San Francisco dramatic review (1899)

October 9. 1909. THE SAN FRANCISCO DRAMATIC REVIEW 5 Oliver Morosco Will Revive Another of His Plays in Los Angeles Next Week mystery which has surrounded the origin of the story that Mrs. Leslie Carter would play a stock engagement in Los Angeles next summer, has at last been cleared up by a letter written by John Blackwood to Richard Bennett. The substance of the letter is that Blackwood told the story to Bennett in confidence just to find out if Bennett would give the information to a certain local dramatic critic. In the letter, Blackwood says : "To gain my point I simply lied to you, with the result that you did exactly what 1 prophesied to Capt. Jones and Ben Johnson you would do, — that is. hurry to the aforesaid young dramatic critic and tell him what I told you in strict confidence." It is a queer situation, to say the least, and not quite understandable. We have been told that the Shuberts will star Florence Reed, late leading woman of the .Belasco Company, in Clyde Fitch's latest and uncompleted drama. The City. Word has been received locally that Al Woods has accepted Linton Tedford's play. The Greater Claim, for presentation in New York in three months. The local children's theatre project is really going to amount to something. It is designed as a memorial to Madame Helena Modjeska. The Orpheum is this week showing us a new drop curtain, and it certainly is a relief after seeing that advertising curtain for so long. Next week, in A Society Pilot, Lillian Burkhart will close her engagement at the Burbank. Harry Girard and his wife have been entertaining R. W. Priest, manager of The Third Degree. Mr. Priest was the principal publicist for Mr. Girard's opera. The Alaskan, when it opened at the Knickerbocker Theatre, New York. Fred Getzler, property man at the Burbank Theatre, is studying the new science of aeronautics. He has sent to Washington for such patent office records as bear upon the subject. He has secured designs of the Wright aeroplane and the Bleriot machine, and has started work upon a heavier than air flying machine of his own, a war aeroplane for use in the Burbank production of Julian Johnson's war drama, Invasion. David Silverman, who sometime ago made his first appearance on the stage as the Old Clothes Man in the Belasco production of The College Widow, is again attracted to the stage and is appearing in the cast of The Day of Judgment at the Grand. Harry Girard's Alaskan plays at the. Grand, San Antonio, this week. Louis. Morrison, recently a member of the Belasco Company, is with the Charles King stock company, now playing the Pickwick Theatre in San Diego. Blanche Hall, who is returning from Honolulu, makes her reappearance at the Burbank in My Wife. Olga Stech has signed a year's contract with Kolb and Dill. Christine Nielson, who will be remembered for her excellent work with the Ferris Hartman company at the Grand last year, has been signed for metropolitan leading roles by Henry W. Savage. She will make her Savage debut in Chicago next week in the Hungarian military operetta. The Gay Hussars. The Shuberts have their own representative as treasurer of the Auditorium. Louis Judah takes the place of Leo Wells, the former treasurer. Leo Wells will go on the road as manager of the melodrama, King of Tramps. The annual benefit of the Theatrical Managers' Association will be given at the Auditorium in about three weeks. It will be a long program and will include acts from all of the local houses. Howard Scott has returned from his vacation and will make his first appearance in the Belasco production of ( )ld Heidelberg. AUDITORIUM— The Great John Ganton is being played for the second week at the Auditorium, with George Fawcett in the title role. Mr. Fawcett is surely doing some wonderfully fine work in this part. The business is good. BELASCO — Du Barry continues to pack the house at every performance. Is this to be another of the Belasco's long runs? The performance goes much more smoothly than last week. Miss Magrane is excellent in the Carter role. BURBANK — When We Were Tw enty-One is the offering of the Burbank Company this week. This fine play by Henry V. Esmonde is as popular as ever with Los Angeles theatregoers. It has been played here by a stock company and also by a road company, but it is safe to say it has never been given any better than by Mr. Morosco's players. The story of the play is too well known to need repeating at this time. It is an entertaining comedy and is drawing capacity houses at every performance. Miss Burkhart as Phyllis is wonderfully good. We have seen no work of hers that is better. Mr. Beasley as Dick Carewe gives us a very excellent picture. Mr. Mestayer scores a triumph in the part of "the Imp." John W. Burton, David M. Hartford and H. S. Duffield are cast as the "Trinity" boys. Margo Duffet is the "Firefly." The minor roles are all well taken, and the staging is good. Also we must not fail to notice the beautiful gowns worn by the women of the company. Next week the company will put on A Society Pilot. MA SOX — Honeymoon Trail, a musical comedy by I lough and Adams', with music by Joseph Howard, opened Monday night. Thin as to plot, but tuneful as to music, it is one of those things that leaves a memory of catchy songs and pretty faces. In the hands of a mediocre company, Honeymoon Trail would not amount to much, but such is not the case, for Bert Baker, as Dennis Mason, manufacturer of canned beans, is a capital comedian and brings many laughs. Louis Kelso as the rival "bean manufacturer" does some good brisk comedy work, and Carl George ably assists at the funmaking. The chorus is undeniably a very pretty one and well dressed. The song