Variety (July 1923)

■m-T^; r v^»:.T TV" " T^fffi-^"»*■'* •?-^'L.iiSiJtr'T. 'f» Book by GEORGE S. KAUFMAN & MARC CONNELLY V Music and Lyric, by BERT KALMAR & HARRY RUBY > THE EMPHATIC MUSICAL COMEDY HIT OF ANY SEASON - >■ Now Running at the SELWYN THEATRE, N. Y. '■ ■-■«•• •T.. J. .>: ■- •■ ' ♦,■ -v'- >:':/: V'./-^ TIMES .-■-•■■ ^ "H«l«n of Troy, New York,' GoU a Whirlwind Start at tho Solwyn Thaatra. " 'HELEN OF TROY, NEW YORK,' liuiig up the New York after her name in the white lights in Forty-second street last night for what looked, along toward the eleventh hour, like a long stay. For the piece, laid at first in the Capi- tal of Collars by its anthors, Kaufman and Con- nelly, and brought to hailing distance of jazzland by Bert Kalniar and Harry Ruby's competent and catchy music, got going its whirland pace in a Gold Eagle studio finale of Russian dances, both burlesque and real, by almost a second cast of dancers on the heels of the singing ones. There wasn't a dry collar in the house when the audience joined in the fun with shouting and laughter." TRIBUNE "The large news of the exercises at the Selwyn last night is that Miss Queenie Smith, a youthful sprite with yellow bobbed hair and a sense of comedy, danced away with the honors of a good show, despite the presence of others, who were successful." . .: . ; JOURNAL OF COMMERCE ^ ♦'Helen of Troy, New York," la a Summer Hit. "Rufus LeMaire and George Jessel, who^e eflfort at individual producing it is, are to be congratulated for the monumental success of this first effort in the legitimate." V " 'HELEN OF TROY, NEW YORK.' is a musical tortoni, a refreshing sea breeze and won- derful entertainment." MORNING WORLD " 'HELEN OF TROY, NEW YORK,' bring> ihe business satire of ' I'o the Indies' into the nuisieal comedy field. Kaufman and Connelly. who wrote the book, seemed to have been deter- nuned that for once a musical show should be lrni£;Iil ^f»me new triok>.'' UNANIMOUS PRAISE: HERALD "Helen of Troy. New York," New Mueical Play, Sparkea With Fun. "Students of playwriting courses at Columbia University and other colleges should be sent down to the Selwyn Theatre to view 'HELEN OF TROY, NEW YORK,' as a sample of tlie i*r- fect musical comedy, very rare, if only so that they can tell their grandchildren about it. (ieorge S. Kaufman and Marc Connelly, those young rascals who wrote the unceasingly delightful book for the initial managerial oflfering of LeMaire & Jessel, are now entitled to don professional horn- rimmed spectacles and deliver lectures up at Morningside Heights on.The Technique f>f tlie Musical Comedy as I Invented It.' « "The first musical show collaboration by the adapters of *Merton of the Movies' has the five vital essentials of a musical sparkle: Simplicity, clearness, movement, sparkle — and Queenie Smith. This diininutive comedienne and dancer, and- artist to her eyelash tips, was responsible for a large part of tiie furor^ that at times raged around the opening night just as though it were, an important horse race. , . ^^ "Miss Ford is comely and lissome in addition to being engagingly chubby, and she has the price- less gift of l>cing cuddlesome without being an»ioy- ing with it." ^ EVENING WORLD "it is by the advertising sign you will know 'HELEN OF TROY, NEW YORK,' the coN lar c"omedy with musical edges, proved to lie as commercial as 'Potash and Pcrlmutter' last night at the Selwyn Theatre." ♦ MORNING AMERICAN ' "'Helen of Troy, New York,* - "Wo .kK isc v(»u not to miss this entertainment." ■'>;>?'• THE SUN AND THE GLOBE "Helan of Trey, New York*" Sooraa a Hit at ttlwyn. "When 'HELEN OF TROY, NEW YORKt* was presented at the Selwyn Theatre last night, George S. Kaufman and Marc Connelly, through their clever and original book,, won the chief honors of the production, and Miss Queenie Smith won the chief honors of the performance. It is a long time since we have witnessed such spontaneous outbursts of enthusiasm as greeted Miss Smith, throughout the performance. "There is not a dull moment in 'HELEN OF TROY, NEW YORK,' unless you have reached the blase state and are bored by one or two sentimental songs. The satire is keen, the humor spontaneous, the chorus girls are pretty and ex- ceedingly well trained, the music is ples^slng, and everything generally is as it should be to make a refreshing entertainment. Messrs. Kaufman and Connelly, authors of 'Mcrton,' 'Dulcy* and other plays, have scored a well-deserved success." r • EVENING TELEGRAM "it was a genuine treat to look over the h\f^ crowd in the Selwyn Theatre last night and in- stead of encountering the customary frozen faces of the first nighters to find beaming eyes and smiling lips, and to hear the constant chuckle that greeted 'HELEN OF TROY, NEW YORK.' "Here is a gem of musical comedy with a never failing fund of satire rippling through it, never cruel, always gay and always hittjpg some little weakness of this modern world a deft little rap. The chorus is m^de Up of the prettiest girls of the summer season." , >. DAILY NEWS •"HELEN' is a lively show, lightly touched with the smart humor of George Kaufman and Marc Connelly and with music and lyrics by Kal- niar and Ruby. Bert French has given spirit to the dances and Bertram Harrison has been wise in not taking the story too seriously.". . WE TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK FRANCIS X. HOPE FOR HIS WISE COUNSEL AND VALUABLE AID General : 1451 BROADWAY, NEW YORK