The San Francisco Dramatic Review (1908)

January 3, 1914 THE SAN FRANCISCO DRAMATIC REVIEW 5 McKee Rankin is Vaudevilling in Los Angeles and Wins His Audiences by the Power of a Ripened Art THE FLAGG CO. ACTUALLY EMPLOYS MORE ARTISTS and MECHANICS THAN ALL THE OTHER STUDIOS ON THE PACIFIC COAST COMBINED. BECAUSE -NINE-TENTHS OF THE THEATRES USE FLAGG SCENERY. THEREFORE, FACILITIES and VOLUME LOWER COST. 830 MARKET ST., SAN FRANCISCO 1638 LONG BEACH AVE., LOS ANGELES LOS ANGELES, Dec. 31.—With the passing" of this week the tired ])layers will no doubt breatlie a sigh of relief and be glad that the time of extra matinees is past. * * * Thais Lawton, who is appearing at the Majestic this week with Robert -Mantell, is renewing acquaintance- ships made while she was leading woman with the Belasco stock com- pany. Miss LawtDn was one of the most popular stars that the old Bel- asco ever sheltered. * * * Louis Ju- dah, formerly treasurer of the Au- ditorium, is now located in St. Lotiis as treasurer of the Schubert Thea- tre in that city. * * * Nat. C. Good- win is again in the throes of an- other legal battle. This time he is suing Liebler & Co., claiming that the Oliver Twist production closed before the time agreed upon. * * ^ Mile. Dazie entertained a party at the Alexandria on New Year's Eve. Yancsi Dolly, who is stopping over this week, is making the best of the time, visiting with Gaby Deslys. * * * The fun at the Afadi Gras masque ball given by the Press Club at the Shrine Auditorium New Years' Eve, was lightened and heightened by the generous contri- butions of many of the player folk. Rock and Fulton of The Candy Shop company, as Svengali and Trilby, came to bring joy with them, and others followed with their par- ticular fun and art. AUDITORIUM : Mile Gaby Des- lys in glittering and gorgeous rai- ment is the center of attraction at this house, where she is surrounded by the New York Winter Garden Comjjany. Mile. Gabrielle, whose dancing must be reckoned far be- yond her singing, and she who won the favor of a king trips madly through a series of wild, audacious, maddening and hitherto unseen steps, a whirl of acrobatic turns and stren- uous although graceful dancing. Such frocks, such hats, such jewels, won- drous in texture, daring in coloi, flashing in brilliancy, are the com- bination. As each costly creation is put on view and applauded, the lady encores with another more glittering and splendid creation. The Little I'arisienne contains a p\ot as frail as is possible, but suffices to hold to- gether enough of a story to allow the clever little dancer to appear many different times during each aci and supplies some fairly good ma- terial for Harry Pilcer, Mile, (baby's dancing partner, Louise Meyers, Ilattie Kneital and Percy Lyndale. The balance of the cast are clever contriinitors to a gay performance. P.URBANK: The Littlest Rebel won a second week's recognition. This tale of love and war and ro- mance is receiving an elaborate pro- duction by the Burbank com])any, in which the talents of Harrison Hunter, Thos. McLarnie, I'orrest Stanley, Donald liowles, Jas. Glea- son, Jas. A])plel)ce, (irace Travers, Beatrice Nicliols and, last but not least, little Gertrude Short, go to- wards creating a finished ])roduction. EMPRESS: The headline fea- ture, The Pjower of Melody, is all roses, pretty ladies and much mu- sic, in a pretty setting picturing a lawn party, one where all guests are real musicians and singers of worth. Another musician on the bill who pleases because personal charm is added to a very lovely soprano voice, is Louise Mayo. Sam J. Harris tells a lot of old stories with so much gus- to that it lends new life to the tales and gets the laugh. The Bano Bros., although Mexican Serenaders, must needs resort to ragtime, after clever- ly giving a generous portion of the soft, fascinating Spanish song. The Three Eniersons are athletes whf)se thrilling feats are carried off with precision. Marini and Maxmillian do sleight-of-hand stunts with a welcome dash of comedy. HIPPODROME: Herbert Clif- ton proves to be one of the big hits of the bill with a set of female im- personations that, while bordering on the burlesque, creates good fun and pleases. McKee Rankin and Isabelle Eversen present a sketch re- plete with tense dramatic interest, in vviiich the talents of the two skil- ful ])layers find wide play. On the Border is a romance dealing with smuggling and is excellently played by Abram and Johns. The Two Lowes contribute a capital lassooing turn. Hilda Light is an English comedienne whose ability to please marks her a favorite on the bill. Al- though Suennen can play the clas- sics, he is willing to lend his violin to the ragtime strain and proves himself one of the best. The Aldo Bros, with their horizontal bar and wrestling stunts create amusement. MAJESTIC —Robert Mantell re- turns in his well-known Shakespear- ean roles and opens with King John. Mantell, whose marvelous facial ex- pression lends itself to this study of bluff and reckless passion, creates a King John whose tragic pathos lingers after the story is told. Thais Lawton, well known to Los Angeles audiences, is at her best in the role of Con- stance. Miss Lawton's beauty, being of the regal sort, lends itself to the demands of the character and her reading of the lines in a soft, rich voice, is a delight. Miss Reynolds creates a dignified and artistic Queen Elinor. Fritz Lieber, as Philip, the good-natured adventurer, is at his best. The company as a whole ap- ])cars to s])lendi(l advantage and the settings aw adequate. During" the engagement, Mr. Mantell will gener- ously offer Hamlet, Merchant of Venice, Macbeth, Richelieu, King Lear and Richard III. MASON —The High Road, the earnest effort of Edward Sheldon, brings Mrs. Fiske, who.se subtle power brings intangible lights and shades to the psychological development of an interesting character. The story takes one Mary Page from her girlhood to a time of life where .she rises to prom- inence because of socialistic tenden- cies. The one and only woman's role in the ])lay is this tense study of Mary Page to which Mrs. Fiske lends con- viction with her keen grasp of truths portrayed by the character. The sup- port is worthy, including Eugene Ormonde as (lOvernor Barnes and Arthur i5yron as John Maddoc. MOROSCO —The Candy Shop with Rock and Fulton and a nimble chorus arc still drawing crowded houses. ORPHEUM —New Year's week finds not a dull number on the bill at this house. Clayton Kennedy and Mattie Rooney with noise and gusto mingle clever dancing with a lot of loud nonsense and call it The Happy Medium. The possibilites of the piano are unrealized until one wit- nesses the antics of Kennedy with one poor inoffensive instrument. Billy Gould and Belle Ashlyn return—he to give us the old stories and some new ones, and she to twist her face into a hundred shapes for our intense amusement. Marie and Mary Mc- Farland, the twin nightingales, possess soprano voices of clear limpid quality which show to good advantage in sev- eral high-class numbers. Edna Mun- sey is as beautiful as the program has led us to believe what is more, can sing. John E. Hazzard tells good stories and has the good taste to choose brand new ones. The incom- parable Mile. Dazie and her company in Pantaloon, Stuart Barnes and his song of the single man, and Mabel Lewis with Paul McCarthy are hold overs and a large part of the bill. PANTAGES —The Priestess of Kama, a dance drama of Hindu myth- ology, is a bit of beauty—six fair maids in scant attire tell the brief but intense story in divers steps of the dance. Kathryn Miley creeps into the good graces of her audience with songs and patter. Latell Brothers are magniHcent specimens and in their various poses are truly the ApoUos of vaudeville. Belding and Souders please with songs and pianologue. The Romero Family are five in number and their Spanish numbers are satisfactory. Vincent and Raymond have a clever comedy and the Five Juggling Nor- mans are a whirlwind when it comes to handling Indian clubs. N. B. WARNER. CHICAGO, Dec. 28.