San Francisco dramatic review (1899)

October 23, 1909. THE SAN FRANCISCO DRAMATIC REVIEW Ferris Hartman Is Making Real Money in Los Angeles LOS ANGELES, Oct. 21,— Much attention is being given to the benefit being arranged by the members of the Theatrical Mechanics' Association. This benefit will be given at the Auditorium on Friday afternoon, Nov. 5. The program is a very elaborate one and practically every theatre in the city will be represented. Blanche Hall has again resumed her place of leading woman with the Burbank company. Miss Hall says that she is quite in love with Honolulu where she spent her vacation, and she hopes to play there at some future time. Ferris Hartman and his company are back with us once more and it is a joy to welcome them. Julian Johnson's play, Invasion, at the Burbank, has been postponed for three weeks. Anna Little, a member of the Ferris Flartman company, is to marry Al Kauffman, the prize fighter. Miss Little is at present with the company at the Grand, but Dame Rumor says that she will not be there long. Walter DeLeon, the juvenile man of Ferris Hartman's company, has built a specialty around The Rough Rider Man, a song by W. O. MacGeehan of San Francisco. Word comes to us of the success of another Los Angeles favorite. Eugene Nowland, a local musician, is now playing at the Victoria Theatre in Baltimore, but he has just signed a contract with the William Morris vaudeville circuit for 52 weeks. Dorothy Morton, the operatic star, is one of the financial backers of the Ferris Hartman company. Miss Morton and Hartman have taken a lease of the Grand and are going to give us a season of real musical comedy. Occasionally Miss Morton will appear with the company and we will have an opportunity to hear her fine soprano voice. Mr. Morosco has announced that he will try out five new plays by local playwrights within the next few months. Speaking of new plays calls our attention to the fact that Mr. Morosco's genial press agent is also writing a play. This is not the first attempt of Mr. Lawrence in this line and we hope to soon have the pleasure of seeing his work produced by Mr. Morosco's Burbank players. In the near future Mrs. Harry Glazier will become associated with the School of Vocal Philosophy in the Majestic building. There is a rumor about town that Bessie Tannehill is going starring in Hoyt's play, A Stranger in New York. John W. Considine, one of the owners and the active head of the Sullivan & Considine vaudeville circuit, is in town to inspect the improvements that Manager Bovyer has been making in the Los Angeles Theatre. Henry Stockbridge, proprietor of the Stockbridge kennels at Glendale, is rejoicing in the arrival of eight thoroughbred bull pups ; each of them is, according to the owner, a prospective blue ribboner. Tuesday night the Theatrical Treasurers' Association held a business meeting at the Majestic Theatre. After the meeting was over the members were entertained at the home of the new recording secretary, Ira Joseph, at dinner. Wednesday night there was a calico festival given at the Grand Army Hall in Glendale by the members of the Belasco and Burbank companies. AUDITORIUM— This is the second week of Mile. Mischief at the Auditorium. Corinne is as attractive as ever and the attendance has not diminished in the least. It is a good performance and deserves the patronage it is receiving at the hands of the theatre-goers of Los Angeles. BELASCO— Old Heidelberg as given by the Belasco company was such a success last week that the management just had to continue it for 'one more week. Mr. Stone is an ideal Karl Heinrich and each member of the company does well. The bill for next week is The County Chairman. BURBANK— My Wife, Michael Morton's comedy, is the bill for this week at the Burbank. This play has been given here by practically the same players who are in the cast of the present production and also by John Drew and Billie Burke. There is not much that is new to say of the play. It is well known but always popular and the members of the Burbank company seem perfectly at home in their respective parts. Blanche Hall makes her reappearance with the company and is being given a very cordial welcome by the patrons of the house. She makes an ideal Trixie Dupre-Eversleigh, dainty and roguish ; she displays a thorough understanding of the part. Mr. Beasley gives a very good portrait of Gerald Eversleigh. Mr. Mestayer has a good part that he plays well. David M. Hartford is cast as the dueling Frenchman ; William Yerance as Trixie's father and Henry Stockbridge is very amusing as the Hon. "Gibby" Gore. The balance of the company is well cast and the whole performance is very pleasing. MASON— A Gentleman from Mississippi, by Tom Wise and Harrison Rhodes, a political comedydrama, the scenes of which are all laid in the city of Washington, proves itself to be unusually entertaining. James Lackaye gives . a most natural and convincing picture of the big, unsophisticated Senator from Mississippi. Osborne Searle, as Bud Hains, the instructive secretary, does splendid work. Owing to an accident, Olive Harper, who has the part of Mrs. Spangler, is unable to appear, and her place is being most capably filled by Mrs. Florence Oberle of Los Angeles, who assumed this role at a'n hour's notice. The balance of the cast are satisfactory. MAJESTIC— In Dreamland carries us back to the days of Supcrba, with its