The Auctioneer

Auctioneer, The (1901), a play by David Belasco, Charles Klein, Lee Arthur. [Bijou Theatre, 105 perf.] Simon Levi (David Warfield) is a good‐hearted, struggling auctioneer on Hester Street who suddenly inherits a small fortune. Only with reluctance does he leave his beloved old haunts, but he understands that his wife and his adopted daughter long to move up in the world. His daughter loves a young, but somewhat naïve stockbroker, who persuades Simon to let him invest Simon's money for him. The stocks tumble and Simon is reduced to peddling toys until the stocks suddenly recover. For Warfield, who had heretofore been known largely as a dialect comedian, the play began his long, profitable association with producer‐playwright Belasco and his career as a serious dramatic star. Several critics complained that the evening offered too much Warfield but agreed at the same time that without him the show would have been worthless. Warfield was able to employ his comic talents to great advantage in the auction and peddling scenes. However, his high moment was the close of the first act in which he took a poignant farewell of his Hester Street home and friends.