San Francisco dramatic review (1899)

i6 THE SAN FRANCISCO DRAMATIC REVIEW October 9, 1909. Coast Tour early in 1910 I The Successful Success 1 a fm mTTTl TT1T AS THE SUN WENT DOWN By Geo. D. Baker Address ARTHUR C. AISTON Sole Owner Room 304 1505 Broadway N. Y. City Tel. 941 Bryant Company headed by ESTHA WILLIAMS Watterson Writes of MidChannel Henry Watterson, who is abroad taking in the sights, theatrical and otherwise, writes to his paper a review of Mid-Channel, which Ethel Barrymore is to produce this season. S.ir Arthur Pinero's new play is British to its boot-heels. No mawkish sentimentality here ; a gloomy play, a deadly serious play, a play in which none of the characters is especially sympathetic, a play which begins with quarrels and ends with a suicide is the first impression which the spectator receives after the four acts of the tragedy have been trolled off before his tired and affronted fancy. The title, Mid-Channel, suggests a breezy, bracing play. The name comes about in this way : Halfway between Folkestone and Boulogne is a shoal, traversing which passengers have a pretty Ugly time. They come to loathe their fellow-passengers. Peter Motram, the raisonneur of the piece, draws, for the benefit of the unhappy Mr. and Mrs. Blundell, an analogy between crossing the Channel and married life. All married couples, he says, after a while reach the Ridge, and what they must do is to remember that, the Ridge once passed, the ship will again go steady. The Talk of New York, which George M. Cohan wrote for Victor Moore, will be seen here shortly with Moore in the leading role. It is said to be one of the best of the many Cohan successes. The Orpheum A program almost entirely novel and containing acts which have never been surpassed on the vaudeville stage is announced for next week. The most brilliant of the coming constellation of stars will be the favorite actress, Valerie Bergere. With the assistance of a clever little company, which includes Herbert Warren, Lawrence Morton, Charles Melville and Emma Campbell, she will present a one-act comedy by Edgar Allen Woolf, entitled The Sultan's Favorite. The skit is pronounced novel and entertaining throughout and the role of Morgiana, the Pride of the Harem, exhibits Miss Bergere at her very best and every playgoer knows how good that must be. The Tuscany Troubadors, a sextette of magnificent singers, will furnish a rare bit of popular grand opera. They will sing scenes from Rigoletto, Faust, Carmen, Tannehauser, and other lyric masterpieces. Their production, which is in two scenes, is beautifully staged and costumed. Ed. F. Reynard, who will appear for next week only, is styled The Ventriloquist With a Production, for he introduces an entire play with the assistance of his automatons. The Six Glinserettis, who will contribute to this splendid bill, need no introduction to San Francisco audiences, although several years have elapsed since they were last seen here. Carlin and Clark, two German comedians quite as well known and popular in the East as Weber and Fields or Max Rogers, are sure of success. For years they have been identified with the most successful musical comedies. Next week will be the farwell one of Mary Norman, the Society Caricaturist ; Signor Ancillotti and his marvelous dog. Pilu, and James Young and his clever little company in the laughable skit. Wanted a Sister. A new series of recently imported motion pictures The Greatest Now Booking Season 1909 ft 10 Everything Cast of The Persse=Mason Co. Complete Singers In the New Operatic Comedy New Scenery Headed by THOS. H. PERSSE Tenor The Singing Bandits Book and Music by HERMAN PEREET Excellent Music EDITH MASON THOS. II. PERSSE Sole Proprietor LOUIS I.ISSNEK Manager Quartette of Comedians Soprano Permanent Address: Dramatic Review, Van Ness Theatre I'uilding, San Francisco 09-10 Season William Stoermer Presents Millidge Sherwood In a Sumptuous Scenic Revival of . . . King Lear . . . Car of Scenery 25 People Beautifully Costumed Two "Ahead" Billie Burke's First Coast Tour as a Star Charles Frohman PRESENTS Billie V 7 Burke if IN THE EXQUISITE COMEDY Love Watches will conclude a performance that cannot fail to afford complete enjoyment. Valencia Theatre This Saturday afternoon and evening will conclude the engagement of Corinne and company, presenting Mile. Mischief. On Sunday night The Great John Canton, a powerful drama of American business life, written by J. Hartley Manners from Arthur J. Eddy's novel. Canton & Co., will begin a run limited to one week. The stellar role is played by George Fawcett, considered by many critics the foremost character actor of the present day stage. John Ganton is portrayed as a man of tremendous power and initiative. By methods which would hardly meet the approval of modern anti-trust laws, he has forced himself into a position of supremacy in the packing industry. By crushing competitors his lines have extended to all parts of the world and as the play opens he is found in absolute possession of this vast industry. The story of the drama has to do with John Ganton's change of heart which comes to him after his son has made him see the iniquity of his business methods and the great responsibility which they entail. There is a delightful romance woven through the narrative, the principals of which are Canton's son, Will, and May Keating, the daughter of John Canton's one-time bitter business rival. The old man's antagonism to the match leads him. in a fit of temper, to disinherit his son and throw him out of the business. One of the big scenes of the play occurs when the young woman forces her way into the private office of Ganton and upbraids him for his un fatherly course. It is during this interview that she learns for the first time that Ganton is the man who sent into bankruptcy and ultimately drove to suicide her father. The situation, as it develops, is one of the most gripping that has been devised. The members of the company are Thurston Hall, John Webster, Lucius Henderson, Allen Fawcett, Louis Breesen, George Caldwell, Charles Gay, Jack Barnes, Frank Smithers, Fanchon Campbell, Elisie Scott, Ruth Tomlinson. Emilie Callaway and Florence Glenn. Matinees will be given on Wednesday and Saturday. Alcazar Theatre An appropriate stage offering at this time, when California's early history occupies so much of California's attention, is The Rose of the Rancho, which is to be revived next Monday evening and throughout the week. The play was built by two native Californians, David Belasco and Richard Walton Tully, and it treats of life in California while the missions were on the decline. It fairly reeks of the languorous Spanish atmosphere that was routed by the advent of American progress. If it had been specially written to introduce and accompany the I'ortola festivities, it could not more fully harmonize with their spirit. This will be the third annual presentation of The Rose of the Rancho by the Alcazar management. Each of its previous productions scored a three weeks' run, and there is warrant for predicting a repetition of those satisfactory results. Bessie liarriscale will again be seen as Jaunita, her best role, and Will R. Walling will play Kearny, the government agent ; Charles Dow Clark is cast for the I'adre, Louis Bennison is admirably bestowed as Kincaid, the landjumper; Harrison Ford will unquestionably shine as Sammy, the bumptious young lieutenant of militia, and Grace Travers will surely be charming as the Rose's girl chum. All the other principal characters will be played by the same people who had them last season. The entire scenic equipment has been renovated. In the cast are thirty-three speaking characters and a small army of silent auxiliaries. It is one of the most expensive productions Belasco & Mayer ever undertook, and that means something in the way of pecuniary outlay.