"THE FORTUNE-HUNTER."

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2222, 7 August 1914, Page 8

"THE FORTUNE-HUNTER."

\ .; —♦ —. } A COMEDY. OT SENTIMENT. I "Tho Fortune Hunter," a comedy in four acts, by Mr. Winchell Smith CastI ' Nathaniel Duncan - - ....Ered.Molo i Harry Kellocg ....Robert Greig Gebrgo HurnW Sydney Stirling ! James tone ...David Jefferson ! Lawicnoo lIMor Chas. Wheeler Willie BaiUetf H. H. WaJlncc ' . Hobbino Flunk Harcourt ; Sewsboy .'. Fred Junior 1 Sam Oraiiam Maurico Dudley (■'-,••■•■.: Mr. Lockwood •.../...'■.;...........;....Edwiii Lester I Eoland Barnett' .:..,..;..»..'.......K0naU Byram ?;.'.:.'-' Ti-accy Tanner'.'.: ;;-.'....:!;..£ Pirio Bush (;•■:;■■ Teto Willing ....;...;■....... .'...John De Lacy I■■■ ■'". Ifov Sperry .... ; ...:....:.......Pred-CambouTne !:■■:. "Watty" .:.;.....:......;.:.;:.:..;;.:...H. H. Wallace l -:':':r "Hi" ..;.......-...........•_ ......:....Ohos, Wheeler; {■:',, Horman ... „...;.........„..;....; ;.....Fred Junior !:;■:, Joeephlne:Lockwood...MariaiVirarcus Clarke [: ■ ■'•'.'■ Argio ': •;.;;;,..."■„ ..;...-. Beatrice Holloway f H •■■ Betty Graham ;.:...; ......;.Josephin©;Cohan ['■■.. If there is 'pnerthing moro thjiriVnn- .-. !;■.•- other in Vliicli iAmeri'ca has.-becomeag-!;v-".:■; gressiyely; xinilivjdTtdlistidT:".' it : : .'i8" : in ..tho ;" ; ;: fashioning of her- ■comedies; -.'_■' She -'has; \'-:.':■.:■ drawn 'up a.'disfinct*.%rm' ; of : coniedy. of f -.',.' . her. own, 'that ewes' nothing to', any' other ji ■:"•'-' country, or!' school; ',.".- With '-"doft," ■ cleverv- .-.'/ touches, she has shown hoV^it is possible,'' pleasantly .'"feasible,. : to .blend-,' that rv.v' .-.which' is Abroad farce, into, touches of sen-. [;■ ': 'otiment, susti.s obyion9 and unsubtle, and I;..:' ■' yet the. completed'.play^is'just■ as';stimu-. ;;, •"■•■ iatingand refreshing as sprinff'jweather,'; )'•■'■ ■' with ■ its'.veyivifyiiig flashes, "and splashes ;v, : .:; .of sunshine! i and; rain..; In ■:; "Get-Eich-y-'-.. Quick Wallingfo-rd";wo were given touches '(:■ -'■■■■ : .of the nati/c-bceri-comedy and liked it ;). ; -■'■■'.■tremendously;- but ""'The Fortune Hunter,", i;:v; in which J. C. Williamson 'presented 'Mr. !'-■'■■'.'-•-IVed ;31iss' Josephine Cohan,. i'■:.:' : at the Grand . Opera. , ' House;' Is "'even'. 1 a" '«:'.more appealing realisation of the national. I ' ideal in. this. 'istyle'. of theatrical attracf■•'. tion. It is all -.snap;'vim, and quaint act, ::.tion, andtfet thrpugli.iaU its amusing iveft there is thevwloof.of.'sentiemnt to lend,a p: •; human charm tb-the.fabric. To say;that h it fouud'farour'vwitiiXtho , audience last i-v'•■" '.evDning isbu'tthe barest"justice— everyone i:,'. ■'■-■'■. ■■ fell in loveVyfittt the'-, comedy.'r It was !•■-thoroughly' delightful to ajrnitf catchjhe [.'.' ■'■''lively' spirit-of-.-.Mr. rFred Niblo, and we U'- : ..niQlve obejsaßce'i-ttf. Miss 'Josephine .Cohan £■■:'■'>'■ : as- tin actress, ofvconspicuons'bharm,and fe\ : ':ability.; ■::"r.t;-;;v"i:v;':::,■■•>■'.; ■ •;"■' Kv. ; ■.' vl "The Fortune -Hunter."; is'.Nat. Diirican, j : ' .a breezy '.ybung-lAiiievican,.. who',, spoiled i: .> in his college days,I ■■i as a' money-inatei'.-in. af tef < life—a sin in f:;/•".-.- any.eelf-resi)ectihs" : 4¥ericiili."vHe lias a i::' ■'■ friend whose,gifte 'as' a-Rold-getter are K.: '■''■'■ simply teiTificVand who has.""Btood...to.liis. !'.• chmn's failures lfte\brick until-Nati-wts I: :., eick of' ■ sponging, , '■ and , says *so.v.;4;,;The [;'-:.t-/''Kell6sß,'itfic'-"fnetfd;-who..Tends';iiß:;jiaail;; I-.;-: some i'rien\VAike and kno>vs.;human. ■-'■■ ':■■- ■'-'■nature air.lie': doeS.'the geogrh.i»hy:'oi,;iWall ■.' ••'■"'■ ■ Street; suggests-'Jthat' -his jfriendK-\conH J.'- '■•■: ir.ake a ;■' up to instructioiisV> They are;; ijn'-brief? \- :•'-■ try town, J dress TOll^go:to chuTch.i leave |-- ; : '-all nlona.