Van D. Shelton and Co.

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Theater:
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Comic dialogue.
"Married Life."
A slide partially explains the plot of this comedy playlet, the characters being a recently wedded couple, therefore very mushy and happy, and a cynic. The latter strays into the family circle venturing to the husband love and married life are bunk, and that after six years of matrimony things will be much different. Hubby can't see that. The curtain drops to denote the elapsed time of six years. Man and wife are having a set-to when the cynical party again strolls in with "I told you so" to the husband. Cynic bets his friend that right now wifie only cares for his money and that were he to die she'd be happy, having the insurance in sight. Hubby again thinks that is all wrong, and they bet $250 each on the issue. Hubby makes out to drink poison and lies down on the floor groaning, the cynic going behind the screen to watch results. Wifie rushes in, believes her mate has committed suicide, and she drinks from the bottle too. But hubby wakes up, tells her only water is in the bottle, hugs her and waves the money won from the cynic. The slide was so briefly shown no one had time to read the plot, so when the curtain fell at the anti-climax "Married Life" seemed the shortest sketch on record. It wouldn't have made much difference if the turn had stopped there. However, the smaller houses apparently insist on having a sketch on the bill.
Source:
Variety, 53:10 (01/31/1919)