tricks, illusions, electrical effects, and rapid fire comedy. Emmet Devoy, the author of many vaudeville sketches, has stretched this from a twenty-minute sketch to the length of a three-act play, and assumes the role of the lively Bob Hammond. This same Bob Hammond, through his belief and trust in a couple of fake spiritualists, is the center of what plot there is, and causes much amusement. Hermonie Stone, as the Venus, looks the part. William Hurst, as Bob's valet, is satisfactory. The balance of the company are capable and help to make this one of those entertaining, improbable absurdities. O R P H E U M — Heading this week's bill is Rosario Guerrero in a pantomime dance. The Dagger and the Rose. Gracefully and vividly she pictures the tragedy with her very clever dancing. Murray and Mack, well known locally, received a warm welcome from former admirers, in a sketch called A Harlem Argument. Tom Waters with his pianologue is making a large hit, judging by the applause and laughter he brings forth from the audience. Spalding and Riego offer a very good comedy act as gymnasts. Heading the holdovers, and still the popular bits of the whole bill are Lee and Wynn in The Billikin Freshman, and the excellent sketch, Circumstantial Evidence. Also Rosa Crouch and George Welch — filling out a very good bill. GRAND— If there is any doubt as to the popularity of the Ferris Hartman company, that doubt can be easily dispelled by just standing outside of the Grand Opera House and watching the crowds that are turned away at every performance. Mr. Hartman offers us good clean comedy and the work of the entire company is excellent. The Yankee Consul is the bill for the opening week. There is not much of a plot to the piece but the music is good and there is opportunity for some of the Hartman comedy. Walter Catlett does a good bit of. comedy work ; Muggins Davies and Walter De Leon are both seen to advantage in their roles. Oscar Walsh's splendid tenor pleases as usual. Josephine Isleib who is not overly pretty, sings and acts well in the role of Bonita. Josie Hart has a character part as does Anna Little. Joseph Fogarty is also seen in a character part. There is a good looking chorus and it is well directed by John A. Raynes. LOS ANGELES— The bill for the week at the Los Angeles Theatre is a very good one. One of the best acts on the program is furnished by James F. Dolan and his company in a sketch called The High Toned Burglar. It is a clever sketch and is well acted. Mort Sharp and his Dancing Belles also give a very excellent number. This is a musical specialty entitled An Echo from the Plantation. Mr. Sharp does a good bit of dancing during the number. Two of the acts hail from Australia, we are told ; one is done by the Steele Sisters, who sing Coster ditties and present a number of quick character changes ; the other is an acrobatic stunt by the Ahlberg Brothers. There is a clever comedy skit by McFarland and Murray, called The Millionaire and the Ice Man. Armada, the Spanish violinist, does fine work on that instrument. Motion pictures complete the bill. FISCHER'S— Chas. Alphin's offering at the little First street house this week is called A Trip to Mexico. The hit of the show is made by Dave Morris in a Hebrew impersonation. The leading woman, Maude Rockwell, has ample opportunity this week to show what she can do and her rendition of La Paloma is fine. Blossom Seeley, the soubrette, does good work as she always does. Jules Maud Potter Among the attractive bits of femininity that have taken San Francisco by storm this week is dainty Maud Potter, the soubrette of The Honeymoon Trail. Miss Potter was last year the ingenue of the Bush Temple stock in Chicago, and in this, her second, season in musical comedy, she has made a pronounced hit. Indeed, ' so clever has her work appeared to a prominent Eastern manager that he has made her a very tempting offer to star in a new musical comedy. Mendel is seen to advantage in a character comedy role. Flo Sherlock, Richard Kipling and. Harry Oakes all do well. The musical numbers are well given and the chorus shows good training. UNIQUE— The two vaudeville acts at the Unique are both very clever. Reyel and Derry do stunts on the trapeze and Roman rings. Alva York's number is a comedy singing act. The Unique players appear in a one-act melodrama entitled Logan's Luck. Two new members are seen for the first time this week, Miss Comstock and Mr. Peck. Others of the company who are seen in good parts are, Al Franks, Herbert Cramer, James Spencer, Lillian Rose and Minnie Janicki. WALKER— A Merry Whirl is the title of the bill at the Walker Theatre for this week. It is made up of good comedy real musical numbers and sprightly dancing. The principal characters in the piece are two Germans, a Jew and an American girl. Arthur damage and Henry Auerbach are the two Germans and Allen Curtis is Bizzy Izzy. Annie Baumann is the American heiress and Charles Figg the Easterner. Annie Baumann sings Senora with an accompanying Spanish dance. Estcllc Praegcr sings Rainbow. The whole program is a very excellent one. REGAL— The bill for the week at the Regal includes Mallan, Howard and McGraf in a singing and dancing act; Rooncy and Rickards in the sketch, The First Quarrel ; and Helen Ncilson, comedienne. Florence Emery. John Inch will be the new leading man at the Alcazar, opening a week from Monday. Mr. Ince has been playing in stock in Salt Lake.