Show I r PERCY HAMMONDS HAMMOND'S LETTER I lir BT In PERCY NEW YORK Oct 2 2 Producers ers rs of plays play from which sin ln has hash h heen en eliminated have hi hl upon a device device to lure the tho degraded the the- theatregoer theatregoer the the-atre-roer goer atre-goer Into their cleanly sanc- sanc inc Themselves too neat ne t to sponsor th the popular abominations abominations abominations they are not above obo employ employ- employIng Inc Ing naughty measures to whet the curiosity of the minded evil evil Air 11 William Anthony AI McGuire for tor Instance Is tho the owner and author of an Idyll called It J I Was WIlS Richan un an entertainment overflowIng with Innocence Its It lewdest moment I 1 Iam Iam am told Is ono one which suggests that the th bride brid of an In nt mt lI g ship ship- ship pins ping clerk so go to luncheon with hIs hist sentimental boss bo According r to Mr McGuire It Is a good goo clean 1111 play containing no DO appeal to the wrongful passions Just a funny tory story about tome some virtuous persons involved In humorous predicaments menu ments Yet Tet in l frag frag- fragrant fragrant rant posy Mr adopts a scarlet A newspaper ad- ad ad advertisement of It if I 1 Was Vas Rich Kich Is headed In n large black and ImposIng Imposing Ine Ing typography with the tho follow follow- follow Ine Ins Inc seductive o line THIRTEEN NAKED O II And It goes on to say y that al- al although although al although though 13 undressed ladles ladies lad III wall all across tho the stage of a current re- re revue revue re revue vue they do not do so o In It If I IWas IWas IWas Was Rich Myself an Inveterate revue goer cannot Identify Identity the production that affords a 11 view so Perhaps It exists ts only In tho the excited eye eo of Mr McGuire a fanatic for Cor Rood good deportment Inthe In Inthe Inthe the theatre It Is I possible that said ald ho he to himself I may entice the debased lovers drama-lovers to ashow a ashow ashow show that will help them out of their noxious wallow allow Tempted Iniquitously Into a II play contain contain- containIng Ine Ing no Iniquity they may be bc b bene- bene benefited bene benefited ne- ne by Its edifying influences So I believe his subterfuge is excusable ex- ex excusable ex excusable Another Another Instance of oC stooping to redeem the imperfect theater goer Is I that afforded by Mr John Golden the most mo t noted of the dramas drama's white wings s Mr 11 Golden Goldel Is notorious for Cor his fumigations an and misbehavior 1 If now and then a 1 havior lor productions creeps Into one of his pro pro- pro pro- he regrets it It It- ItI I have o always al- al ali alwayS al always i ways thought that the tir financial success of Seven Se Candles caused hIm several se sleepless nights night Many MILDY soiled oiled manuscrIpts manuscript pass pa s through Mr Goldens Golden's Golden laundr laundry and come corne lieis HeIs out bleached and Immaculate lie He Is also the tho th whiskbroom of the thc and when a drama n emerges attentions attention from his preliminary at- at at It Is pretty sure to be clean Mr Mfr Goldens Cold ens en's latest effort Is R- R corned comedy by Gladys Glady linger Unger entitled z 2 Girls Wanted It is a II pretty play exhibitinG none nono of the th cur cur- current current cur current rent Reciting the ex- ex of two nice virgins en- en In the troubles of 01 romance and a business ness It Is as sexless a afable I axis be fa ble blea as Is b to be seen la In the carnal Butin neighborhood of Times Time Square re But Dut In order to provoke pro attendance of the tho sin sinful Cui majority Mr Golden puts devilish ads In the tho papers suggesting that z 2 Girls Wanted anted Is demoralizing A simple simpi lovers Ers kiss Is paraded In these announce announce- announcements announcements ments as something hot an and 1 cen- cen cen censurable censurable and calculated to ato the ornery Inclinations of the Wa- Wa dis dissolute sol solute te Mr Golden with Mr Mc- Mc McGuire McGuire Mc Guire is to be excused d for Cor hIs virtuous expedience It is better I no doubt that the public should go O to 2 Girls Wanted than to hal Shans-hal Cradle Snatchers or The Shan Shang- hal hilI Gesture Moreover tho the play Is as Mr Dempsey used l to say sa on tho the up-and-down up a quiet oc occasionally oc- oc occasionally Cl believable lint nt of as It Is lived in the tho drama Since m my return from Crom the banks of tho the Styx I I 1 have e seen icon only ono one that Induced more not excepting the tho Dempsey Tunney-Dempsey CI fisticuffs Three Jady lady stars last week un- un undertook undertook un undertook to amuse amuso and pa pacify the patrons of the tho theatre One was Miss Pauline Paulino Lord and th the other two were welO Miss Fanny Brice and Miss Frances Starr None of o them I fear succeeded In atam the wary ary customers Miss MIs Lord in Sandalwood was an ob- ob obsequious ob female whoso whose abject at- at attentions at attentions to her bored husband I drove him Into the arms arm of an overdressed o music teacher who had no sex compunctions 1 Lord whinnied pathetically and when It seemed that rho sho was wa down and out rose roso up and triumphant The play Ly by Owen DavIs from a novel by Fulton had possibilities tow fow of of whIch were realized It en endeavored to be unfriendly to Main Street the Episcopal clergy percent per percent percent cent Americans The Elks and Ro- Ro notary Rotary Ro Rotary clubs clubs tary clubs and life home In the th Jers Jersey y suburbs You can get a agoo goo good 1 laugh however from Mr MI William tirade against piffle as he li recite recites It con- con upon his death bed Miss Brice performing under Mr III Delasco's magIc macic baton was WILS as asso athe s o she used to be bo In the comic revues and grotesque extravaganzas extravaganzas As Asa Aa Asa a shrewd New York Jewish girl she found herself In linny In conflict with a bevy of lous unscrupulous cowboys upon a ran ranch h In the open spaces It is essential to tithe the fourth Forty street drama rama that the tir heroine at the tho end s should be betrothed to tho the hero having Inspired in him the cosmic urge MIss Brice Ericc is best when she sho is h ridiculous and as sho fascinated fascinate the handsome cowboy detective wIth her burlesque charms I 1 thought I discerned a II flaw Claw In the probability of the play Miss Delco will not believe bellevo that I 1 am right when I 1 suggest that her Is travesty and that her essays to bo ho sIncere are arc futile it doesn't matter Neither doea doen the tho dilemma of o Miss Mss Frances Starr who is ap- ap appearIng ap posting at the thc as a 11 aroutine routine woman of the tho world doing doin things entirely foreign to her talents The Shelf is the name nam of or the vehicle and It la is emblem emblem- emblematic emblematic of the shelf upon which sirens lIv nr 1 c nr 1 c growing old o y are arc dc de d c posited Although the first night ers era acclaimed Tho The Shelf Shelt heart heart- heartily II ily It was no good and It put pu Miss Starr In a role to which she sh was not suited I felt Celt sorry for Cor to her as I did for tor Mr Arthur Byron who did his hl best as ns a NewYork New NewYork York politician to rescue the tho thing from Crom utter banality As these syllables go eo to press ss two of the seasons season's great theatrical events are arc on the tho threshold threshold- threshold Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and The Captive a French drama dealing with a 1 sex situation too to bizarre ure to be bo candid candll about In a ahome ahome home paper The rhe outlook loW loW- Indicates cates sates rough going rou h for tor a conscientious lIous and delicate dramatic re- re reviewer re viewer er re-I re |