—The year's end brings what one might say a modicum of prosperity to the the- atrical fraternity in Chicago. No one pretends that this season has brought redundant prosperity to show people. * * * Jacquin Lait's Help Wanted at the Cort is the most recent exami)le of dramatic success. The play deals with some of the ex- periences besetting girls who work in big down-town office buildings in cities. Mr. Lait has gone to New York to arrange for the presentation of his play in that sophiscated me- tropolis. * * * That strong dramatic indictment of the unspeakable white slave horror. The Traffic, is exercis- ing" a mighty sway over at the How- ard Theatre. Nearly every night the house is sold out, which means something when the popularity or unpopularity of plays are being con- sidered. =•= * * At the Blackstone we are having Fanny's First Play, one of the efforts of Geo. Bernard Shaw. It is presented by a com])any of Eng- lish actors who know how to act. * * * September Morn, Dave Lewis' latest vehicle, is being revealed at the La Salle Opera House. With Minerva Coverdale, I'^rances Ken- nedy and a few other musically in- clined actors and actresses and chor- isters, the piece seems to be going si)len(lidly. At the conclusion of the run of vSeptember Morn, Jones, Lin- ick and Schaefer will take over the La Salle, adding it to their chain of Chicago theatres, where popular vaudeville and photo plays are served to the ]nil)lic at low rates. * * * Flo Ziegfeld's new crop of Fol- lies, which he has exhibited for sev- eral weeks past at the Illinois, con- tinues at that house, to the enormous edification of our show-g"(jing popu- lace. Jose Collins, Frank Tinney, Leon Errol, Nat Wills and Elizabeth P)rice are the chief luminaries. * * * * - * The Doll Girl, with Richard Carle, Hattie Williams and W'iW West, is doing very well at the Stu- debaker. * * * Raymond Hitchcock, in The Beauty Shop at Cohan's (irand Opera House, concludes a successful engagement this week. Nearly Married, a clever farce com- edy, succeeds The Beauty Shop. * * * This is the final week of The Poor Little Rich Girl at Powers. David AVarfield in a revival of The Auctioneer, follows. * * * Andrew Mack in a monologue is the head- liner at McVicker's Theatre. * * * Colonial offers this week Grace Cameron, singing comedienne; Edith Helena, vocalist, and a musi- cal comedy, entitled Little Miss Mix Up. * * * The Happy Widows, in A Marriage of Convenience, is at the Columbia this week. * * * Ed- die Foy and The Seven Little Foys have been affording the patrons of the Majestic a vast deal of enter- tainment during the past week. Sam Bernard is due this week; the Four Sylphides, aerial jierformers, also have a place on the bill. Others are Elsa Ruegger, 'cellist; Bertie Her- ron and Bonnie Gaylord, Ethel Kirk and Billy Fogarty, Davis and Matthews, dancers, and Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Castles in motion pic- tures. * * * Palace Music Hall oft'ers Wm. Burress and thirt" others in The Song Birds; Jasper, the think- ing dog; Connolly and Wcnrich, Marie and Billy Hart and others. * * * A new winter circus has been established at the old Globe Thea- tre, whose vicissitudes have been multitudinous during the past few years. ■■' * * Grand opera at Audi- torium is pleasing its hosts of pa- trons and thus far in the sea.son there has been much cause for feli- citation, not only from an artistic and social point of view, but from the financial side as well. The pro- gram for the week follows: IVIon- day, Don Quichotte, with Vanni Marcoux, Mary Garden, Hector Du- franne, Constantin Nicolay; Tues- day matinee, Thais will be given, with Ruffo, Garden, W^arnery, Gus- tave LIuberdeau, Nicolay; Tuesday, Die Walkuere, with Saltznian-Ste- vens, Sciiumann-Heink, Julia Clans- sen. Ciias. Dalmores, Clarence Whitehill, Henri Scott; New Year's Eve, Jewels of the Madonna will be given; La Tosca will be presented on New Year's night. Saturday matinee. Carmen will be heard, and Saturday evening. Tales of HotTman in English will be sung.