-'and wojlv. [■' Kellogg finances -tho'- sclieiuo, which ;.-»atv '.-'': 'agree3';to"in'hisMlespair.'- , --The action , : ';' changes i.<j: i'a criiintry ■ town,;.the .interior ■■'■",■-:iiii a shabby-' old drug store;''.with failure ' ='.■'■'.' ivritteh 'all.'iover,. it. '.■To' /dear old...Sam ' ■■ : Graham •(its-proprietor), ■ a.':dreamer; A and -. iDventor.'.Kat-'offers, ■.'KiSiser.yi&s' gratis, tand by 'his*dash;"-pei-sonal.charini and f".■'-". habits spoh:.work3 a transformation. >rhe ' ■> old store .becomes- a glittering palace, with f ■•■"■' •a■ soda fountain-to 'beat.the bund,- where }-- : . '■'-alltho girls, including'the village heiress, '.;.: .".come to*sip soda and flirt in;-bucolic '. ■ ~' '■■-'fashion'•iwi&TilKeCreforme'dlilSat'.;.''" iT-h'c • : '.■",- system .works i.sp.".well.that /well ;witlnn } "time" the heiress ."actually proposes mar- •; - ■'■■'; riage,- an'd Nat.;, who really has not /been ! ' : ;■'■■'■ "pierced w.itlDtho golden ehafti-i.s",octnall.v E- aiate at having to accept;'.as that;was the I T -" rule laid-down by tho wily-Kellog;- Nat. s '■.:'-'':'■ -reticence" in tare. matter is summed m i ;;; in the person of Sam Graham's daughter 4': -Betty,' who, thanks to Nat.'s energy am f : - resource,', has been transformed -irom.:: h ■■'-' "' dispirited' slattern to a very charniint ; i: ■.'"■'■, young lady. But .the heiress, Josie Lock :- Stood, lias, another 'admirer,' Roland Bar i' '' xett, wTio fancies that in Nat. , he has <lis !"•:- '■ covered ". a runaway . accountant. •■ Hi '.'■■■'■" accusation : turns Josio into a virago; whi '•■'.■"-'■' breaks off the engagement,'much.to Nat' v ''■ .-''■ Telief, -leaving him free to marry Bettj f'-'' , '"' whose.father's .latest, invention has ret ' lised'a fortune.. ''■-.'•"■ ~ . - 'r ■'■■■■-. Mr. Niblo is compellingly bright nii i/.'natural' as Nat Duncan, and. gets.ever ! ; ounce of humour 'and seniiment out < ,"' ' 'the part.; He fools most.admirably tl I " / ' drug-store' assistant; and. the' scene i f ■■;•■ i'vhicb.' , he serves a couple; 6f;giggliaggir '■'•'■■. with soda for.the first time was a.screan i-'--' Equally fine was his. 1 work, in tho s'qeni v'.'.!.*"'.'.- ivith "old Graham and his daughter, alii I;"-Cohan gave aperfMit character study'-! |. "■■'• Betty, the slattern, whose life of drudgei i ■'■' .Teaches its most aoute;p6int whenshe ; •. invited to a. party,'.'and has. r not; a. dre iY to go in. Hev acting in the later scene j i where she. ; 'develops, feelings-towards Na [•'-.■'.■'• ■;.werej .tinged . with , a' gentle' pathos ' vei j ;■'' .delicately; conveyed. . Miss Cohan'si pc ;-.'N' ; '. formance' will niako .her many friend '.'■.- Mr. Eobcrt Griejr, unctious nnd.breez j'■ ' '-.' .- with an iiifectioiu laugh, was quite }•'■■.-' . ' success as Kellogg; Mr. ■ Sydneyj-Stirlii I ,; was dapper and clean-cufc;as George Biir ■' "ham; and Mr. E. lirio Biish gavea clev t-■:'■': character'sketch m ■ the village..;;youf j■' -Tracy Tanner, suggesting unconscious f "'• tlio boyish' acb'oh v and-nianher;So -diffict I •' .for the experienced actor to ;suggest; : 'i ';.-.-v.. Maurice Dudley ■-. was.•conyincing;.as,-c t ' .-' Graham,, and;M; ! Edwin'XosteriiWak.rai f - ingly interesting- as Lbckwood, the;villa ':•■'' . - ■ ,-oankpri llrV ; '-. jbhn : Ule'' Lacy, /as ?i V." I Willing,; Mr. -. I'.'rJCa'mbourne-'as . i ■■ h'perry, Jlr; ;, Ronald ..'.Byram -as ; Rola I ■■''■•-'■ '-' Barnett,- and Jlr. :H^^H;V:AVallace, '■' wi ).'■ :-.'•• all effectivs.'iMiss'Maripn.'.Marcus 'Clai : : '-"■.■ suggested ■■tho hoydcnish;',.arc_hness ..of. f '• Tnral maid,.and Hiss'-Seatrjco Hollow f ■?: inadoUui: enticing,'Angie.-fV'-: ;. ; f '.•■;'■'■ :T.he- comedy was-.,capitally produc i-' . every detail being'. carefully, studied; ; produce: tKe, r iiecessaryV'atrabspUere,-.'i.w i'" '■'.'.. to the sWver' jDt real-rain-at.-the-c I '■'..''-tain's falK ?■':.'■''■""•■ ZK\~ '*:u '.''''■'":■■ .'.