Final answer:
The event surrounding Jack Palance's arrival was either during the carnival season or at a theater.
Step-by-step explanation:
The event surrounded the arrival of Jack Palance was a carnival season. During the carnival season, the man encountered his friend who was dressed in motley and wearing a conical cap with bells. The friend had been drinking much and warmly greeted the man, which made him pleased.
In a different context, the event surrounding Jack Palance's arrival was at a theater. The party entered the theater, which was absurdly early, and took their places. They were waiting for the show to start, studying their programs and excited about the various performances and the feature of the evening, the kinetoscope.
The question seems to revolve around a character from a piece of literature or a play. The context provided suggests that there is a vivid description of events surrounding the arrival of a character, possibly Jack Palance, although the text excerpts provided do not mention this name explicitly.
The passage includes a carnival season, which conveys a vibrant setting and introduces a character in an intriguing state of inebriation, followed by the anticipation of a performance, with the audience awaiting various acts, including musical performers and novelty acts such as the kinetoscope, hinting at an atmosphere of entertainment and spectacle.