The billboard (Nov 1905)

NOVEMBER 11, 1905. Tlie Billboard 5 By C C. BARTRAM. THE all-absorbing- topic of lay and profesalonal press during tbe past week, of course, tht^ passing at our greatest actor to tbe great beyond. A SftmX lite It ms, slorlonaly CDded. Be died aa beroes pray to dto—iB tnU armor, rrp<l> from the iMtttU tuj. W* tfiouU re- joice tbat aaeh • lU* waa. nthar^^iB (deTe tuat It to M WR. mu aTwiK Km tbu lite kaa %«■ to saplraBtB to filitriiiiiJe Ihair. niai 111' at tke reiy Iwttom mne ot Ike laMKW' bard and patlcct toll alone, to derdiWW ttat cieateit ot an actor's as- Kill pcnoaallt7, be climbed steadily to tbe MfT top. securlne a place for bis name In the llieatrtcal btstory ot bla time second to none, nnd a reatlng-place tor bis ashes among a DttUin's great—In Westminster Abbey. The cammbii|>lace of literary eloquence seems but poor and inadequate Id a case like tbla, and your correspondent's poor pen ftdtiM at MMh a task as paying suitable tiltalM M MCk a life as Henry Irrlng's was. Grief enoueb that death must be. Like tbe sun tbrongti lowering clouds. Smiles break ttarotigli a flood ot tears When we remember tbe life that was. Hie Bfty 7eare ot Irrlng's stace, lite com- ^ • ■mhsT oc aa elocution tojMMM* «MMiaaal am*- pcfiMnaacM, fila flnt pro> _ mcnt waa at Sondetland. to- nid the cad^ of 1850. -wltb E. D. Davis eoopaar at the tben new I<yceam Tbeatre, wliere be waa caat for Oaston, Duke ot Or- leans, In Bulwer tattoo's Blctaelleu, In wbicb Ills first words, tbe opening line ot tbe piece, were of peculiar algnlflcanee, "Here's to onr enterprise." Be was evidently nervous, but tbe pardonable stage tright ot a 1>eglnner was even more apparent In tbe sobseqnent per- fonuance ot A Winter's Tale,' wlien be forgot his lines, and was compelled to retire In con- faslim. 'He was subjected to a little sound sdriee from tbe manager, and remained In Ibe company some tiiree months. From Sunderland he went to Edlnbnrgb, wbeie be played a long engagemept at the Btgral under Bobert B. WTDdbam at a salary tt the English equivalent of seven and a halt arilaia a week, Ooilng tblt encagement lie essayed no less than 4as diSerant ebaractoa. The company was a strong one, and proved a splendid school tor the earnest student. Dnr- Ing tbe summer ot tbe same year Irving, and an equally Inexperienced fellow member of the Boyal company, tried the experiment of glTing "readings" In the small towns- near l^llDburgb, but tbe "tour" was abandoned after tbe first night, tor, as Irving humorously says, "We did not even draw a small boy." He then went to London, but did not do well, and returned to tbe provinces after a short time. He tben played In Dublin, Glasgow, Greenock. Manchester (where be first lound himself on tbe same bill with Edwin Booth) WrmliigHsa and otber cities, with varying ■MMMb tnming, as all must do, the rongh tmA. to itet is. np hlU and down dale, bot gT^t stayed*SLjirM%B^^MSwefi't'^^^^^ iliiMAMte. and 7. L. Toide telb at a per son remarking, "Ob! Irving, bc's mad—^mad as a batter; he's going to play Hamlet." ooeeess as Rawdon Soudanxire In wtiat was then called Tbe Two Lives ot Mary Leigh afterwards (Bunted Down, brought a flatter- ing olTer from London—the seventb heaven of all provincial actors. He opened "In Town" at tbe St Jamea on Oct. 6. ISOG. In the role ot Dorlcoort In The Belle's Strategem. also holding tbe post ot stage manager, and. as the ssylng goes, from tbat time he never looked back. In 180T he made bis only appearance In Paria with B. A. Sothem. and in Decem- bermade bis first fippearance wlHi Ellen Terry Innt pant of Petraciilo and Katharine at tbe Qoeeae Tbeatre, I^ag Acre, l.>ondon, where w«re also Id tke aaae Mil. TOoIe, Cbarles Wyndtaam aad KloHl Branab. In tbe summer of ■«> he went to (he Baynarket. then to omty Lane, where he appe ar ed la -BowiiGaalt's once much discnssed drama fhnaaMU " .Xlwa. «i Dee. IS, be made hli amt ^idr* at the Gaiety In Uncle Dick's Darling. It then came that tbe sstnle Ancrleaa.