Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1900-09-26
OLD STAGE EFFECTS.
SCENES THAT USED TO rHRILl
AUDIENCES YEARS AGO.


max In "Davy Crockett"-A Grade
Fire Scene That Was Very Popular.
Great Scott, how q modern audi
ence would sibe at the stage effects
that used to thrill folks thirty or so
years ago." said an old theatrical man.
aSer vino was in the city recently en-
route TO Frisco. Take the famous
well scene in 'Davy Crockett for In
stance. that made a fortune for dear
old Frank Mayo. That was consid-
evcd one of the most realistic things of
It's day, and /: stirred audiences to alb
soluiely frantic excitement. You re-
member how it went: Davy and the
heroine have taken refuge il q noun
tain cabin. and suddenly they Eear
long drawn wall = Ow-o-o-O-o!
Ow-o=o-o-o-o. 1t sounded like q tom
cat on Il noon!it fence ard was emitted
by the prop man, standing in the
wings. Davy spriGgs 10 his feet. He
listens wit, his hand to his ear. The
orchestra pays tremoio. The wolves"
he cries, and the house beGii,5 to hold
its breath.
more steam. The beasts are nearing.
Davy glarcs around distfac.ediy. Mer-
clful heyinys, lie has burned up the
door bar for fuel. The prop man
howls :t the top OF his voice. Dacy
Clashes up his sleeve. he springs to
the door, rams his bare arm through
the empty staples. and two stuffed
wolves heads are pokcd Suddenly
through Il hole at the bottom, Then
the curtain drGps. there Ii; riolr trer,o-
10. and il rises again to discover Davy
faintinG n; the Ecgt:ii with @ couple OF
streaks Of red paint around his good
right arm TO show where the staples
pinched That scene would excite de-
rision today. tyt Il KEEP; the wolf from
Mayo's own door for r:iary 4 long year.
Incidentally IL was responsible for
some iudicrous Mishaps.
"On Gre occasion, while touring
through Iowa. the special scenery WAS
delayed by a railroad wreck and Il local
stage carpenter undertook to fake up
the cabin Interior. BY Some mistake
he made the staples several inches too
small. ard when Mayo. who was
rather portiy. rushed TO tie rescue he
was horrified TO discover that he could
not set his arm through the irons. He
pushed and sCui:med and sweat blood.
but it was 10 60, and as the wolves
were supposed to be advancing On a
dead lope the situation was decidedly
critical. 1t so happened that the
actress who played the heroine that
season was very spirituclle, not to say
scrawny. and while poor Davy was
still wriggiins at the door some gallery
god suddenly piped out: Break away,
fatty, and let dc lady try The audi
ence roared and Mayo signaled for q
quick curtain.
Fire effects are regarded with dis
favor nowadays" continued the man.
ager, because il too realistic they are
apt to create a panic in a crowded thea
ter. but In the old melodramas there
was no danger of mistaking them for
the real thing. and they were great
drawing cards. Back in the early
seventies Joe Murphy, the Irish come
dian. toured the country In q play
called Help which contained q flrc i
scene that was regarded as the most ,
ever produced on the road
"The curtain rose on n barnlike in
terror. supposed to represent an opium
den in San Francisco. Presently
passed an open door in the
back. carrying lamp, and a moment
later a crash was heard, Indicating that |
he had dropped il. A red glow imme-
diately came through the chinks in the |
rear wall and grew rapidly brighter |
and brighter, while there was sound |
Of excited footsteps. indistinct shouting !
and furniture being dragged across the |
floor. All that, occurring out Of sight. |
worked the audience to high pitch OF
nervous tension. Then smoke began |
to ooZe through the cracks. the red |
glow continued to increase, and all Of |
n sudden tie entire back wall tottered |
and sana forward Cn the stage. dis |
closing Il DIN perspective. with flames !
shooting up bcye aud the.r ard lire,nea |
rushing pe!lmcl in every direction.
That spectacle created {. tremendous |;
sensation wherever it was put on, vet |
the entire eject vas produced by a !
few shovClfU!s Of red fire burned in |
the wings ard q little IycCpcdium pow
der. which flashes into a big harmless |
blaze and was c;,:iccalcd In tin boxes |
attached TO different parts OF the set
ting. The back wall was let down on
q couple Of piano wires. which used to |
get stuck occasionally and suspend it |
In midair. There was Al celebrated fire
scene In Chanfrau's play cc Nose hut |
it was admitted 10 be inferior to the
one have described. and the cruGit;cs
Of both are very laughable when COM
pared to modern attempts along the
sane iiIe.
'.The last thing of that kind saw was
in London a few years ago. 1t repre-
sentcd the burning of tenement.
Smoke and flames poured out of the
immense beams crashed
down, scattering showers of sparks;
walls crumbled, people lcaped from the
windows and were caught in nets, and
iremen sent streams Of real water in
to the blazing ruins. AS watched the
mimic confagration my mind reverted
to the days of Chanfrau and Murphy.
and l smole several smiles a yard wide
and all teeth."-New Orleans Times
Democrat.
A Detroit business man says that die
fating to stenographer has ruined his
spelling He cannot write an ordinary
letter now. he says, without making