San Francisco dramatic review (1899)

i6 THE SAN FRANCISCO DRAMATIC REVIEW January 2, 1909. The Famous Boston Theatre In drawing up the chronicles of the theatre he had managed for many years. Eugene Tompkins with The History of the Boston Theatre; 18541901 (Houghton Mifflin Company), practically covers the whole history of the American stage for more than half a century. The theatre when it was erected was one of the largest in the world. It ranked as the third in seating capacity, if we are not mistaken, only San Carlo in Naples and one other surpassing it. Probably by accident its acoustic properties were extraordinarily good and Boston was justly proud of it. Though the theatre had a stock company, it always sheltered stars and opera companies. Thus it took under its roof nearly every actor and play of prominence that the fifty years brought forth. Mr. Tompkins' portraits begin with Thos. Barry and end with Fritzi Scheff and between them is included almost everything worthy of record in American dramatic and musical history. The record awakens all sorts of memories : Edwin Forrest refusing to act with John Gilbert, Hackett as Falstaff, Col. Ellsworth with his zouaves, Brignoli, Amodio, La Grange, Adelaide Phillips. It is most provokingly meagre, but it is easy to see that very slight comment would expand it into a library. It takes one pretty far back to learn that for the first few years performances could be given on only five nights in the week because the New England Sabbath began Saturday at sunset. There is a lot of Boston history in Mr. Tompkins' extremely interesting record, but there is just as much of the history of the American stage. The book is illustrated with numberless portraits, which are extremely good and are startling often in the youthful representations of persons whose pictures are more familiar in their later years. — New York Sun. City Will Soon Have Great Auditorium Charles E. Naylor, who is promoting a plan which he hopes will result in interesting capital in the erection of an auditorium which will seat in excess of 14,000 persons, appeared before the Building Committee of the Board of Supervisors last Monday in answer to an invitation from that committee. Naylor explained that he did not care to go ahead working on his project if the city seriously considered the proposition of building a municipallyowned auditorium. He expressed the opinion that the city should not undertake any enterprise which private capital would and could carry out, and said he entertained grave doubts as to whether the voters would sanction the issuance of bonds to build an auditorium. The plan on which he is working he explained calls for the erection of a $600,000 building on the Mechanics' Institute lot, and those who contemplate making the investment will not do so unless they receive some assurance from the city that the municipally-owned auditorium scheme is to be abandoned. The committee did not commit itself, though Chairman Rixford, by questions asked of Naylor, made it clear CHAS. F. THOMPSON SCENIC CO. MAIN OFFICE AND STUDIOS, 460, 462, 464 WITMER STREET, LOS ANGELES THE FINEST, LARGEST AND MOST MODERN SCENIC STUDIOS IN THE WORLD. SCENERY FOR OPERA HOUSES AND PRODUCTIONS. DROP CURTAINS AND SCENIC ADVERTISING DROP CURTAINS OUR SPECIALTY. IN USE IN 1268 THEATRES IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA. WHY NOT YOURS ? he did not share the opinion that the voters would not take kindly to the city building a magnificent auditorium. Leslie Burks, of the Real Estate Board, was present and announced that in the near future the association with which he is identified is to meet with the California Promotion Committee and consider a plan to bring about the erection of a city hall and auditorium by private capital, allowing the city to take immediate possession, and through a long lease contract finally acquire the property. Letter List Letters remaining in The Dramatic Review post office: A Ellis Hendrix Al Hnzunl J. H. Heartle Geo. Hensley Russell I larrison I Margaret lis Louis Imhaus J Charles R. Jones Thorn Jackson Bernard Johnson Anna Jordon ( L') K Orrin Knox Adeline Knapp Ralph Keyes Ernest Kincaid S. C. Knapp L Chester Loveridge (4) Alice Lonnon Chas. Lovick Tessie Loftus Eeo Linhard Scipioni Lnmhardl Mr. Lett P. Loin body M E. \V. MeP'arland Nettie Morland Mildred Morton (4) Chas. Morrish Will Marconi (2) OUie Muss Blanche Marble John McQuarrie A. J. Miles Fred Meek Sadie McDaniels Lester Mitchell Ethilynde McMullin Agnes Maxwell Miss Annie McDonald Caroline McLean M rs. L. Mann O A. Oblatt C. P. Oliver Maud Odelle <4) Mazie Oliver (4) P Chas. Pyle Mr. Pavella B J. Reilly H. Raymond i 'aridll Robinson Walter Revnolds (2) C. P. Reiner (2) Martha Russell (2) Jack Rone Fred Raymond Chas. Rees Wilfred Rodgers M. Romaine Julia Rogers S Harry Stockton Gerty Steffens Allan St. John Alice Saunders Mabel Standish Francis Swartz B. Siebert Lionel Swift J. H. Smith Alma Sauve C. M. Stringer Thomas Shea S. L. Shaw J. H. Smith Monroe Salisbury (2) T J. Thomas Ethel Tucker Phil Tron Myrtle Tannehill Lela Thompson Kate Toncry i 'harlotte Thompson V J. Van Cleve (2) Rita Villers (4) J. Vogeles W Albert Watson A. C. Winn Edna Warde Olive AVood Franklin Whitman (2) Clara Williams (Tel) W. Walton J. West Tom Waters Corinne Arden Chas. Anderson Edward Abram Billy Arlington Mona E. Anson B Mrs. E. B. Bailey Miss syl-.il r-arrie Orville Bunnell James H. Bradford Byrd & Vance <'lark Burroughs May Bernard (2) Winnifred Baldwin E. J. Bogel Wilfred Burns Bernard Bros. (2) Beeson Bros. Rose Broderick Benedict Brown D. W. Breer Rohtr Buchanan Prank Bonner (2) W. Willard Bowman Whit Brandon