* H. p. Bateman. saw in Benry Irving the "eon- ing man." and engaged blm to rapport hia aangbter, Isabel, at the Xyveum. Tbe first pipce was not a suceeea, the second llllle bet ter. and It was tbe general opinion tbat Bate inan would soon give up bis enterprise. But the presentation and run of 151 performlinces of The Bells cbanged aU this, and stamped g*nry Irving as England'a foremost actor. Wen Charles I. 180 performances. Richelieu, namiet, and hIa epoeh-maklng pertormance ot neMmhant ot l^lM at* aU mMa ot Ms •nM»s«fnl career toe wan knewB to icpeatlng, -J«f«fd the end of ISTO. after tba death of Stl"**. ?atemBn, Irriag hecnne bualnwa naa- sger ot the Lyeeiim. seevred Miss Bllen TWtjr as leading lady, and all know nntn how re- wntlT their conblned efforts led tbe theatrical mode" of tbe time. ,.Irving teeame the flrst actor-knIght. KniKliteil by tbe Ute Queen Victoria on the isth ot Jul.y ot tbat year. irring's last great production. Becket. I have nsd the pleasure ot reviewing for you In these ronimns, though, when I heard the Impressive yslng lines of the first night. I little dreamed Wat wittiin so short a time tbey would mark aimMt the last words spoken by blm in the Wester Drama. It was at Bradford on tbe at this October tbat those impressive "»»•. "Into Thy hands. O Lord—Into Thy BIS. , dramatically closed the Isst act of nsnry Trvlng's life, ..1'' "•""'■J'- ss Is well known, leaves a wIdoW Irving " *""' °' '"'"K ■•><• I-surence •f'Slf " '«™fl«" were Interred at tbe toot or ahakespeare's nonaaient in the Poeto' Cor- ner of Westminster Abbey. The following speech, made by Sir Henry, only two days before bis death, In reply to an address presented by tbe Cdayor and Alderman ot (Bradford at a luncheon given In bis honor. In which he dwclla at lengtb npon his favorite topte «t Meant yaais, a aaualclpal thaatia, wui, I aa «( IMtoWttoMB. iMdm: "Ur. afayar aadOenHeneB—I daaa It a tme honor that I am here to-day aa a guest ot your great city at Bradford, and to receive tills beantltul, graceful, and acliolariy address. Tbe work ot tbe player Is and must ever be done In cities, and It is to cities that we must look tor any rewarjis wbldi may be to our endeavor. ^lierefore. the commendation, tbe recognition, the sympathetic understanding of the rulers ot .cities Is much, and may I say this—and 1 say it as one tbe sands ot whose working lite are running fast—tbat In showing sympathy and recognition wben you feel tbat such are deesrved, you benefit not only the Individual, but all those who follow or are In- terested In his art. And beyond this again your city and its citizens sre benefited also. For It Is by this means tbat you, from your high position, lesd and mould and elevate pub- lic teste; "all work and no play"—you know tbe rest, and mtk .ln the eold ondtr tba ban of high odtoCk wllb 'aaiar a CBldlBC weed or a cheering ss a ad . la not apt to draw oat what U beat and nOHcst la-^tte heart. This, sir, is what yon ate dolac to4ay. and what Is being done now and again Iv certain tar- minded mah^ulM fed llie lesponsiblUty and the kindly iataMce . of power—men wbo are statesmen In'"Spirit and in act—and whose deeds in greater or lesser degree make only for the public good. "From your generous attitude to-day, sir— from your syinpatb.y with the exponent of an art 1 love—I do not despair that some day you nnil your successors in high civic otDce ir.ay see well to furtber the Idea tbat even a city can benefit by tbe erection and main tenance ot a tbeatre where everything sbsli be of tbe highest order, model ot all tbat shonid be. that can I>e. and that. I trast. vrill be. In that artistic comer of life when pabUc duty and human pleasure meet on comaaoa gronnd. When I plead for the ladatlon of the tbeatre among mnale^ial'. Instttotloaa, ■■ it Is largely becaase I hellere. (bat tiy (bis means tbe standard of the tme dnuna, aa > dlstln- gnlshed ftom mtscellaneooa 