Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1900-09-22

F1oored Frank Mayo In the Cli-
max In "Dayy Crockett''-A Crude
Fire Scene That Was Very Popular,
"Great Scott, how modern. audi
e2ce would gibe at the stage effects
that used TO thrill folks thirty or so
years agov' said an old theatrical man
ager who was in the city recently en-
route to Frisco. '"Iake the famous
wolf scene in 'Davy Crockett for in
stance, that made a fortune for dear
old Frank Mayo. That was consid-
cred one Of the most realistic things of
it's day, and it stirred audiences to alb
solutely frantic excitement. You re-
member how it went: Davy and the
heroine have taken refuge in a noun
tain cabin, and suddenly they hear
long drawn wall - Ow-o-o-o-o!
Ow-o-o-o-o-o 1t sounded like a tom
cat on moonlit, fence and was emitted
by the prop man, standing in the
wings. Davy springs to his feet. He
listens with his hand to his ear. The
orchestra plays tremolo. The wolvesp
he cries, and the house begins to hold
it's breath.
Meanwhile the prop man puts on
more steam. The beasts are nearing
Davy glares around distractedly. Mer-
ciful hevings! He has burned up the
door bar for fuel The prop man
bowls at the top Of his voice. Dayy
dashes up his sleeve. He springs to
the door, rams his bare arm through
the empty staples, and two stuffed
wolves heads are poked suddenly
through a hole at the bottom! Then
the curtain drops, there is more tremo-
10, and it rises again to discover Davy
fainting at the portal with a couple Of
streaks of red paint around his good
right arm to show where the staples
pinched. That scene would excite de-
rision today, but it kept the wolf from
Mayo's own door for many long year.
incidentally it was responsible for
some ludicrous mishaps.
"On one occasion, while touring
through Iowa, the special scenery was
delayed by railroad wreck and local
stage carpenter undertook to fake up
the cabin interior. By some mistake
he made the staples several inches too
small, and when Mayo, who was
rather portly, rushed to the rescue he
was Mortified to discover that he could
not get his arm through the irons. He
pushed and squirmed and sweat blood,
but it was no go, and as the wolves
were supposed to be advancing on
dead lope the situation was decidedly
critical. 1t so happened that the
actress who played the heroine that
season was very spirituelle, not to say
scrawny, and while poor Davy was
still wriggling at the door some gallery
god suddenly piped out: Break away,
fatty, and let de lady try! The audi
ence roared and Mayo signaled for a
quick curtain.
"Fire effects are regarded with dis
favor nowadays" continued the man
ager, because if too realistic they are
apt to create panic in crowded thea
ter, but in the old melodramas there
was no danger Of mistakin~ - for
the real thing, and they ut
drawing cards. Back +
seventies Joe Murphy, the j.
dian, toured the country - y
called Help which contained Il ire
scene that was regarded as the most |
ever produced on the road.
"The curtain rose on barnlike in |
terror, supposed to represent an opium !
den in San Francisco Presently a |
Chinaman passed an open door in the
back, carrying lamp, and moment |
later crash was heard, indicating that |
he had dropped it. A red glow imme- I
1iately came through the chinks in the
rear wall and grew rapidly brighter
and brighter, while there was a sound |
If excited footsteps, indistinct shouting
md furniture being dragged across the
1oor. All that, occurring out Of sight,
worked the audience to high pitch of
nervous tension. Then smoke began
20 ooZe through the cracks, the red
glow continued to increase, and all of
/ sudden the entire back wall tottered
md sank forward on the stage, dis
closing a dim perspective, with flames
up here and there and firemen
'ushing pellmell in every direction.
''That spectacle created a tremendous
sensation wherever it was put on, yet
he entire effect was produced by
,ew shovelfuls Of red fire burned in
he wings and a little lycopodium pow
Ter, which flashes into big, harmless
blaze and was concealed in tin boxes
attached to- different parts of the set
ing. The back wall was let down on
/ couple Of piano wires, which used to
ret stuck occasionally and suspend it
n midair. There was celebrated fire
Gene in Chanfrau's play of Nose but
was admitted to be inferior to the
me have described, and the crudities
# both are very laughable when COM
Jared to modern attempts along the
anne line.
''The last thing of that kind saw was
q London few years ago. 1t repre-
ented the burning of tenement.
smoke and flames poured out of the
asements: immense beams crashed