The San Francisco Dramatic Review (1908)

[ay 2, 1914 THE SAN FRANCISCO DRAMATIC REVIEW 5 Los Angeles is Full of Good Shows; Many Popular Players Will Soon Return From Around the Country LOS ANGELES, April 29.— isiness at the theatres for some ii ange reason has been poor beyond Hef, ahhough the attractions are , the best this week. * * * Among e players with Mr. and Mrs. Doug- s Crane is Joseph Fogarty, who as well known during the Ferris artnian days. * * * Adolph Phillip IS sailed away, promising to come ick in September. In the mean- ne My Shadow and I, his last play, )es merrily on its way at the Bur- mk. * " Arthur Burckly, who )peared during the reign of Kitty nrdon and musical comedy, has left r Newark, N. J., to play in musi- .1 stock. * * * Bessie and Lucy iihrer close their Orpheum season lis week at home. * * * When retty Mrs. Smith closes its season Boston, Harrison Hunter will re- rn to the Burbank as stage direc- ir. In the meanwhile Donald ■ luies will assume the directorship, cnry Kolker will also return to this ty after the close of Help Wanted Chicago. Frances Slosson and ranklyn Underwood will come ick, too. * * * Richard Vivian is )Out town, after a brief engage- ent with the Orpheum Stock in lit Lake City. * * * Robert Brun- in, long scenic artist with Mr. Mor- ico, who has created many beauti- il stage pictures during the past w years, will leave soon for urope, for an extended trip. Mr. runton has formed a company of !s own and will launch into the :enic business for himself. =^ * * liver Morosco is again being sued, lis time by Mary Rockwell, who ill down the stairs leading from her ressing room in the Majestic Thea- c some time ago. Miss Rockwell fiks for $12,543. ALPHIN: In The Speculators ■e all the celebrities down to date -Dave Warfield, George Cohan, \a Tanguay and David Belasco. 'ssibly the most popular and 1 iLjhtest star is George Cohan, as npersonated by busy Reece Gard- ler, and his song. Come on You ankees, would do credit to the ;Drightly George himself. Phyliss lordon is a radiant Lillian Russell, nd her song, That Naughty Mel- dy, with the dashing tango girls, is 'iimensely popular. Charles Bar- tt is clever in his picturing of 'avid Pielasco. Just a shadow of a fury holds the performance to- ilier, and leaves many loop- Ics for the popular Alphin song nil dance numbers. i;URBANK: Adolph Phillipp has nildenly left the beaten path of liisical comedy and wandered off III! the country bypaths where "untry folk and country ways 1" and and breathe a simple and un- lished philo.sophy. In My Shadow 111 I, his last play, which is receiv- 1:; its premier this week, he tells lean and wholesome tale, spiced ith melodrama and bits of comedy, ith a))pcals to good honest emo- i'lus. The story of the two country I'lys who try the life of the big city nd its individual effects, is simply nd plainly told. Forrest Stanley is ruly a "beloved vagabond," playing with delightful sincerity. Donald Bowles enacts the part of the coun- try-bred boy who is led into baleful doings in the whirl of city life, play- ing it with a quiet emotion that is always convincing. Father, mother and sister of the boy are enacted by Thomas McLarnie, Grace Travers and Beatrice Nichols in a manner tiiat bespeaks the intelligence of these worthy players. Winifred Bry- son is a very haughty and beauti- ful city siren. Walter Cattlett and Jess Dandy bear the comedy burden, and in this particular instance it is inclined to be a heavy one, but is carried steadily and evenly by this amusing pair. James K. Applebee, Florence Oberle, George Rand, Ger- trude Short, Charles Buck and others, are happily cast. Robert Brunton adds some scenic touches that are striking and lovely. As a whole My Shadow and I is well staged and well played. HIPPODROME: A sketch by Walter Montague creates a great sensation, and as enacted by Lan- ders Stevens and Georgie Cooper, comes near being a riot. A story of reformers who do not reform is told in The New Chief of Police, with sarcastic little jabs at women's clubs and women's clothes and poor women in general. It is a capital sketch and skilfully handled. Her- man and Shirley are weird and won- derful dancers and able contortion- ists. The Venetian Grand Opera Co. appear in Rigoletto, singing with spirit and a light heartedness that makes a wonderful impression. Jack Poole is a singer and dancer whose antics please. Freda West & Co. offer Electropose, a large part of the entertainment. Blanchard and Cam- eron have many comedy types on their list of impersonations and get as many laughs. Jerry Croft can surely thumb the banjo with joyous eft'ect. EMPRESS: They trip the light fantastic throughout most of this week's bill, for there is that clever trio, Moffett, Caire and Moffett, who have so many various and whirlwind steps that they leave an impression of a cyclone set to music. Hong 'i'ong sings in many languages aside from his own and adds a bit of clever dancing to the same. James Francis Sullivan is a dancer of another sort, his clogging and jigging being fast, furious and dazzling. The Olivetto Troubadores sing many of the old, familiar tunes with enthusiasm and are well received. The dancing still continues when the Top o' the World dancers appear with the fam- ous Collie Ballet. This dainty spec- tacle never loses its charm. F.xcel- lent motion pictures close the bill. LITTLE THEATRE: Mr. Egan opens this theatre again as a chil- dren's theatre, the pupils of the Egan School appearing in Florence VVillard's Wan o' the Woods, a dainty bit of fancy in which these youthful players display their tiny temperaments to the best advantage and create a dainty, pretty spectacle. MAJESTIC: Mr. and Mrs. Doug- las Crane return to us in a real for true play, called Her Soul and Her Body, a dramatization of Louise Closser