San Francisco dramatic review (1899)

10 September 9th, 1899 i>een through our eyes ftui Female Hamlets Clinton Clyne, a New York critic, thus aptly speaks of Sarah Bernhardt's success in Hamlet. "I must confess that Sarah Bernhardt's success in Hamlet surprised me. I have seen several female Hamlets, and I have never seen one that was not a disappointment. As a matter of fact, it is always difficult, well-nigh impossible, for a man to play a woman's part, or a woman to play a man's. There is the difference in the figure and bearing and manner of walking, and, more than all, the difference in voice, to destroy the illusion and to remind us that the performer is not of the sex of the character which he or she is personating. Then again, with all his hysteria, Hamlet is a ' manly ' character. He dares and does. He beards his uncle; he is not afraid to use his word or to risk his life in doing so; and there are certain moments in the action of the play in which a woman must of necessity betray her sex. Therefore Sarah Bernhardt's success was extraordinary. Her Hamlet is as masculine as a woman could make it; indeed, one French critic declared that she was rough and violent. The effect on the crowded and brilliant audience of the first night was remarkable, and in two bits of ' business' she sent an electric thrill through the house." The divine Sarah could repeat her wonderful success as Hamlet in New York, Chicago or San Francisco, but it would not necessarily be from the fitness of things. The curiosity and novelty of the performance would do the work. An Actress for Him From New York comes the story that Frank Gould, the youngest of Jay Gould's sons, is showering attentions and presents upon Lulu Sheppard, an English ballet dancer, appearing in the spectacle, the "Man in the Moon." Seeing the happiness that has resulted in the cases of both his brothers, George and Edwin, who chose stage beauties as wives, who will find fault with the youngest member of the family of millions? G. D. Pi.ato, manager of the Modesto Opera House was in the city this week. Mr. Plato reports some good bookings for the season and says his city will lil>erally patronize good shows. They II soon be back. IN A Broadway cafe yesterday I saw two returned actors, who seemed to be .sorry they were back in New York. One was Jack Raphael and the other Ed Stevens. Raphael is the tenor whose career has been marked by numerous exciting adventures, while Stevens is perhaps best known as the successor of De Wolf Hopper, in "Wang " "I have been in San Francisco five years and I hate to be back in New York. Not for one single instant while I was on the coast did I long for Manhattan — that is, the borough, and not the beverage bearing the same name. No my boy, all this rot about 'dear old Broadway' and 'little old New York is good enough for me,' doesn't make a hit with me. There is not a city in the land, scarcely, in which I would prefer to live to this particular hamlet." "You're about right, Jack," said Stevens, who has also just returned from the coast. "Market and Kearny Streets are every bit as good as Broadway." "Then what are you fellows doing back here?" I asked. They made no reply, but sipped their sours in silence. — "The man who kuows," in New York Telegraph. 'The Origin of the Cake Walk. Although there are thousands of people who see nothing so fetching on earth as the cake walk, yet how very, very few are there who know its origin. According to Maude Courtenay , as told by The World: " It must not be supposed that the cake walk is a recent innovation. The function originated in Virginia in the early 50's on the plantation of a Mr. Peters, who had in his employ a colored butler and housemaid who were to be married. Mrs. Peters decided to tender them and their friends a reception, and invited all the colored people from the neighboring plantations. In order to induce the negroes to 'spruce up' the hostess announced that she would give a cake to the couple making the neatest and most dignified appearance." " This entertainment proved such a success that they were regularly held at other plantations until the craze for 'the grand march' or 'cake walk' had affected the whole South." Struck it Rich THE Klondike has furnished another romantic story that will prove extremely interesting here, in that the principals are well-known on this Coast. When the remarkable discoveries of gold were made in the Klondike region, J. C. Anderson went with prospectors along the Yukon, found dirt with an abundance of gold in it, and soon had enough to call it a fortune. The Drummond Sisters were vaudeville artists, and interested themselves in mining when the people of Juneau stampeded up the river three years ago. The young women acquired wealth, and one of them married Anderson. At the time the first excitement over the Forty Mile strikes reached the outer world, Grace Drummond and her sister Myrtle were playing at Juneau. They caught the gold fever and were among the first to brave the dangers of Chilcoot and make the long and arduous trip down the Yukon. The Drummond sisters made money at Eorty Mile and saved it. A few months later, when the stampede to the El Dorado diggings began, they were in the front ranks. Grace proved her business ability by investing her savings in a bench claim off No. 26 El Dorado. It proved to be rich in dust and grain gold. Later she disposed of it for nearly $100,000. Now, with her husband and sisters, the erstwhile vaudeville actress is in San Francisco, finding all things coming her way. BAFFLED. The play began: I heard the words. Hut little could I see, Except the roses 011 the hat Which loomed in front of me, Despite the program's kind request, Which none could fail to see. One act I suffered silently, And then made up my mind ; I boldly asked that girl in front To be exceeding kind And move her hat so those could see Whose seats were placed behind. With deftest touch she quick removed The awful hat she wore, Hut I, alas, could see the stage No better than before ; The lady had removed her hat, But not her pompadour. Charles .1/. liryan. Sylvia Gerrish Again. HENRY Graham Hilton, son of the millionaire merchant, and intimate friend of the late A. T. Stewart, Judge Henry Hilton, has been disinherited by the will of his father, who left him but a paltry $25,000. Young Hilton had met and loved the actress Sylvia Gerrish and >he has on several occasions publicly paid his debts. Vainly the father expostulated with his son. The latter stuck to Sylvia and now she says she will stick to him even though he be disinherited. A few years ago columns of newspaper space were devoted to the gay life and extravagance of young Hilton and Sylvia Gerrish, the handsome daughter of H. C. Rollins of Oakland. In New York there is not an all-night resort that has not stories to tell of the gaieties of a dashing quartet, made up of Miss Gerrish, Delia Fox, Hilton and his brother Frederick. The name of Hilton first became connected with that of Miss Gerrish in (889, when the young woman was in the height of her popularity at the New York Casino. He married her after the divorce of his first wife in 1893. Needed Encouragement Sibil Sanderson had great personal charm, but she could not overcome the defects 01 a small voice. An anecdote by Henry C. John in his volume of "Famous Singers of Today and Yesterday:" "Once when she sang in London, Van Dyck was the tenor. At the rehearsal he sang sotto voce in order to save himself, and he supposed that she was doing likewise. In the evening, at the performance — the opera was 'Manon,' which Miss Sanderson sang in Europe two hundred and fifty times — she was overwhelmed by the power of his voice. Van Dyck, hearing her small, clear tones, and thinking that she was nervous, came near to ofL*r encouragement, and urged her to 'let out your voice.' 'This is all the voice I have,' she replied, and he, still thinking she needed encouragement, sang all the louder. Her great personal charm makes itself felt across the footlights, and while she was heavily handicapped in having to sing with such a tremendous tenor, she was yet able to captivate the audience by her sincerity. Manger Bamberger of the Ogden Theater is in this city. He is now arranging for a number of strong acts and novelties. Hart's Twentieth century players are booking aPacific Coast tour. They play a repertoire of plays such as "Peck's Bad boy," "U & I, etc." Miss Irene Wellington has more than pleased the critical audiences at the Oberon this week, and has immediately booked for a return date later on. Miss Wellington is being booked on the north circuit. A LETTER from Carl Hertz says "I am doing as well as I ever did, and putting a little in the bank each week. If things keep up as they are now running, I will return in a few years, making my home in dear old Frisco."