Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-06-15

When the late Charles Hoyt wrote a
farce he nearly always made some con-
spiCuOuS display of that famed American
beverage the cocktail. Somewhere in the
progress of a piece this bid for the SYM
pathies Of the bibulous was almost sure to
appear. James A Herne had the roast
victuals habit. 1t became almost a rule
with him to allow culinary odors to float
across the fOotlights and beguile the i'm
agination OF the auditor back to the days
of home cooking. William Gillette has a
similar tendency-one which is possibly a
little egOtistic. idealiZing 1t does a strong
personal liking. He never misses an oppOr-
tunity to let his hero smoke a cigar. In
sherlock Holmes" he even gives the cigar
the center of the stage, to the displacement
of the star himself. In Secret Service the
cigar is one of the most important features
of the telegraph scene. Mr. Arden. how
ever, departs wholly from the Gillette in
depreciation, and instead of smoking his
cigar horizontally. Tits it at an angle until
the ash Is on a level with his left eye. 1t
merely goes to show how actors Will differ
in the conceptions of a role.
Mr. Seymour of the Lafayette Stock Com
pany declares that no amount of persuasion
or prospect of good business Will tempt him
10 remain in Washington over the Fourth
of July. Mr.. Seymour has an engagement
for that date which he would decline to
cancel for any consideration; an engage
ment with certain small boy also named
Seymour who is waiting at cosy home on
the Atlantic coast for the usual raternal
supervision OF his annual fireworks display.
The Royal Hungarian Gypsy Band lost
It's golden opportunity this week If any
bill could have been devised to make these
string torturers appear like virtuOsi it
would. according to all reports, have been
the collection of people who happened upon
the stage last Monday and decided to stay
the week out. The bill was one which look
ed decidedly promising on paper. but when
it came to a performance 1t was left to the
Royal Hungarian Gypsy Band to brace up
and become top-lner. But the Royal
HungariaEs fiddled and hammered with the
stoid Indifference of wood-sawyers and
stone masons. 1t is impossible not to adj
mire the superior calm which these men
preserve in the midst of their own turmoil.
1t is announced that while the Royal Hun
garian Gypsy Band will remain all sum
mer. this IS the last chance 1t is to have of
becoming the real star of the occasion. Mr..
Chases intention being TO secure acts for
the future which Will cause the memory of
this week to become blissful blank.
The Palm Garden at Cabin John pro-
poses to rely on moving pictures for the
entertainment of its patrons this summer.
This form Of amusement has steadily de-
veIoped from year to year until the pic
lures now being shown under the Armat
license produce results that as near
perfection as it is reasonable TO hope for
from human ingenuity. The blurred and
scintillating effects. so trying to the eyes,
which characterized the work of the earlier
machines are obviated by the Armat ap-
plIance. which holds each picture steadily
in place for an instant-perhaps only the
smaller fraction of a second. but enough to
insure against confusion to the eye. a
period Of rest in excess Of the period Of
change is the favorite phrase used in
professionally describing the object attain
ed by the Armat device, a device which.
though not much larger than an ordinary
spool of thread. is expected to establish an
absolute monopoly in this field of entertain
ment. The films required for exhibition
vary in length from fifty TO several hun
dred feet 1t takes about fifteen pictures
to show the movement of a hand from
position at the side up to the head. Many
photographers devote themselves exclusive
ly to taking photographs for picture ma
chimes, and in some cases regular theatrical
outfits and extensive corps of actors and
models maintained Very elaborate
paraphernalia are necessary for the trick
pictures. The decapitatiOns. explosions and
other episodes so often shown are produced
by the simplest means Imaginable. When
the man operating the taking machine Is
ready to produce a startling effect he stops
the machine, resets the stage and then
proceeds with the picture