The morning call., 1891-12-06

9 s,
and entered upon metropolitan career.
This was the beginning. Almost the first
thing that happened him was to be cast as
a villain in good Od-fashioned meo-
drama, hich afterward became famous all
over the Understanding world. This was
The Lights o London" 1t is permanent
ly oil the shelf now, and nobody greves 1t
could be forgiven but for the fact that it
plunged Mr.. Willard into stage yillaiuy.
THE SPIDER"
The next downward step-how easy it is
TO 90 wrong when one has once begun it
was as the rnlished villain. Captain SKIN
ner. alias The Spider" in "Ihe Silver
King" Mr.. Willard's impersonation of
this gentleman gave Jerome K. Jerome the
subject for his satirical sketch 1.-The Stage
Villain" Even the street boys and cabbies
and their kind came TO know Mr.. Willard
as The Spider" and believed so firmly IN
his utter drpravlty that they spoke guard
edly and low when he happened by OD the
street. Alter tins it was villainy, villainy,
vllainy.
IN "HooDMAN BLIND"
He was the villain Numerous supers
will swear to this. They remember
him well. The role was that OF Mark
Lesgard. 1t was not good part to be-
IaugAingly told Mr.. Willard that at last his
vliiainy was to be kept within bounds.
But, such was the grip which the villain
habit had tdkeu upon Mr. Willard. he de-
X.
took the part home and read it carefully.
II was sadly lacking in diabolism. The au-
thor had even made him the sport and
buffet of mad mob in the last act This
gave him no opportunity TO stand forth as
villain OF his emiHence should, and he pom
dered the case long and seriously. Then
his evil genius fired him with an idea. He
went 10 the manager ana asked permission
to relrrange the mob scene. 1t was granted,
and then Mr.. Willard went in 10 fix things
a wi ha nod fin,
lshed the mob was plainly playing second
hddle aud the villain was given his Innings.
And when the piece was played the villain
was present in the matter Of sharing
honOrs.
FIGHT IN EARNEST
Whether or not the mob resented this
cannot be known. bnt one night it made the
Customary rush at him with more feiociiy
than was agreed upon, and instead of body
blows. one or two straight-arm cracks
landed on Mr.. Wizards face. At this the
villain in HIM blazed up fercely and before
he could suhdue ii Mr. Willard had done a
little genuine slogging on his own account
and the supers who got black eyes and
bloody noses therefrom immediately de
manGed their wages and quit. They felt
that there was deplOrable tendency toward
realism on the modern stage which they
could not encourage.
THE PURSUING VILLAIN.
After time Mr.. Willard realized that
stage viliainy was getting too strong hold
on hlui and SO, neTying himself for the ref
ormsiion, he quit the theater where he had
worked so much evil and went to another
playhouse-one where there was a purer
atmosphere. What do you think happened?
Why Sir Charles Young, who had never
done anything of the sort, Immediately
wrote play for that theater, and in the
play was most diabolicai villain. Mr.. VIII
lard had to play him, of c0Hrse. The piece
was Jim the Penman." 1t was wicked to
the core. llainy camped right on Mr.
Wizards trail and followed him about I'M
til at last he became desperate and resolved
to break off irCm this villain habit, n u at
ter what the cost might be-. He had seen
the error Of his way and determined to be Il
better man. In order To do this and be sure
that lie might not be dragged back into vii
iainy by manager jus, a, he was beginning
to get a f0othold ia dpcency and 10 Ike it.
he leased a theater and became his own
manager This was the struke that broke
the shackles OF yillanv that had held him.
HIS OWN MANAGER.
As his own manager lie produced "The
Nj ddlrmaD, ." Judah" ana ether PLAYS
wherein he could hold mp his head and look
people in the face without causing them TO
Shuddrr with dread at his malevGieni in
tent. Nhereupon the big London public
canIe anu sat at his leet and treated him as
the man Of the generation.
1t would appear that Mr.. Willard had at
last got the better of his old-tine yilainy
Fui some tine now he has NOT Il touch
Of it-Ind this is his serond season in
America. But in such an extreme case there
is re lly no telling wien he may lapse again.
Ii is not at all unlikely that he will one of
Of these days go back to yiliany at hand
gallop aud even play 1ago.
'BrodeFick Agra"
"Broderick Agra" will be the title of the
new play in which John L. Sullivan aud
Duncan 3. Harrison will make their ap-
pearance at the Bush-stTeet Theater on
Monday evening, December 18th, for one