The San Francisco Dramatic Review (1908)

lO THE SAN FRANCISCO DRAMATIC REVIEW i March 14, rgi^ 1 I. H. Sothern Tells of Future Plans to J. Willis Sayre wiirriEiiD BLAKE and AMBER AMUSEMENT AGENCY (Under City and State l^icense) Talent supjilied for all occasions. Our Author's Exchange lias on hand at all times a nuinlitr of origin:il draniatlc and comedy sketches and plays for sale or on royalty. TTVOLI OFEBA HOUSI!—3rd floor. Phone Doncrlais 400 If the mails do not fail him, E. H. Sothern will receive In a few days the manuscript of a new play written for him by Justin McCarthy, author of If I Were King, which Mr. Soth- ern is now appeariiisf in. "The man- uscript should have arrived in New York early this week," said Mr. Sotiicrn, ' but in the absence of any message from Mrs. Sothern to that effect, it may be that it is delayed. Mr. McCarthy writes me that ho thinks very highly of his new work, and that it will equal, if it does not excel. If I Were King. It is a ro- mantic drama of the days of King Ar- thur and his Knights of the Round Table. Sir Gareth is the character role written for me, and from what little Mr. McCarthy has permitted me to know of Sir Gareth as he makes him, I feel that I am going to be greatly j^leased with the new play. I am now rehearsing Lord Dundreary, and as soon as the new play arrives, will put it in rehearsal. What its title will be I do not know. But that will come in time. My repertoire for next Columbia Theatre Henrietta Crosinan comes for a two weeks' engagement, begiiming Mon- day night, March 16, in her latest comedy success. The Tongues of Men, by Edward Childs Carpenter. The theme of The Tongues of Men centers around the efforts of a young minister to find his way in the new world of Bohemia after having denounced a new opera and its leading singer, who dares him to come into the sphere of her activity and see that his theories are all wrong. The production is a fine one and the supporting cast one of rare excellence, including such well known players as h'rank (lilmore, Margaret Randolph, Sheridan l>lock. Homer Granville. Edward See, Laura McGilvray. Katherine F'reslirey. Paul Daucet and Florence Fontayne. Mati- nees will be given on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Cort Theatre Maeterlinck's Tlie Blue Bird, the engagement of which has been ex- tended to a fortnight, enters upon its second and last week Simday niglit. There will be matinees Wednesday and Saturday, and the engagement will positively close Saturday night. March 21. That night, by the way, will mark the farewell ap])carance of the fantasy in San Francisco, for it has been decided to withdraw the pro- duction from the road at the end of the current season. The staging in its .smoothness and celerity excels even the representations or last yar. What adds wonderfully to the general ef- fectiveness is the special Debussy, Massenet and Bizet music. It is in- terpreted in apt harmony with the spirit of the piece by a symphony or- chestra under the direction of Leo Siroky. Alcazar Theatre The next offering of llerl)ert Kel- cey and Effie Shannon, commencing next Monday night, will be Martha Morton's society drama. Her Lord and Master. This play was one of the big successes of the former Kelcey-Shan- season will then consist of Lord Dun- dreary, If I Were King, Hamlet and the new McCarthy drama. If the new drama proves a success, it will be my aim to give it a big production in New York before undertaking mv next Western tour." .Xsked 'about Julia Marlowe, who in private life is Mrs. Sothern. Mr. Sotliern said that it was unlikely that she would again return to the stage. "It is our ])res- ent intention," said Mr. Sothern, "that Mrs. Sothern shall go into retirement, so far as the stage is concerned, and await my retirement. W^e have many things we want to do, and it is our de- sire to give up the stage while we are both comparatively active, so that we may be able to enjoy whatever the future may have in .store for us. It may be. of course, that with her re- turning liealth, Mrs. Sothern may be- come ambitious to play through an- other .season. If you are a married man you will appreciate that if she makes up her mind to do this, she will do it. However, whatever is done will be for the best." non season at the old Alcazar on Sut- ter street. The stars also won signal triumphs in this vehicle in the East. Her Lord and Master is in four acts. The play has a happy and satisfactory ending. All of it is told in a charming and delightful manner and the two stars, in the roles of Lord Canning and Indiana Stillwater, respectively, are hapi)ily i)laced in the cast. They will have the support of all the Alcazar favorites, including .\dele Belgarde, Louise Brownell. A. Burt Wesner, Kernan Cripps, Howard C. Hickman, Fldmond S. Lowe, Charles Com]>ton and several peojjle especially engaged. The production, under the stage direc- tion of h'red J. Butler, will l)e a hand- some and elaborate one. Savoy Theatre .'