Show World (July 1909)

6 THE SHOW WORLD July 3, 1909. i JAMES O’NEILL QUITS AFTER MANY YEARS. Has Played the Part of Edmond Dantes More Than Six Thousand Times. ST. LOUIS, June 29.—When the curtain at the dramatic theater at Delmar Garden rings down on the last act of “Monte Cristo” it will also ring down for the finish of James O’Neill’s active career on the stage. The great actor has definitely an¬ nounced that after forty-two years of strenuous life on the boards that he has decided that it is time for him to retire to a well-merited rest. O’Neill is probably the richest American actor and practically owns a small town in Connecticut. To this he will retire after he has terminated his Delmar engagement and he intends to live there quietly for the rest of his days. On Saturday night he will have played the role of Edmond Dantes six thou¬ sand two hundred times. This beats Jefferson’s record as Rip Van Winkle by nearly one thousand.—WEBB. O’Neill is Guest of Honor. ST. LOUIS, June 27.—After the performance of “Virginius” last Satur¬ day night at Delmar Garden, James O’Neill was a guest of honor at a dinner given by John C. Sullivan, di¬ rector of the American Sons of Erin. James O’Neill is an honorary member of this society. During the dinner O’Neill discovered a new relative in the person of Edward J. O’Neill, a member of the St. Louis board of education. Among others present at the dinner were Col. Martin Collins, Dr. F. J. Sullivan and Frank P. Fur¬ long. BEAUREGARD AND WIFE RENOUNCE THE STAGE. ST. LOUIS, June 28.—Albert Beau¬ regard and his wife, Helen Collier Garrick, who have been associated with William Collier for the past eight years, have definitely announced their retirement from the stage. Beauregard’s real name is Fink and he has been pursuaded to give up his stage career at the instigation of his father, Charles Fink, who is a wealthy retired St. Louis merchant. Charles Fink offered his son a mansion in the most aristocratic part of St. Louis and a handsome competence for life, if he on his part would give up acting. Beauregard and his wife decided to accept the father’s offer and hence¬ forth they will be known as Mr and Mrs. Albert B. Fink. Miss Garrick is a sister of the well known comedian, Willie Collier. Manager Tippetts had an excep¬ tionally strong vaudeville bill for the second and last, week of the Police Relief Benefit at Forest Park High¬ lands, which commenced last Sunday Judging from the applause they re¬ ceived Bob Adams and Bob Alden easily usurped the head-liner’s posi¬ tion.. Their act, which consists of singing and pianola playing, went with a snap frorn start to finish, and the finale of their act, when they appear as Italian street musicians, was a scream. Carter de Haven, with his graceful dancing, proved another hit of the bill. But it would be hard to specialize the acts, as they were all good. Nat Goodwin arrived in St. Lot Saturday last and commenced r hearsals on Monday morning for 1 production of “The Gilded Foo which he will produce at the Delm Dramatic theater^ commencing ne Sunday. Goodwin will stay at t Delmar for four weeks, and his oth offerings will be “In Missouri,” “I American Citizen” and “When V Were Twenty-one.” Bates and Levy are laying Louis, resting for a while af ing the Hodgkins vaudevil They state that their act is g and that they will repeat i same time next season. PLETHORA OF STARS CAP TURE ST. LOUIS Amelia Bingham, Fraulein Herelin, Nat Goodwin, James O’Neill, Raymond Hitchcock, Wilton Lackaye, De Wolf Hopper and More to Come! ST. LOUIS, June 30.—Probably the most laudable presentation of the present week is that of “The Mikado,” at the Delmare Op¬ eratic theater. Ray- Hitchcock fur- fun of his char- Ko- )lay this part the customary all. He man- get the full of humor of it, however, easily demon¬ claim to one of the s t musical comedians age. Many of the local papers were inclined to roast him on the score that he was not Japanesey enough. This on the face of it is un¬ fair, for one goes to see Hitchcock to laugh, and he certainly satisfies one along this line. The production is proving that Gilbert and Sullivan’s operas still hold the foremost place in the hearts of playgoers, for the busi¬ ness this week is breaking records. Anna Tasker Droves to be an almost perfect Yum-Yum. The only fault to find with an otherwise perfect repre¬ sentation of the character is that she squirms too much; in fact, at times she looks as though she were trying to wriggle out of a straight jacket. She sings charmingly, however, and acts _ very naively. Miss Trasker certainly has the local dramatic critics on her side, ipr up to the present time they have used all the laudatory epithets they can on her and judging from their write-ups they must be searching through Webster for more. Dorothy Webb and Carl Hadyn also are gaining a great deal of favorable comment. . .Amelia Bingham began her farewell week at the Suburban last , Sunday. The attraction was Clyde Fitch’s com¬ edy, “The Climbers.” This week promises to be a sort of lingering fare¬ well, embellished by innumerable bou¬ quets and curtain calls. On the open¬ ing night she was called before the curtain after every act. Her work this week is more hrtistic than any she has previously done at this theater. She exhibited less of those histrionic stunts of which she is so fond. Next Saturday night she will celebrate her one hundred and ninety-ninth per¬ formance at the Suburban and this event will be celebrated by the dis¬ tribution of picture postals of the pop¬ ular star. For the