The herald., 1897-12-28
= y = = =
: AT THE THEATER F.:
= u
.*tTS.Ss.t.3I.Ss.tsS..S..t.x|1

LOS ANGELES THEATER.-The re-
vival of the popular taste In favor Of
| romantic novels, which was so industri-
ously created and so assiduously culti-
waited by the school of which Stanley
Weyman Is the acknowledged master,
has been very fittingly supplemented by
the production of series of dramas
bearing the same chivalric stamp, and
the public has applauded the daring of
the heroes of "The Prisoner of Zenda,"
Under the Red Robe" and a quantity
Of similar pieces.
A piece of this order, bearing the title
of "A Cavalier of France" the alleged
author Of which is Espy Williams, was
chosen by Louis James for his opening
last night. The audience was a very
large one, and 1t was very friendly to
Mr.. James, who stands deservedly high
in the regard Of play-goers here, who
esteem his talent, and are willingly SUBJ
1ect to his charm of manner, his fine
voice and soldierly bearing. But the
more that is thought of this fine actor,
the greater the wonder grows that he
should have ventured before the public
with such a wonderful farrago of mere
triclous tun-and-nonsense as goes to
make up "A Cavalier of France" Mr..
James is known to be great lover of
practical jokes. but this latest one has
been played on the public at the cost of
considerable outlay in its production
and 1t would not be success, even as
joke, were 1t not for the great personal
popularity OF the chief actor. Mr.. James
goes through his part with a certain air
OF conviction, and declaims his plati-
tudinous lines with the same emphasis
and infection he would bestow upon his
favorite passages in Shakespeare. In
fact, he reminds one Of the story of the
celebrated preacher who could bring
tears to the eyes of his congregation by
his sonOrous defamation of the word
"Mesopotamia"
When Mr.. James tells the lady that he
secured entrance to the castle by "scal
ing the trellis. a ladder so frail that none
but q man as desperate as I would at
tempt 1t" the audience holds it's breath
IN rear that the fragile support might
have given way under the strain. And
when he says: Il forgot the presence of
everything except clear conscience"
the sentence secures round of applause
In spite of its faulty construction. it is
delivered witn so fiery and heroic an
emphasis.
The author Of the play has unwisely
chosen not to make public his debt to
the writer from whom he has borrowed
most of his work. His characters are
taken from a novel called "Crichton."
written by that prince of penny-dread-
full manufacturers, w. Harrison Aims
worth. who produced this work in 1885.
q ms hoe l,1
all his people from Ainsworth, with two
exceptions. The Admirable Crichton is
made into Rene de Froisac, and Esclair-
monde is changed into Gabrielle Du-
bois. The chief incident of the second
act. namely, the false accusation of
theft made against De Froisac, is bor-
rowed from "A Soldier of Fortune" :"
which, in its turn, is dramatization of
the celebrated novel by Yates called "The
Honor of Savelli."
| AinswOrth's story of Crichton is
turgid, involved and twisted SO that 1t
is next to impossible to follow the for
tunes of the principal characters, and
Mr.. Williams has not relieved the OBJ
scurity In the least. Neither is the mat
ter helped out by the acting to any
great extent. Mr.. James is, of course,
the pillar Of the production, and when he
Is not in the center of the stage shout
ing defiance to his foes, or embracing his
lady love, there is nothing else of in
terest transpiring. The new leading
lady, Miss Mary Emerson, is tall, will
lowy girl, with delicate features, a re-
fined manner, voice that has received
some cultivation, and is pleasant to listen
to, and she speaks her lines with as
much earnestness as Mr.. James himself
Mrs. Wells and Mrs. James are best
qualified for parts of lighter caliber than
those of the dreaded Catherine de Medic
and her equally Objectionable daughter,
Marguerite de Valois. The other people,
especially his majesty Of France, and
Chicot, the Jester, seemed unable to en-
ter into the spirit of their parts and to
invest them with the atmosphere that
would impart local color and some his
toric verisimilitude.
Mr. James and Miss Emerson were
the only two who carried out the action
with perfect seriousness and made their
characters truly successful. Had every
other part been as well filled, the piece
would afford unlimited entertainment,
as the broadest kind of satire and bur-
lesque of the present popular fad for
romantic plays in which the hero is al
ways getting into hot water, the heroine
| is always being abducted in a white
dress and with her hair streaming down
her back and the villain is always plot
| ting and scheming for revenge until he
dies with his boots on in the last act.
| Mr.. James will be seen tonight in his
favorite part Of "Spartacus," and his
numerous admirers will be there in great
force to give him another welcome. "a
! Cavalier of France" will be repeated at
! the matinee tomorrow and the engage
ment closes with Julius Casear" to-
morrow night.
Hoyt's "a Milk White Flag" is billed
for Friday and Saturday.
+ = =
BURBANK THEATER. - Notwith-
| standing the strong counter attractions
last night it was a good sized audience
that greeted "The Westerner" on the
first appearance of Sam T. Shaw and his
company at this house. The piece, which
went with all the snap and ginger that
come of long practice, traces the doings
OF a western man, who always acts
square," through some of his expert
ences incident to his visit to New York
There were many noble speeches and
thrilling scenes, which were warmly ap-
plauded. The climax of the play may be
said to be reached in the third act, when
| the ticker reported the stocks in the San