girl......0.... ‘ Ia Hiurd **Merchant”™’ Maurice Ho tana Before—‘*Thief"" ...... William Baggett *““Zeppo"’—"*Doctor’’ Herbert Marx Chicko—*' Poorman" Leonard Marx Groucho—**Lawyer™ ....... Julius Hl. Masx Harpo—‘Beggarman™ ........ -Arthur Murx **Chief’’ P secteceecaweces John Clarke Second Office Girl Evelyn © < Footman John Naltla Social Secretary Alice Cavanaugh **Beauty”’ Lotta M : Pages Melvin Sisters White Girl and Hop Merchant nie eae Me Cecile D'Andrea 1 Harry Watters Street Gewsies ..ccacdiecccs Bower Sisters Coes Wee c<sacetuedesdues Florence Hedges Bul and Bear ....... ececse occeetaed cope vaae Alice Cavanaugh and Join Holland GebG Mam .ccéccce addenwenes ....Ledru Stiffler WROUOGE éccncanese «ee--dJane Hurd, Joey Benton meen Ge ccstnadecctaaeaes Beulah Baker Yerkes’ Happy Six (Angmented) ‘ TIT T Cer Tee The Jazz Band LADIES OF THE ENSEMBLE—Misses Wildred Joy. Gene Spencer, Catherine Coleman, Allen, Marjorie Laurene, Jane Hurd, Webb, Evelyn Grieg, Helen Martin, Thayer, Helene Brad’ey, Gertrude Cole Milton, Catherine Norris, Mary Shea, Evelyn Shea, Joey Benton, Florence Bower, Maryon Bower, Beulah Baker. The title. “I'll Say She Is", refers very aptiy to Lotta Miles, as the dazzling beanty whose desire to be thrilled forms the basis of this musical burlesque. It coulf just as aptly have been called “‘I'll Say They Are” and thus made to apply generally to the many charming misses in the The several gentlemen also deserve to be included, There are no dul] moments in “I'll Say She s’*. Even the twénty-four scenes are changed without holding up the routine, except for the t show. one intermission. For plot there is “Beauty’’, a fastidious young lady who hungers for a thrill that wealth has failed to give her. Eight willing suitors appear on the scene and volunteer to supply the desired sensation. These men represent Richman, Poorman, Beggarman, Thief, Doctor, Lawyer, Merchant and Chief. One takes her thru the thrill of the underworld, another the thril! of Wall street, a third the thrill of beauty, and so on without visible effect until the wisest boy makes her experience the thrill of love. Most of the scenes and art eurtains are attractive without being too gorgeous The mnsic is,of a mildly pleasing sort and there fs a thankful absence of repetition of leading numbers. Some excellent dancing is pcoovided by Ceci] D'Andrea and Harry Walters in a Chinese Apa h number, and Ledr Stifter excites a good deal of interest with his Gold Man and Blue Pharaoh dances, in which numbers he appears with his bedy covered with gold and blue paint, respectively. Signor Thomasse Veluso makes one of the biggest hits of the show with his delightful se ections on the piano. But the strong point of the production is its screaming comedy. The scenes abound with hilarity Most of the fun is clean, the some of it is rather unrefined for musical camedy. As a matter of fact, the show is not musical comedy at all It falls more appropriately in the category of burlesque. At least the comedy part of it does, and since the singing and dancing are greatly subordinate to the comedy it leaves very little to uphold the musical comedy title. Yerkes’ “Happy Six’? Orchestra, augmented for its appearance in this production, renders some enjoyable jazz music in the final scene. A similar session from these boys would not have been out of place somewhere in the frst act. . The Four Marx Brothers furr action and langhs They do it in their best vaudeville style, which is saying a good deal. Laughs follow each other succession sh most of the n rapid while these boys are on the stage. “I'll Say She Is"" doesn't range of high-class musical comedy, Dut it provides a evening's entertainment. DON CARLE GILLETTE, within the come g£00u — -——— fun, and Lulu McConnell, as the wife of the rich father, nearly runs away with the show. Max Hoffman, Jr., who the son of the famous Gertrude Hoffman, is the poor (Continued on page 73 someone says is