first time this sea¬ son the stage manager, Gordon Ed¬ wards, appeared in the caste, and he was enthusiastically welcomed by the audience. Miss Bingham sails for London July 7. She will make her English debut there at the Palace in a vaudeville sketch. It will be inter¬ esting to note how the English play¬ goers take to this star, who is so typ¬ ically American. James O’Neil, for his farewell pro¬ duction at Delmar—for it is probably going to be his farewell appearance on any stage—has chosen to appear in his great role of Edmond Dantes in “Monte Cristo.” For the past few years O’Neill has tried to get away from this play, in fact last year he appeared in a similar production writ¬ ten by his manager, Mr. Forrest, and entitled “The Abbe Boneparte,” but it seems that the public are insistent on seeing him in his masterpiece, and so O’Neill will close his stage career in the play in which he made his great name. He has appeared in this role considerably over six thousand times, but he has lost none of his grip on the part. He has the same old infectious boyish manner in the early parts of the play, and is convincingly strong and subtle in the later acts. Age has treated O’Neill kindly for now, at, the end of his active stage career he is just as good as when he made a name which ranks foremost among histrionic stars. Fraulein Lilian Herlein, in “My Lady’s Maid,” this week terminates the musical comedy venture at the West End Heights. Fraulein Herlein has been the one bright star out at the Heights, and she is closing her en¬ gagement as musical comedy prima donna in a blaze of glory. She' is so far superior to the rest of the_ com¬ pany that to mention the show is just to mention her name, and one has only to read the criticisms of the local press to become thoroughly cognizant of this fact. Next week the policy of the Heights changes from musical stock to vaudeville. Rex Beach, the well known author, passed through St. Louis Monday on his way from Hot Springs to Chicago. SHUBERTS WILL BUILD NEW ST. LOUIS THEATER Obtain Down Town Business Building for Twenty-two Years and Will Spend $200,000.00 ST. LOUIS, Mo., July 1.—Jacob J. Shubert was in St. Louis Sunday and made a tentative agreement with a local real estate, firm for a twenty- two year lease on a down-town busi¬ ness building which he intends to con¬ vert into a theater for musical attrac¬ tions. Shubert estimated that the cost of the necessary alterations would entail an expense of about $200,000.00. Mr. Shubert was accom¬ panied by his iattorney, William Klein. Dan Fishell, of the Garrick, who has engineered this deal, stated that he • could not'disclose the location of this new theater beyond the fact that it was central and east of Twelfth street. In fact Fishell stated that he had an option on three different locations and he was not absolutely certain which one would be chosen. He said that the new house was planned to have a seating capacity of 2,100, and that the deal would probably be closed within the next ten days. Mr. Shubert definitely stated that the Garrick would play their own dramatic attractions next season, this statement of course puts an end to all the vaudeville rumors. Mr. Shubert left St. Louis for Uin- cinnati bn a tour of inspection v over the new Shubert circuit.—Webb. JACK T. CROTTY IS WRITING NEW SKETCHES, i ST. LOUIS, June 29. — Jack J. I Crotty, who has been associated with ■ Henry Miller for the past five ye^rs, 1 arrived in St. Louis yesterday. Crotty ] has been touring the.south gathering I local color for a southern drama which j he is engaged in writing. He intends I to stay in St. Louis for a couple of 1 months and frame up some origipalJ sketches which he intends to send J over the vaudeville circuits next sea- 1 JACK J. CROTTY. The Versatile Young Comedian Who Is About to Embark on a Short Vaudeville Tour Prior to the Open¬ ing of His Regular Season. son. He has collected and written himself seven short comedy sketches which he believes will more than make good. He engaged the cast and started rehearsals today on his sketch en¬ titled, “Anthony and Cleopatra Up-to- Date,” which he is confident will prove a winner. He intends to stay in the city till he has all his playlets going and then he will return .to New York, where he will appear again pnder the management of Henry Miller.— WEBB. THEATER CANDY MAN TAKES HIS OWN LIFE. ST. LOUIS, June 28.—Roland F. Vogelsang, who had charge of the candy privileges at Havlin’s theater, and who was employed. in this ca¬ pacity by William Garen, the man¬ ager, committed suicide at his home on South Ranken avenue by drinking carbolic acid. He was found by his wife, Mamie Vogelsang, lying fully dressed on his bed unconscious. She immediately summoned Drs. Burke and Carruthers, who had him removed to the dispensary, but Vogelsang died in the ambulance on the way there. Those ' who knew Vogelsang well can give no reason for his having taken his own life. They state that to all appearances his domestic life was happy and he had no business worries. He had been drinking pretty heavily for some time previous. Vogelsang was about 30 years old and had been married 'several years but had no children.—WEBB. .. Wilton Lackaye started rehearsals Monday last for his presentation of “The Pit’ at Suburban Garden on Sun¬ day next. Lackaye stated that after his engagement with the Oppenheim- ers had terminated he would rest until he started his regular season. He said further that his jaunt through the east with the Lambs had given him all the touring he wanted for