San Francisco dramatic review (1899)

October 2, 1909. THE SAN FRANCISCO DRAMATIC REVIEW 9 Van Ness Theatre The second and last week of A Gentleman from Mississippi will end tonight. This delightful comedy has made a strong impression on those who have seen it. The men, particularly, with one or two exceptions, are extremely good, and while the women's parts are not filled to overflowing with opportunity, still they are well handled/ Next week, 1 Billie Burke. Alcazar Theatre Sweet Kitty Bellairs, piquant, saucy, and yet, withal, so winningly attractive with her big heartedness, Irish wit and coquetry that the most captious could hardly find fault with her conduct, is providing Evelyn Vaughn ample opportunities for excellently shaded work at the Sutter street stock house this week. This is not to say that the other members of the Alcazar company fall short in the doing of their share for the general success of the piece, but the vehicle was written by David Belasco from Edgerton Castle's novel, A Bath Comedy, to the end that the title role might shine undimmed by too much brillinacy on the part of other characters, and hence the balance of the cast has been forced largely into the positions of feeders for the star. Miss Vaughn fits the part of the flirtatious Bath beauty as though the part were written for her, and throughout the acts easily dominates the stage. Augustus Phillips as the English Lord Verney portrays a somewhat difficult character acceptably. His assumption of diffidence in the first act, however, seems a bit overdone when contrasted with the forceful earnestness during the rest of the play. Will R. Walling as Col. Villiers has a character to his liking, and does much with it, while the Capt. O'Hara of Harrison Ford is a well-tuned presentation of a heroic light comedy role. E. L. Bennison makes his Sir Jasper Standish sufficiently despicable, while Charles Dow Clark as an Irish colonel and William Garwood in a bit as the Bishop, supply real life for the characters, written as but little more than fillers. There is a long cast of male characters of minor importance, and enough pretty women to amply justify the program announcement that "Bath was the foregathering spot of pretty women." However, aside from "Sweet Kitty" herself, Lady Julia Standish and Lady Bab Filyte, their parts amount to little or nothing. Bessie Barriscale is a winsome little Lady Standish, while the buxom charms of Grace Travers fit admirably the requirements of the deposed Bath belle, Lady Bab. An entirely adequate mounting has been provided for the play, the ball room setting of the third act being particularly effective, while the costuming is for the most part beyond reproach. * Princess Theatre The last week of the Hartman season is closing in a manner that must be very gratifying to the head of the company. The attendance has been unusually good, and the musical comedy, The Tenderfoot, has gone with all the dash and swing that even the most exacting audiences could ask. Hart man, in another Richard Carle role, was, of course, the center of the piece, which, while not very involved as to plot, is sufficiently so to keep his audiences amused for three hours. The part of the melodramatic actor suits him in every way. To the character as developed by Carle, Hartman has added his own ideas, and the combination is very satisfactory. Outside of the principal part, there is very little for the remainder of the cast to do. The chorus, however, is kept busy all the time. The ensemble numbers were well, even better done, than has been the case in some of the preceding bills. The numbers by the girls in the chorus were, in fact, one of the big features of . the performance. The young women appeared to be better drilled in their work in The Tenderfoot than in any of the other pieces that the Hartman company has put on during its season in San Francisco. The orchestral work was in keeping with the rest of the performance. Garrick Theatre The bustling, successful Chicago manager, H. H. Frazee, who is becoming an important factor in the Western game, has his first offering of the season here with us this week in A Knight for a Day. The piece was seen here last season at the American and left a dictinctly good impression. This time the cast, while it is very much changed from last season's, is quite up to the mark, and gives a most enjoyable performance. Grace De Mar plays Tillie, the eccentric soubrette part, with a keen relish for its amusing points, and Edward Hume is a whirlwind of comedy joy in the role of Jonathan Joy. Isabelle Winlocke is satisfactory as the seminary principal, and Agnes Thorndyke is a pretty and appealing Elaine. The rest of the principals are generally quite satisfactory. A most pleasing feature of the show is the chorus. It is one of the prettiest, best drilled and fastest bunch of girls we have had here in a long time. Next week, Fifty Miles from Boston. Valencia Theatre In Mile. Mischief, the Shuberts and Corinne have a splendid vehicle to secure popular approval. The operetta is one of the best of the modern pieces and in the chief part Corinne is immense. She rollicks and frolics and is delightfully entertaining. In the part of the girl masquerading as a man in the barracks, she exhibits a most unexpected low comedy ability. The support is quite satisfactory, although there is no singing voice of any exceptional