The Billboard 1908-11-21: Vol 20 Iss 47 (1908-11-21)

a a et The Billboard NOVEMBER 21, 1908. \ + ~— Aa NEW VWORLES i YOR OF ToULe (BLOG U ag ESPO DLL BOARD ®D BROADWAY VIA WIRELESS. Arranged and produced by Frederic Thompson. Dramatized by Paul Armstrong ané Winchell Smith. The second scene of the third act from a one-act sketch by E. Balmer and I. W. Edwards. Liberty Theatre. EE ere Ser eee er -Edgar Robbins ee | a ee Georgia Drew Mendum er eeesesese Walter Thomas BKdward Pinckney. ......ccccccsess J. EB. Miltern PU edocs coe sisechsccesvee William B. Mack oe eee Robert MceWade eRe ae Maude Granger Lieutenant Sommers, U. S. A.—..Edwin Arden Pe ONC n veh und adacnsdevas Vera McCord net itcosh hou pmibéobaen ee’ William Stone i PEG & s\ionnkh soak ann Ethel Wright IN a4 in se kee tepeieebuannaad Louis Morrell a eer .-Francis D. McGinn 1A WIRELESS is that so-differ ent melodrama—for just this reason it is a cyclonic success. .The press agent tells you it is the play that made Roose velt a critic—that’s nothing; it will make the whole nation a critic—and there's not a person in the bunch who wants to criticize it—just sit there and enjoy the thrills—that’s all—it’s a lot! Away from the ordinary in every point, the play teems with thunderous surprises. Can you imagine rag-time from Tetrazzini, the ungrateful, can you imagine melodrama without the villain stirring up the most muss. This is why Via Wireless is—and will be. Villain? Oh sure, and all the way, but not in the way. Frederic Thompson is a daring chap— that’s why we know of such a person yclept F. T. He dares to hinge the vital interest on a scene—a ship, storm-tossed, trying to rescue a yacht—here’s where the title comes in Via Wireless, sort of a Marconi leading man affair—and you're just glad you happened to be there to see what occurred. It’s great, possibly the greatest spectacle ever handstrapped to a melodrama. While you sit in front it takes a good imagination not to imagine you smell salt air. that you feel the cold wind, lashed chilly ocean spray—the shrieking, roaring, marking hell hound sprites of a frenzied neptune, sends a cruel terror to your heart—you have a prayer book feeling quick. If in the lottery of brains you didn’t draw a blank check—then you feel the tremendous impression of mental capacity. From this storm-tossed ship a wireless operator catches a message—a yacht somewhere near in that murky chaos of God's uttermost fury—is sinking—thirty lives are to be snuffed out. You know them—the hero, the villain, the heroine and all the rest. You don’t care a damn to see the villain saved— but the hero, gee he’s a prince—and the girl— the sweetest ever—another flash of the ticker— the operator reads the message alond—the yacht is aground a submerged reef—and pleads, begs for help—but where—it’s an uncbartered reef— Nautical science unfolds many mysteries to the mariner—both vessels observe the lightning flashes, the ship shapes her course—picks up a life boat from the sinking yacht—the villain and the heroine’s mother are saved—more tempest tossing for the staunch little ship—more wireless messages—another boat supposed to contain the crew and the beroine is picked up. Tne girl is not on board—just then you see the glimmering yacht’s light, the hero refuses to be saved until they search for his sweetheart—he puts ont the yacht’s light. The message stops—great heavens the suspense—then another ticking—the girl can’t be fonnd—but two people remain on the yacht, the hero and the one operating the dynamo down below. Twenty-eight have been saved. The mother is frantic with grief. Another flash from ship to yacht—the hero flashes back he won't be reseued until they find the girl. The captain exclaims it’s no use, both girl and hero must drown! “If you care for yourself think of the man down below,’’ is flashed from the ship. Suddenly an oficer exclaims: ‘*‘There were thirty of nus—twenty-eight are here—the girl’s saved—she’s running the dynamo.”’ “Say, Bill, sit down—sit down: this is only a play-drama, that’s all:’’ and there we were. all standing and shouting as the hero and his sweetheart were rescned. Let me tell you. mister—this is no place for weak hearts. If you've got what our Sage Brush friend says— red corpuscles in venr veins, see Via Wireless and hear them tinkle. But this is only one scene. There’s another —the steel mills-—with its shafts of white hot metal. One critic likens this to a painted cigar—but there are some critics whose conception might be likened to the little end of nothing going the wrong way. This is an act primed with thrills and amazing mastery of theatric art such as only seems properly called Thompsonic. Don’t for a minute imagine that you are sandwiched in between two monster scenic effects and nothing else—not a bit—there’s a plot trimmed with delicate humor and a bully good lot of reality like people, action and things to talk abont. This isn’t Bowery melodrama at two dollar prices—it’s a two dollar bill melodramatized for full face valne and if the intelligence bug is at all abont these days—Via Wireless bids fair to huddle close to Broadway for many months to come. To Mr. Mack let us offer thanks for a most enjoyable polished bit of acting—there’s a . suppleness and pleasantry about him that would make no one shrink from being arrested were he to do it. He was a little late In coming— that’s the anthor’s wisdom—in holding good things to the last—and to Mr. Mack deserves mention that pronounced honors are his—all the way this gentleman keeps yon trying to forget that he’s just acting. Mr. Arden is heroically splendid. Miss McCord is to be heard of again —daintily simple and simply great—that’s for you, Miss Tleroine, and Mr. Miltern never forgets that he’s a villain—you don’t either. See Via Wireless if you eare to keep abreast S the time—this is the realest melodrama of all ime. LADY FREDERICK, a comedy in three acts, by W. Somerset Maugham, Hudson Theatre. Lady Frederick Berolles....... Ethel Barrymore Sir Gerald O’Mara........... Charles Hammond Mr. Paradine Fouldes............. Bruce McRae LRRe BEOCOMOB. 600s cccccscccces Jessie Millward Lord Mereston...........-..+000. Norman Tharp Capt. Montgomerie................Orlando Daly AGmiral Cattisie. ......ccsccocces Arthur Elliot PR 20) (ie cone sh chciien ins oakonene Vira Stowe TRGUIGOOR. 6 icc ceceschevescccces James Kearney RS 5K 5:0 4000060660 des 0980085 L. C. Howard Mime. Claude. ......cccscrcccccceeed Anita Rothe Albert Crossney Davidson DMO: ooo c cc ccccecccccecs Marianna Thurber Lady Frederick, by W. Somerset Maugham, who is also the author of Jack Straw, is described as being a modern comedy of manners and adventure. It was the first of Mr. Maugham’s comedies to obtain production in London, where it is still being played. Briefiy, the story of the play, which is in three acts, is as follows: Lady Frederick, a spendthrift, living at Monte Carlo, owes every one and is compelled to bor jestic Theatre. The program calls it a ‘‘racing play.” It is full of interest and furnishes plenty of thrills, Blue Grass, is a racing play, with realistic features. Five real race horses and a jockey with a national reputation figure in the play. The scenes are laid in Kentucky, first on Colonel Taylor’s stock farm, and later at the Louisville track. Colonel Taylor, brought to almost ab ject poverty, has staked bis all upon Blue Grass winning the big event at Louisville. The Colonel’s daughter, Virginia, is in love with a Mr. Warren of Washington, and an Eastern horseman, one Kelly, who makes an offer for the hand of Virginia, and is repulsed, lays plans to get possession of My Lady, the dame of Blue Grass. By a private arrangement with one of the racing officials it is his intention to so arrange matters that the mare will fall into his hands as the forfeit in a wager he manages to lay with Colonel Taylor. A LITTLE COMEDY OF FAMILY LIFE. FATHER AND SON, a comedy in three acts, by Gustav Esmann. Irving Place Theatre. Grosshandler Holm............++ Gustav Conradi TRIXIE FRIGANZA, row money from a broker. Besides a ‘‘past,’’ she has three lovers in the present, the most persistent of whom is Lord Mereston, a youth. The possibility of a match between Lord Mereston and Lady Frederick is frowned upon by the young man’s mother, Lady Mereston, and his uncle, Paradine Fouldes. Everything possible is done to dissuade the young Mereston from his infatuation with the adventurous Lady Frederick, but all in vain. Lady Mereston exerts every argument known to a mother and every device known to a woman, but the more his relatives oppose him the more stubbornly does young Mereston persist in his affection. In the end Lady Frederick, who is possessed of a keen sense of humor, by a simple but effective device, wffectually rids young Mereston of his love for her. Ethel Barrymore is as unconsciously unacting in this piece as in the others, but earns high honors. BLUE GRASS WINS APPLAUSE. BLUE GRASS, a racing drama, by Paul Armstrong, Majestic Theatre. ee ae George F. Marion RS ee Robert McWade, Jr. SSS ear ee James Seeley Wilfred Warren ..