C T. M. Cody Ralph Cummings Francis Carridi Joel Cohen (2) Mrs. Grace Clarke Tvan Christenson Helm Calvert (2) Miss K. Carrigan (2) L. Carolan Miss S Calvert C2) E. Calvert Roy Carlisle Smith Coulter Martin Carpenter Ralph Clonnger P. E. Clark (2) Gladys Carlyle Prank Cooley Gertrude Clarke Mrs. J. C. College Alice Cavanaugh D Mrs. H. Dewey Fftuicis I loolcy Mis* Adeline Knapp Kitty Daniels Thomas Dudley Clifford Dempsey Win. Devlin Harry B. De Lasaux R. S. Douglass G. A. Dorety (2) Jennie I >elmas Bonnie De Wert C. G. Del Vecchio E E. R. Edwards Elmer Esperence Elmer Everett (Tel.) Miller Evans P Will Frank Geo. French Nettie Foster Chas. Fisher Harris Foster G Jennie Griffith (2) Gorham Shaw Olga Grey Eileen Goodwin Newell (loodman Willis Goodhue John Griffiths Henri Gressett Ellen Gibson L. Gillard Raymond Griffiths Raymond Gayer Fred Gilbert Anita Griffiths Ruth Gadsby H Miss Maud Hart Geo. Hensley Julia Hursog Susie Howard E. Harris (2) Bertha Honora Wm. Hearty Al Hessie S.i in M i u i k e Arthur Haynes (3) Constance Hobbs George Homans Dana Hayes Georgia Hayne Mrs. Grant Hoag V. Harmon ersonals Will H. Bray, the original "Minister to Dahomey," has been especially engaged to appear in that part in an early production of Hoyt's always welcome and enjoyable A Texas Steer at the Valencia Theatre. Fay Templeton has returned to the footlights for a three weeks' season in Chicago. She will appear at the Olympic Music Hall. i).\RRELL Standing, who is such an acquisition to the Valencia stock company, is an accomplished musician as well as brilliant writer of lyrics. He has composed a number of beautiful sentimental ballads of a high order of merit and our local singers keep him busy during his spare moments furnishing theiy^with manuscript copies of his songs. The South plays a prominent part in the work of the E. H. Sothern company, which will soon be seen here. Gladys Hanson, who plays the leading female roles with the noted actor, is a representative of that part of the country. She is from Atlanta, where her family now resides. Miss Hanson made a deep and favorable impression in New Orleans through her very excellent work in the leading female part, especially in the trying portions of Richard Lovelace, which is more of a two-player romance than otherwise. Miss Hanson has to do some very delightful work to play up to the requirements, in view of the fact that so accomplished an actor as Mr. Sothern is playing the leading role. Miss Hanson's first engagement was a minor role in Rex Beach's play, The Spoilers. She was engaged by Mr. Sothern because of excellence in speaking the lines of a Shakespearean play when he asked for a trial of her powers. Florence Smythe of the Belasco stock company, Los Angeles, closed her engagement with the Belasco last week with the announcement of her engagement to State Senator John Marshall of Charleston. S. C, whose beautiful home in that city the future Mrs. Marshall will manage with only the help of a "prompter." Miss Smythe, who was born in Santa Barbara and is therefore a Native Daughter of the Golden West, is favorably known in Los Angeles as a member of the Belasco company, and especially for her work in the Girl of the Golden West, wherein she took the part of The Girl at twenty-four hours' notice upon the untimely death of Miss Hunt. Mr. Marshall, to whom Miss Smythe will become engaged for life, is a member of a distinguished family. He is the great-grandson of the late Chief Justice John Marshall, for whom he is named, and a great-grandnephew of George Washington. For ten years he was the edJfcr of the Charleston Arc?i's and Courier. Miss Smythe will leave Los Angdes the first of the new year for New York, where she will take a vacation from all active work other than preparing her trousseau. The date of the marriage has not been, as yet; announced. Rega Russell, declared by some critics to be the most beautiful girl in Chicago, and also known through her efforts to aid her mother in the promotion of a "love club" to encourage matrimony among maids and bachelors, has broken her engagement with W. E. Gorman. The engagement, which was announced during the summer, was the result of a pretty romance, and the friends of the young couple looked forward to a happy ending. Miss Russell, who is ill in New York at present, where she went to visit friends and pursue her musical and dramatic studies, changed her mind, and the engagement is off. Miss Russell went to New York to rehearse for her part in Faust, but became ill and was forced to discontinue her studies temporarily. She is on the road to recovery now, however. In Miss Russell's words the romantic story of her engagement — as she told it at the time — is as follows : "I went to Mr. Gorman, after being introduced by a mutual friend, and asked for a temporary engagement as an understudy. Mr. Gorman was very kind and, after a few weeks, he asked that the engagement be of a more permanent and personal character. I consented and we expect soon to sign a life contract." Miss Russell last year won first prize at a Philadelphia beauty contest in connection with the annual art exhibit. Mr. Gorman, at the time the engagement was announced, was in charge of the tour of Mrs. Patrick Campbell as manager. FOR RENT By the Day, Week or Month VICTORY THEATRE SAN FRANCISCO For Terms, etc., Inquire at Pantage's Empire Theatre, Sutter St., San Francisco jjgpfsa ifliallif .ii a ana 3 Hotel St James Cor. Van Ness Ave. and Fulton St. San Francisco, California Headquarters for Agents and Managers Half Block from Van Ness Theatre. Friars meet at the St. James every Friday night. F. P. SHANLEY, Manager, formerly of New York