The sun., 1903-10-28
KYRLEBELLEW AS "RAFPLES"
4 POLISHED ARTIST IN 4 NEW
GIMCRACk PLAY.
he and II Succeeded. but the Actor secm
Surprised When lie Made His Thank.
fui Speech ~ the Princess--Stained
Glass Dime Novel on the stage.

Glass Pine Mover on 'he S'"sc
kyrle Bellew wrestled with the Pathetic
FaIlacy last night at the Princess Theatre
In stained glass dime novel called hafi'es,
and In the presence OF an enthusiastic
audience, largely composed OF grown-uF
children, hurled the Ruskinian proposition
tTiumphantly TO earth at the close of Act
iii. After that he was called before the
curtain, and later Eugene Presbrey WAS
discovered.
Mr.. Prsebrey, We need hardly add, is the
adapter of tho piece from Il. W. Horn
ungs stories, said 10 be selling to the many
futlls thousands MIR. Presbrey also ST aged
tho comedy drama and 20 he made q
speech full Of gratitude and midnight oil
Mr.. Below, still IN his shirt sleeves, fol-
lowed and delivered himself Of few gra-
ciow words, very much TO the point and
not frss from the element Of surprise. No
wonder--'Rafles' scored. and perhaps Mr.
Bsllev hardly expected this happy ending
He looks a. impossibly handsome al
ever; b. b as 1.-the, AZ young as ten years
ago, which Ia saying much; and he has lost
not q whit Of his charm OF manner. speech
or facial expression. He wore modern
evening and morning clothes unobtrusively
like thS well bred gentleman he Is, yet for
all that hs might have been encased In tin
armor and wislded two-edged battle axe.
RS6lss, for an artist OF Bellows capa-
bilitlas. 10 mare sentimental fustian.
The story IL not worth retailing. Suffice
to say that Rafass steals q diamond neck,
lace, V hunted down by Cdpf. BeaI %, Sra
ling shooker' enacted for us, and enacted
EXTERNALLY well. Orawshay, the grimy a%c- %
comphoa, has followed Rafles 10 his
chambers in tho Albany. Without the
detectives trail their game; Bedford
has stalksd his from the start; the williams.
great and small .oornered become desperate
Cro,oskay escapes on rope, while Rdftes
pretends to have been strangled and chlo-
reformed. 1t is all too childish. even for
Eghth<evenue.
Cravskay uttsrs the one bit Of wisdom
In the wilderness Of stupid, inept dialogue:
There's too much talk; let's act, or some
thing Of tho sort. Time indeed. Nothing
but talk IN Act l.. In Act Ii. and In ACT ILL.,,
exoept for . burglarious pantomime and
ono utterly theatrio episode in Act Ill.
Crlckst u employed throughout as a SYM
The last wicket's not down yet, Bunny,
my boyi" says this graceful Rdfles. 1t is
very touching. Even Cecil Raleigh Gould
not have beaten that "A Social High
W1ynlan ~ tuo SatkicA WIS 'Hhni'Siy
bstter.
MI. Below made love for his friend in
an irresistible fashion. His speech is O
model for actors IN these days Of slipshod
enunciation and degraded pronunciation.
What he said was generally nonsense
but he said Il beautifully. There is charm
in hearing ones nanve tongue spoken
euphoniously withal naturally. MIR
Bsllsw's pubic was more interested In him
than In his play.
Mr. z. M. Holland, admirable actor, was
the Bedford, and very much SO. His, was
familiar figure. He actually infused some
h,rmor into the stage dummy, and the
duel between the hunter and the hunted
was followed breathlessly. It WAS also
duel OF methodA--the polished romantic
and the polished naturalistic schools Of
acting.
Both exponsnts, It need hardly be added.
are past grand masters. 1t might not be
considered critical good taste to suggest
that they could put their powers to better
service. Docs not the public like detective
bogie man stories and dark lsntern wit?
Tho general performance. barring some
DESERVED tbs curtain call he
received and was gracefully accorded
by his principal. Mr.. Bellew He seemed
the one real burglar In the piece. Hattie
Russell, Clara Blandiok, Stanton Elliott
Frank Roberts, Frank Connor, Ethel Mat
thews and Migncn Beranger we're all well
cast.