-Regan Hughston ee 2 ee Richie Ling DN 56 sbcresedéecccese Thomas B. Smith Ns. db W i eeeasaeonen'ves enadeed Wayne Arey SN Ss 65-0.b Odd a ddA wecabwyaebaen Harry Ford RS Tea ee ee Irving Hays Pash antenna shee c¥ovasees Jobn D. Garrick Re eee Tommy Meade Pe, .ccsaccenedne’ seis William Young DEE MME. conseeec cutee Olive Wyndham ES eae ee eS Norah Lamison a eae Lillian Lawrence Ps c.naape vcpitcnndnecssd Susanne M. Willis Blue Grass, a play by Paul Armstrong, was presented last night at the Ma a eee Amalie Cramer i vsvneees Picky sow epes ctowed ee ee Otto Gebubr ABOURS. 0020s csoscccccee $0useessosed Otte Gebuhr wav uaeséeeheeaseesséonesnens A. Schneider Frau Bertha Lund............... Nicol Albrecht Frau Ethel Holm............... Gertrude Urka CNS os cdenceccedesccsencsesebens Ella Nitter PONNG. «2 0.604 04000000 06n00esees Oscar Fuchs DNS 6.5 bib th cnte es an Oe Verdinand Schindler Jungfer Hendricksen...............5 Marie Kolb Ef Dienstmadchen................. Marie Olma In Father and Son, presented for the first time last Saturday evening, the German Company at the Irving Place Theatre has a comedy drama which promises to repeat here the success which it is said to have had abroad. The piece, which is by Gustay Esmann, has a particularly bright and snappy first act, in which the premise of an interesting contrast of characters is amusingly developed. Thongh the subsequent events seem a bit more laborious, the result throughout is pleasant enough. On the whole the piece is well acted, too, an especially attractive performance being that of Gustav Conradi as the father, who turns any number of laughs by delicate methods of legitimate comedy. The son, too. is well played by Otto Gebubr, while a spirited, if not entirely finished, performance is provided by Fraulein Hollman, a sort of a Billie Burke of the German Company. Miss Hollman has plenty of vivacity and good looks, but her voice needs cultivating. It is not a pleasant organ. Father and Son tells the story of a prosperous Danish shipowner whose boy gets infatuated with a light-headed young female woman he wants to marry. The father, a sensible, practical man of the world, who is devonutedly attached to the lad, does not take the high hand with him. but asks him to send for the girl. When she comes he congratulates her and his son upon their approaching marriage. Whereupon the flightly little creature assures both father and son that nothing could be further from her mind than the idea of marrying anybody. Th the father takes things into his own hanv« orders the boy off to Asia, and eventually | the happiness of seeing him return happ married to a bewitching little American wom»: who is everything the father could desire, In the meantime, however, the tables hay been turned somewhat. The shipowner's w has died, and he has become greatly Interest: in a young woman employed as shipping cler\ in his office. The idea of marrying her bas not occurred to him, however, until his new daughter-in-law discovers his secret, and te her husband how matters stand. PLAYS THIS WEEK. Marie Cahill, in The Boys and Be: ty, is at Wallack’s; Grace Van Studdiford, in the Golden Butterfly, at the Broadway; Th Girls of Gottenberg, at the Knickerbocker; Th: American Idea, at the New York; Little Nem at the New Amsterdam; Lulu Glaser, in Mlk Mischief, at the Lyric; Louise Gunning, in Mar celle, at the Casino, while The Three Twins still holds forth at the Herald Square. Henry E. Dixey, in The Devil, is the attraction at the Garden, while George Arliss, in the Belasco production of the play, still holds at the Be! asco. Via Wireless is at the Liberty, Blanche Gates, in The Fighting Hope, continues at the Stuyvesant; William Hodge, in The Man From Home, at the Astor; Paid In Full, at Weber's Louis Mann, in The Man Who Stood Still, at the Circle. A Gentleman