The San Francisco call., 1898-01-23
The SIGHTS AND SENSATIONS
 of "COURTED INTO COURT"


Above and beyond the uninspired idiocy of John J. McNally "Courted Into Court" Is blessed by the personality of Marie Dressler, There Is hope and consolation in Miss DreSsler; 1t is good to know that she ts in the land. In case anything ever should happen to May Irwin we have Marie Dressler to fall back on. Not that things are likely to happen to May Irwin's sensational health-not thati-but she might some day take it into her genial head to re- tire: she might-who knows what these good-natured women will do?-marry herself to some proud prince who could not bear to see her work; or she might stay away from San Francisco alto gether It has been a long time since Miss Irwin westward hoed and there is nothing in our immediate horoscope to point her on the way. New York you know, finally has discovered" May Irwin. She can stay there now all the year round with any old kind of a piece and nothing to do but work night in and night out, with never a care of transportation or advance agents and grow stouter and richer while we wait. Miss Dressler makes hope deferred en- durable. She is all but May Irwin and a magnetic considerable of her own be- sides.
 According to the cant superstitions about beauty that commonly obtain Marie Dressler is not beautiful. But she has a fascinating way of being plain; in her physiognomy there is of Eod rI she shows all the warm, womanly cor diality that Hading-if she has any at all-conceals under a mask of snow. Also she is probably a better McNally farce than her contempo- rary of the Comedie Franchise. Have you heard Marie Dressler sing? Her voice is the superlative of plump joy; 1t has the real essence, the snuff-col- ored tone, the throw -nyselfaw quality that finds the true temper of the modern coon song. Her Rama Jam I Want That Man" Is the most momentous America Ethiopic song burst that has happened here since May Irwin sang "The New Bully"
 
 I wonder if Miss Dressler has the same attraction for women that she has for men. Possibly not. She is the most popular person, from the masculine estimate, that I have seen in fourteen months All the men about the town are intoning her praises. have heard but one woman mention the matter-and then it was to say she thought Miss DressIer trif1e bump tious and rough. Never mind about ha hut I,,iy,o I admit; there is no word which better than that describes the physical attri- butes of this large, unique young wo- man. She is bumptious to be lovable. She revels in a vast clumsy grace that is vivid. personal and magnetic; she deals in sort of convivial hypnotism that is immediate and fatal But she is as gentle as a man. You, if you are woman, may not consider it gen. tie in Miss Dressler to lift MT. Lyon by the scragg of the neck and joust him against the floor and poke him in the waistcoat and titillate him on his solar pleXus-but I, who can feel the 'fluence of this Brunhilda of McNally, know that these are mere and momen- tary concessions to a depraved play writer-episodes in which the artists physique is imposed upon by an aero batic author. You may not think that MT. Lyon deserves his share of this scrimmage, either; you would, per haps, prefer to see MT. Rice held up to the scorn of this Juno's strength. So would I. But MT. Rice is, on the con- trary, kissed-yes, kissed by Miss Dress Ter. It is not a Nethersolean kiss: there is nothing tumultuous, throbbing, scorching, stif1ing about it; it is a plain slow-I have to confess 1t is slow business-like salute with a smack at the parting that Miss Dressler indents upon the osculatory feature of Mir Rice. Unworthy Ricei You may see where the caress has left it's seal Mr. Rice's lips wear flattened bout: a ripe red spot glows between the diverging points of his mustaches-and that is where he has been kissed. Twice blessed and twice unworthy Rice! It has been his specially to be kissed by the two most accomplished kissers in the pro- fession. He has been kissed into fame nectarized into notoriety. First it was May Irwin-she had themselves kine- toscoped in the act it was called the May Irwin Kiss. and was patented and copyrighted by photographers and kine- toscopers and could be seen for a nickel in the slot. Now 1t Is Marie DressIer who kisses MT. Rice. I ask anybody if