Hale's book. The story tells of the rise of Missy, of country origin, to fame and fortune as a dancer, and allows throughout the wonderful dancing of graceful, pret- ty little Mrs. Crane, who also proves herself a sincere and clever actress as well. Three wonderful dances. The Blue Danube, The Moth and the Flame, and Love's Awakening, are airy, beautiful bits of loveliness. The Ballroom Dances, in which she is assisted by her big and hanasome husband, are greeted with vociferous enthusiasm, and demands for more hesitations, tangoes and latter-day ballroom steps. An excellent com- pany assists the dancers, including Jack Frazier, Robert McKim, Ed- mond S. Lowe, Eleanor Haber, Jos. Fogarty and others. The play is well staged and is a delightful per- formance throughout. MASON: The name of the play matters little when Chauncey Ol- cott appears, for there is bound to be Irish atmosphere, charming and all pervading; Irish brogue, delicious and fascinating; lovely Irish scenes and lilting Irish melody, with a bit of a story that suits it all—in this case called Shameen Dhu. Youth springs eternal in the heart of Chauncey Olcott and keeps his voice sweet and clear as the years slip by. The songs, My Little Dhudeen and Dream Girl o' Mine, and several equally Irish and equally melodious songs, are sung with a sweetness and charm that Olcott knows .so well. The play tells of the days of intrigue and daring escapes and the love of freedom of the people of the little isle for the land of America. Constance Molineaux as Peggy O'Dea is charming. Beth Franklyn as Shiela Farrell is a clever comedi- enne. Mrs. Jennie Lamont is a joy- ous Betsy Bowers, while John G. Sparks, David Glassford and others create a perfect production. Henry Miller's production is an artistic success with its beautiful stage set- tings. MOROSCO: Billy Rock and Maude Fulton, with all their asso- ciates of former appearances, return in T4ie Echo, a series of clever stunts, jolly songs, pretty girls and clever actors. Billy Rock, as the story (?) goes, is the bell hop, who keeps things moving along at a live- ly clip, assisted by Miss Fulton, who appears as the waitress and sten- ographer, and their many dances are as amazing and clever as always. Kitty Doner and her peculiar per- sonality dominates the show, flash- ing through it all like the streak of lightning that she is. Frances White, dainty and pic|uant, sings and dances with all her well known charm. Oscar Ragland is a clever contrast for Miss White's tinyness. Bessie Franklyn is the Echo corre- spondent, and an ever-present one. Mary Ambrose is a most fascinating widow. In the second act the star had a chance to air his or her par- ticular talent, and the combined ef- forts build a worthy show within a show. The girls are daintily cos- tumed and add song and dance and fun throughout a merry, successful ])roduction of The Echo. ORPHEUM: Olga Ncthersolc appears in a bit from the third act of .Sapiio, in the role which the pub- lic has long learned by association THE FLAGG CO. ACTUALLY EMPLOYS MORE ARTISTS and MECHANICS THAN ALL THE OTHER STUDIOS ON THE PACIFIC COAST COMBINED. BECAUSE -NINE-TENTHS OF THE THEATRES USE FLAGG SCENERY. THEREFORE, FACILITIES and VOLUME LOWER COST. 1638 LONG BEACH AVE., LOS ANGELES to connect with the name of the famous Ncthersolc. Even a gay and ha]ipy vaudeville audience, through the wonderful emotional acting ot Miss Ncthersolc, sits seemingly sat- isfied and appreciative. The tense and subtle power of the player, to- gether with her wonderful speaking voice, creates a deep impression. Miss Nethersole's support is fully adequate. The Jean of A. E. Win- nington-1 *>arnes is almost a realiza- tion of the Daudet pen picture. The character bit of .\lfred Donahue is delicious. Henry Catalano and Jack Denny are a pair of artists such as one longs to see oftener on the vaudeville stage, with clever songs and the quiet subtle way of putting them over in a way to bring joy and delight. Bessie and Lucy Fuhrer, two Los Angeles girls, play the violin and 'cello in true musi- cianly style. Bill Pruitt, in cowboy attire, sings in a whole-souled style in a pleasing baritone voice. Mosher, Mayes and Mosher perform some daring and original stunts on bicy- cles with the necesary comedy touch. Henry Timberg, once a ha])i)y schoolboy in School Days, is sailing his own boat and encountering no obstacles, for he is a clever chap and an amazing dancer. Paul Arm- strong's sketch. To Save One Girl, as well as the Hartleys, are the only holdovers, and mighty good ones they are, too. The Hearst-Selig lec- ture service is appearing for the first time, to replace the Pathe W^eekly. PANTAGES : As one watches the eight Polar ])ears and their lithe and slender trainer, Capt. Jack, one won- ders whetlicr the talcs of trainers and their cruel practices are true. Capt. Jack has a wrestling match with one mighty speciman that could, I am sure, get even for all indignities that might be heaped u])- on him by one little scpieeze, but through ail their stunts, aside from a growl thrown in now and then, they seem peaceable creatures who love their master. James Davett and Ninon Duval appear in a comedy .skit, entitled Holding Out, shovving the stranded actors with a little money and a long way to go. Tlie efforts to make a dime cover the surface of a dollar are very funny. Gregoire and Elmira are Mr. and Mrs. Atlas, ready and able to bal- ance anything, from the stove to the porch furniture. Lawrence John- stone is an amusing ventrilo<|uist. Barnard iMuely and Mitchell have good voices and a popular selection of songs. The Morette Sisters are pretty and charming musicians. The movies flash war upon the screen. REPUBLIC: The quantity and quality remain the same at this the- atre, although the price of enter- Continucd on page 16. II