From Mississippi goes into his seventh week at the Bijou. Mrs Peckham's Carouse and The Molluse are at the Garrick: John Drew, in Jack Straw, at the Empire: Miss Billie Burke, in Love Watches at the Lyceum; William Gillette, in Samson, at the Criterion; William Faversham, in The World and his Wife, at Daly’s: The Servant in the House, at the Savoy, and The Traveling Salesman at the Gaiety. Hippodrome drawing large crowds with Sport ing Days. The Bird Ballet and Battle in the Skies, and The Red Mill, at the Academy of Music. Miner's Eighth Avenue will begin with a five and ten-cent vaudeville and moving picture show. James Madison as manager. Yorkville Joe Morris, in Too Many Wives; Metropolis, Eu gene Blair, in The Kreutzer Sonata: Hurtig and Seamon’s, The Trocadero Burlesquers; Grand Opera House, Knight For A Day. A KENTUCKY BOY. A Kentucky Boy, by Pauline Phelps and Marion Short, will be Klaw & Erlanger's next production. The play is now in rehearsal In this drama the authors open a new field for stage purposes, although one cultivated care fully by the novelist. Cut off from the world by mountain ridges and lack of access by rail roads, the dramatic student is likely to find stirring plots and strong characters in the ter ritory which the women playwrights now invade. A Kentucky Boy is a wholesome play, typi cal of the land and the men and women who dwell therein. Its scenes are laid in the moun tains of Kentucky, the Big Sandy region an? in New Orleans. Primarily the plot deals witb the development and climax of a feud. The mountains of Kentucky were largely settled by Scotch pioneer families, who imported from their native lands, with their families and con sciences, ancient quarrels and their own rather deadly methods of settling disagreements. Thy present fends are only survivals of the warring of the clans of the Scotland of Queen Mary's days In the fend of the play the authors bave worked out to dramatic and logical conclusions, situations which culminate in a baby grandsor the last of his race, being arrayed against his grandfather. The play looks promising. Its action is absorbing in interest, and the authors have written their dialogue in a crisp, in cisive style. Master Donald Gallahar, nine years old, i* east for the leading part, the grandson. Ip his brief stage career of six years he has played many parts. He made his stage debut with Sol Smith Russell in A Poor Relation Later he joined Annie Russell as Prince Charles Ferdinand in A Riyal Family. After that he played successively with Annie O'Neil In Sweet and Twenty, and in The Wilderness and The Twin Sister. He played leading man with Mi! lie James in The Little Princess. Clyde Fitch wrote a special part for him in Mer Own Way. and later gave him another, Tommy Meens. in The Girl Who Has Everything, with Eleanor Robson He also appeared with Miss Robson in Salomy Jane. Other members of the cast are Edna Mar Spooner, Lucille La Verne, Howard Kyle, Frank Craven, Richard Queilton, C. W. Goodrich, Mor gan Biship, Austin Webb, Lilla Vane and Lil lian Wright. THE SICILIAN PLAYERS When the Sicilians come to New York, the first play they will do at the Broad way Theatre, where they are to play an ©% tended engagement, giving a new realisiie play in Italian each week, will be Malia, which |s the Itullan for the word enchantment. A trae edy in three acts, Malia is the work of Luigi Capuana, a professor at the Roman University of Catania. Recognized judges rank him = & one of the most brilliant of modern Italian writers. He obtained his first prominence a poet and a novelist. But In Malia he turned dramatist, and obtained an Immediate success Malia is regarded as one of the truest works of the Italian Theatre, because of its simpli: ity and its naturalness. Its scenes, depicting as in a cinematograph, the life of the peasant: who live on the slopes of Etna, sre realist): pages torn directly from typical Italian annals In the unflinching realism and imposing trageds of its action, one almost feels the very warm! of that voleano upon whose side the episodes occur, Although written originally In Italian, Mali» under the tithe of Enchantment, has been Pr duced by the best dramatic companies in t rope. Since its performance by the Secillar with whom Malia is the piece de resistan™ (Continued on pare 41.)