GET-RICH-QUICK WALLINGFORD

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 48, 25 February 1913, Page 7

GET-RICH-QUICK WALLINGFORD

TWO AND A HALF-HOURS' FUN. The story of "Get-rich-Quick Wallingford," billed as a comedy and played as a farce, filled His Majesty's Theatre last night with laughter for nearly three hours. Only an American mind could evolve such amusement out of the turning honest of two famous " crooks,'' who forsook their devious ways, and became straight in spite of themselves. When Rufus J. Wallingford and hia friend and advance agent, Horace. Daw. picked on the quiet township of Battlesberg as the scene of their masterpiece in the an of "trimming boobs," which is American for plucking pigeons, they forgot to take into account the effect of the influence of the little blind god. This young person, the unexpected vogue of the " covered carpet tack," Wallingford's bogus invention, and the unexpected success of the firm's deals in Battlesberg real estate robbed tJie "crook " profession of two of ita brightest ornaments—men who excited the'admiration of even Detective Donahue and his superior officers. The fun of the conversion lay principally in the ready way in which Battlesberg submitted itself to the " trimming " process. They nearly all talked in the accent of the stage Irishman with a dash of Little Burke Street thrown in—evidently under the impression that it was American— but this fact did not discount the hilarity of the hurry and hustle in the slightest. The audience was in the keenest good humour, and even applauded the orchestra—a somewhat unusual thing at an entertainment of this nature. Not that the musical part of the bni did not deserve all the applause it got, but the fact is mentioned just to show the mellowing effect of the unravelling of the most diverting story of Rufus J. and his 1-idus Achates.

The play went with a dash from the start, which opens at the Battlesberg Hotel, where Horace Daw is preparing the inhabitants for the descent of thai great financial magnate, Rufus J. Wallingford. Some of the rypee introduced were capitally done. The same note of hilarity was repeated right through the piece, and one never remembers to have seen an audience in such consistent good humour since that other amusing Americanism. "Brewster's Millions" was played here. The delightful way in which Rufus J. played on the weaknesses of the Battlesbergians and the delightful way in which the Battlesbergians fell over one another to be played on would make the most pronounced pessimist guffaw. Fortunately an ideal actor for the part of Rufus was found in Mr. Fred Niblo Ihe part fitted him quite as well as his clothes. On the stage nearly the whole time, and talking all the time he is on Mr. Niblo has a most exacting task which not only requires skill but physical endurance. He simply talks his way to the hearts (and incidentally the pockets) of the population of Battlesberg and while he is doing it he has the audience in fits of laughter. Mr. Corson Clarke as Horace Daw was also inimitable in Ids way. The two play up to one another in a way that makes the T" f i. !u necessar y complement of the. other. Miss Holloway made a pleasing Fanny .Jasper, the typist, though she was perhaps hardly quite the type the author intended. "Everybody in the caste was o.ood and some were very good. Among the most noticeable were Edwin Lester as G Y\ Battles. E. P. Bush as Edward Lamb (duly shorn by R uflM ~.,, James li. Manning as the landlord. Miss Marpare Dale Owen „„ the gum-chewing waitress and Robert Orelg as the deteo tve. Mr GreJg deserves a ape"ai word ot commendation, as he saves the .situation when the play attempts to .become sentimental O^T C w iTS? ° f the " Quick UalJmgford" type is not what Wendy would call "fearfully fascinating" Walljngford will trim the Battiesberg boobs for the rest of the week, and an/one who wants cheering up shouH not fan to drop ,n to His Majesty's Theatre and see the operation.