“The Four Husbands”

Singing and comic dialogue.

"Temptation" and "Florida."

[William B.] Friedlander's tab met with the hearty approbation of those present if the applause and laughter are taken as any criterion.

"The Four Husbands" has a little plot insincere and trivial but of the usual type displayed in any musical comedy. Will M. Hough wrote the book. The music was composed by Friedlander and he did a pretty good job of it. The tab carries adequate scenic equipment and the costumes look new and nifty. The ten girls who back up the some half-dozen or so principals stack up well on looks with any of the girly aggregation in this section. The habiliments meet with satisfaction and the choristers appear for the closing number in an abbreviated vestment that catches the eye from the jump. Another showy and tempting display of short dress was on view for the 'Temptation" number which was well liked. One of the most pleasing selections of the tab is "Florida" and its tune is probably the best remembered. No principal is featured in the billing and perhaps it is just as well as the book as it is constructed runs more to the juvenile and light comedy form and doesn't need any reputations to carry any of the roles along. The work of Betty Caldwell and Ralph Whitehead stand out the most conspicuous, they playing the young lovers whose love course does not run very smoothly until the last moment. Miss Caldwell looks well and dresses well and she moves about the stage with ease and naturalness. Whitehead appears to pay close attention to his clothes and wears them of the modern juvenile mold. He puts his light comedy bits over effectively and makes a most agreeable and amiable running stage mate for Miss Caldwell. Much of the tab's fun and situations depend on Whitehead and he handles them most capably. George W. Jenke as the waiter does what little is allotted to him acceptably. Martyn Franklin makes the best of his "father" character on looks and brusqueness. Howard Burkholder as the loving-mad athlete is worthy of mention. Margaret Shafer has a feminine role that calls for a display of figure and clothes more than anything else. Miss Shafer appears to meet these requirements. The tab moves along in an even way, having none of the offensive, opprobrious, disgusting burlesque bits that some of the miniature m.c. outfits fall back upon for comedy and has enough music and dancing to carry it along effectively. Judging from its enthusiastic reception at the American the Friedlander tab gives them bully entertainment for the money.

Variety, 40:10 (11/05/1915)