'antartalinents— which have no connectloii with It-^^wonld be successfully upheld. Money Is spent In this country like water on a great variety of philanthropic and edncatlonal objects. Scholar- ships are founded for the pnrsnlt of learning, tliere nre handsome endowments for schools of pslntlng and colleges of music, but wbo amongst you ever dreams of endownlng a thea- tre? And 1 am sure there Is amon;; yon ii tbougbtful Interest in tbe drama quite apart from the agreeable exercise of playgolng, and 1 am sure tbat the time will come that yon will regard the theatre as necessary to liberal education, and that yon will be prepared to consider any reasonable sosgestlou for the extension ot Its legitimate inOoence in 'this country. IManagers of theatres will temaiir nndistnrbed by . tba ■ pwanirt-'oC.-.a. 'Malcipai theatre hen and- lM i MH ' ilav.(ba vgWtiiCaentres of pnpnlatlon, and"! an line my good friend Mr. John Bart vranld welcome any civic ad Vance wltb regard to tbe tbeatre as an in- stltntton. It may be that In years to come onr conntrymen will scarcely nnderstand bow in onr timra so potent an Instrument tor g^od or ill as tbe stage was left entirely outside the sphere ot public administration. Again let me thank you tor the honor which .von have done me to-day, and which has toache«l me deeply, and I assure yon that neither I nor tbose w4io caow .alHr mr irlll eecr forget yonr generans kladatf NANCE O'NEIL Closes a Successful Season b Australia—Cnrrent Tofacs in the Land Where tbe Sprinf lbs Jnit By DR. WM. H. H. UVNE. IV! THE WHITE CAT PRODUCED The White Cat. tbe succssful -Dniry Lane spectacle, was given Its premiere American pro iTuctlon Thursda.v evening. Novem'l>er 2. at tlH* Xeiv Amsterdam Tlicatre. New York City, under ti'o direction of Messrs. Klsw & Eh-langer. TU«» following cast Interpretted the roles: Hardtack IkO Wcenth. .<Wir.lam t, Hodges Pe riess. luie Lambert PInmp .^V.......... .H»rUert Corthell Princess ChltfOB... Kdlth SI. Clali- Slmeon Hugh J. Ward Metbnselina William Maom The Fairy Fortune llcnrirltn Cropper Hocate IIarrI->t Worthicg-tAn Micoiiet Seymour ltn»-vn Cupid .......;Maida 8n.vdrr Arlsto ;;..;.^IIelen Latlirop I'opulo .Mont4 Flmo The piece has been enttr^-ly rer;(mp?d. Tnongb In general the spectacninr and scenic port'un^ ot tlie English production have lieeu retaineO intact, tlie book has b en set In American SiH>Te. Harry B. Smith Is responsible for tbe ' l>ooG and Ludwig Englander for tbe mostc. Tbe RnglisU songs have been tnnS fa rsMd 'blto.,wai lively American lines and Jeaia' 'MinaiUi' -Daa set them to JIngly music . "Hie White Cat is said to be one of. If not the most, beantlfot spectacles Klaw & Brlangcr hare ever given to the pObUe. Mneh enthnslasm was exhibited the opening nigbt and Tbe White Cat waa given a right nyal welcome. William T. Ilodse and Maud I«nhert of coarse came In for a big bunch of praise and applause. Mslda Snyder, Bdlth St. Clair and Hugh J, Ward scored personal as well as artistic hits. The "White Oat Is hooked at the K«w Am- ATTBBS In the Sydney at tbe present rather brisk, wltb all theatres open and bnslnesa good at all of tbem. Miss Nance O'Xelll dosed her sea- son here at Her Majesty's Tbeatre on Sept. 29, after a most ptosperoos engagement, and for tbe last week gave a sightly change of bill, with a special programme for tbe last evening. She and her company sailed tor New Zealand on the 30tli Inst., and opened at Wellington, Oct. 7, for a very brief season of ttve weeks in Maorlland, when they iolB''-.tha W'Amotlcan steamer at Aukland, sailing .VMto° ttM^'Mov. 21, tor San Francisco. Mr. !McKee Rankin goes on ahead of the com- pany sailing from Auckland on tbe 2itb, to complete arrangement tor the company to open in San Francisco. papers seem to think tbat Australia has bad tbe last visit ot Miss Nance O'NeU; for such assertion they give no reason. On Sept. 30, tbe New Strand Co., otsan' laed by Messn 3l(yneU and Oana, apcntd to cnpscitr In "I«BdaB'a.laaghlBK Umtt o< tea." as Vtatoa UacfeayTd .plOM Ifea'::^ P<.la-..