White Wings

White Wings (1926), a comedy by Philip Barry. [ Booth Theatre, 27 perf.] Archie Inch (Tom Powers) is proud that he is the latest in a long line of street cleaners, or white wings, who clean up after horses. He is so proud, in fact, that he threatens to break off his romance with Mary Todd (Winifred Lenihan), whose father invented the automobile, which is doing away with the need for horses. He vows that he will never take another job until the last horse is gone. Mary has no choice but to shoot the last horse, called Joseph (played by George Ali, who specialized in portraying animals). So Archie becomes a taxi driver whose first task is to cart off the bodies of Joseph and of his own grandfather, Major Inch (Albert Tavernier). Although most major critics were delighted with the Winthrop Ames–produced fantasy, the public stayed away until the closing notice was posted. By then it was too late to move the play to another theatre.