merit. Of the chief actors, the best work is contributed by Alfred Wilder as the Colonel, and Frank Farrington as the Sergeant. The chorus is beautifully costumed and is composed of a lot of shapely, attractive girls who have been well drilled. It may be safely said that the performance of Mile. Mischief is most interesting and worthy from start to finish. Charles Gunn, the extremely talented and good-looking young leading man, who has been identified with the best stocks on the Coast, will be starred this season in a new comedy, The Governor of El Dorado. He will play the best time and will carry a strong company and a great production. Augustus Phillips Closes at the Alcazar Augustus Phillips will close his season at the Alcazar October 10. This is unexpected news, and the cause is the continued bad health of Mr. Phillips. He has been unable to get thoroughly acclimated. He has been suffering keenly from throat and eye troubles ever since he has been here, and reluctantly Fred Belasco has consented to release him. The Alcazar clientele will be sorry to have Mr. Phillips go. His work has been characterized by intelligence, sincerity and individuality, and he has become popular for his personal qualities. We wish him every good luck and a complete restoration to health. Dick Jose Will PlayShubert Time Rishard Jose has written his business manager, Fred Cutler, from New York that he has just completed arrangements to play the Shubert time under his own management. Consequently Mr. Cutler will leave for the East next week to handle the tour, which will be confined to the large Eastern cities. Mr. Jose will use as a starring vehicle a new play, Silver Threads, written by Martin Merle. BurnsVane Felicitations are in order. The news is out. Handsome and talented Myrtle Vane, singer and actress, is engaged to "Bobby" Burns, the booking agent of the Pantages' Circuit. The wedding will occur in the near future — and we extend our very, very best wishes. E. G. L. Hoeber a Silver Benedict The ceremony which twenty-five years ago united Eugene G. L. Hoeber and Laura Hubbell in matrimony was celebrated last Saturday night in the home of the couple at 1 1 1 5 Lafayette street, Alameda. And aside from its anniversary features, the affair was one of the society events of the season. At the table, J. M. Gamble of San Francisco, a life-long friend of the family, and Mr. Hoeber's partner in the big show printing firm of Francis-Valentine Co., did honors as the toastmaster, and merry was the raillery and wit that passed between host, hostess and guests. Preceding the anniversary supper the guests enjoyed a musical and elocutionary program. The employes of the Francis-Valentine Company presented Mr. and Mrs. Hoeber with a valuable and handsomely filled chest of silver, and friendly messages and gifts were sent from innumerable friends all over the State. Charlotte Tittell has been engaged as leading woman for Olga Nethcrsole, who announces that during her Baltimore engagement she will give the premier performance of Locke of Wall Street, by Asa Steele. This play deals with the labor question and is said to give a feasibly tangible solution to this perplexing problem. James Young James Young, playing next week at the Orpheum, is the only American player that the late Sir Henry Irving ever had in his support. The famous English actor during one of his tours of this country, saw Mr. Young's performances of Hamlet and Shylock, and immediately entered into negotiations for his services. Mr. Young made a tour of the Provinces with Sir Henry and his company of English players, and also played important roles during the London season. Although James Young has a substantial reputation as an actor of Shakespearean and classic roles, his comedy talent is strongly pronounced. One of the peculiar features of dramatic talent is in the fact that a tragedian may play comedy successfully, but a comedian is of one line alone and has never achieved distinction in the more serious work. James Young comes by his dramatic talent naturally. His maternal grandfather was at one time manager of the old Baltimore Museum, his father is a well-known orator, member of the Legislature and State senator of Maryland, and his mother is a newspaper woman with literary qualities that have made her an authority on music and the drama. Mr. Young's favorite character is Hamlet, which he plays with much sentiment, poetry and art. Personals E. K. Martin, who was out on the Coast some seven years ago, is in town ahead of Fifty Miles from Boston. Arthur L. Barney is back with the show. Edward Marti ndel has decided for a time at least to desert comic opera and enter the legitimate drama through the medium of The Commanding Officer, which Daniel Frohman now has in rehearsal for an early debut. Art Witting and Mattie Davis are putting in a few weeks in stock at the Grand Opera House in Los Angeles. Burt K. Wilbur is in town, doing the counting up for H. H. Frazee's show, A Knight for a Day. Mlle. Simone Bernhardt, the gi -nnd-daughtcr of Mme. Sarah Bernhardt, was married, Sept. 26th, in Versailles, France, to Edward S. Gross, eldest son of Henry B. Gross, formerly of Philadelphia. The ceremony was private, owing to the ill health of the bride's mother. Maud Fay, the San Francisco singer, who has been signally successful in grand opera in Berlin, is home on a visit to her family.