«alled, and. It an npsris ba' ttaa. It baba as It it would be the only production necessary during tbeir short stay, aa they have to glee way to Miss Lottie Brune. who opens at this thmtn on Satnrday, 14 Name ot first prodnedon yet annouDced PALACE THEAXKE Mr. J. C. Williamson's Blograpb Tablean commenced a sesson ot twelve nights and tour matinees. Sept. 30; bouse packed to tbe ut- most limit, and this once more dcmonstratea the tact ot what tbe writer has so often re- Iterated, tbat tbere Is lots ot money in a good moving picture show well pot on, and wltb good films. This company Is sbowlng the new color tinted films, and Ihclr flrst night's receptloo ■bows that their soccess for the tenuUndet of (bO'OsaasB la The vandei^ni* fcimt .of llannis tind OarteUe baa dlssolnd. and they wm hcKaftw sppear separately, air. Marctu and hla wUi will be seen in a new act. while Mr. Garten has been Joined 'by Harry King ot GlovetsrtUe. N. T., and wH] produce a new act on tOUer Skatas, enUOed Skatoclal Bollerlsm. Both sn ezcdleat petfonacn, and tbeIr success la aB> UareiM and Gartdle, roller skate ai<> GartcOe wm be of Glovctsvllle, "Z^ as the OarteUe Bntheis In an act entitled Skatotial BoUerlsm. Vaudeville is losing one of Its biisbt singing and dancing sonbrettes in Miss Graea Adams, who since her recent marriage to Mr. o. B.. Boetoa has decided to retire treos tbe . XBB IiZOEnM XHEAXRE Ibis baid' thor admrv V to- ntm' passed tow >4ke. bsads ar a. a _^ crank, who Is now asbv It Ibr baUBaK te- Bgloos meetings with lime light and other effects, and a strong drawing card ot "No col- lections" all Invited. It Is also being altered to be let as olllcea tor religious and temper- ance bodies. It wlU be let tor lectures and strictly moral moving picture shows, but tbe actor and singer of all worldly songs can no longer profane Its boards. Its motto \3. now, "Quo taceclnes valde fa- ciMis"—(What we do, we do well), bat let DOj^add.-aaeu aloa'»''Ditoi'»MmH tlyamns** (whnr we Ueck-M'tfO Ura). • THEATBE BOTAZ. Mr. William Anderson's Dramatic Co., at the Royal. Is beaded by tbe young and cbarmlng Australian actress. Miss Eugenie Dngganas. The star closed on Sept. 29 in Between.Two Women and opened on 30 wltb A Woman of Pleasure. This piece Is full ot sensational scenes and thrilling situation, and tbe bouse was a cor- dlan one, and all went smootly as passible to an audience tbat filled tbe theatre In every part and money refused long tjefore tbe curtain went up. As the company play to popular prices, they are snte of good business, and Mr. Anderson has done more than some others, and grasped the fact that "a nimble alx-pance Is hottor,.tbaa.a.ila» k..'diM"tha;jaT ' TTVOLI THEATRE (Mr. Harry Rlckard's TlvoU Co., headed by Lea Bronlns, Diamond and Beatrice, Paynen and Lacle and Stave are playing nightly to big bostnesB, and ss Mr. Blckards Is at present on tbe oontlnent engaging artlats ot all kinds, tbey shoold do well for a long time to eome. Mr. Bitfcaada has •haadoned hla Amedcan trip, aad 'ta:-Aortly retnmlng to Aa be wm be:.alBd 'to'baar tnm AnaHeaa artists direct, wka bMo asada aC tba dnt idaaa to offer. aad'swtoAoncoalBa «sod an: .(be 'time Mr. Blekardo. ttt:- cmr of j^oonhI .ttea tree In Anstadla..i'aal.'.hli: btadanrtMine to tUs dty. . Be baa sn airaaiamMt wUb' the Fqlltr aad: DIz cbcaltt to Kew Zeaiaad, and ar- tiacs an .flayed over tbem also. KOWABS TKUXnOV Thurston, tba Gnat, baa dosed his season to Uelboome, aad baa - doac ssod bastoeas, to nov.at:AddkHib;aad aa te •■<• asaa-ao . ■rtr«c;bto a^oa li^. tt —..« ■ pipfc so, hat ..