The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1902-11-20
CRANES DAVID HARUM.
Great American Comedian Comes to the
Davidson In Milwaukee.

Great American Comedian Comes to the
Davidson In Milwaukee.
Announcement is made that Charles
Frohman will present William H.
Crane at the Davidson theatre in Mil
waukee throughout the week of Nov.
18th in the dramatization Of Edward
Noyes Wescott's widely read book,
"David Harun.''
This is an announcement that will
no doubt be hailed with pleasure. To
begin with, there is probab bly, no better
known comedian upon the American
stage than Mr.,Crane and with the ex-
ception of Mr.. Jefferson none that is
better liked. His successes have been
many, and he is one of the few re-
naming members of the old guard of
actors, who were known in the young
days of our fathers and mothers of the
present generation.
Great as has always been the desire
to see this actor the desire hassbeen in
tensiied ever since Mr.; Frohman
placed him in possession Of the play
taken from Wescott's book. It is now
nearly three years since Mr.. Crane
first presented David Harum," and
his success with it has been extraordi-
nary. OF all the dramatizations made
of recent years it is, withs"sthe two ex-
ceptions of "Unc1e Toms Cabin" and
"Ben Hur," the most successful. It
has had two engagements gin New
York, one Of which lasted sixteen
weeks, been seen for eight weeks in
Chicago, two months in Boston and
six weeks in Philadelphia.
The success of the comedy sseasy to
understand. In the first place it is a
clever dramatization of theS gbook.
Nothing that gave Wescott's story
any value is omitted from it. n Not
good line or an amusing piece Of de-
scription is lost and Mr.. Crane makes
the old fellow who held that ga man
might be straighter' n string in most
things and yet never tell the hull truth
about hoss," living, breathing
reality. Some of the critics have held
that Mr.. Cranes portrayal of Harum is
one of the best thingsssseen on. the
stage in years. 1t has ruggedshumor,
it has brightness, it is full of light and
shade, there is no exaggeration in its
scenes and it has sentimental touches
here and there that never fail to hit
the mark aimed at
In making play out of the book it
was divided into three acts and all of
the scenes are laid in bonneville, New
York. The principal feature' of the
opening act is the horse trade between
Harum and the sanctimonious Deacon
Perkins, in the second there is the in
cidents of the counterfeit bills, 'the tus-
sic with Bill Montaig, the securing of
the mortgages on the Widow Cullom's
house, and finally the appearance of
the Deacon behind the ba1ky horse in
the rain storm. The scene of the clos
ing act is the parlor of Aunt Po11y's
home on Christmas morning. In this
act Harum tells the story of his'visit to
the circus as boy and the whipping
which followed. Mr.. Cranes work in
this scene is described.Das being in
tense1y effective. The play concludes
with the Christmasgdinner and the
opening of that celebrated bottle of
champagne, which David describes as
panacea for all known ills. The play
will have an exceptionally strong cast.
It has been decided to give Wednes-
day matinee in addition tosthe'. usual
one of Saturday.