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 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 discovere d to 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 comes 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 his attentions were forced on her. He bends everyone to his iron will and fails in the end, for his boy is electrocuted. Three acts 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 ssing such prescience 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 nat to trail along with him, accurately forecasting what his next move will be. posss is Mr. Keenan directed “Peter Weston” and all the have acquired the Keenan method in 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 is little liability of latter happening, for Peter Weston must of necessity be the center of attraction almost thruout the performance, but the possibility of the cast plaving a la Keenan was constantly present, and it cust some the Was not avoided to the extent it should have been. Allowing for this, Judith Anderson gave a sincere and gripping perform 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 sus pense, while sought for earnestly by cast and authors, is licking 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 Scudder. . Judy Fairfield Albert Scudder.... John Parrish Roger ‘ ee -Charles Webster Felix Barlcw..... -Harry Neville WE acddetatduwiceesabienccnns .By Himself ACT I—The Scudder Apartment, Washington Square, New York City 1—Late afternoon. Scene 2—The following night. Act II—Eight months later, late afternoon. Act II. 1—Two weeks later, early evening. Scene 2—Following evening. Scene Scene I must admit that I approached the apex of 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 & Typical Morosco Cast —In— “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) Eifeen Kelly.........ceee. . Juliette Day Tee SR ac cc ccccenacndece Jennie Lamont Angus Mackaye. ...ccccccccest James Spottswood Futher Joho Kelly.......e0-.-Taylor Holmes PESRTNOW TAs cc cc cccaticacess furney Gilmore PS: Ge ncweontvaecectstsieeds Selma Paley Be POOWINR. cw centadeecscies Douglas Wood Sethe: CRG bicsccndéacecs Edwin Forsberg GE PONE, a cc cccsncnccseuass Grace Valentine Carey BOs cc cccnccucseseesacees 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, Septemeber 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 Fat AONE. ccs ccvcceccacs Lester O'Keefe Donald Lee aunteeke«eheael Sidney Marion Marcia Manners. ......ccsccccses Babette Busey Phyllis Sisson 7 eee Beth Beri Peres rere Lulu MeConnell Te GG 66 oc nas cat dntecedacas Victors Casmore SI TRI oo a piveciduceceusecteauet Jean Holt Pe. eee -Max Hoffman, Jr. a a ee eee Ann Pennington Wet Ts oan 0 écacqinstvccax ..Lew Fields Bi TB in dcccenasccceccuadeedem Helene Blair PY er ee ..-Maurice Lupue The Butler ‘ awe Mrs. Deleyster Fish P SOLO DANCERS Barte, Beatrice ColHelene Blair, Frances Stone, Maurice Lupue, Ward Fox, Claud Buchanan. sedecquuees .Allan Glen ...Eleanor Grover Leon lenette, 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 Beginning Monday, JOS. M TES and FHEATER, BOSTON September 3, 1923 JAMES P. BEURY “PLL SAY SHE IS” With The New Musical Comedy and Lyrics by W B Musie by Tom J Book Directed by Eugene Numbers Staged by Vaughn Orchestra Unde Dir Entire Production Under Johnstone hnstone Sanger Godfrey red Coleman the lersonal Supervisior JOS. M. GAITES CASI In Order of First Appearance Theatrical Agent ‘“‘Richman John Thorne First Office Girl........ Ja Hurd “Merchant” aes Maurice Holand tefore—**Thief"’ aes William Baggett **Zeppo"’—** Doctor” Herbert Marx *hicko—"" Pow in Leonard Marx Groucho—"*l.awyer™’ P Julius H. Marx Harpo—"Beggarman’ Arthur Murx a te John Clarke Second Office Girl Evelyn @ r Footman . John Nall Social Secretary ... Alice Cavanaugh **Beauty”’ Lotta M 4 Pages ++ Melvin Sisters White Girl and Hop Merchant Cecile D'Andrea and Harry Watters Street Gamins «s rT rrrre Bower Sisters Chinese Boy ..cccocccececs ...Florence Hedges Bull and Bear ........... cseeseeae haces -Alice Cavanaugh id John Holland BORG MAR cccdiccccccescccess Ledru Stiffler PRNIOND io cncseceecaun Jane Hurd, Joey Renton eins. Gt 5c ca aacendens ee Renlah Baker Yerkes’ “Happy Six’? (Angmented) hitadenes The Jazz Band sses Mildred LADIES OF THE ENSEMBRLE—M ( Florence Joy. Gene Spencer, Catherin oleman, Allen, Marjorie Laurens Hurd, \lice Webb, Evelyr Grieg, Helen Martin Peegy Thayer, Helene Brad’ey, Gertrude Cole teth Milton, Catherine Norris, Mary Shea, Evelyn Shea, Joey Benton, Florence tower, Maryon Bower, Beulah Baker. The title. “I'll Say She Is’, refers very aptly to Lotta Miles, as the dazzling beanty whose desire to be thrille@ forms the basis of this musical burlesque. It could? just as aptly have been called “I'll 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 Is”. Even the twénty-four scenes are changed without holding up the routine, except for the Say show. one intermission. For plot there is “Beauty’’, a fastidious young lady who hungers for @ 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 anderworld, another the thrill! 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 . Most of the scenes and art enrtains are attractive without being too gorgeous The masie ig,of a mildly pleasing sort and there is a thankful absence of repetition of leading numbers. Some excellent dancing is povided by Ceci! D'Andrea } Ilarry Walters in a Chinese Apache numb and Ledru Stiffler excites ga good deal of interest with his Gold Man and B Pharaoh dances, in which numbers he appears with his body covered with gold and blue paint, respectively. Signor Thomasso Veluso makes one of the biggest hits of the show on the piano with his delightful se ections But the strong peint of the production is its screaming comedy. The scenes abound with hilarity Most of the fun is cles the some of it is rather unrefined for musical camedy. As a matter of fact, the shew is not monsical 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 wenld not have been out of place somewhere in the Grst act. The Four Marx Brothers furnish most of the action and laughs They do it in their best vaudeville style, which is saying a good deal, Laughs f w each other rapid succession while these boys are on the stage. “I'll Say She Is’ doesn’t come within the range of hich-class musical comedy, Dut it provides a good evening's entertainment. DON CARLE GILLETTE, — —— fun, and Lulu McConnell, as the wife of the rich father, nearly runs away with the show. Max. Hoffman, Jr., who someone the of the famous Gertrude Hoffman, is the poor (Continued on page 73 says 18 son