^Isiatand Itott nto bsasa waa a ncsad one. and do do<d>t. win he a npatltloB ot bla Melbenrne sttceess. Have never heard any oae yet ^ee him on that high pedestsl reached w Dante, tbe Great, here before bis sad a eeldsn t toat coat blm his lite. Some one looka waU ^tter bis grave In Waverly Cemetery, end tbe writer noticed the other day fresh flowen were placed bto tomb and monnment. lUr. SodtVa''vaaderUIe eonpaiiy an _ good tnalBesa, and while the aitlsto engaged by thto maiMger do not Include Stan ot the dist. second or even third magnitude, never- tbdess provide a good, clean and p«ii~t«Vii»f Show (bat to wdl worth the pcton ha dwisca ffBITWIOa SHZATBS The Broagh-Flemlng Oo. an playtoc to tall capacity, so the papers state (no caortesles extended, so tsr) in tbe Beanty end the ~ The many Abilene (Kan.) friends of Gay O. Fritta ot tbe Morey Stock Oo. took blm to tow, Oct. SI. after the evening per- _ _ _ fomiaMO at AbOioa aad showed blm a -good Zealand u, opentoa la W4 time. im U f M lsa dM aot eean nntu mom-1 The Walla of MriOba. Ss toe. _ . - . -l-tbif-toetre it. and money to being ntaacd ni^tly. Xbsr dose ^aBwe. te.Hew here IS, and saU by 8. oa a to " Mr. and Mrs. Nick Hughes, comedy sketch artists, write tbat tbey are booked over tbe western drcutts until AprIL when tbey sail for England tor a tour ot tbe Moss A Stoll Circuit. Arthur Kilroy, cyclist, closed with the Monardi Shows to Spokane, Wash., aql signed tor ten weeks over tbe Goldamltb A Fisher Circuit, opening at Pantage'a Tbeatnk Seattle. Chas. Woodford, -whose trained ani- mals are now playing vandevUle dates, to building a big tralntog ban to Falconer. K. T.^ where be has two more snlmsla acts to into- tog. Hi Tom IJong; formerly of Williams snd Long, and Jack Velare, formerly of tbs Telare Trio, have joined toteresu, and. will hereafter be known as Stoat and LonSil'w.. W. IMck Harrison, who had the amr afCBsnt at' the IMk' Sadlcy - Bepcttabge' Obi. last season.. has ' the OeBfany Stock Co., IUb year and bnstoess la reported good. The Marvelous Renos recently closed wltb the Christie Stock Co.. and opened with the' Jcf*: »«-a-i«— «- -* ..ltswbpn,.,-li;:.-«^ Tbdr aoW'.o,(ubalH.y»at- ia'fc bit.:. '.'^!;'','''.'vl'' Baaai; •■■ Mia illdaliMilai'' .Mij an'axllB(to<'lttlleralM ahoet bto ae(. it drawing card for tbe Ulnalonlst. The Three Merrills, playing- the Stoll Tour, England, write from London tbat tbelr act is a big bit at tbe Collseom where they an booked for eight weeks. Perrln Somers, of Gardne r an d Stan- ers, xylophone experts, and SOiB" Vmair'Mssai^ both ot tbe IbUy Rrass Wldowa'Oa.. wcn'an*- rled in Chicago, July 21. The Aherns. novelty acrobats, cele- brated tbe twenty-slxtb birthday of Miss Agnea Ahems on Oct. 28. She received a number ot valuable presents. Messrs. Levy & Considine^ It is noimced, have ooniplMtd..aBai tbey can now book bcto'.fld*:?' ttonons weeks. The American Mew^ dosed with Tbe Panden On.. Oct, SI; at St. Louis, Mo., and joined Klaw A Erlanger'a Home Folka Co. The Victors, hac pimchers. laid off at Miiwaahe^alWto;. ' w aib -i.«r:-Oat.'- a^.tbatosae. ot a 9ralaad''''fe3-..MaM'':tK<'-lll£>lHM'' Victors 'V John Cart-well has dasartad iinli^ strelay fbr -vandevllle. He b saw of tbe tteto of Cartwen snd Harris, plsylng over the Keith Circuit. Mart Williams, of the sinsinc and the maoagsment oC.ttO-Maa-Shialni'CMlhsli^'. Minn. The lAPlant Sisters, Mazine and Msdge, and Ciystal Bdl have Joined toteresta, and will hereafter t>e known as tbe LaBeUe Trio. Percy Cahlll. parodist, was accorded an ovation upon his appearance recently at tbe Elysium Hieatre, New Orleans, his home. Earle Flynn. of the Beach & Bowers Mr. and Mrs. John SeatUe are on a visit to San gnesto of Archie Levy. Ehrenberg: and TrendalL gymnasts, opened on the -Mofdty Denver, Ool., Oct- SO. Lewis and Harr. negro impersona- tors, opened upon the weatetn dmtts, Oct. 18. at Fort Sheridan. The Two James are now presenting tbelr act entitled Kew Asserlea. for the dnt 'Beiniiiiton. ' ar BIniea and Sem- ingtoa. zcporM the serious Illness of her father to Decatar, m. The Aheams have returned to To- peka. Ran., after a two years* engagement aa the coast. The Russells write that they are booked solid until tbe second week In Janaary. Geo. Searcy has .closed .-with the