HIS MAJESTY’S THEATRE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19373, 8 January 1925, Page 8

HIS MAJESTY’S THEATRE.

“BROADWAY JONES.” The Seymour Hicks-Ellaline Terriss Company was seen in another new piece at His Majesty’s Theatre last evening—George M. Cohan’s farce, “Broadway Jones,” in four acts. The farce is of a most diverting character, and scintillates with flashes of wit, these accentuated by moat laughable situations. The piece relies to a great extent on the pace at which it is presented, and the action never tarried once throughout the performance. The atmosphere cf Broadway is truly the breath of life of Jackson Jones, whose love of what the American short story writer, O. Henry, calls the “merry-merry,” has to bo satisfied, no matter the cost. “Broadway” Jones has not earned his sobriquet without effort —the effort, however, being confined to spending the fortune his father has left him with lavish and irresponsible hands. Cash was all Jones desired, so that it could be quickly spent, but one fine morning he wakes up to find that the financial cupboard is bare, and that, moreover, the ledger is 50,000 dollars to the bad. The only asset the dashing youth from Joneavillo has left is, as ho states, his get-up and go. The young man, however, who had loft the viUage of Jonesvillo to take a loading part Tn the whirl of the Great White Way, is not daunted. Ho must have more cash, and ho solves the problem by becoming ■ engaged to the three-times widow, Mrs James Gerard. Her millions are the lode star —it is not suggested that her face is her fortune. Jones becomes engaged at a dinner ho has given—his precarious financial position has not yet become known—but when Jones's great friend, Robert Wallace, hears the nows he emphatically protests against the engagement being gone on with, and bluntly asks if Jones loves the widow. Jones pleadingly asks if Wallace were in trouble, would not ho love anybody who got him out of it. Then comes the startling news that Jones has become heir to his uncle’s chewinggum factory, worth anything round about a million dollars. The widow’s chances of making a fourth voyage on the sea of matrimony therefore become rather remote, but there are many amusing situations before Jones manages to elude the importunate lady. Ho goes to Jonosville, falls in love with the pretty accountant of the chewing gum firm, changes his mind about selling the business to the opposition trust for his beloved cash, and looks to become indeed quite a reformed character as the final curtain falls and finds the accountant in bis arms. As “Broadway” Jones Mr Hicks achieved another outstanding success. This character was created by him in the original London production, and, as was only to bo expected, he exploited every avenue of stage effect in unfolding the life story of the dashing Jones, finally bringing him to the haven to bo found in the little village of JTonesvillo. Mr Hicks’s part, in fact, fitted him like a glove, so to speak, and ho evoked hearty laughter from oven the most blase of theatregoers. Miss Tonfiss acted charmingly in the part of Josio Richards, the accountant at the chewing g|iin factory, and her beautiful speaking voice won the encomiums of all her hearers. As Robert Wallace, the friend of Jones, Mr Vivian Edwards presented a characterisation of outstanding merit, and played a largo part in the success of the pertormance. _ Miss Mildred Oottell gave an excellent piece of acting as the wealthy widow, and Miss Miono Stewart, ns the more or less unsophisticated village maiden Clare bpotswood also gave a clever characterisation. Other parts werti filled bv Messrs Bert Frawley. Austen Milrov, Leslie Donaghoy. Frank Ilatherloy, Miss "Emma Temple, and others in an eminontlv satisfactory manner. The piece was splendidly staged, and the costuming, in the last not especially—-Mar-tin’s restaurant. New York —was right in keeping with the atmosphere of the play,^ “Broadway Jones” will be staged again this evening and to-morrow night, when the season will close.