\ powerful white slave feature film, called Smashing the \'ice Trust, which is based upon District Attorney Wliilman's disclosures during his sen- sational attack on the vice interests in New York, will have its firsf presen- tation in this city at the Savoy The- atre Sunday, when it begins an engagement during w^hich there will be continuous performances daily, starting at i p. m. and running until 11 p. m. This same film is at present running in New York City at VVeber's Theatre where it has been turning away crowds in zero and even blizzard weather. Its tremendous success in New York City is due to its being the first authentic portrayal of the maimer in which the vice trust worked and en- slaved its victims. District Attorney Whitman is hiin.self shown in the ac- tion of the picture. . This is the first time that he has ever appeared x\\mn the screen and the wildest enthusiasm greeted him as he was shown in his office conferring with his assistants in his fight upon the Big Five Syndicate. M a number of performances the ap- ])lause given to Mr. Whitman la.sted five minutes, so intense is the enthusi- asm awakened by the thrilling narra- tion of his disclosures.. A young girl is lured to New York by a woman agent of tlie vice trust and the drama revolves around the effort to rescue lier from lier enslavers—a rescue fin- ally effected by her fiance. The Orpheum The (Orpheum announces a most fascinating programme for next week with I'Yitzi Scheff. the prima donna, as its Iieadline attraction. She brings with her as her accompanist Louis .Asciienfelder, a musician of interna- tional fame. A novel comedy skit, en- titled Hired and I'"ired, will he pre- seiUed by Tudor Cameron and Johnny O'Connor, one of the cleverest and most diverting teams in vaudeville. Edward Gillette in the original comedy scene. Fun in a Bowling Alley, will introduce Adam and Eve, the only monkey bowlers in the world. Arm- strong and h'ord will bid for popularity in a clever and amusing skit, called The English Johnny and the Cop. Sam Barton King, of bike comedians, who excels both as pantomimist and cyclist, will in the gui.se of a tramp keep the audiences in roars of laugh- ter. The only holdovers will be Ray Samuels, Grace Carlisle and Jules Ro- mer and Henry Woodruff' and his comi)any. The Empress The Empress ])atrons will be given another treat during next week. Joe Man well's Dancing Girls, seven stunning .'Steppers, will prove a revela- tion. Some odd and original acrobat- ics will be offered by Spissell Itrothers and Mack in their new and laughable sketch. The New Chef. Warren and P)lanchard, two clever men, will offer a somewhat different and original i)lackface act. Patrick, Francisco and Warrenars, rural rustics, will offer a bucolic comedy surprise called Fun on the F'arm. Music lovers are prom- ised a rare treat when Gertrude Clark and S])encer Ward make their appear- ance. Both have good voices. Gladys Wilbur, a winsome girl with a sweet voice, will also be a treat to music lovers with an excellent and high class repertoire. Other big added features and the world's best photoplays will coni])rise an excellent bill. Correspondence PORTLAND. Ore.. March 9.— Heilig Theatre (Calvin Heilig, mgr,; William Pangle, resident manager) : Trentini in The Firefly was the piece de resistance of Portland attrac- tions the past week. All the good things we had previously heard of the star's acting and vocalizing were surely sustained, and it has been a long -time since Portland has been treated to a better all around musical pnxluction. Business could liave been l)etter, and the attraction surely de- served it. Oscar I"'igman, a Portland favorite, is the principal comedian and was given a royal welcome at every ])erformance. The chorus was large and could sing. Sunday brought the much discussed films. The Inside of the White Slave Traffic, and business is capacity. It remains for ten days. The Blue Bird is underlined. Baker Tiieatre (Geo. L. Baker, manager): Alias Jimmy X'alentine is the play this week at this popular stock house. It opened witli the usual Sunday mati- nee. This is the third season the liaker Company has done Valentine, and be it said to their credit that the production as given by the present stock company is on a par with pre- vious ones, and that means nothing lacking. Edward Woodruff is playin? the title role and is giving ju.st as good a reading of tlie part as one could ask, and Miss Shoemaker, who plays the heroine, does likewise. I^uis Hall, as the detective, plays faultlessly. The other minor roles are well taken care of by the other nicmber* of., the com- pany. Next week—-The' Bridge. Lyric Theatre (Keating & Flood, mgrs.) : Onslow and LaRose are com- edying this week in the musical trav- esty The Merry Monarchs, a side- splitting musical concoction and/chock full of good songs, dances and speciaJ- ties. The Royal Hus.sar Ladies'P>a-nd of fifteen is^ an added attraction. Or- pheum Theatre ( Frank Coffinberry, manager) : The playlet To Save One Girl is the feature this week and the otiier acts are Shirle Reeves and Com- pany, Kingston and Ebner. Kaufman Brothers. The Hartleys, Helen Rug- gles and Matilda and Elvira. Em- ])ress Theatre W. Pierong. mana- ger) : Rossow Midgets, Robert E. O'Connor and Company, Berke and Korae, Kiernan, Walters and Kicr- nan; Murray Bennett. Seven Dancinic Girls, Warren and Blanchard. Clark and Ward. Gladys Wilbur, Patrick. I'Vancisco and Warren, and Spi.'^:ieil Brothers and Mack. The number ,ol acts oft'ered included the bill of pre- vious week, caused by the fact there was a change of bookings at this house, by which new shows will here- after open on Sunday matinee. Pan- tages Theatre (John Johnson, mana- ger ) : The Priestess of Kana witli twelve dancing girls is the headliilt act and the other acts oft'ered inclucU Weston and Leon, E. J. Moore, Nel- son and Keough, and Spanish-Gd dinis. A. W. W. The New York^ Winter Garden's latest success. The Honeymoon l-'-x- pre.ss, in which Al Jolson, the black- face fun maker, is starring with the original company, is coming to the Cort Theatre soon. In point of bril liancy, coloring, scenic effects, nove features and a delightful blending 0" music, travesty, burlesque, funnN comedians and dozens on .dozens v pretty girls. .The Honeymoon E?; press is said to excel any produc tion of its kind. • i