hits are: You Can't lie a Friend to Everybody. Nothing to Do lint Nothing, and One Little Boy Had Money, which last was accompanied by the clever dancing of Mabel Melvine. MAJESTIC— The Time, the Place and the Girl is paying its second visit to Los Angeles, and is as popular as ever. While this is another of the I lough Adams I Ioward's plotless musical comedies, it is breezy, brisk and melodious and is well presented. Robert Pitkin, in the part of the hapny-go-lucky gambler, is all that could be desired. Elizabeth Goodal as the nurse at the sanitarium is as handsome as ever. Jessie I luston is as pretty and dainty as The Girl should be. w hile May Bouton does some clever dancing. The chorus is most satisfying as to looks and dressing. GRAND— The play that is being put on by Mr. Blackwood's company at the Grand this week is not as good as those we arc accustomed to seeing at this house. The Day of Judgment is supposed to tell the story of the Thaw case, hut it is not particularly interesting, and the company is worthy of a better vehicle. In the play Harry Thaw's part of the life story is placed in the form of the Rev. Wilburn, and played by George Webb. Pordham Jamison corresponds to Stanford White, played by Robert Leonard. The Lucille Perkins of Miss Hayward resembles Evelyn Nesbit. Arthur Witting plays the comedy character part of Dennis Malony. Others who have good roles are Dave Silverman, J. C. Bates, Chas. Yorba, Fred Morgan and a host of extra people. The play draws good houses at every performance. Next week. What Women Will Do. ORPHEUM— At the Country Club is the headliner this week and well deserves to be called so. Ben Mulvey, Eulalie Jensen and Jarvis Jocelyn, assisted by a double quartette of girls and men, sing the clever songs and bring out the wit of the sketch in an able manner. Dick Gardner and Anna Revere, in A Real Variety Act, are both well received. Signor Luciano Lucca, a small man with a big name and a pliable voice, ranging from deepest baritone to high soprano, docs some clever work. The Arlington Four, a messenger quartette, have some good comedy and dancing. John Hymans and dainty Leila Mclntyre, with their capital sketch, head the holdovers, and are still prime favorites. Mayes and Johnson, and Cunningham and Marion, together with Rose Royal and her posing horse, complete the bill. The new curtain drops on this week's performance and it is a delight to the eye. LOS ANGELES— The bill at the Los Angeles Theatre for the week is a very good one, and there are three numbers of which more might be said. I 'al s, the play recently used by James J. Corbett, has been cut to a twentyminute sketch, and furnishes the headline attraction. The sketch is being given by Edwin Carewe, supported by Campbell Stratton, Madge Towle and "Slivers" Singer. Each one is a good actor, and the piece has plenty of comedy and action. J ere Sanford is a fine whistler, a real yodeler and a good comedian. His work pleases everyone. The acrobatic stunts of the Three Las Ploeta I .oi ellas Sisters is another fea ture of the hill. The Prodigal Girl, a comedy sketch, is well presented by the Murphy W hitman Company. Harvard and Cornelle sing several taking duets in their skit, The Actress and the Dude. The Clarence Sisters present some quick changes and do a neat singing specialty. Motion pictures complete a verv excellent program. FISCHER'S— Charles Aiphin is once more at Fischer's, and he is being warmly received by his many friends here. The offering for the week is from the pen of Mr. Aiphin, and the title of the piece is The King of Patagonia. This is a tuneful piece and is well given by the producing company; Maude Ro kwell plays the leading feminine 1 >le, and Blossom Seeley is the soubrette of the company. Others prominent in the cast are Harry Oakes, Richard Kipling, James Mendel, Dave Morris and Flo Sherlock. The musical numbers are numerous and pleasing. UXTOl'E — Friends and patrons of the Unique are happy in the fact that Hentz and Zalle have not given up the theatrical game, even for a while, but are dispensing fun and music at the old Empire Theatre building on Third Street. The vaudeville act is furnished by the Three Olivers on the tight wire, and the act is concluded with a Scotch dialect impersonation. The act is very clever. The Derby, a one-act comedy by Al Franks, is given by the stock company. There are two new members of the company, who are valuable additions. Miss Janicki is sweet and dainty, and her song. Pony Boy, is well received. Mis> Rose sings, What the Rose Said to Me. and she sings it well. The other members of the company are well cast, and the performance is very good. WALKER — P"or the opening of the Walker Theatre, the Allen Curtis Musical Comedy Company is presenting Jakev. Mikev and I key. The play is one act and has to do with three tourists who try to evade the payment of a board bill and get into all kinds of trouble as the result. Miss Bauman is clever in the part of an adventuress. She sings Glow Worm well. Mr. Curtis is very good in a Jew part. Arthur Clamage and Henry Auerhach are good as German tourists. The chorus is not the smallest part of the show. It is made up of girls with good voices and they are also good dancers. The costumes are attractive, and the performance all that we could ask. Among the musical numbers are : Bonnie Jean, led by Albert 1 lugo ; lingo, led by Mayme Praeger; Don't Take Me Home, led by Charles Figg. Vlbert Leonard also does a specialty dancing act. FLORENCE EM FRY. Wanda How ard is the new leading woman in Hush Temple Theatre in Chicago. Charles King ANNOUNCES Marjory Rambeau s company At the PICKWICK THEATRE, San Diego, for an indefinite season Producing Only Royalty Plays