“In Bed and Out”

Dialogue.

Lewis & Gordon present "In Bed and Out," by William Anthony McGuire. Opening at Newark last half last week when the police stepped in, the Fifth Avenue audience Monday night appeared to take no offense at the playlet, which is strictly of the "bedroom" variety. It seems impossible to believe, however, that young people of both sexes who go to the theatre together may watch this sketch without blushes or embarrassment. That is because of its dialog and situations. Both are suggestive, both are dirty, the same as all of these "bedroom" plays now on Broadway. This playlet has been taken from the second scene of "Please Get Married" (now at the Fulton, New York). In the "bed" sketch, also, Lorin Raber, as the young man, and Lulu McGuire, as the young woman appeared to have given, unannounced, imitations of the performances in "Please Get Married," by its two principals, Ernest Truex and Edith Taliaferro. "Bedroom" plays gloss over their dirt, by leading up to and away from it. They fit the dirty scene and in this manner have been getting away with it. In the sketch, however, there is no time for this. It must open cold, and it does, in a bedroom, where two young people, who say they have been married but three hours, are in negligee. The husband yawns, says he is tired, intimates his wife must be, with consequent dialog between both, aimed at but one thing, which is plainly set forth. later when the wife says she will go to bed if her husband will sit up in the other room. She lies on one of the twin beds. The husband returns, takes a pillow from the other and places it alongside his wife. It is a huge laugh and was a piece of business the police ordered out in Newark. (The Newark committee also ordered out some dialog, but just what lines could not be recalled after listening to the sketch the second time Monday evening. It did not sound as though anything had gone out following its performance last Thursday night in Newark.) Just after the pillow business, the wife leaps out of bed and addressing someone in the audience, protests against playing the role, saying she can not do it. The husband. joins in, and the couple state they are to be shortly married. The husband says the sketch to be good must be bad, which is a confession any interference could be based upon. Two other plants arise in the orchestra. One protests against the piece. The other is the author. The former is a minister. He goes upon the stage to marry the couple and goes so far as to make a very ribald remark while doing it, but that secures a laugh also. Admitting that this is the dirtiest sketch vaudeville has ever played, without any excuse for it (though called a "satire," which it is not), the audience laughs at it in spots. To adults it may be funny, but vaudeville does not cater to stag audiences. Mr. Raber and Miss McGuire lessen the evil considerably, especially Miss McGuire, in their appearance and playing.

Variety, 54:5 (03/28/1919)