Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Monday 5 August 1912, page 3


I"CtF'T-E.ICH-QUICK walling. I . FORD."

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Saturday evening at the Criterion Theatre, comic opera gave place to farcical comedy in the shape of a dramatisation by George M. Cohan, of George Randolph Chester's cleverly-written American novel, Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford"." The piece was produced

by Mr. J. C. Williamson's new comedy company which includes Mr. Fred, Niblo from the leading London and. New York theatres. Harry Corson Clarke, the original]

Jones in "What Happened to Jones," and Miss Josephine Cohan, a well-known New York comedienne. These three undoubtedly highclass artists bore the brunt of the work, and naturally received most of the limelight, but It may be noted that they were ably supported by Miss Beatrice Holloway. Edwin Lester, and Fred Cambourne, who occupy prominent positions on the Australian stage.

To say that the piece caught on to use an Americanism, which we have assimilated

hardly conveys the cordiality with which;

the first performance in Australia was received. The dialogue is smart, or, as our American friends would term it. "cute," and the stream of fun rippled onward from point to point, occasionally bubbling over, until metaphorically speaking, the spectacle is presented of "laughter holding both its sides." One is reminded to some extent of other) importations from the United States, such as "Alias Jimmy Valentine," "The Girl of the Golden West, and "Brewster's Millions;" but

as the plot is laid in a country town the' audience is not puzzled by Bowery idioms or! the more refined colloquialisms of the Broad-way. The comedy in its action is on the "bustling" order, but things do not begin to, "hum" In the placid town of Battlesburg until J. Rufus Wallingford and Horace Daw,

two New York crooks, swoop down upon it, and liven things up. The climax of appreciation

came at the end of the play when it, took some time to hand on to the stage the many handsome floral compliments which were presented to all the ladies In the cast. Mrs Niblo also made a happy speech, In which while expressing his gratification at the warmth of Sydney's welcome, he paid a high tribute' to the management of J. C. Williamson, Ltd., in preparing for the production.

The first scene opens in the office of the Palace Hotel In Battlesburg, a small town in which the residents are prone to "lean"! when any work of a strenuous nature Is sugar gested. Daw (alias Blackie). the advance agent of the more brilliant "grafter." is however, stirring things up and chanting the praises of the coming Wallingford as a true

patriot, who scorns mere money considerably

tons, and is devoted to the welfare of his country. Andy Dempsey, the landlord of the hotel, is not a fool, and Daw's arrival, without luggage Is viewed with suspicion, but the latter so skilfully manipulates things that all the prominent citizens of Battles-burg lose their heads over the business possibilities of Wallingford's advent. Consequently when he arrives the town is at fever heat. He is met at the hotel by a reception committee, to whom he delivers a stirring address, touching eloquently upon the great future in store for the town when he has done with it. The local brass" band in full uniform is called out, and blatantly emphasises the welcome.

When the excitement has subsided and the crooks getNa word together, a statement of ways and means discloses the fact that they possess only a few dollars between them, fionicthiner. therefore, has to be done immediately, and Wallingford hits upon the device of starting a company to manufacture carpet covered tacks. One or two specimens are hastily produced by hand, the financial magnate's of the town are summoned, and the great scheme propounded. Wallingford's eloquence and, apparent sincerity prevail, over caution and common sense, and a company

is formed with a capital of 125.000 doll

lars. The first contribution is made by Dempsey's head clerk. Edward Lamb, who

possesses £1,000 dollars. Wallingford takes

10.000, and significantly tells the youngster that he had better keep the odd thousand as he! may want it. The transaction takes place under solemn pledge of secrecy, and the ensurprising ' partners In villainy having thus obtained the wherewithal to live sumptuously Siroceed to do so, and further strengthen! the confidence of their victims by profuse hospitality. , I

But Lamb breaks the pledge of secrecy by Informing Fannie Jasper, Dempsey's stenographer, of his Investment. suspecting something wrong, she warns Wallingford that if he fails to go straight she will expose him. Fnnare. however, accepts the position of Walling-ford's private secretary, more for the purpose

of watching him than for anything else, and the creek having control of the funds of the Carpet Tack Company, launches out into land and estate speculations. These succeed beyond his wildest dreams, and when he and Daw meet and compare notes they are, astounded to find that they are actually making money on the square." In the mean-time Wallingford has fallen in love with his private secretary, and Daw's with Dorothy I Welles, and in the final scene of the play,

representing the lapse of two years, the erst-while crooks have, by honest means, become millionaires and have married the objects of their affections. They have also done great

things with the aid of other citizens of Battlesburg to make the town prosperous

and go-ahead, and, though each confesses to the other after a brilliant party at Walling-

ford's house that the hazard and excitement of a crook's life sometimes secretly appeals to him, his resolution to go straight is un-shaken. This is the end to a very bright and excellently devised stage story. I

Though the action of the piece proceeded rapidly there was no confusion. The members of the company seemed to fall into their parts automatically, and, encouraged by the enthusiasm of the audience, they made everything

go with a delightful swing. Mr. Fred Niblo in the title role was exceptionally good. (fall, and with a good presence, he gave to the character of the New York crooks the

air of sincerity necessary to capture the confidence and purses of the Unsophisticated He was admirable in Wallingford's fervid adI dress to the Battlesburg people and in his

assumed indignation, coupled with sorrow,

when he finds his associates In the Carpet

Jack Company" questioning his bona fides in the absence of tangible results. Refined-In style, and with a good voice, he also acquitted

himself ably in Wallingford's love I passages with the girl who has really forced I him into paths of honesty. Mr. Harry Cor

son Clarke's Horace Daw was also characterised by thoroughness and he lost nothing by comparison with the bright particular star of the company. Miss Josephine Cohan played the part of Fannie Jasper, the stenographer, with a sympathy that quickly ellj cited a response from the audience. Quiet land natural in her methods, she was all the more forceful, and. that she can display among

tional power when the situation calls for it,

was proved in the scene where Fannie faces

Wallingford and unmasks him. " Miss Cohan I was ably supported by the Misses Marian Dunn (Mrs. Andy Dempsey), Margaret Dale Owen (Bessie Meets, the gum chewing, head

waitress), Rosalind Smeaton (Gertrude Demp-

sey), and Beatrice Holloway (Dorothy Welles). Of the male characters not already mentioned, a Mr. Edwin Lester gave an efficient sketch of

? G. W. Battles, the richest man about town," ! Mr. Fred Cambourne made quite a feature

of Abo Gathers, tree 'bus driver, and Cyril French, as the wide-awake office boy, Willie, gave the necessary uprightness to the part. Messrs E Pirie Bush (Edward Lamb), James N. Manning (Andy Dempsey), L. Adams v (Clint Harkins, reporter of the "Blade"), I Henry Matsumoto (Yosl Wallingford's valet),

I George Whitehead (ex-Judge Bampton), R. H. Wallace (Mayor of Battlesburg), Sydney Smith (Henry Quigg, coal and ice magnate); and Robert Greig (Tom Donahue, a Pinkerton detective) also played well. The quality of the staging was quite consistent with the efficiency of the production generally, the most careful attention being paid to every detail: and the scenic efforts by Messrs. Leslie Board and W. Little, left little to be desired. There will be a matinee of "GetRich Quick Wallingford" on Wednesday next.

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